“Hi, Dad,” I greeted as we stopped beside the table.
Dad rose from his seat and kissed both of my cheeks before hugging Noelle tightly. It didn’t matter where we were or what we did, at the end of the day, Dad adored Noelle, and that’s what was important.
“I’m glad you made it,” he commented, pulling out Noelle’s chair and helping her into it.
“Me too,” I lied before turning to address Nikkie. “What a beautiful dress, Nikkie,” I complimented.
“Thank you. It’s a Versace,” she declared proudly as she picked up her drink and took a sip, leaving a smudge of lipstick on the glass.
Dinner went exactly as expected. I was a disappointment for being late despite it not being at all my fault. I’d tried to explain that I didn’t cause the blizzard or close the roads, but my excuses fell on deaf ears. Instead, I was chastised for my inadequate time management. Under the intense scrutiny, I barely tasted the overpriced food and by the time we made it back to the room, all I could think about was a PB&J.
That night, I laid in bed, the first real bed I’d slept in in days and I was uncomfortable. I tossed and turned and couldn’t drift off. My mind raced a million miles an hour, replaying the moments that had me grinning like a carnival clown into the darkness. Each moment was filled with love, laughter, and the simple life I craved. But I knew I had to let it go. I had to say goodbye. In a few days, I’d return Chris’s truck, collect my car, and Noelle and I would be on our way back to the life we left behind.
twenty-two
CHRIS
CHRIS
My apartment was eerilyquiet and clean now they’d left. I hated it. It was like they’d never even been there. The only evidence left, reminding me that I hadn’t imagined them, was the smell of Holly’s shampoo on my pillow, and the stray hair tie on the bathroom counter. After I’d waved them goodbye, I’d gone back into my workshop and cleaned the sleigh. By the time I’d finished polishing, it glistened under the lights. The old thing had never looked so good. When Dominic arrived to pick it up, I was sure he was going to have a heart attack right there in the middle of my workshop.
“What did you do?” He gasped as he circled it.
“What?”
I couldn’t see the problem.
“It’s different.”
“It’s not really,” I defended. “I just touched up some of the chipped paint and gave it a once over. That’s all.”
“That’s all? That’s all? I was almost sure that when I gothere this morning, you’d be using it for firewood, not touching up paint and polishing it.”
That made me grin. I hadn’t thought of that, but I wasn’t the same guy I was a week ago. Hell, I wasn’t the same guy I was a day ago. The sleigh wasn’t the source of my pain anymore. The sleigh was just a sleigh.
“Well, surprise.” I grinned, shoving my hands in my pockets.
“I don’t know what to say, Chris.”
“Thank you will be fine, Dominic.”
“Thank you. After everything that happened these holidays, tonight at the Christmas festival, this beauty will be the center of attention.”
“Glad I could help,” I replied, actually meaning it.
We got the sleigh loaded onto the trailer, and Dominic was off, leaving me standing alone in the silent workshop. With nothing to do and no one to talk to, I figured I might as well get a jump start on the work that needed to be done. Even though no one was expecting it, getting a head start was always a good idea. Around here, you never knew what was going to come up or who was going to run off the road.
I spun around and saw Holly’s car still sitting there. I couldn’t fix it properly, not until the parts arrived, but I could make sure everything else was perfect. The last thing I wanted was for them to break down on the way home.
Home.
The word tasted bitter as I weighed it.
I popped the hood and got to work. It wasn’t very often I got to work on these high end, fancy-pants cars so a few times it had me stumped. It took longer than it should’ve, but I’d checked every inch of it over. I’d pumped the tires, checked the oil, replaced the filters, and even changed the wiperblades. This car was as good as it was the day it drove off the showroom floor.
My stomach rumbled and I realized I hadn’t eaten. I hadn’t even thought about food. Tugging off my coveralls, I headed upstairs and reheated some leftovers before dropping down on the couch and flicking on the TV.
An hour later, I was climbing the walls.
