Dahlia nodded, a small smile gracing her lips. “Yeah. And it’s true. They’re perfect together.”
Connor only nodded.
“I’m sorry I said that, by the way,” Dahlia said. “Not about them. I meant what I said about them. But, just . . . about us. In retrospect, I think I was probably just feeling emotional because I’d been trapped for so long, and you were the one to rescue me. But I wasn’t thinking clearly. And I can’t imagine the pressure that put on you. I just . . . I guess I just want you to know I can handle us being friends. I promise I won’t make it weird.”
It would maybe still be a little weird. Dahlia would have to work overtime not to feel the mind-blowing attraction that erupted inside her every time Connor was nearby. At least not to let him see that she felt it. But she would do it. And if she couldn’t, she’d just have to make herself scarce whenever Deacon and Connor were hanging out.
But it felt good to tell her side of the story anyway. To know that she’d owned her behavior and not offered a single excuse in the process.
Her therapist would be so proud.
They reached her car, Dahlia only just remembering that Connor had been the one to ask her if they could talk. She’d completely monopolized the conversation.
“Oh, hey, did you want to talk to me about something? I didn’t mean to make everything about me.”
“Oh, yeah,” Connor said. “Don’t worry about it. It was nothing.”
Dahlia narrowed her eyes. “I’m not sure I believe you.”
“No, trust me. It’s fine. We basically talked about it already anyway. Just about me being friends with Deacon and not wanting that to be weird for you.”
Dahlia deflated just the tiniest bit. He really was just not into her. “Oh. Good. I’m glad we’ve got that all cleared up.”
“Yeah.” He took a few backward steps toward his truck. “Goodnight, Dahlia. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bright and early,” Dahlia said. “Thanks for coming back to help.”
Connor smiled but there was something slightly off about the expression, a sadness behind his eyes that his smile couldn’t mask. “No problem. See you then.”
Chapter 12
Connor
Well, that evening had been informative.
Dahlia Ravenel was his mystery Christmas pen pal. Well, she was probably his Christmas pen pal. She was the woman in charge of answering the Santa letters. And she didn’t like olives. And she was starting school in January, which matched up with what he’d learned in his pen pal’s letters.
Not that Connor had any clue what he was supposed to do about it.
There was something thrilling about knowing his pen pal’s identity, but he also felt a measure of . . . not quite disappointment. More like trepidation.
Because it was Dahlia. On top of all the reasons he’d first had for not wanting to date her, he’d just learned that she’d walked out on her fiancé minutes before they were actually supposed to get married.
That was a lot to swallow.
He did appreciate that she’d been willing to tell him, and only out of a desire to be honest, to clear the air in light of his plans to spend time with Deacon. But what did it mean for his feelings about his pen pal? In her last letter, she’d asked if they could meet in person.
He still hadn’t responded. And now he had no idea how he should respond.
Would it be easier to just tell Dahlia when he saw her the following morning? He and Ben had both agreed to go back to the toy drive to help distribute toys. He would see her, talk to her, spend time with her all day. How would she react when she found out?
Would she be happy? Disappointed?
More importantly, how did he feel?
Was he more or less willing to date Dahlia in light of all that he’d just learned?
Admittedly, he was beginning to think he had judged her too harshly. Everything he’d learned from her letters testified of that fact. Assuming he was right and she really was the one who had written the letters.
But that didn’t change the facts. He didn’t belong in the world she lived in.
***
Connor spent the morning trying to convince himself he wasn’t intentionally watching Dahlia. It was just that she was in her element, coordinating, talking to kids, making everyone feel comfortable. She’d pulled off an impressive event, and as the person in charge, it was only natural she captured his attention.
The steady stream of kids and parents walking around the ambulance, asking questions as they peeked inside didn’t let up until after lunch. Connor leaned against the rig beside Ben and took a deep breath. “I’m thirsty. You want something to drink?”
“Sure,” Ben said. “There’s water bottles over on the refreshment table. I’ll go grab us some.”
