Page 20 of All I Want For Christmas Is You

“Okay, well, then… I guess I’ll leave you to it.” Weirdly, though, he didn’t go. He felt rooted to the spot. There was something soothing about the way she tucked the globe into a bubble pouch and then gently inserted it into the foam-encased box.

Everything she did was careful, thoughtful, and he really fucking liked that.

The tension grew, expanded, and neither seemed able to look away from the other.

Finally, she broke it. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” She blinked a few times, then went back to work. “I’m just surprised you noticed. And here I thought I was so slick.”

“Jessa mentioned it, too.”

“She did, huh? That’s not good for a server. Or a barista. Better work on that.”

“You don’t have to work on anything.” You’re perfect as you are. He perched his ass on the edge of the table. “Jessa’s the youngest, so she watched all the family dynamics at play. She’s learned to read expressions.” He didn’t mention that his daughter never knew where she stood with her mom. Courtney could turn on her charm when she wanted something, but when she didn’t need someone, she’d cast them aside. That person ceased to exist. Not easy for a child.

Hang on. Hadn’t his mother been just like that? He was pretty sure she had. “All I know is I said something to bring you down, and I’m sorry for that.”

“You didn’t. You were talking about your kids and helping them find their passions, and I…” She let out a frustrated sigh. “My kids didn’t have that chance.”

He felt like he was hacking away at a block of ice with a toothpick, desperate to form a clear picture of this woman. “Where are they now?” And why aren’t you with them for the holidays?

“My daughter’s in Hawaii, and my son’s in South Korea.”

“Well, that sucks. Are they in the military?”

“My son is. Marines.”

That would explain why she couldn’t be with him. “And your daughter?” He shouldn’t be so pushy. Normally, he’d never ask something so personal. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that.”

She set the box on the table. “No, it’s only fair. You told me your sad story. I can tell you mine.”

“Well, now, as much as I’d like to learn more about you, there’s no tit for tat here. Talking to you helped me understand some things about my marriage, and I get the sense you’ve already done that work, so if you don’t want to go there, I can just sit here and be with you.” Did that sound creepy? He cleared his throat. “I like hanging out with you.”

She pressed her hand over his. “I like hanging out with you, too. And I don’t mind telling you what happened. My ex-husband was a coal trader. Right when my daughter went off to college, the industry tanked, and he lost his job. She didn’t want to take out student loans because she didn’t think she’d ever be able to pay them back with the kind of career she wanted. So, she moved to Hawaii and got a job in hospitality.”

“Is she happy there?”

“Deliriously. She loves everything about her life. In fact, she’s getting married in a few weeks.” The skin around her eyes pinched, and sadness flashed across her features, but she shook it off. “And Owen, my son, he was a junior in high school when it happened. We thought he’d apply for scholarships or go to a community college. He’d wanted to be a veterinarian his whole life. When he was little, the only stories he wanted me to read him were the ones with animals in them. He even volunteered in a shelter outside of town.” She gave a wistful twist of her head. “But he surprised the hell out of us by enlisting.”

“That’s a tough one. How’s he doing?”

“It’s hard to tell with him, but I think he’s all right. He’s twenty-three now, so his contract is up. I’m hoping he’ll come home.” She reached for the box, and he was pretty sure it was to cover her sadness. She had to be wondering where her son would go. He certainly wouldn’t live at the lodge with her.

He pulled out a chair and sat beside her. He wanted to unlock the stories she kept hidden away, help her, but it wasn’t his place. “And that’s why you’re here? Because your kids are away?”

“I’m here because I don’t have a home anymore.”

“I’m sorry, Margot.” He didn’t even know the story, and he could feel this woman’s loss.

“It’s okay. It’s just every time I think I’m good, that I’ve healed, something comes along that brings it to the surface all over again. At some point, the well has to run dry, right? It’s not bottomless.”

“No, I don’t think it is. I don’t know all you’ve gone through, but I think you’re doing great.”

“Well, thank you for that.” She inserted the ornament into the bubble pouch. “My aunt’s been my saving grace. I don’t know how I would’ve survived without her.” Her features went soft with gratitude. “You know what got me out of my cave? I’d been here maybe five months or so, and I hadn’t really left my room. I was working in my room all day, growing my business. It was the only thing I could focus on. I couldn’t read, couldn’t watch TV, couldn’t be around people. One day, my aunt came in and sized me up.”

“Unshowered, no bra, a nightstand full of empty cookie sleeves?”

She grinned at him with an expression that said, Where did that come from?

“Jessa had a terrible breakup. She was heartbroken for months.”

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