“You know I’m not going to argue, right?”She followed him out the door.“The thought of me carrying a tree, all by myself, from the tree lot to here, well, it’s not going to happen.
He grabbed his coat and headed for the door.“The tree lot will be closing soon.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t go then.”
He stopped and turned back to her.“Felicity, you already got the ornaments.Let’s get the tree.”
“Fine…”
They made their way back to the pickup.The tree lot wasn’t far.In fact, there wasn’t anything that was far away in Kringle Falls.It was one of the town’s charms.
“Bet you haven’t been to a tree lot since you moved away.”He started the engine, causing warm air to blow out of the vents and then pulled out of the parking lot.
She shook her head.“There was no reason to go.There was absolutely no room in my apartment.”
“You must be anxious to get back there.”He longed for her to say she was tired of the hustle and bustle of the big city—that she longed for a simpler life.
Maybe he was thinking about this all wrong.Maybe he should think about moving to the city.After all, he’d been willing to do it many years ago.Why not do it now?
He pulled into a parking spot and noticed the long period of silence.He glanced over at her.“Felicity, what’s wrong?”
Her gaze lifted to meet his.There was a pained look in her eyes.It worried him.What was she going to say that would put that anguished look on her face?
“Justin…”
Knock.Knock.Knock.
And just like that the moment passed.In a blink, the look was gone from her eyes.And he wasn’t going to learn whatever she’d been intending to tell him.He couldn’t help but feel that it had been important.
He turned his head toward the driver’s side window.There stood his parents.Talk about your worst timing.
His mother smiled.When she noticed Felicity in the pickup with him, her whole face lit up.The next thing he knew, Felicity had the pickup door open, and she was rushing around to give his mother a hug and say hello to his father.
His mother’s gaze moved between Felicity and himself.“It’s so good to see you two together again.”
“Mom…” Justin’s voice had a warning tone to it.
His mother sighed.“I didn’t mean it that way.”Her gaze moved to Felicity.“I truly didn’t.”After Felicity nodded in understanding, his mother said, “It’s just that when you were growing up, you two were inseparable.”
Why did his mother have to make a big deal out of him being with Felicity?Couldn’t she just be happy to see them and leave it at that?But no.She had to bring up the past.
“That was a long time ago,” Justin muttered.
“Not that long ago.You’ll see when you get to be my age.Time continues to speed up.If only I could figure out how to slow it down, I’d have time for all of the hobbies that I keep promising myself to do one of these days.Well, enough about that.What are you two up to?”
“I’m helping Felicity get a tree for her mother.”
The smile returned to his mother’s face.“That’s wonderful.We won’t keep you.”She glanced at Felicity.“Don’t be a stranger.Stop by the house sometime, and we can catch up.”
Felicity smiled.“I would like that.”
And then his parents, hand-in-hand, strolled away.Justin always thought one day he’d have a marriage and family like theirs.But as the years passed and relationships failed, he was starting to think the bachelor life was for him.
When he turned around, he found that Felicity had walked away without him.He hurried to catch up to her…
Chapter Twenty-One
“Whataboutthisone?”
