Page 13 of A Cozy Kind of Christmas
“Penny for your thoughts,” Owen said, grabbing her hand instinctively as they made their way through the crowded terminal. It was decked out for the holidays with fragrant wreaths and garlands. Strings of bright green and red lights stretched from the high ceiling, and carols played on the speakers overhead. The food stands offered holiday favorites—chocolate-dipped pretzels and warm turkey sandwiches smothered with cranberry sauce and stuffing.
Jill could eat.
She placed a hand over her stomach to stop its rumbling. “The jet lag has removed any and every coherent thought from my brain,” Jill lied, lacing her hand through his.
“Youneversleep on planes,” Owen said, steering her past a group of high school students in matching band uniforms, lugging instruments toward their gate. “You should try M&M’s.”
Jill reached into her pack and retrieved a crumpled, melted bag of chocolate candies. “I did. They failed me. Miserably, I might add.”
He laughed and kissed the top of her head. “I’m talking melatonin and meditation. A little ofmyM&M remedy, and you’ll drift off into the most blissful sleep of your life like a newborn baby.”
Jill flinched. She recovered quickly with a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. If only it were that easy.
“What are you thinking about?” He tugged the handle of his rolling suitcase, keeping a tight grip on Jill like he was worried he might lose her.
“This, everything,” she replied, nodding toward a giant blue spruce tree adorned with ruby red berries and dazzling twinkling lights. “It’s the holidays, which I love, but I’m nervous about how things will go between Meg and Matt, especially with Lucinda in the mix, and then I’m already thinking ahead to seeing my parents. It’s just a lot.”
What she wanted to say was,We should talk, likereallytalk.
There was no point, though. She had zero doubts that Owen loved and cherished her, but she was all too aware of his stance on kids and family, which stemmed from his own dysfunctional childhood. He’d basically raised himself and left when he was in his teens to finish school on his own. He’d hit the road, crashing on friends’ couches and sleeping on the floor, teaching himself how to fix leaky water pipes and paint houses to earn enough money to scrape by. His fierce independence was one of the things that had attracted her most to him, and now it might be their unraveling.
“But you have me, and there’s snow and Irish coffee,” he said, nudging her shoulder gently. “What more do you need?”
His grin was pure Owen—hopeful, breezy, almost enough to make her momentarily forget the ache pressing against her ribs.
Jill wanted to scream that shedidn’thave him and that she needed a lot more than spiked coffee and a fresh dusting of snow, but instead, she forced another smile and stopped to zip up her coat before they ventured outside. There was no reason to make everyone miserable right from the start. The best she could do was enjoy these last few days together and face the reality of their divergent futures after the holidays.
NINE
JOHANNA
The doorbell echoed a melodic chime like something straight from the movies.Ding, dong. Ding, dong.
Johanna checked her watch. It was late. Almost midnight.
There was only one person who would show up at her door at this hour.
Ding, dong.
Just ignore him. He’ll go away.
Ding, dong, ding, dong, ding, dong.
The chimes grew faster like he was pressing the button over and over.
Damnit, Connor.
I have nothing to say to you.
She knew why he was here.
How did he think he was going to get away with it?
One of her colleagues had ducked into her office shortly before the end of the day with the bombshell.
Connor flipping Howard had interviewed for her job.
The role she’d spent the last decade working toward. The promotion everyone had assumed was hers—because itwas.
