Page 52 of Snowflakes and Sparks

“It was going to be a gift. I’d rather smash it against Alex’s house, but that would be a waste. If you don’t want to throw it away, you can keep it at the inn.”

“Oh, Suzie.” A sad look crossed her face.

“Thanks again. For everything.”

I started the engine and pulled away. Away from the bookstore, from Old Pine Cove, from Alex. I drove until the entire town disappeared, as if I’d never been there at all.

The tears came down again, big and full of understanding that nothing would ever be the same again.

***

“What do you mean all flights to L.A. are full?”

“I’m sorry, miss, but it’s Christmas Eve. Any other day you’d be able to fly out, but not today. Is there any other way I can help you?”

“I wish there was. Could you perhaps fix everything that’s wrong with my life, Patricia?” I asked, glancing at her nametag.

Her eyes grew as wide as saucers. “Are you going to yell at me if I say no?”

“Of course not,” I said in a brittle voice. “I’m sorry, I’m just having a bad day.”

She gave me a short nod. “If you want to fly out to somewhere else, let me know, okay?”

“Thanks.”

I walked away from the ticket desk and sat down in one of the nearby plastic chairs. I swallowed hard. There was no way I’d sob at an airport on one of the busiest days of the year.

I pulled my phone out of my bag. There were two missed calls from Alex and a text that saidcall me.

With trembling fingers, I called him back. Maybe he had a good explanation for all of this. Maybe Heather had been lying to me. I owed him a chance to explain. He picked up at the first ring.

“Suzie, where are you?”

Hearing his voice made it difficult to push back the tears. “I’m at the airport. Is it true? Is Heather taking over the bookstore?”

A beat of silence confirmed that she had told me the truth after all. Gosh, I’d been so stupid.

I took a deep breath in. “Is she still there with you? In your house?”

“She is. But it’s not what you think,” Alex said. “Don’t run away like this without knowing exactly what happened between Heather and me.”

“I know enough,” I said, and shut off my phone.

I looked around the airport, wanting to get out of here as soon as possible. I felt trapped. I couldn’t go back to Old Pine Cove. How embarrassing would that be? To make a run for it only to return half a day later, because all flights home were full. I should’ve known that ideal runaway scenarios only happen in movies, not in real life.

I considered flying out to my sister’s to be with my family, but that wasn’t a good idea either. My sister was about to have a baby. I didn’t want to bum them out with my sobfest.

I aimlessly scrolled through my phone, as if the answers were hidden inside the small device somewhere, and then it hit me. I knew exactly where to go.

Chapter Twenty

Ipushed through the crowd of people, eager to get away from the airport and drink eggnog on the beach, when I saw an enormous cardboard sign that saidWelcome to the madness, Suzie.

I laughed and snatched the cardboard out of its owner’s hands. “The madder, the better,” I said and pulled Dean into a hug. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you.”

“Are you sure you’re up for this kind of crazy?” Dean asked, the two of us still hugging. “I swear it’s a whole different level of madness.”

I grinned. “You better believe I am.”

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