Liam was glad Oscar still wanted him there. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Yeah!” Oscar cheered.
Chloe adjusted a strand of lights, her cheeks tinged pink from the cold—or perhaps from overhearing their conversation. “We’re all looking forward to it.”
“Hey,” Liam said, turning to her. “After we finish up here, how about grabbing dinner together? My treat.”
Chloe gave him an apologetic smile. “I wish I could, but I need to fix three elf costumes before tomorrow afternoon.”
“The busy life of a supermom,” Liam teased gently.
She laughed. “Something like that.”
Oscar held Chloe’s hand. “My dad’s coming to see me.”
Liam looked down at the innocent expression in Oscar’s eyes. He wasn’t sure what to say, so he looked at Chloe. Her smile disappeared.
“I talked to him on the phone and he said he might come to my school play, too.”
Before Liam could respond, the door of the general store swung open, and Mabel bustled out with a festive red scarf wrapped around her neck.
“Well, haven’t you made the entrance look splendid!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “The trees are just lovely.”
“Thanks, Mabel,” Chloe said warmly. “We’re almost finished.”
Mabel’s eyes shone as she looked at Oscar. “I baked a fresh batch of gingerbread Christmas cookies this morning. Would you like to come inside and have one?”
Oscar’s face lit up. “Yes, please!”
“Go ahead,” Chloe encouraged him. “We’ll be right here.”
As Oscar followed Mabel into the store, Liam turned to Chloe. “Is everything okay?” he asked softly.
She sighed, her breath forming a small cloud in the cold air. “My lawyer said it might be good for Paul to see Oscar before we go back to court. He’s flying into Kalispell next Friday and he’ll be here for the weekend.”
Liam searched her face. “How do you feel about that?”
“I’m worried,” she admitted. “Oscar hasn’t seen Paul in over a year. I don’t know how he’ll react. And I’m... I’m anxious about seeing him again.”
Liam reached out and gently touched her arm. “I imagine that most people would feel that way.”
She looked across the store. “I just want to do what’s best for Oscar. But the idea of Paul coming here, into our new life... it’s unsettling.”
“You don’t have to meet him on your own,” Liam said firmly. “I could be there.”
She met his gaze, gratitude filling her eyes. “I think that’d only make things harder. Paul will probably be on his best behavior, and I’m worrying about nothing.”
Liam felt a surge of protectiveness toward Chloe and Oscar. He wanted to help, to ease their worries, but he also knew this was something she had to navigate carefully. “Do you think Oscar’s ready to see his dad?”
“He’s been asking about Paul. I think he misses the idea of him, but I’m not sure he understands what it means for him to be back in his life.”
“Kids are resilient,” Liam told her. “But they also pick up on more than we realize.”
“That’s what worries me,” she whispered. “I don’t want him to be hurt. My lawyer suggested setting some boundaries and meeting Paul in a neutral place. He’ll only be with us for an hour on Saturday. He’ll probably come to the school play that evening, but I’m not sure.”
Before Liam could ask her where Paul was staying, Oscar bounded back outside, gingerbread cookies in each hand. “Look! Mrs. Terry gave me some for you, too!”
“That was nice of her,” Liam said, accepting a cookie.
