Hannah blushed. “Honestly, I’m probably too nice.”
Cathy patted Hannah’s knee. “That’s perfectly fine. Too many people are mean these days. That’s another reason why I stick to writing my little love stories and skip dating.”
Hannah took a sip of her drink. She wasn’t sure what to say. Before she could formulate a response, Cathy spoke again.
“Enough about me, how are things? Are you and Kate staying in Marley Creek for Christmas or going to one of your family’s homes?”
Hannah’s chest tightened. Would Cathy still want to send her a card once she knew Kate had broken things off with her? She took off her glasses, cleaned them off with the sleeve of her shirt and put them back on. “Kate and I aren’t seeing each other anymore.”
Cathy frowned, “Dammit. I was really hoping—I mean, you two are so lovely together. Based on what I know of Kate, I’m going to guess she was the one who pulled away.”
Hannah nodded, unable to get any words out. She pinched the bridge of her nose, willing the tears to stay back.
Bad knee or not, Cathy was up in a flash to rub her back. “In this case, it’s her. It’s not you. She’s a fool—and I’m going to tell her that this afternoon!”
Hannah’s breath hitched. She was shocked that Cathy would be protective of her, not Kate, her longtime friend.
Cathy continued talking, “I love Kate, I really do. She is a good person. But when it comes to opening up, she’s the worst. In all the time I’ve known her, you are the only person she’s dated that I’ve met, and after watching the way she looked at you that night, everyone could see she’s crazy about you.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Consider giving her a little time and a second chance? It is the Christmas season, when anything can happen.”
Hannah leaned her head against Cathy’s side. She was surprised at the bond strengthening between them so quickly. Maybe it was the time of year, or she had just found a kindred spirit in an unlikely place. “It’s one of the reasons I love this time of year,” she said. “Magic feels so possible.”
“I’m thrilled to meet another Christmas aficionado,” Cathy said.
Hannah felt her cheeks flush again. “I don’t know exactly how to say this, but I’m thrilled to meet another queer woman here in town.”
“You’ve said it just fine.” She shrugged. “Queer, lesbian, lady who loves the ladies.”
Hannah smiled. “I feel so comfortable around you. It’s like—” Cathy gestured for Hannah to stop, “Please do not say it’s like I’m your grandma! Ack!”
Hannah shook her head, “I was going to say, it’s like I’ve known you for years.”
Cathy wiped her hand across her brow, which was hidden by her hat. “That’s a relief. It stinks being reminded you are old. In my head, I still think I’m your age.”
“In my head, sometimes I feel really old,” Hannah admitted.
“Oh, hun,” Cathy said, “if it’s about Kate, like I said, give her some time. I know she’ll come to her senses and realize what you two have.”
Hannah finished off her coffee. She’d almost started to tell Cathy it wasn’t Kate that made her feel old and worn down; it was the worries about Chad showing up. But she’d dumped enough trauma on this poor woman for one day. “Thank you for saying that and for adding me to your Christmas card list. I can’t wait to see that card!”
“It was great to see you this morning.” Cathy stood and gave Hannah a big hug. Hannah would never tell Cathy, but when she was wrapped in Cathy’s arms pressed against her soft body, she had a sensory memory of the hugs she used to get from her grandmother.
When the hug was over, Cathy walked out of Common Grounds and Hannah got up and went to the back of the coffee shop. There was a bookcase full of books to borrow. Hannah perused the books and found an old mystery with a cat wearing a Santa hat on the cover. She pulled it out and sat down to readfor a while. Laundry and an empty refrigerator were waiting for her back home, but she wasn’t feeling productive at the moment. After getting a couple of mini vanilla scones and a cup of peppermint tea, Hannah sunk into her book. People came in and out of the café, but she was deep into the story of an amateur sleuth with a talking cat companion. When her tea was long gone and she couldn’t ignore her bladder any longer, she put down the book and went to the bathroom.
Then she returned to her seat and pulled out her phone to see if there was an e-version available to buy so she could finish the book. There was one, and it was on sale for only $2.99. Hannah clicked buy. Then she returned the physical book to the shelves. Her smartwatch said it was almost noon, so she headed home. Once she was back home, Hannah worked on the cleaning she’d been slacking on for a few weeks. As she mopped her floors, she replayed her conversation with Cathy. The smell of Pine-Sol was strong in her small space, so she opened the door to her balcony. Ever since the text from Chad on Thanksgiving, her stomach had started to flip-flop each time she looked out onto the street. No unusual cars were outside. Hannah stopped holding her breath.
After dumping out the mop water, Hannah treated herself to a long shower and put on her Grinch-themed pajamas. The PJs always made her smile, and she was surprised to find that even with the new association of Kate dressed up as the Grinch, they were still her favorite.
Smoky was lying on the floor in a sunbeam. His seagrass-green eyes were closed, but Hannah still talked to him as if he were her closest confidant, which he was. “I’m so happy Cathy stopped at Common Grounds while I was there. I feel so much better now. I thought I was just imagining Kate’s feelings for me, but she saw it too!”
Hannah closed the sliding door and sat down on the couch. She swiped her phone open and went back to her book. A secondmurder had just occurred in Peppermint Bay when an Instagram notification popped up on her screen. She pressed on it to push it away, and instead, her Maxim the Magnificent account opened.
Her breathing was shallow, and sweat started breaking out as she read the words from the pictureless account. Not that she needed a picture to recognize that it was Chad.
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