Page 60 of Meet Me at Christmas
“You want the promotion?”
“Yes. I’ve worked really hard for it. All I’ve done for the last thirteen years has led up to it.”
Henry was contemplative and she wondered if he, too, was thinking about how muddled things were between them.
“You have better things to worry about, though,” she said, brushing it off. “Let’s focus on your therapy.”
“All right. Well, first things first.” He signaled to Smokey. “Could we get two coffees?”
Smokey eyed him, a grin surfacing. “Want your usual?”
A flicker of uncertainty shone in Henry’s eyes, but he replied, “Yes.”
“Sure thing.” Smokey went behind the bar and pulled two heavy mugs from the rack above him.
Stella leaned in. “Your usual is coffee with milk, and you always ask for a biscuit.”
His gaze moved across the blue-and-white gingham tablecloth, seeming to think this over. “With butter on both sides of the biscuit.”
Stella smiled. “Yes,” she said nodding. “You remembered.”
“Yeah, I did.” He gave her a little smirk that sent her stomach flipping.
“That’s amazing.”
Excitement danced in his blue eyes, and she couldn’t help but be excited for him, even if it meant they might be getting closer to facing the music. Eventually, they’d have to.
He peered at the menu. “Do I get the same thing here every time?”
“Yep.” She purposely didn’t look at her menu so she wouldn’t give away a single clue.
As Henry ran his finger down the choices, Smokey brought over the coffee and biscuits then left them alone once more. “Definitely the bacon sizzler.”
Stella broke out into a huge smile. “You remember that too?”
“No,” he said with a laugh. “But it sounds perfect.”
She laughed. “Fair enough.”
* * *
“Henry’s been cracking jokes and everything,” Stella told her mother when she got home.
Mama closed the book she was reading and set it on the coffee table. “You always did bring out the best in him.”
Stella tried not to think too deeply about her mother’s statement because it hurt too much to believe it. Had she missed out on something wonderful by leaving? “You and Pop brought out the best in each other too.”
Mama stared in the direction of the mantle. “Yes. We sure did.”
“I feel like I’ve failed Pop,” Stella said. “I set a terrible example for Lily by running off. Look at her now.”
“She seems happy,” Mama said.
“But she could have included us. It’s my fault she hasn’t.” Stella plopped onto the sofa next to her mother.
Mama offered her the other side of the blanket she’d draped across her legs. “You put too much pressure on yourself. Your sister has made her own choices.” Mama was quiet for a minute before continuing. “I’ve always wondered why you ran off so quickly. It was like you did a one-eighty in a single day. You were happily married to the love of your life, and then all of a sudden you were off to Stanford.”
Stella’s face heated with shame for not telling her mother everything. “I got scared,” she admitted.
