Page 7 of A Cozy Kind of Christmas
You did it! You really did it. Can’t wait to celebrate in Bend. We’ll see you in a week!
The message was followed by a dozen celebratory emojis.
It feels surreal for sure.
This calls for a toast. You are coming to Bend, right? You are not backing out now. You promised. We promised. Matt’s 30th birthday is a big deal. I cannot wait to smooch your face.
Meg hesitated for a minute, trying to think of how to reply. She, Jill, and Matt had been inseparable in their early twenties. Her friends had gotten her through the trauma of Pops’s death—then the shock discovery that her father hadn’t died after all, but was deep undercover for a story he was writing. And they had teamed up to investigate some shady crimes of their own while she was working atNorthwest Extrememagazine, a job that she had been horrifically unqualified for.
She had learned a lot since then, mainly through painful self-reflection and slow growth. That’s what your twenties were supposed to be for, right?
The problem was Matt.
When they finally parted, she made it clear it was the end for them.
She owned that piece of their story. But she never imagined that Matt would find someone.
No, that wasn’t entirely true. Of course he would find someone. He was the kindest, smartest, funniest, most capable person on the planet. But fall in love with someone else? No, that wasn’t on her bingo card.
She had heard through the grapevine that he’d been dating Lucinda Hinton, the heiress to the high-tech energy company Blazen, where he had worked as a technical writer for the last seven years.
Back in the day, the three of them—she, Jill, and Matt—made a pact that they would remain inseparable no matter where they were in the world. They would drop everything and get on a plane for a wedding, a milestone birthday, or when one of them had a baby. That sounded like a great idea at the time. But even though he’d invited her out of politeness, Meg highly doubted Matt wanted her at his birthday party.
I don’t think it’s a good idea. I will see you in Bend for sure. I’m coming for the assignment, but I don’t know about the party.
No way. You are not backing out now. RSVP this minute or I will do it for you. See you in one week.
I doubt Matt wants me there.
Already talked to him. He does! If I can fly from Italy you can make it from New York. Can’t wait to see you IRL! Kiss kiss.
There was no going against Jill once she set her mind to something.
But, Matt.
Well, Matt was another story.
She didn’t love the thought of having to see Matt face-to-face for the first time since they’d parted ways.
She should have been thinking about her next assignment. The pressure was on to deliver a story that was cozy and timely—a signature Meg Reed piece. Instead, her brain kept circling back to one impossible truth. She was going to see Matt face-to-face.
For the first time since they’d said goodbye.
Dozens of what-ifs bombarded her head. What if she had tried harder to make the distance work? What if it had been a mistake to go radio silent on him?
All those ignored texts and phone calls… She sighed heavily, filled with a deep regret that felt like it had settled into her bones.
Could they pick back up like old friends?
Was it too late?
And what about Lucinda Hinton?
Seeing Matt in the arms of another woman would be rough. But maybe that’s exactly what she needed to finally let him go for good.
She took a deep, steadying breath. Regardless, a long weekend in Bend would be good for her, for her Oregon soul, as Gam would say. She missed the smell of the forest, mountains, and green as far as the eye could see. She even missed the rain. Somehow rainfall in Oregon felt different, like it could wash away all her problems, but then again, she might be romanticizing.
She closed the laptop and picked up Matt’s birthday invite, staring back up at her like a dare.
