"Wouldn’t some call that settling?"
"Settling for the best of what I’ve always known—why would someone keep on looking?" I ask him.
I can’t see him well with his flashlight aimed in my direction, so I’m wondering what emotions are playing through his face, or if he’s hiding behind the light so I can’t read him. "Mel, look, I’m not good at being the best. Hell, most days, I feel like I’m living below par, and I don’t want to make anyone else feel the same way. My life will never be normal and going by some of the reasons you fell out of love with Ace, you should be out there searching for your version of normal—a husband, a baby; a perfect life."
"That is what I wanted and most of what I still want, but watching my dad lose his say in life, made me realize I need to stop planning and just start living. Despite that notion, I no longer wanted to cohabitate with Ace. There was no spark, butterflies, or days when I couldn’t wait for him to get home from work. It was convenient knowing I didn’t have to be single, but after a while, I came to terms with my reality. I can be with someone and still feel like a single person; lonely, and unhappy."
"It sounds like you’ve lived a lot of life this past month," Brett says, his flashlight growing brighter. I startle when his hand reaches for my elbow because I didn’t realize we were standing so close. "The last thing I want to do is pull you into the unknown with me and steer you farther away from whatever it is you want in life."
"All I want is happiness," I explain. "I want to live the kind of life my dad led. Watching him made me want the same for myself. However, I will find fulfillment, and I will find it the right way."
Brett wraps his arms around me and pulls me in against his chest, resting his chin on the top of my head. "I’m sorry for earlier—making you face what you had run away from. It was none of my business. He had called the shop and asked to meet with me for other reasons. I didn’t know what was going on before you told me who he was."
I release a pent-up breath, wanting to put the memories from earlier today behind me. "Let’s forget about it.”
"It’s freezing out here," he says.
"And my Mom is probably feeding Parker a four-course meal while we freeze."
"Crap, did she say she was hungry?" Brett asks, lifting his chin from my head.
"No, my mom asked if she had eaten, and when she said no, my mom invited you both to eat with us. I was supposed to come outside and ask you if it was okay."
"You didn’t ask me, though," Brett says.
"Would you two like to eat at our house tonight?" I try to add a hint of formality to the question, given the way he requested an invitation.
Brett’s gloved hand cups around the base of my neck, and he leans down to kiss me. His lips are colder than ice, and my skin tingles against the sharp stubble on his chin. "Thank you for the offer," he mutters against my lips. Brett pulls away, and I hear him reach down to collect whatever tools he had.
"Come on in.” I wave him toward me, but unsure if he can see as his flashlight is bouncing all over the place.
I take a few steps toward the house before a snowball explodes against my ponytail. I gasp and freeze in place from shock, but growing up where it’s winter six months of the year, I’m quick with my recoil and chuck a snowball into the dark. "Nope, sorry," he says.
"You have an unfair advantage," I shriek, dashing toward the front steps, but not without grabbing another handful of snow first.
As Brett lifts his foot to follow me up the steps, I hit my target with perfect aim, thanks to the light above the front door. Brett covers his hands over his chest, where I hit him. "Ugh, you got me," he says.
“Well, it doesn’t sound like the worst thing in the world.”
Brett slaps at my ponytail and snow flies all over the entryway doormat as we walk inside. "Sorry," he says with laughter.
"Mmhm. They would love to eat with us, Mom," I shout into the kitchen.
Parker walks out of the kitchen with slow steps, concentrating on the contents inside of the mug she’s holding. "They even have hot chocolate withrealmarshmallows, not the fake kind that already comes in the bag like what we have at home."
"See how much I’m failing?" Brett asks me, pointing at the mug. "I don’t even get my daughter the right marshmallows."
"You should be careful. Someone might report you to the authorities." I wave my hand to shoo him off as I hang up coat up and remove my boots.
"Brett, thank you so much for fixing the battery in the truck. How much do I owe you?" Mom asks him.
Brett pulls his snow-covered coat off and hangs it on the doorknob above the floor-mat. "Oh, please, don’t even worry about it. It’s no problem at all."
"Well, I’m sure it cost you something," Mom continues.
"And you’ve offered me and Parker dinner, so we can call it even. Thank you," he says, walking over to her with his arms open wide to give her a hug. "How are you doing today?"
Mom sighs. "Every day is a little different. Today, I’m hanging in there."
