Page 56 of Wylder Ranch
“Alone.”
Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year, and the thought of Alex purposely alone makes me so sad that before I know it, I’m crying, and it has nothing to do with baby hormones. Clemmie immediately jumps off her lounger onto mine and pulls me into a hug.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t.” I sniff. “And why are you apologizing? Your dad died too.”
“I know. But I was too small to remember him. To be honest, it’s a miracle I haven’t grown up with a daddy complex.”
She’s so flippant that I’m soon laughing through mytears.
“I don’t know how much he’s told you, but no one else blames Alex for his death. We all lost our dad, but now we lose Alex at a time when we’d really love to have him around.” She pauses and takes a breath. “Anyway, I guess I’m saying thank you because he’s not been such a miserable twat this year.”
I chuckle along with her, though my mind is now on Christmas and what I can do for Alex to make it easier. How I can help over the next month like he’s helped me these past two weeks. Maybe I can suggest we spend it together, and if he wants to leave Valentine Nook, Everly and I could go with him so he’s not quite so alone this year.
I’m trying to figure it out when Holiday moves from the pool to join us on the lounger. “What are your plans for Thanksgiving?”
“We’ll be back in Aspen. I usually spend all the holidays with my best friend and her family, but they’re going to visit the East Coast this year, so it’ll just be Everly and me.” I wonder if I should ask Alex to stay with us. He’s certainly one of the things I’m thankful for. “What about you?”
“My parents are in Maine. My siblings and I will be home for it, and Lando’s coming too. His first American Thanksgiving.” She laughs, shaking her head. But there’s a twinkle in her eye. “And the first time he’ll be meeting my whole family. I’m expecting to be single by the end of it.”
“No way. If anything, Lando would disown us and move to America just to be with you.” Clemmie scoffs, reaching for her glass.
The pink in Holiday’s cheeks deepens, and she offersa coy shrug, but it belies a confidence in knowing how much Lando loves her.
It’s nice having another American around because since I’ve been in Valentine Nook, I’ve realized that although I speak the same language as everyone I’ve met, wedo notspeak the same language. There are so many things I want to ask her about her time here, but I don’t want her to think I’m prying.
In the end, I go with, “How are you finding the long distance between you?” because that’s the one thing I need advice on.
Holiday tucks her legs up and hugs them to her chest. “It’s new. I took the summer off, and I’ve been here since June. I only went back to work a few weeks ago, and we’re getting used to the travel right now. I fly back to LA the day after tomorrow for work, then to Maine, then to Shanghai, then back to London. We haven’t decided where we’ll be for the holidays, but after New Year’s, I’m moving here permanently, so we just have to cope for a couple of months. That’s what I keep telling myself anyway,” she adds, with a light laugh.
“Wow.”
I thought I was tired, but listening to Holiday, I don’t know how she’s not permanently in zombie mode from all the time differences. And maybe I could cope with a couple of months of travel before we settled on one place, but this is different. Alex and I have lives that cement us on opposite sides of the world.
But instead of worrying about it until my brain hurts, I push it away for another time, because that’s the point when one of the spa staff enters the pool room and walks over to us.
“Ladies, if you’d like to come with me, we’re ready for your hand and feet treatments.”
I turn to Clementine. “We’re doing manis and pedis too?”
“Yes, head to toe. Told you, Alex’s treat.”
Dipping my chin, I hide my smile as the familiar warmth creeps over me, and the three of us ease to standing, like it’s the hardest thing in the world to do.
“Don’t know about you,” Holiday whispers, putting down her empty cucumber water glass. “But after this, I also vote we go and find a proper drink.”
“Definitely,” adds Clemmie in a loud whisper. “Any extension on girl time is good with me.”
I smile and nod to both as we leave the pools for our treatment room. And as lovely as today has been, I’m not thinking about extending girl time. I’m wondering whether I can come up with an excuse to get back to Everly.
And her father.
CHAPTER 14
Alexander
After Haven left for the spa this morning, I realized Everly was officially two months old. I happened to mention it to Miles when he popped over for a coffee and moral support, and the day spiraled from there.
