Kelly snuggled into her mom’s side. “Can I stay here with you tonight?”
Liz recalled the daybed in her room. Her own bed was plenty big, too. “Of course, you can.” She sat back, relieved that there were no more secrets between her daughter and her, and delighting in the moment of closeness after the earlier tumult.
“Do you really like him, Mom?” Kelly’s voice muffled against her shoulder.
Liz smiled a little. “Yes, Kelly. I really do.”
Kelly sighed. “I can’t believe you kissed him. Gross, Mom.”
Liz laughed. “Spoken like a true twenty-three year old woman. I’ve raised you well.”
Her daughter giggled softly. “Well, Merry Christmas, I guess.”
Liz kissed Kelly’s head. “Merry Christmas, Kelly.”
Friday
Christmas morning dawned cold and bright. Liz confirmed it when she bundled up and sat out on the porch and watched the sun rise over the water. Becky was already busy in the kitchen, so Liz had a cup of piping hot cocoa to warm her through, as if her thoughts about Christopher weren’t doing that already. She smiled as the ocean lit up before her - it was a spectacular sight.
She sipped her cocoa and huddled deeper in the fleece blanket Becky had given her. She fought thoughts of huddling in the fleece with Christopher and watching the sun rise over the water from his porch; trying, instead, to stay focused on what the day ahead held. Her daughter and Cam would figure out if they had a future together and that took priority. Her heart sank a little as she confronted the reality that, even if she and Christopher had a chance at their own relationship, it wouldn’t be for a long time. Either way, she was leaving tomorrow; there would be no more mistletoe, and Christopher would be miles and mountains away. She sighed and sipped her cocoa. She liked the fleece daydream much better.
“Cold enough, yet?” Becky peeked out of the door from the kitchen.
Liz stood and stretched. “Through and through, but it was worth it.” She took one last glance at the sun on the water and then made a beeline for the kitchen door, where Becky waited with cocoa reinforcements. “Thanks,” she smiled when her cup was full again.
“So, you’re joining us for the Christmas brunch, right?” Becky asked, making her way back to the oven to check something baking inside.
The open door sent a wave of warmth and cinnamon her way, and Liz wondered briefly why she’d spent her Christmas morning out on the cold porch.
“Yes, Kelly and I will join you. How many others are still here?”
“Well, I have the two other couples and Bobby, though I don’t think he ever came back last night.” They shared a collective sigh of relief. “I doubt if he’ll show up for breakfast.”
Liz nodded. “Anything I can do to help?”
Becky looked around the kitchen. “I think we’re all set. I told people we’d eat at nine if they’re interested.”
“Is Tank coming?”
Becky lit up. “Yeah.” She glanced at her watch. “He should be here in a bit.”
“Where does he live?”
“Right down the beach; has a great place on the water that he was finally able to buy after renting for the better part of a year.”
Liz smiled. “Sounds nice.”
“I am very much looking forward to moving in and taking over.”
Liz laughed. “I’m sure he’ll welcome your feminine touch.”
Becky snorted. “It’s a cave. Great possibilities, but he has no taste and no interest in decorating.”
“Think you’re up for the challenge?”
Becky smiled. “I have a few ideas.” She sipped her coffee. “Mostly I just want to be with him.”
Liz offered a sympathetic smile. Four months would pass quickly for her friend. She’d make it. “Okay, so what can I do here?”
Becky shook herself. “You can relax and go see what Kelly’s up to. Everything here is under control.” She offered a cheery smile. “When Tank gets here I’ll make him do dishes, which will make him surly, which will make it easier for me to resist him.”
Liz laughed. “That’s how you’re going to survive the next four months? Keep him in a foul mood?”
“Believe me, it’s not hard to do.”
Liz laughed again. “He can’t be that bad.”
The house shook as the front door slammed. Both women looked up and Becky grinned. “Sure he can. That’s what I love about him.”
