Page 51 of The Holiday Ex-Files

Fine. But don’t you back out on me this time. I need some pumpkin spice in my life.

Once I was done arguing with myself, I noticed that Noah wasn’t enjoying this. At all.

“I’m sorry, we need to go. It was really nice to meet you.”

Noah took the out and gently pushed me forward. When we were out of earshot of the two, he said, “Platonic with a capital P? What, are you ashamed of me?” he teased.

“Not at all, but people look up to me.”

“Hmm,” he sighed. “So, you have to stay single forever to appease people who don’t even know you?” He sounded a bit cranky.

“I was thinking more along the lines of, so I don’t get my heart broken again.” I nudged him with my elbow.

He gave me a sympathetic smile. “I thought the woman in the hospital room might think differently.”

“She does about some things.”

He tilted his head. “What things are those?”

“Well . . . I mean, she really wants to go to Hobby Lobby, and I think she’s up for a Harry Potter marathon and maybe a pumpkin pillow or two.”

Noah chuckled for a moment before he paused as if he had to think about what to say. “Would she possibly be interested in taking my nephews to Peterson’s Pumpkin Patch with me?”

Miss Sparkly got all tingly and was shouting in my head, Yes! Yes! Yes!

I did love that place. I could taste their homemade apple cider and pumpkin-spice doughnuts now. But . . . “The last time I went there was with Ben,” I whispered, trying not to think how I knew then that something wasn’t right between us. I’d felt it in my bones. He had been overly attentive yet distracted.

“Maybe it’s time to make some new memories there,” Noah stated.

Take this step back to loving us again, Miss Sparkly pleaded. Don’t waste what you just did up in that hospital room. And all I’m going to say is ‘condolence card’.

Sheesh, you are vicious, Sparkles.

Only when I have to be.

“Okay.” I grinned. “I’ll go with you and your nephews on two conditions. We get to cuddle the bunnies for at least a half hour, and you jump in the corn cribs with us.”

“Deal.” He beamed, not even having to think about the conditions.

“Great. Now that that’s settled, I really could use a jacket.” I hugged myself and rubbed my arms.

He grabbed my hand. “This way.”

Miss Sparkly was in heaven holding his hand again, not to mention she was giddy thinking about going to the pumpkin patch. I let her have her moment and I took advantage of it too. This was a big day for me, and since I couldn’t have Mara right now, I accepted Noah’s comforting touch. After all, we were platonic with a capital P.

He led us to his truck and retrieved a hoodie for him and his leather jacket for me.

I couldn’t get his jacket on fast enough. The sun was setting and I was freezing. Not only did warmth engulf me, but so did that incredible scent of his. It felt as if I were swallowed whole by a snickerdoodle. I breathed in deeply, to Miss Sparkly’s delight. I knew I shouldn’t tempt her, but she’d shown up for me today in a big way.

“Shall we walk?” Noah asked.

“Yeah.”

The hospital campus was lovely, even in the semi dark. I believe they had even won an award for how beautiful the grounds were. It’s kind of hard not to be beautiful with the Sierras as your backdrop and the sun setting it all on fire. I looked at the mountains, feeling as if I had climbed them today and come out on top. “So, what was going on with you and Ben today?”

“You can’t guess?”

“I gather he doesn’t like us being friends. Which I don’t understand.”

“He doesn’t understand, either.” Noah shoved his hands in his pockets.

“What does that mean?”

“For once in Ben’s life, I have something he can’t have. And he knows it’s his own fault.”

“Ben wants to be friends with me?” I asked incredulously.

“Ben wants his life back, but he knows it’s not possible.”

I stopped and had to blink a few times to comprehend what he was trying to say. “Ben doesn’t want me back. You hear the way he talks to me, about me.”

“Yeah, I do, Cams. In private moments when he’s not playing the part of prick, he knows he screwed up.”

“You guys talk about me?”

He tugged on a strand of my hair. “You are still the coolest girl we know.”

The thought of Ben still thinking that was impossible for me to believe. “He has a funny way of showing it,” I growled.

“Don’t you get it, Cams? He’s stuck in his own personal hell where he can see you, but you will always be out of reach. And you were right up there.” He pointed at the hospital, now in the distance. “You never needed him, but he needed you.”

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