“No, no, I’ll go,” Connor said. “That’s why I was asking.”
Ben shot him a knowing look. “Uh-huh. I’m sure that’s all it is. That it doesn’t have anything to do with getting closer to Dahlia who happens to be standing right beside the table.”
Connor rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Is that what you want? Water? I think they have sodas too.”
“Don’t pretend like you haven’t been staring at her all morning. You haven’t exactly been discreet.” Ben grinned broadly. “I even had a little girl ask me who you were staring at.”
Connor squared his shoulders. “Are you done?”
“Oh, I can do this all day.”
Connor stalked off without a backward glance, hoping his staring hadn’t been as obvious to Dahlia as it had been to Ben.
He grabbed a couple of water bottles off the refreshment table and turned, catching Dahlia’s gaze. She stood just behind the table with an older man Connor didn’t recognize.
Dahlia smiled, waving him over. “How’s it going over there?” she asked.
“It’s been busy,” Connor said. “But the kids have been great.”
Dahlia looked to the older man standing beside her. “It was a last-minute decision to have the firemen and paramedics here to keep kids entertained while they waited for Santa, but I’m so glad it worked out. I think the lines would have been way too difficult to manage otherwise.”
“Of course it worked out. You’re a Ravenel. You were born to be in charge of things like this.”
That sounded like Dad language.
The man wrapped an arm around Dahlia’s shoulders with what appeared like good-natured affection, but Dahlia hardly looked comfortable in his embrace.
She caught his eye and she stepped away from her dad. “Sorry. Daddy, this is my . . . friend, Connor. He’s a paramedic with Charleston County.”
Connor braced himself for Mr. Ravenel’s reaction. Sure enough, his gaze zeroed in on Connor. “Friend, huh?” He put his hands on his hips, his chest puffing out the tiniest bit. “Or boyfriend?”
“Daddy, please,” Dahlia said, shooting Connor an apologetic look. “He’s just my friend. Do you remember when I was trapped in the bathroom stall at Vera’s? He’s the one who rescued me.”
“Just doing his job, I’m sure,” Mr. Ravenel said. “How did he come to be here with you as well?” He looked at Connor, judgement heavy in his tone. “Do you always keep in touch with the citizens you serve? Or is it just when they look like my daughter?”
Connor tensed, not surprised but still annoyed by the man’s implications. “It was just a random coincidence, sir. I signed up through my chief to volunteer today. I had no idea Dahlia was in charge until I got here.” Connor was almost annoyed with himself for offering that much of an explanation. He didn’t owe the man anything.
He glanced at Dahlia, whose cheeks had flushed pink during the brief conversation, and raised his eyebrows as if to say, See? I told you so.
“I should get back to my rig,” Connor said. “It was nice to meet you, Mr. Ravenel.”
An hour later, Dahlia made her way over, her father nowhere in sight. “I’m really sorry about that,” she said, her hands pushed into
her back pockets. “He was unforgivably rude.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Connor said. “It wasn’t a big deal.”
“You’re being very gracious,” Dahlia said. “It’s okay if you want to say I told you so.”
Connor fought to keep his face passive. There was a part of him that did want to say I told you so, but a larger part of him wanted to punch somebody. Just because he’d been right about Mr. Ravenel’s opinions of him didn’t mean the judgement didn’t hurt. “I don’t need to say I told you so,” Connor finally said.
Ben approached from behind the rig, a pair of identical twins that looked to be seven or eight following behind. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Dahlia and Connor facing off, immediately turning and heading back the way he came. “Let’s see what else we can find in the back of the ambulance,” Ben said loudly. “We’ll come back and turn the lights on in a minute.”
“It’s okay,” Connor said, opening the driver side door of the rig wide. “We can do it now.” He looked briefly back at Dahlia. “We’re not talking about anything important.”
Hurt flashed across Dahlia’s face before she retreated without another word. A twinge of guilt filled Connor’s midsection. He shouldn’t have been mean to her. It had been her dad judging him, not her. And for no good reason. Connor wasn’t dating Dahlia.