***
Two hours later, the brunch was over and Tank and Becky cleaned up in the kitchen. The two couples enjoyed their coffee in the dining room while Kelly and Liz sat in the parlor exchanging Christmas gifts. The fire roared in the fireplace and the setting was very cozy, but the mood was somewhat pensive as Kelly waited to hear from Cam.
“I really like the watch, Mom. Thank you so much.” Kelly twisted her wrist and admired her gift. “This will be great.” She leaned over and hugged Liz.
“You’re welcome. And I love the books. I am determined to make more time to read.”
“Funny how this gift coincides with your new interest in literature, huh?”
Liz grinned a little. “Timely.”
Kelly sighed. “This isn’t exactly how I thought we’d be celebrating Christmas.”
“I’m so sorry, Honey.”
“Well, whatever happens, I’m just glad we’re dealing with it now.” She gathered the wrapping paper from their gifts.
Hearing a car pull up, they both stood. “Okay, well, pray for me. For us,” Kelly said. “Not sure how this is going to go.”
“I will,” Liz promised. “It could all work out. Maybe you two just need more time. Less pressure.”
Kelly shook her head. “Part of me wants that so badly, but something tells me ... I guess we’ll just see what happens.”
The front door opened and Bobby walked in, followed by Cam. They exchanged subdued greetings, and Bobby went up to his room to pack. Liz stood awkwardly as Cam and Kelly made their plans to leave together in her car, but she interrupted before they turned to go.
“Cam, I want to apologize for making ... everything ... more complicated.”
The look he gave her was hard to define, probably a skill he was already working on for the courtroom. It was neither censure nor approval. He nodded. “I guess I don’t understand any of it, but right now Kelly and I need to talk.”
“Of course,” Liz replied. Under the circumstances, she held off on wishing him a ‘Merry Christmas’ as she hugged her daughter. “We’ll see you later.”
She closed the door behind them as they left, and then turned to collect her things from the parlor. With luck, she might get upstairs to her room before Bobby finished packing. He was the last person she wanted to debrief with about the events of the last twenty-four hours.
Walking quietly up the stairs, she glanced at his door as she passed, breathing a sigh of relief when she reached her own. Her heart dropped as she heard a click, and silencing a groan, she turned as he called out her name.
“Hey, Bobby,” she replied.
“I’m checking out; going back to Boston before the weather hits.”
“The weather?” She hadn’t given a thought to the weather, which was pretty irresponsible, given that she had a five-hour trek ahead of her the following day.
“Yeah, big storm moving in. I’m not taking any chances; I’ve got a meeting on Monday that I can’t miss.”
Liz tried to shelve her own traveling concerns to say good-bye, hoping it would be brief.
“Well, safe travels.” She took a tentative step toward him. “It was nice to meet you. Thanks, again, for lunch the other day. Oh, both days.”
Bobby shrugged. “You’re welcome.” He finished closing the distance between them and touched her cheek. Liz fought the urge to duck out of his reach. “I’m sorry we didn’t have more time together.”
She stepped gently away. “I’m not your type, Bobby. More time wouldn’t hav
e changed that.”
“You still think you’re Christopher’s type?”
She considered him a moment. “That’s not a priority right now.”
He gave a knowing smile. “Just don’t get your hopes up.”
“My hopes are focused on my daughter.”
“Well, good luck with the other Harrison men. Not all of us are so transparent.” He picked up his suitcase. “Sometimes what’s right in front of you is more real than the promises of what might be.” Leaning over, he kissed her cheek. “Don’t forget me, Liz.” He pulled back with a wink and started for the stairway.
“Not likely,” she assured him. “Have a safe trip.”
He waved and continued down the steps.
Liz tried to allow the doubts he raised disappear with him.
***
The afternoon dragged on with no word from Kelly or Christopher. Liz called her mom, who was celebrating the holiday with her brother. They laughed and reminisced about long-ago Christmases and Liz filled them in on the latest with Kelly. After touching base with her oldest brother and texting several friends from home, she pulled out one of the books Kelly had given her and tried to snuggle by the fire in the parlor. The other two couples were out and she figured that Becky and Tank had gone for a walk. At least they’d be back soon, and there would be someone to distract her. It was getting more and more difficult to stay hopeful about the Harrison men, as Bobby had warned.
