He didn’t have time to examine it.
“What about you? I see you have a bag there from a women’s boutique. Does that mean you have a special someone?”
Ethan looked down at the hand-painted scarf he had picked out for Abby, nestled against an exquisite jeweled Christmas tree ornament created by a glass artist of some renown.
“This is for a...friend.”
“Oh.” She looked slightly disappointed. After a moment, she reached out and touched his arm. “I’m actually really glad I bumped into you. I feel like I owe you an apology. It’s been bothering me for a long time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve started to text you or even call you, but I didn’t know exactly what to say or where to start.”
“You don’t owe me any apology.”
“I do. I should never have said such harsh things to you when I gave you back your ring. I cringe every time I remember them.”
“You only said what you had been thinking.”
“The thing is, I had been having doubts for several months. Not just about you but about me, too. I was afraid to admit I might have made a mistake when I agreed to marry you. It was easier to blame you than it was to face that. Because of my cowardice, I waited too long and made everything so much harder than it should have been.”
Her little girl made a cooing sound and blew a bubble.
He looked at the baby and then back up at Brooke. “We wouldn’t have made a good match, would we?”
She shook her head a little sadly. “On paper, we should have been perfect together. You are a terrific guy and I did love you. But no. We weren’t a good match. We would have made each other crazy within a year. I need to be needed and you...you don’t really need anyone.”
That wasn’t true.
A month ago he might have agreed with her. Not now.
An image of Abby’s sweet smile and warm green eyes flashed in his head. He remembered her courage as she faced the ski slopes, her exhilaration despite herself, the tenderness of her kiss.
He needed her, more than he ever believed it was possible to need another person.
That she happened to have a son Ethan also already cared about deeply was simply a bonus.
“You don’t hate me, do you?” Brooke went on, her voice hesitant.
Being liked had always been the most important thing to Brooke. It was the reason she was obsessive on her social media properties.
“Not for a minute,” he said honestly. “I always only wanted the best for you. I’m glad you found it with Marcos.”
“Thank you for teaching me some important lessons about myself, things I think I had to learn about who I was and what I needed before I could be in a healthy enough place to meet and fall for Marcos. If not for you, I wouldn’t be as happy as I am now.”
“Glad I could help,” Ethan said with a wry smile.
She gave him a radiant smile. “I’d better go. Marcos couldn’t find a place to park, so he just went around the block a few times while I ran in to grab something for my little brother.”
“Give him my best. And to your family.”
Except your cousin Cora, who is an interfering busybody, he wanted to add, but politely refrained.
After she left, Ethan finished his shopping, aware of the strangest feeling, as if a huge weight the size of Powderhorn Mountain had just lifted from his shoulders.
Only until this moment did he realize how much baggage he still carried over the end of his engagement.
Now that it was gone, now that he had come to see the breakup not as some kind of failure on his part but the best possible outcome for both parties, he felt a strange kind of peace.
One thing still puzzled him. Brooke had said she had learned things about herself after their engagement ended. Could he say the same?
Where was he now that he hadn’t been a year ago?
In love, he realized with a jolt.
He was truly in love.
This wasn’t something he had to convince himself he felt. The difference between what he had once thought he felt for Brooke and what he now felt for Abby was like the difference between the bunny hill and the resort’s most technical black diamond run.
He loved her.
What was he going to do about it?
On impulse, he hurried back into the store and bought one more thing.
He was putting them all into the hatch of his SUV just as he heard someone call his name.
“Ethan! Hi! What are you doing in town?”
He whirled around to find his sister smiling at him with the brightest expression he had seen on her face in days.
“Are you really Christmas shopping on the day before Christmas Eve?” she teased.
Could she see the box with the BMX bike that he would be putting together tonight? Or the other gift that was completely an act of faith?
“A few last-minute things.”
“Anything for me in there?” She pretended to look over his shoulder.
“I’m not telling. Stop snooping.” He closed the hatch and to distract her, he pointed to a steakhouse nearby. “I was thinking about grabbing a bite to eat at the Branding Iron. Want to join me?”
He hadn’t spent enough one-on-one time with his sister since she had been home, and she would also be leaving in a few more days.
She hesitated. “I’m actually...with someone. I decided to pop into the bookstore for a minute while he parks the car.”
“Anybody I know?”
To his astonishment, her face flushed and she looked away. What on earth? Lucy never blushed.
“Um. Yes—” she started to say. Before she could finish, José, his best friend and most trusted associate, came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, with an intimacy that was obvious for everyone to see.
José. And Ethan’s baby sister.
He couldn’t say he was completely shocked. He had known something had happened between them after José’s most recent trip to Thailand, where he had met up with Lucy. He had been looking for some sign between them, but hadn’t seen anything since Lucy had come back to town.
Apparently he hadn’t been looking hard enough.
José froze when he spotted Ethan over Lucy’s shoulder, and for a moment they all stood locked in an awkward tableau.
