Page 10 of Deadly Night
My heart squeezes in my chest. This is my first Christmas without my Meemaw. Her and George are going on some cruise to the Bahamas or something. The man spoils her, and I love that for her, but I miss her.
One set of the lights flashes before dying out. The remaining line casts creepy shadows over the trees, giving the branches a gnarly look. Reminding me of a dark fairytale where a young maiden gets lured into the woods only to be taken by a beast. Ormaybe it’s the strange effect of Mistletoe Pines. This town is as spooky as spooky gets.
I swap my boots for the elf booties, and Syd promises to keep them for me under the table at the face painting booth. We meander through the entrance. Food trucks and vendors line each side of the street. Sydney drags me to a table set up at the volunteer fire station for some cider. I don’t really care for the stuff, but they are raising funds for a new truck. And Sydney happens to have a crush on one of them. I don’t know how she can tell Jake apart from the rest of the crew, but she spots him easily enough. There’s a line of them wearing matching attire, their signature navy blue long-sleeved tees and khaki carpenter pants along with fake beards and red hats trimmed in white fur.
My bestie makes gaga eyes at her crush while I glance around the crowd looking for Nick. I spot him easily enough at the booth where his sister is collecting toys for the annual toy drive. Sydney elbows me in the ribs. “I see him.”
“I do too,” I snap.
“Man, you’re wound up tight,” she grumbles.
“I’m nervous, and I feel ridiculous. Everyone is staring at me.”
“You’re being paranoid,” she tells me as I burn the tip of my tongue on the yucky cider. “Okay, maybe a little, but that’s only because they are so used to seeing you look so frumpy.”
“I’m not frumpy.” I toss my drink into a nearby trash can, vowing to get a hot chocolate instead.
Sydney laughs. “Aren’t you going to say hello?” She rummages in that enormous bag of hers and pulls out a stuffed bear. “Go make a donation.” She grins like a kid who just had their first taste of something sweet. “Go.” She shoves me forward before disappearing with Jake and my boots.
I start toward the donation table, but my nerves get the best of me. I turn back the way we came, debating on going home.Instead, I get in line for a funnel cake and frosted sugar cookies, turning back to old habits. Using food to cope with my anxiety.
I catch a glimpse of myself in a store window. It’s like looking at a stranger. In my mind, it’s easy to forget that I’ve dropped so much weight. This dress. Using my body. It’s not me.
“Hey you.”
I spin around, seeing Tony Copley. He was friends with Scotty back when everything happened. He’s one of the few who believes me when I say I don’t know what happened to him.
“Hey Tony. How have you been? Did Chandra have the baby yet?”
“Due any time. I came to grab her some deep-fried pickles.”
“You’d better not keep her waiting. Tell her we miss her at the store.” His wife works at Thrift and Save with me. It’s a gently used clothing store that sells stuff for super cheap.
“Later, Hads.”
A loud truck backfires where it’s idling at the edge of the parking lot where the trees are leaning on the fence. I toss the remnants of my treat into a nearby trash can and dust my hands on my skirt, hoping the powdered sugar I leave behind isn’t noticeable.
I watch a group of guys unload more trees. My gaze is drawn to one guy in particular as he hefts the biggest tree by the trunk over his shoulder as though it is weightless and drops it with the rest. He removes his gloves, tugging them off with his teeth. Recognition dawns on me as I take in his full height. I don’t think I’ve seen him since our high school graduation, but he still sports the same dark-haired, messy bedhead look. And there is no denying those eyes that are dark as ever. Unreadable. Mysterious.
Damon. The ultimate bad boy. The one parents warned their daughters to steer clear of. The guy they’d use as an example. A cautionary tale. ‘Keep in line or you’ll be just like Damon…’
He’s still got a dark edge. A wicked smile. One that makes a girl shiver in a good way thinking about how rough and strong his hands must be.
His gaze catches mine, his lips turning up in a quirky smile. I can’t help but wonder if any of the rumors about him are true. Wild barroom brawls that ended in bloodshed and handcuffs. Some even say he killed a man. The last thing I heard about him was that he had joined the military. But now he’s here, and I’m curious to know how long he’s been home.
His hand jerks upward, giving way to a slow wave.
Is he waving at me? Before I realize I’m even doing it, I return the gesture.
His smile grows fuller, but then someone calls his name, and he returns to work.
I continue watching him for a second longer than I should.
“Ha, busted,” Sydney calls out. “That doesn’t look like Nick.” She guides me back toward the donation table. “Was that Damon?”
“Mhmm. I was thinking about getting a tree.”
“Hope they do delivery because I am not helping you lug one of those home.”
