She and her husband, Alex, made their way to the back of the store and Kelly explained. “Oh, hey Grace and Alex. Drew was roasting and we joined him ... decided to have a snack. Hope that’s okay?”
“Of course,” Grace replied. “Hey Liz.”
They exchanged greetings and Liz contemplated how alike Alex and Christopher looked, except for the twenty years or so that separated them. Both tall, dark, with dark brown eyes. Alex looked much more like Christopher’s son than Cam did.
“What are you two up to?” Kelly asked. “Oh, and Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas,” Alex replied. “We were making dinner for Tank and Becky, and realized we were short a few things.”
“Like dessert,” Grace explained, walking over to their bakery display case. “I figured this red velvet cake would be perfect. Tomorrow’s really the last day we should serve it, anyway, so I’ll just dispose of it at my Christmas table.” She grinned as she opened the case and removed the cake. “Tank will eat anything, and a lot of it, of course, but this still seems pretty fresh, and Christmas-y.” She glanced at them. “It looks like you’ve already eaten, but you’re more than welcome to join us, if you’d like.”
“Oh, thanks,” Kelly replied. “I think my mom and I will go back to the inn and hang out. Drew?”
“Still roasting,” he replied, quiet, again, with other people in the mix.
Grace gathered some cream and butter from the fridge and Alex picked up the cake. “Okay, well, enjoy the rest of your day,” she said. “Not too much, though,” she qualified with a smile. “Busy day tomorrow!”
“I’ll be ready,” Kelly promised, and Drew nodded.
“Oh, when are you going back to Vermont?” Grace asked, turning to Liz.
“I planned to leave tomorrow, but I’m waiting to see happens with the weather. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get on the road before the storm hits.”
“Well, be safe getting home,” Grace replied. “And it was great meeting you. Kelly is the lifeblood of this place. I don’t know what we’d do without her.” She gave Liz a warm hug, and Alex followed up with a handshake.
“Really nice to meet you,” he agreed. “Take care.”
“You, too,” Liz said.
Grace gave Kelly a hug, and Liz heard her whisper. “Hang in there. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Kelly nodded, her eyes bright with emotion.
“Okay, well, I don’t need to tell you to lock up,” Grace said. “You know the routine. Oh Drew, while you’re here. Would you spread a little salt in front of the door before you leave? Just in case the storm comes early.”
“Sure,” he replied, shaking Alex’ hand as they walked out.
“Okay, so, I’ll finish cleaning up,” Kelly said, gathering the mugs. “How much longer do you have, Drew?”
“I’ll be here a while,” he replied, intent on the roaster. “I’ll finish up, wash the mugs.”
Kelly walked over and hugged him. “You’re the best. You know that?”
“Yep,” he grinned down at her, then set her away from him. “Get outta here. I have work to do.”
Saturday
It didn’t take Liz long to pack up her things the next morning. She looked around her room as she rolled her suitcase to the door. She’d really enjoyed her stay at the inn. It had been comfortable and comforting, especially in the middle of the night when she’d finally made her peace with not hearing from Christopher.
Kelly had stayed for a while the evening before, but she was emotionally spent, and had dozed off almost immediately once she sat down. Liz had let her rest while she watched the fire and considered the day’s events. The right thing had happened between Kelly and Cam, and for that she was grateful. Time would heal the pain. As trite as it sounded, it was certainly true, and a big comfort to a mother who would be leaving her daughter in the morning.
She had gradually come to terms with the fact that Christopher wasn’t likely to call, whether because he was trying to respect their privacy and give Liz her last evening with her daughter, or had withdrawn like Bobby had predicted. It didn’t really matter, either way. Whatever they’d started couldn’t realistically continue. As fun and even exciting as it had been, it would only be harder to say good-bye if they continued with their little game. It was time to be the parents they’d been trying to be, and focus on what was best for their kids. That had happened, and her primary concern was to make sure that Kelly was okay before she left.
Liz pulled the door to her room closed and carried her bag down to the front foyer. She walked through the dining room into the kitchen and found Becky making scones.
“Hey!” Becky got up and gave Liz a hug. “You doing okay?” She held Liz at arm’s length and looked at her friend. “Are you sure you want to travel today? Have you considered staying and riding out the storm?”
Liz smiled and shook her head. Whatever the weather held, she needed to get on the road. Kelly was going to be okay, and she needed to get back to Burlington. She figured a little distance would help her get perspective.
“I’m okay. Kelly and Cam broke up yesterday, but she’s doing alright. Thanks,” Liz sat down on a stool and accepted the cup of cocoa Becky handed her. “I need to get home. I’m hoping to stay ahead of the storm.”
Becky looked concerned. “You know, I wouldn’t charge you if you stayed. I’d just be grateful for your company.” She set a butterscotch scone in front of Liz. “If you need to justify it somehow, you can look at our marketing plans for the coming year and give us some professional advice. If I had money for you to advise me about investing, then you could do that too.” Becky grinned as she sipped her coffee.
Liz smiled. “I really appreciate it, but I’m thinking I just want to get home.” She blew on her cocoa and sipped it.
“How are things with Christopher?”