Except, he’d just begun to think that maybe he wanted to be. Her father’s preemptive dismissal only served to remind him of why he shouldn’t. And that was a bitter pill to swallow.
He didn’t interact with Dahlia again until the event had drawn to a close. Deacon and Lily had shown up for the second half of the afternoon and were now busy helping to clean up the last of the tables and tents that had been set up outside to facilitate the event.
Deacon strolled over to the ambulance just as Connor was packing up the last of the gear they’d had on display.
“Long day?” Deacon asked.
“Not too bad,” Connor said. “I could eat my left arm though. There was hardly a break long enough to sneak off and get something to eat. There were a lot of happy kids though. That made the whole day worth it.”
“Dahlia just said the same thing. She was so blasé about pulling this whole thing off, but she did an amazing thing. We’re heading over to the Coral Monarch on Sweetgrass to celebrate with dinner. You want to come? My treat.”
Connor stilled, multiple things fighting for attention in his brain. First, the Coral Monarch was the hotel his ex-girlfriend ran with her new husband. Dinner there might mean running into Peyton. Second, Deacon had offered to buy his dinner, which was both generous—he’d glanced over the Monarch’s menu when it first opened—and slightly irritating. He would be the poor friend in this group; he hated being the poor friend. At the same time, even despite the sting of her father’s unfair judgements, Connor realized he wanted to spend more time with Dahlia—wanted to find the woman she’d revealed herself to be in the letters she’d written him. Probably written him. He was torn. He wanted to like her, to let his mind embrace the possibility. But he couldn’t let go of his fear of what might happen if he did.
But it was only dinner. And the Monarch was just down the street from his grandma’s house and he hadn’t checked on her in a few days anyway. And Connor had been slightly rude to Dahlia earlier and could probably stand to apologize.
“Sure,” he finally said. “That actually sounds amazing. Are you sure Dahlia is okay with me coming?”
“She’ll be fine,” Deacon said. He hesitated, looking back over his shoulder. “Actually, I should probably ask her. Or at least ask Lily. Give me a sec.”
Connor had to admire him for caring enough to make sure, rather than just answering on behalf of the women in his life. Deacon was a stand-up guy. It might be the end of their friendship though if he had to come and rescind the invitation he’d just offered. Connor wasn’t sure he could handle the embarrassment.
“Hey, Connor, we’re good,” Deacon yelled across the parking lot, giving him a thumbs up. He jogged a little closer. “You want to jump in and ride with us?”
Connor shook his head; he and Ben had to take the rig back to the station anyway. “I’ll just drive and meet you over there. Thanks, though.”
Deacon nodded his understanding. “Meet us there in an hour,” he called, before turning back to Lily and Dahlia.
Connor met Dahlia’s eyes just briefly before she ducked into her car.
“You’re awful quiet over there,” Ben said as they drove back to the station to drop off the ambulance. “You okay?”
Connor nodded absently. “Yeah. Just got a lot on my mind, I guess.”
“I bet you do,” Ben said with a chuckle, but gratefully, he left his ribbing at that.
Showered and changed—he’d luckily had decent enough street clothes stashed at the station—Connor moved to his truck, hoping against hope he wasn’t making a mistake.
Chapter 13
Dahlia
Dahlia tried her best not to look like she was watching the door, but by the smirk on Lily’s face, she wasn’t fooling anyone.
“He’ll be here soon,” Lily said gently, reaching across and squeezing Dahlia’s hand. “I promise.”
“I told him an hour,” Deacon said. “And it’s only just been an hour now.”
Dahlia nodded, not even trying to convince them she wasn’t looking for Connor. Her friends knew her too well.
“I don’t even know what I’m doing getting all worked up about it,” she said to no one in particular. “He’s made his feelings perfectly clear.”
“Speaking of feelings, you haven’t mentioned the letter guy in a few days. What’s going on with him?” Lily asked.
