Page 60 of Love, Lies and Sleigh Rides
“Wish I had better news. Friend of yours?”
That ship had sunk, he was afraid. But he nodded anyway.
She reached under the counter. “Maybe you can see she gets this. It was on the floor next to the nightstand.”
The woman slid the little gold Christmas tree across the counter toward him. The gold-plated boughs winked under the fluorescent lights.
“Thank you.”
The woman wished him a good day as he pushed open the door. He cupped the pin tightly in his fist and immediately answered for it. A minuscule dot of blood appeared on his palm when he opened it to look.
But the pain on his hand was nothing compared to how it gripped his heart.
ChapterTwenty-Three
The Tuesday before Christmas, Fallon’s favorite lunch spot Zest was thrumming with holiday traffic. The bright little diner with whitewashed brick walls and red vinyl booths overlooked the river which had already frozen over in spots. Despite the happy surroundings, the gray day outside fit her mood. The only uplifting part of the week so far was June’s invitation to lunch.
They’d ordered at the counter before slipping into a booth against one of the tall windows. Fallon swirled a straw around in her glass of ice water, mesmerized by the sound.
June cleared her throat. “I did some digging after the pretty flowers showed up for you last week. Why didn’t you tell me Kade was more than just a convenient date for the sponsors’ dinner?”
So, this was behind June’s invitation. Fallon should have guessed.
“You’re so predictable, June. Do you know that?” She sipped her water then pushed it aside.
“If I wanted to be sneaky about it, I wouldn’t ask.”
Fallon groaned. There were a hundred and one reasons why she hadn’t mentioned Kade, the first being she never pictured herself with him. She was too busy; he was too far away. Their values clashed. Her only pleasant holiday memory involved her grandfather, who was now gone. Meanwhile, the Behars embodied everything about the holidays she’d grown to resent—family, traditions, love.
“There’s not much to tell. I thought there might be something. A possibility. But it turned out we’re too different.”
Her boss wore that look that made Fallon’s skin get prickly. June knew it wasn’t the whole truth.
“I don’t know what you’re expecting me to say, June. That sums it up.”
June lay her hand on the table, drumming her fingers. “When Ladro and I first met, he was the furthest man from ‘my type’ I could imagine. Quiet, unassuming, and he had the worst wardrobe. I mean, these loud Hawaiian shirts that he wore everywhere. Even in winter.” June shuddered for effect.
Fallon giggled. She liked June’s husband a lot. He had a surprising sense of humor that showed up when she got to know him better.
“So, what changed?”
June rolled her eyes. “This sounds so cliché, but one morning I woke up and realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. He made me laugh, supported me, and had become my best friend. Plus, he dazzled me with his skills in the kitchen. The Ladro version of chana masala—thebest.” She made an “okay” sign for emphasis.
Fallon nodded. Admittedly, her heart hurt, listening to June go on about Ladro. She wanted that for herself too. But the events of the last month were in the past. What happened in Hendricks should stay in Hendricks, even if she’d left a piece of her heart there too.
“As dead set against falling for him as I was in the beginning, common sense showed up in the nick of time,” said June. “He was perfect for me. I just had to get out of my own way.”
Fallon sat back against her seat and leveled her gaze at June. “Why this pep talk? Why now?”
“You haven’t been yourself,” June said quickly.
“What else?”
June floated a napkin into her lap even though the food hadn’t arrived. She didn’t answer.
“You know something else.”
June’s brow creased. “Do not.”
