Page 35 of Lakehouse Mistletoe
A man bundled in a coat and scarf around half his face looked up from the ground.
Helen gasped. “Carl! What are you doing here?”
He shoved the scarf away from his face and looked at her. “Helen, can I please come in?”
She snorted and debated slamming the door in his face. With a sigh, she finally stepped aside and let him enter.
“Thank you,” he said earnestly.
He stepped inside the house and looked around. “Wow, this is beautiful.”
Ignoring him, she headed into the living room with the knife in her hand. He followed.
She stopped in front of the fireplace and turned around. “What do you want, Carl?”
He dropped his head and held his hands out to his side. “I want to tell you I’m so sorry about Sykes. The police contacted me this morning about what he did and I jumped on a plane to make sure you were okay.”
Helen blinked. “I’m fine. I can take care of myself.” She set the knife on the mantle.
Carl’s eyes widened for a second, and then he stepped forward. “I can see that. Helen, I am so sorry for everything. I truly am. I needed to make this right before Christmas arrived.”
She picked up her tea and took a sip. ‘Looks like you made your deadline.”
Carl chuckled. “I kind of thought you would be a lot madder about this whole thing than you are.”
Helen sighed. “Let’s just say I’ve gained some perspective. And there are some things—like worrying about the past—that are no longer worth my time.”
Carl’s face broke into a wide smile. “I am so glad you said that. These last few months have been absolute hell. You just can’t imagine. I was hoping that maybe I could stay here a few days, you know, until I get back on my feet.”
Helen tilted her head. “Do you even have money to rent a room, Carl?”
He studied the floor and shook his head. “No. Charlene, the woman I was seeing, took the last of my cash when we went to Vegas.”
Helen felt a small flame of anger in her chest. “You had money to go to Las Vegas?”
Carl glanced up at her with a hopeful look. “I put it on the credit card. Anyway, I went there to try my luck. I was doing pretty good too. Then I woke up the next morning, and Charlene and my cash were gone.” He shoved his hands through his hair. “It was that moment I realized that I could never trust another woman like I was able to trust you. You were so good to me all those years, and I didn’t appreciate you, Helen.”
Helen studied him. “And you came all this way to tell me that?”
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Yes, and I was wondering if I could borrow five hundred dollars. I can turn that into five thousand at the casino. I would pay you back with interest.” He smiled broadly.
The flame in her chest spread like a wildfire to her veins. She set her tea down and reached for the knife on the mantle.
Carl’s eyes widened in shock.
“I can’t believe you have the nerve to show up after I was almost attacked by a loan shark who wanted his money back from you! And not only that, but to ask me for money to pay off your debt. You are the most self-centered, narcissistic man on earth. You need to leave now! I’m going to give you until the count of five to get out of my house and drive away!” She held the knife out.
Carl went white. “Helen, what has gotten into you? You’ve never been this violent before.”
She smirked. “It’s not violent. It’s putting up boundaries. I’m not letting you or anyone else ever walk all over me again. Ever! Now leave.”
Carl took two steps backward and then raced for the front door. Once outside he stumbled into a snow drift. He scrambled to get up and raced to his car. Once she saw his taillights in the distance, she shut the door and locked it behind her.
She walked back into the living room, set the knife on the coffee table, and picked up her tea.
Chapter 32
The dining room glowed with flickering candles and magical Christmas décor. The table was full of laughter and guests passing sides to one another. The scent of Christmas ham and spiced cider hung in the air.