“They aren’t,” Liz said with less sadness then she felt. That much was good. “I left him a message and said good-bye last night.”
“And he didn’t call back?”
“No,” Liz sighed. “He didn’t.”
“I see,” Becky replied.
“So,” Liz went on with shaky confidence. Apparently, her self-preservation instincts were kicking in; she hoped they lasted through the long drive home. “We need to give our kids space to heal, and that’s a good thing. Long distance relationships are tough, in any case.” She took a bite out of her scone. “This is delicious. Thanks.”
“Something’s not right.”
“No, really, it tastes great.”
Becky raised a brow. “I know. I had one. Something’s not right with Christopher.”
Liz shrugged. “Whatever it is, I can’t fix it. I have to get on the road.” She looked at her watch. “I’d better get down to the shop to say good-bye.”
“You’ll leave from there?”
“Yeah. It’s not exactly on the way, but I might as well.”
“Well, Grace has my coffee order ready for me, and I thought if you were coming back this way, you could drop it off.” Becky wiped down a counter. “Don’t want you to make a special trip, though; I can pick it up later. Or Tank can. In the storm.” She looked up with a sly smile. “Of course, there would be fresh scones for the road when you get back.”
“I’ll be back in an hour.”
***
The snow started to fall as she drove into town, so Liz kept her good-bye short and sweet. It was best that way for Kelly. Her daughter seemed happily distracted with the crowd of shoppers who were starting their day of post-Christmas bargain-hunting. Liz knew she was in good hands.
Grace walked her to the door. “We’ll take good care of Kelly, Liz, I promise.”
“I know you will. Thank you,” Liz replied, looking around the shop. “You’ve got a great place here. Someday, I’d like to talk to you about how you found it and got it up and running. I understand you’ve only been in business for a year and a half?”
> Grace nodded with a smile. “Hard to believe how far we’ve come. And yes, I’d love to share the story. It’s been a great ride.”
“It’s good to see small businesses thriving,” Liz agreed, her business background warming to the conversation. “Great for the community. Great for the economy. Everybody wins.”
“Well, people like Kelly are a big part of our success.”
Liz smiled with affection at her daughter, busy and even laughing behind the counter. “Thanks for taking a chance on her. She’s a hard worker; a good investment.”
Grace laughed. “Says the economics and finance professor.”
Liz grinned. “Yeah. I think it’s part of my separation process. I don’t want to leave Kelly, but I can stand back and admire good business in progress.” She shook herself. “Time for me to go.”
“You’re sure you don’t mind delivering the coffee?”
“No. I’m happy to do it. It’s essentially on the way home. Besides,” she smiled, “Becky’s sending me back with fresh butterscotch scones.”
“Lucky girl. I need some of those for the shop. Should have done more bartering.”
Liz laughed. “Okay, well, take care of my girl. I’ll be back ... soon.”
She wondered, as she left the shop, how soon she’d actually be back. The weather would only make travel more difficult over the next several months, and she wasn’t sure how soon she’d be up for the trip. She needed to go home and remember who she was, and shake off the emotional baggage of the week. It had been an adventure, but it was time to get back to reality.
By the time she pulled back into the inn’s lot, the snow was falling more heavily. Liz hoped it was just ocean effect; the inland highways could still be in good shape. She parked next to a pick-up truck and climbed out of her car, wondering briefly who might be visiting. Blowing the snowflakes off her lashes, she glanced up at something hanging from the porch eaves that hadn’t been there when she left. Her eyes narrowed as she carefully climbed the snowy steps. Mistletoe?
Multiple bunches of mistletoe hung along the front of the porch, and a string of the same marked a path to the door. Her heart dropped a little as her step slowed. She’d come to really appreciate Becky, but she sure didn’t understand her sense of humor.
The door opened more easily than it should have, and Christopher stepped onto the porch.
Liz dropped back in surprise, further taken aback when Becky popped out from behind him.
“Here, let me take that. Thanks.” She grabbed the coffee and disappeared back into the house, closing the door behind her.
Liz shivered for any number of reasons and looked up into Christopher’s eyes. He met her gaze with more emotion than her self-preservation inclined, business-geared mindset could handle. He broke the silence, which was good, because she probably would have commented on the weather, or worse, demanded her scones.
“The roads are too dangerous for travel. You should stay.”
“I’ve done this my whole life,” she replied on autopilot. “I can drive in the snow.”
“I wish you wouldn’t.”
She shrugged and shivered. “I have to.” Why are you here?
“Are you sure you’re from the northeast? You shiver a lot.”
“I shiver a lot around you.” She held his gaze, really wishing she hadn’t said that aloud.
He grinned, and she couldn’t handle his smile, so she kissed him. Momentarily melting into the feel of his lips, she eventually caught herself and pulled back. This is where it all started and they’d come full circle. This is where it should probably end.
“I have to go home.”
He backed her up under another batch of mistletoe. “Can I kiss you first?”
“We just did.”
“You kissed me. That wasn’t the plan. I was supposed to kiss you and convince you to stay.”
“Oh, because you’re so irresistible?”
He grinned. “Yeah, I guess.”