“Well,” Ethan said. “This is new.”
José stepped away from Lucy and scratched his face. “I wanted to tell you today, uh, but we decided we should both talk to you about it together.”
“Now is as good a time as any,” Lucy said brightly. “Here’s the thing, Ethan. I’m in love with José and apparently I have been for a long time—I was simply too stubborn to admit it. When he came to Thailand a few months ago, things changed between us. It took me a little longer than it should have to realize how I felt, but here we are.”
In love. Lucy, who had spent her entire life claiming she would never be foolish enough to fall in love. Who had made it very clear to everyone that she would never let herself become vulnerable and stupid like their parents.
Lucy was in love with Ethan’s best friend.
“It wasn’t just Thailand,” José said quietly. “Feelings have been growing for a long time. It was easier for both of us to pretend otherwise. Until I couldn’t pretend anymore.”
The emotion in his voice came through loud and clear, as did the tender look Lucy gave him. Their hands were entwined, and they didn’t look like they wanted to ever let go.
He didn’t know what to say. On reflection, though, he couldn’t think of anyone better for his sister. The very things that made José such a valuable part of Lancaster Hotels were also what made him perfect for Lucy. He was patient, calm, loyal, with a deep core of compassion and kindness.
Exactly what she needed.
Perhaps now his sister might
consider sticking around Silver Bells for five minutes.
He gave Lucy a tight hug and felt her sag with relief, almost as if she had been worried about his reaction.
“This is great news,” he said firmly. “Wonderful news. I’m thrilled for you both.”
“Thanks.” Lucy hugged him back. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I really didn’t mean to spring it on you like this.”
“No problem. Have you told Winnie yet?”
“No. I’m going to take her aside tomorrow morning,” Lucy said.
“You know she and Sofia are going to think this was their doing.”
She laughed. “We can let them think that.”
“Do you want to join us for dinner?” José asked. “We had reservations for two but I’m sure they could add another plate to our table.”
He shook his head, needing a little time to adjust to the idea of his sister dating his best friend. “You go on. I’m good. I’ve still got a few gifts to deliver and a few more to wrap. Have a great evening.”
He waved them off and climbed into his vehicle as the snow began to fall in earnest.
Lucy. In love.
He honestly never thought he would see the day. She had been claiming forever that she wasn’t programmed to fall in love.
Their parents’ marriages and divorces had damaged her far more than they had Ethan. She had been younger, for one thing, subject to three more years of vicious custody fights while Ethan had been in college.
The experience had hardened something inside her. He never thought she would soften enough to fall in love.
What would this mean for Lucy’s future? Would she go back to teaching overseas? It would be great to have her closer. He had been trying for years to convince her to take a position with Lancaster Hotels. He would love it if she agreed to take more of a role.
They could figure that out, he supposed. She didn’t need to make any decisions right now about the future.
Ethan dropped gifts off to his personal assistant and to his current chief operating officer and their spouses, as well as a few other friends.
By the time he drove back through the brightly decorated town toward his empty condo, he was aware of a vague sense of loneliness.
Seeing Brooke and her baby, and then Lucy and José, all so happy with their lives, left Ethan feeling strangely hollow inside.
He didn’t want to go home, to face that beautiful, sophisticated, empty space that didn’t even have a Christmas tree.
He wanted to go to Holiday House to see his grandmother. But more than that, he wanted to see Abby and Christopher. He ached for them. Her smile, so full of joy and life. Christopher’s hugs and the generous affection he freely gave that made Ethan feel like he could do anything.
How had they become so very important to him? Not important. That was too mild a word. They were necessary, as vital as water and air and nourishment.
He was in love with her.
Love. The word that Brooke said he wasn’t capable of. She was wrong. So wrong.
If Lucy could be brave enough to reach for her happiness, what was stopping Ethan?
He wanted forever with Abby and Christopher.
The realization seemed to seep through him.
He loved her.
A year ago, he had been upset about the end of his engagement, yes. That had been his pride only. It was nothing compared to the deep despair that filled him whenever he thought about Abby and Christopher leaving.
How could he persuade her to give him a chance?
She was leaving in three days. She had her future mapped out. A new job, a new life in Austin. New opportunities for Christopher.
Ethan had to somehow convince her to throw all those plans out the window and take a chance on him.
He had no idea if he could accomplish that. He only knew he had to try.
Nineteen
“I can’t wait for Santa to come! When will he be here?”
Abby exchanged a look with Winnie. They had heard that question at least three times an hour since Chris woke up that morning.
“Later tonight. We’re having dinner first, then we’ll play games and go to church. Then when we come home, you’ll go straight to bed. After that, Santa might come,” she said.
“You’ll have to leave cookies and milk,” Winnie said. “Don’t forget the cookies. I have it on good authority that Santa loves chocolate chip cookies.”
That was certainly true. Abby could use a cookie right about now.