She thought about calling Christopher just to hear his voice, but what could they say to each other? Until Cam and Kelly decided their course, there was no point in making it more difficult to disengage. She hoped that he kept from calling her for the same reason. Doubt that Bobby planted continued to rear its ugly head. It’s Christmas Day. Christopher always pulls back on Christmas Day.
Liz heard voices before she heard the door. The conversation materialized as Becky and Tank entered the house.
“Not everyone wants to be a beast, Tank.”
“Beats being a paper doll.”
Liz heard a thwack! - a giggle - and then nothing. Her imagination filled in the rest before she heard a happy sigh and lowered voices. A wholly different sound, a whine that could not have come from either of them, stilled her movement toward the door.
“Guess I should let him off his leash, but it always makes me nervous when he hasn’t been here in a while. I’m afraid he’ll race to the parlor and trash the place.”
“One way to find out.”
Another laugh. “You’re cleaning up.”
There was a rustling, then a giant dog bounded around the corner and ran right up to Liz. She held very still, her gasp the only movement she made. Becky and Tank were close on the dog’s heels.
“Burt.” Tank’s voice brought the dog around immediately and the giant beast, an Irish wolfhound, turned with amazing agility and directed his affections to the only other being in the house that was significantly larger than himself.
“I’m so sorry, Liz,” Becky laughed, her sincerity clearly in question. “I wouldn’t have let him loose if I’d known you were in here. Could have warned you.” She stood in the path of the dog and Liz started to breathe a little easier.
“It’s okay, just surprised me,” she replied, keeping her eye on the dog, who was soaking up attention from Tank like he hadn’t seen him in months.
“That’s Burt,” Becky explained. “He’s been out at the farm of a family friend while Maddy’s visiting our folks and the inn’s been so busy. Ed and his wife are going out of town a day early to beat the weather, so we just went to pick him up.”
“He’s Maddy’s,” Tank clarified.
“Oh, got it,” Liz replied, thankful for the streamlined explanation. “Well, he’s an ... interesting dog.”
“Once you get to know him, you’ll fall in love with him. He’s as gentle as can be; don’t let his size and, well, terrifying appearance fool you.” Becky glanced back at the dog. “Just like Tank.” She grinned at her fiancé, who growled back.
She turned back to Liz. “See? Have you heard from Kelly, yet?”
“No. Still waiting.”
“Hope they’re okay,” Becky replied.
“So, what’s the deal with the weather? I can’t believe I haven’t been paying attention.”
“Storm’s coming in tomorrow. Coming up from the south, so you might have a little more time to get up to Vermont. Otherwise,” Becky offered with a smile, “you could always stay here. I’ll give you a deal - put you to work.”
Liz smiled back. The offer was tempting and she’d love to have a reason to hang out for a few days. “Thanks, I’ll keep it in mind.”
Her cellphone buzzed and she excused herself. Out in the foyer she picked up. “Kelly? How are you?” She listened for a moment and nodded. “I’ll be right down. You’re sure it’s open?” Liz jogged up the stairs to her room. “Okay, I’ll be there in ten.”
***
Liz felt strange opening the door to the coffee shop; the street was virtually empty and the shop itself was dark. Still, the door opened readily, and she walked in, squinting to adjust her eyes to the relative darkness. The back of the room, she quickly noticed, was partially lit, enough so that Kelly and Drew could play pool. They turned as Liz walked in.
“Hey Mom,” Kelly rested her cue against the table and jogged over, greeting her with a hug.
“How are you?” Liz asked, holding her close.
Kelly burrowed her head in her mom’s shoulder. “It’s over.” She wasn’t crying, but Liz could tell that she had been, at least a little, recently.