Liz rolled her eyes and laughed. “Oh, please.”
“Can I kiss you, Liz?”
She looked into his eyes. There was so much that needed to be said. Kissing had brought them nothing but confusion.
“Yes,” she answered, because the confusion had been a lot of fun.
He did, and her resistance melted with it.
He pulled back and looked into her eyes, then up at the line of mistletoe. “There’s a lot of mistletoe out here.”
She nodded, wishing she could find her focused, business-minded self around him. The best she could do was estimate the number of mistletoe bunches and the amount of time it would take to kiss him under each one of them.
She finally managed a response, and it was petulant; everything she could have wished for. “Yes, there is, and I’m cold.”
“Baby,” he teased, kissing her again.
She deserved that, though the punishment hardly fit the crime.
“Okay,” he finally said, “we need to figure some things out.” He stroked her cheek with his bare hand, and Liz finally processed the fact that he wasn’t wearing a coat or gloves.
“You must be freezing.”
He grinned. “A little. Can we go inside and talk?”
“Well,” she replied, trying to catch her breath after all the kissing. “It might be a little more productive.” She glanced up at the mistletoe. “We’re not getting anything accomplished out here.”
He followed her gaze. “Oh, I don’t know. Depends on what you want to get done.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re distracting and delaying me. Let’s go inside and talk like adults.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He picked up her hand and they walked inside.
They stomped the snow off of their shoes, and Christopher led her into the empty parlor where a perpetual fire continued to roar. Who kept it going? Liz absently wondered. Was Becky a master at fire tending, too? What else could the woman do? She thought a minute more, and suspicion dawned.
“Did Becky call you? Tell you to come over here?”
Christopher sat down on the sofa closest to the fire, the hardy one that had buffered Bobby’s fall, and gently pulled Liz down beside him. “I called her when I couldn’t get a hold of you. She said you were going to the shop, would be back within the hour, and were heading home from here. So I invited myself over.”
“You couldn’t get a hold of me?” Liz pulled her phone out and saw his missed call. “Oh, wow. Sorry.”
“And I missed your call last night.”
“I called to say good-bye. “
“I know. I got your message.”
“So.”
“So you were going to say good-bye over the phone?”
“Well, what else could we do?”
“We could meet and talk and figure out what comes next for us.”
“The kids had to be a priority.”
“The kids are fine. Well,” he amended, “they’re disappointed, I’m sure. But they made the right decision, and I don’t think either one of them is truly heart-broken.” He looked at Liz earnestly. “I waited, yesterday, to make sure Kelly had the time she needed with you. I wanted to call, wanted to see you, but I was concerned that I’d come on too strong on Christmas Eve.”
Liz tried to remember. “Christmas Eve? You just kissed me good night.”
“You have no idea what I was thinking.”
She put a little space between them. “What were you thinking?”
He grinned. “Seeing you at my home just kind of flipped a switch for me. It made me realize how much I wanted you to be a part of my life, even to the point of leaving it all. I’d take the job in Vermont, Liz.”
Wow. “I thought you’d never leave Clairmont.”
Christopher looked at her. “Bobby tell you that?” He nodded, answering his own question. “Well, I do like it here, but it’s not like I wouldn’t consider leaving. Amy just finished school last spring. I wa
sn’t about to give up a free education for her.”
Liz had done the same for Kelly. “So you’d sell the farm?” she asked doubtfully.
“No,” he stroked her hands. “We could still retire here.”
“We ...” Liz smiled and shook her head. “You’re blowing my mind. And how could you even afford that?”
He shrugged. “It’s mine already; been in the family for years.”
“So you are Darcy,” she said to the one man she’d ever dated who would understand the reference.
He smiled again. “Been called that, for his lesser appreciated qualities.”
Liz grinned and Christopher stroked her cheek. “And you are ... let’s see ... Kitty? Lydia?” Liz huffed her disapproval. “No, you’re right. Definitely Mary.”
She swiped his hand away. “Listen, Mr. Collins. You’re the one who brought up all the fascinating Elizabeths in literature.”
“Ahh, Lizzy. Yes, that fits.”
He was the only one who would ever get away with calling her that. The kiss that followed made it progress from acceptable to downright dreamy.
She pulled back. “Were you really watching me at the dance?”
“Absolutely. Unashamedly. Until Cam noticed and called me on it.”
“He did? What were you doing?”
“I was watching you walk past with Becky. You had on that blouse that just...”
Liz listened with interest.
“You wore it well.”
She blushed. “Thank you.”
“I tried to pass it off like there was nothing wrong with appreciating a beautiful woman, but Cam didn’t buy it. Said I never talk that way. Which is true.”
Liz tried to process all of the lovely things he was saying about her. Beautiful woman was a stretch, but he wasn’t one to flatter, or so it seemed. She smiled her thanks.
Christopher picked up her hands again. “Listen, Liz. I know this has all happened incredibly fast, but I’ve been thinking. What if our kids were onto something? What if they just instinctively picked up on the possibilities and made a commitment because they knew it was right?”
“Turned out that it wasn’t so right.”
Mistletoe (Clairmont Series Book 4) Page 12