“I loooove Christmas Eve,” he said, dancing around the kitchen and stopping to impulsively give Winnie a hug.
The older woman hugged him back, her eyes suspiciously bright. “Same here,” she said. “What’s better than family, friends and food?”
Abby couldn’t think of a single thing.
“I’m so glad you persuaded José, Rodrigo and Sofia to come to dinner,” Winnie said to Lucy, who was shredding lettuce for a salad. “What time do you think they’ll be here?”
Lucy’s expression went soft, something Abby had seen frequently over the past few days, ever since her friend had made the shocking admission that she was now seeing José.
“Soon. Rodrigo had a few gifts to deliver to his friends and his girlfriend, and then they’re coming straight here.”
Abby still wanted to shake her head when she saw that lovestruck look in her friend’s eyes.
Lucy and José. She still couldn’t quite believe it, considering all the years Lucy had claimed she would never fall in love.
She was so happy for her. José seemed like a wonderful man, and it was clear he was completely in love with Lucy. The two of them seemed perfect for each other.
“What else can I do?” she asked Winnie.
“You’re the one with the list. What’s left?”
She pulled out the spreadsheet she, Winnie and Lucy had worked out to schedule all the meal tasks so that everything finished at roughly the same time.
“We only have to put the rolls in when people arrive and then we’ll be ready to eat.”
This seemed so much like the first week she had been here at Holiday House, when she and Winnie fixed Thanksgiving dinner for Winnie’s friends.
That seemed a lifetime ago.
“Isn’t the holiday season an interesting thing,” Winnie said, as if she read Abby’s mind. “It starts with a big meal on Thanksgiving and then we have another big meal on Christmas Eve.”
“With lots of music and friends and fun in the middle,” Lucy said with a smile.
“And skiing and snowmen and tubing,” Christopher added his two cents.
It really had been a joyous season, one she would remember forever.
Oh, how she would miss these women, this town, this house.
“Where is Ethan?” Christopher asked, which was his second favorite question of the day, right behind the one about Santa.
“He’ll be here,” Winnie assured the boy. “He said he would be late. He’s working on a project he said isn’t quite done yet.”
“On Christmas Eve?” Lucy asked with a puzzled look.
Winnie shrugged. “I don’t know. He said he would be here as soon as he could.”
The doorbell rang at that moment and Abby’s heart jumped. She hadn’t seen Ethan since the day of the gingerbread contest, and she missed him far more than she should.
It couldn’t be him. He didn’t ring the bell at his grandmother’s house.
“I’ve got it,” Lucy said, wiping her hands on a dish towel and hurrying toward the door.
“Hola. Feliz Navidad,” a voice boomed out happily.
“Rodrigo!” Christopher exclaimed, running toward the door.
The rest of the Navarros soon followed, and the house was filled with laughter, music and conversation.
She was
pulling the plump, delicious-smelling rolls from the oven when she heard Ethan’s voice. She whirled around, and for a moment it was as if everything else faded away and the two of them were alone in the kitchen. He gave her a long, glittery look, and then Christopher let out a sound of delight and jumped into his arms.
“I’ve been waiting and waiting for you,” he exclaimed.
Ethan jerked his gaze away from Abby to focus on her son. “Sorry, bud. Merry Christmas.”
Abby, flustered, her heart aching, was distracted and burned her hand pulling out the rolls.
“Run it under cold water,” Sofia said immediately.
“It’s just a little burn. I’m fine,” she protested.
“Do it,” Sofia ordered. “You’re a nurse. You know how a little burn can get infected.”
Abby sighed but obeyed, and Lucy and Sofia took over in the kitchen, ordering the men to help them transfer dishes to the dining area.
She didn’t have a chance to talk to Ethan alone. For one thing, Christopher didn’t want to leave his side. For another, he seemed distracted.
The meal was perfect, the company wonderful. Sofia told stories about her childhood Christmases growing up in Honduras. After dinner, they all worked together to clean up and then played Christmas charades and what was apparently a Lancaster tradition—Christmas bingo—with silly prizes that had everyone laughing.
Through it all, Ethan seemed to be avoiding her. He seemed on edge, in a strange mood Abby couldn’t interpret.
After a delicious dessert Sofia had brought, a cake filled with dulce de leche, Winnie announced it was time for church.
They went to an evening service where Eli Shepherd spoke about finding faith and joy amid the inevitable hardships of life. Children of Silver Bells then gave a lovely Christmas pageant.
“That’s my friend Dakota!” Christopher said in a loud whisper as a familiar-looking sheep walked past, giving him a surreptitious wave.
She felt ridiculously close to tears, for reasons she couldn’t have explained, as Ethan drove her, Winnie and Christopher back to the house.
They took the long way so that Christopher could look at all the festive lights in town one more time. By the time Ethan drove up to Holiday House, her son was drooping in his booster seat, the excitement and anticipation of the day finally taking a toll.
Christmas at Holiday House Page 27