Page 18 of Maybe This Christmas
“Okay, okay.But remember, your idea of fun is clubbing in Miami, and mine is less flashy.”
“Sounds like you’re in the right place for it, then.”
She supposed Aniyah was right.She’d expected to feel…something at the dissolution of her engagement.Perhaps the sadness would come once the shock wore off.For now, she only felt numb.Not quite ready to run into another man’s arms, but….
“You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?”Aniyah teased.
“I think our connection is cutting out,” Emma lied.
“We both know it’s not, but I’ll let you lie to me just this once.Have fun and remember not everything has to be forever.You deserve it.”
* * * *
After thirty-plus years, Caleb had learned to tune out the biddies’ chatter.A skill he’d had to develop for his own sanity.So, it was no surprise when it took a sharp shove at his shoulder to bring his attention to Babs Dodge.
He’d been attempting to get the lunch and learn prepared.According to Sabrina, they usually only got a handful of people at these events, so they set them up in the back bar.It was lovely at any time of the year, with dark wood and brass finishings.Traditional Christmas decorations hung from the stained-glass lighting fixture hanging over the wooden bar.
“Caleb, I know you see me.”Babs poked him again.
“I was hoping you’d take the hint and move on, Babs.”
She exhaled a sharp laugh at that.“You know me better than that.Listen, I have some hot goss.”
He returned to ensure that the video screen behind the bar was in working order for the presentation.
“Setting up for trivia?”Babs asked.
Normally, that was the primary purpose of the video screen.That or bingo.But the speaker for today had requested a screen for their presentation.
“We both know you don’t care about that, Babs.Get to the point.”
“Okay, fine, ghost of Christmas pain in my ass,” she grumbled.“We’ve had our first breakup of the season.That pretty girl who helped you find Daisy yesterday?Emma?Her fiancé stormed off, ring in hand.”
An unfamiliar feeling flushed over him.Heartbreak for the lovely Emma, but oddly a strange glimmer of hope?No, that was stupid.He brushed it to the side before it could settle.
“Hmm,” Babs murmured.“I thought you’d find that news interesting.”
Thankfully, she wandered off before he could come up with a reply.
He moved over to the back of the room, welcoming guests in as they arrived.Sabrina and Brandon stood on either side of him, not ready to let him go on his own just yet.
“So,” Sabrina said between guests, “we were hoping you could spend the night up here for the next few days.Since the day starts so early, you know.Tomorrow’s first activity starts at six o’clock with a pre-breakfast fireside chat.”
That didn’t sound very good to Caleb.“What do people talk about at six in the morning, anyhow?”
“Oh, we have lots of early risers.You’ll make sure the fire is roaring, coffee is bountiful, and have the dailies printed out.That way, the guests are aware of what activities we have on offer.We have a few paid excursions planned for tomorrow, so it’ll be a great time to encourage people to sign up for those events.”
“Who will be staffed by…me, I presume?”
Sabrina chuckled.“No, silly.You must see them off.We’ve arranged those trips with outside vendors.You need to make sure everything goes according to plan.”She parroted the voice she used with his kids.
He groaned.“You’re saying you don’t want me to wallow at home?So, the solution is getting up at the crack of dawn to upsell your guests?”
Sabrina ignored the jibe.“We were more concerned about you getting here in time, given the weather forecast this week.We want one of us up here just in case the weather turns bad.”
The forecast did call for snow over the weekend.“I’ll stay, it’s no big deal.The drive is long, and I’d rather stay here anyway.Especially with the fireside chats starting at the butt-crack of dawn.”
December was the darkest period of the year, so it was dark when he left and dark again well before the day was over.All that trouble to return to an empty apartment was simply a reminder that his girls were gone, and he wouldn’t see them until after Christmas.