“I’m sorry, Honey.” Liz continued to hold her daughter, her heart aching, yet feeling relief that had nothing to do with Cam’s father, and everything to do with Cam. It wasn’t time to point that out, yet.
Kelly pulled back. “We’re okay. It wasn’t ugly or anything. Once we really got talking, we couldn’t come up with enough reasons to stay together. It’s surreal.” She shook her head. “A week ago, I was so sure of the direction of my life; would never have guessed this would happen.” She took a deep breath. “The weird thing is, I feel like I should be devastated, but I’m not. Just sad.” She pulled Liz back toward Drew and the pool table.
Liz figured that Kelly had filled him in, and so followed readily. Perhaps, someday, Kelly would see that her co-worker was part of the reason she wasn’t so devastated about her break-up with Cam.
Drew nodded at her greeting, and went to the front of the store to check the roaster. Apparently, he’d come to make sure they had plenty of fresh roasted beans for the next day, and Kelly had stopped in.
“So, what does he have to say about it all?” Liz asked.
Kelly glanced across the store. “I don’t think he really liked Cam, so I think he’s probably relieved, though he wouldn’t ever say it.” She shrugged. “He just wants me to be happy, and he doesn’t mind my hanging out while he roasts. Usually, he doesn’t want anyone around. Doesn’t like to be distracted.”
Liz processed this information with as straight a face as she could muster. “Did Cam go back to Boston?”
“Yep. Back where he belongs, I guess.”
Liz nodded. “But you’re going to be okay?”
“Yeah,” Kelly sighed. “It’s going to be weird for a while, and I know it’ll hit me harder later, but I’ll be okay. It just didn’t feel right to push it right now.” She raised a brow at her mom. “I know this is all going to sound very familiar, but we don’t have time together to work on our relationship.” She drew a pattern with her fingertip on the table. “It’ll be interesting to see if he comes back in the summer; I have a feeling he’ll stay in the city with his uncle. He loves it there. Feels like this is the back woods ... That didn’t ever sit well with me.”
“I’m sorry. I really am,” Liz replied. “For all that I wanted you to slow down, I never wanted it to end altogether.”
Kelly regarded her mom with interest. “And yet
, there’s a part of you that must be pretty happy that you and Cam’s dad have a chance to figure out what’s going on between you.”
Liz smiled sadly. “I’ve been thinking about that a lot today. The reality is, I’m going home tomorrow. It’s pretty much the same scenario; we don’t have time to get to know each other.”
“Have you talked to him at all?”
“No. I think we both wanted to wait and see what you and Cam decided.”
“Well, you can talk to him now. You should call him.”
Liz pulled her phone out and glanced at the screen. “Well, I’m sure he’s heard the news, too, and he hasn’t called, either.”
“Guys don’t talk like women do,” Kelly advised with great wisdom. “Cam probably left without telling his dad anything. Anyway, one of you has to make a move.”
“You’re right,” Liz smiled. “But I’m hungry. Have you eaten?”
“Nope. Drew and I were going to have a bagel or something. Maybe some party leftovers. Thought you might like to join us.”
“Thanks. I think I will.”
“I’ll go see if he’s ready to eat.”
Liz watched as Kelly made her way over to the roaster. The bounce was definitely missing from her step, but it would be back.
***
A few minutes later they sat down to bagels and coffee, cocoa for Liz. She was surprised at how Drew seemed to open up when he started to feel comfortable with her. He explained a bit about his roasting process, which really animated him. Kelly seemed to liven up too, and before long, the food was gone and the street lights outside the shop accentuated the fact that night had fallen; or, as was the case on the coast of Maine in late December, late afternoon had fallen.
They were just starting to clean up when the door rattled, and Drew jumped up and stood in front of the women. Though Liz didn’t have time to feel alarmed, she did appreciate the protective instinct in her daughter’s friend.
Grace called out from across the room. “Party in here?”
Mistletoe (Clairmont Series Book 4) Page 11