Dahlia stilled. She actually hadn’t thought about him in a day or two. Not since Connor had shown back up in her life. The thought made her feel a tiny bit guilty. She had a real connection with C.M., whoever he was, but it was hard to ignore Connor when he was present, real, and . . . coming right toward their table.
He looked good. So good. Clean and freshly showered, his hair still a tiny bit damp around his collar, in dark jeans and a button-down he’d left untucked.
“Hey,” she said with a smile as he sat down beside her.
“Hey. Sorry I’m late.”
“Not hardly,” Deacon said. “We’ve only been here a few minutes. There’s water already, but the waitress should be right back to get a drink order if you want anything else.”
Connor picked up his glass and took a long drink. “Water is good, thanks.”
“Have you ever been here?” Dahlia asked him.
“Not lately. I attended a wedding here a while back, though. I know the owners.”
“They’re British, right?” Deacon said.
Connor swallowed and caught Dahlia’s gaze. “Yeah. One of them is married to my ex-girlfriend.”
Dahlia’s eyes went wide. Peyton. He’d mentioned her the day they’d first met. “Oh. Is that weird? Is this weird? Should we go somewhere else?”
Connor smiled wryly. “I think if the three of you can manage to still be friends after what you’ve been through, I can handle dinner at the Coral Monarch. Peyton and I are still friends. It’s fine.”
“You told him?” Lily said softly, looking at Dahlia.
Dahlia shrugged. “You know. Owning my truth and all that.”
Lily smiled, the love in her gaze warming Dahlia from the inside out.
The four of them chatted casually while they perused the menu and decided what to order. The Coral Monarch had an impressive selection of fresh, locally caught seafood; there was a whole section on the menu dedicated to explaining their sustainability practices, the way they were committed to giving back to the ocean—to the environment—any way they could. It wasn’t surprising. The hotel was gorgeous, the grounds melding beautifully with the not-so-distant shoreline at the edge of the property.
After everyone had ordered—Dahlia settled on the mahi-mahi—Deacon clapped his hands together. �
�Okay. This or That. Lightning round. Let’s do it.”
“No way,” Dahlia said quickly. “Connor and I barely know each other.”
Lily rolled her eyes. “That only matters if you plan on changing your answers to match his. Which is cheating.”
Dahlia scoffed but couldn’t hold back her grin. “It isn’t cheating. It’s just . . . intentionally changing my mind at opportune times.”
Connor held his hands up. “I’m totally lost.”
“Here’s how the game works,” Lily said. “There are two teams. For this game, it will be me and Deacon against you and Dahlia. We’ll take turns asking each other this or that questions. You want your answers to be the same. If they are, you get a point. But you have to answer truthfully. So if you’re the one asking the question, you want to try and pick something that you know your opponents are more likely to disagree on. Because then their answers won’t agree, and they won’t get a point. Make sense?”
“So really, that puts us at an advantage,” Connor said, looking to Dahlia. “Because you know Lily and Deacon well enough to ask questions you know they’ll disagree on. But they don’t know me well enough to do the same.”
“That’s true,” Dahlia said. She liked the way this man thought.
“Dahlia only thought it was a disadvantage because she’s been known to change her answers just to win,” Deacon said.
Dahlia smirked. “Maybe my favorite foods just change every day. You can’t really know if I’m cheating or not.”
Deacon and Lily exchanged a look and then both looked at Connor. “She totally cheats,” they said, in perfect unison.
Dahlia’s jaw dropped playfully. “Whatever. I’m not the only one who does it. Emmett is always the worst at cheating. Deacon’s brother,” Dahlia clarified, looking at Connor.
“That’s actually true,” Deacon said.
“Come on.” Lily called them all to order. “Let’s play. Our food will be here soon.” She scrunched her brow in thought, looking from Dahlia to Connor, then back to Dahlia again before asking, “Cornhole? Or horseshoes?”
“Cornhole,” she and Connor said, responding at the same time. They shared a look, and Connor’s grin made Dahlia’s heart squeeze.
The Christmas Letters: A Magnolia Bay Romantic Comedy Page 10