Page 23 of That Time We Kissed Under the Mistletoe
Until he wasn’t.
So I guess I can’t be too surprised that I slipped back so easily into admiring him on the surface, because I’ve already experienced his depths. I just have to make sure to keep things shallow for the next few days.
“Just so you know,” he says, “I did text my family last night before I went to bed. I figured it was too late for them to pivot at that point, so I told them the truth. Well.Mostof the truth. I didn’t specify how or why this whole thing happened.” He touches his skull, cringing. “I can’t remember much anyway.”
A wave of relief washes over me, although I probably shouldn’t care whether or not the Fullers think this situation is my fault. It’s not like I was the one who broke Three’s heart. Still, I can’t help wondering if he was protecting me, or if he had other reasons for not wanting them to know we’re together.
“I’ll bet they’re pretty upset,” I say, setting the butter and jam on the island. Then I fill my own coffee mug, along with a generous serving of cream.
“Probably.” Three drops his brow. “I haven’t looked at my phone yet. The cruise line warned us the Wi-Fi onboard is spotty,so texts and calls could be unreliable. In another couple hours, they should be at sea, so I’m waiting until then to check my messages.”
I tip my chin. “But they won’t be able to contact you at that point.”
“Exactly.” He bobs his head. “I’m afraid hearing their actual voices might be too hard. I don’t want to get all sappy and beg them to come home and be with me for Christmas.” He huffs out a small, sad laugh. “I’m just glad they all get to be together,” he adds. “The rest of my family, I mean. Even if I can’t be with them.”
I blink at him, swallowing against the lump in my throat. “That’s very generous of you.”
“Yeah.” The syllable comes out gruff. “I try to be generous.”
And sometimes you even succeed,I think.Unless you count that one summer …
Three averts his gaze, staring down at his coffee, so I take the opportunity to fork some eggs onto a couple of plates and snag the bread from the toaster. Then I come around the island with our food and slip onto the stool beside him.
Seated like this, we don’t have to look at each other while we eat, which is probably a good thing. Eye contact with Three can be dangerous.
Ask me how I know.
I dig into my breakfast, alternating between bites of toast and eggs, and sips of coffee. Three does the same, working on his food without speaking either. We’re about halfway through when I can’t stand the silence anymore. “So you’re off work for two weeks for winter break, huh?”
From my peripheral vision, I catch him nodding. “That’s one of the reasons we planned the cruise for Christmas,” he says. “It’s the only time of year I have two weeks off in a row. Thanksgiving’s only one week. Same with spring break.”
I continue to eye him sideways. “Don’t teachers getsummers off?”
“Yeah.” Another nod. “But I run the summer school program for the school district. And I lead guided fishing tours at The Beachfront Inn on weekends. My cousin, Olivia, works there with her fiancé now. I kinda like helping her and Hudson out. And I really like the extra money.”
I add an extra dash of salt and pepper to my remaining eggs. “You don’t need a special administrative degree for that?”
He squints at me. “To lead fishing tours?”
I puff out a laugh. “To run summer school.”
“Nah.” Three selects a piece of toast from the stack. “There aren’t a ton of takers in a town this small. A teaching credential is plenty.”
“Hmm.” I shovel a forkful of peppery eggs in my mouth.
“I also oversee swim lessons at Abie Lake once the weather’s warm enough.” Three spreads a thick layer of jam on his toast. “And I still pick up a lifeguard shift every once in a while.”
My memory digs up a visual of Three in his lifeguard tank top and board shorts. I start to gag on my eggs.“That’s a lot of jobs,” I manage to rasp, once I stop choking.
“I’m the girls basketball coach, too.”
“Wow.” I clear my throat and gulp but my eyes are watering now. “I guess you’ve gotten”—blink, blink—“pretty ambitious over the years.”
Three chews his toast, and I note the bob of his Adam’s apple when he gulps. “For the record, I never lacked ambition,” he says. “Some kids just need a little more time before they find their direction.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry.” I shove more eggs in my mouth, trying not to choke again.
“That first year after graduation, Nella talked me into taking some college classes online.” He swipes a few toast crumbs off the counter onto his plate. “To be honest, I was just trying to act like an adult. Fake it till you make it, you know? So I studied a little bit of everything, but I really ended up loving the history courses. Igot hooked. Applied to Albany U to complete my undergrad, and the rest is … well …”
