That was a one-time fluke kind of kiss, right? I’d kissed Luke a thousand times, and it was always a good kiss, a kiss that had me wanting more. Kisses that left us breathless and pulling away from each other so that we could maintain our purity. But this kiss was…dead, and it scared me.
We walked hand in hand to the living room, where we all gathered our purses and lawn chairs and then headed out the front door for Main Street. Luke’s parents lived on High Grove Street, which was a short two blocks to the best part of the parade. A light snow fell as I buttoned my black peacoat around me. I grasped Luke’s hand in one hand and my lawn chair in the other.
“Let me carry that,” he said, pulling the lawn chair from me so that he was now carrying two.
“Thank you.” I smiled. He was a gentleman.
Luke looked over at me with a twinkle in his eye. “It’s been a perfect Christmas,” he said.
I nodded. Every Christmas felt perfect, and I couldn’t wait to see the Hannah’s Fine Italian Restaurant’s float roll down the road soon. Carl was driving, and it had taken thirty volunteers from the church to create the giant tree with papier mâché spaghetti, lasagna, and pizza ornaments the size of my head. There was even a lifelike Hannah with an apron on, ready to take your order. The people of Willow Harbor had stepped up and supported me after Jack bought me Vinnie’s, and I wanted to show them that Hannah’s was here to stay.
“And we’ve been officially dating again for over six months. If we add that to the two years in high school, that’s a lot of time spent together,” Luke said.
My brow furrowed in confusion at his train of thought.
“Yep.” I smiled.
“I look forward to many more Christmases with you, Hannah.” He winked and my stomach dropped.
I’d saidI love youto him last month, and I meant it. Truly. But…that dead kiss, and seeing Jack, and thejust a waitresscomment had confusion forming in my mind, and I tried to push it away.
When we got to Main Street, Jules and everyone else were already there, so we started to set up our chairs.
“I’m going to go check on the float real quick,” I told Luke and Jules.
They nodded, and I darted between the buildings to the back street where all the floats were parked and ready to ride. They looked beautiful, all lit up and ready to go.
After double-checking everything on mine and talking with Sydney and Carl, I headed back to Main Street, this time taking the long way so I could gather my thoughts. I was feeling so off. I turned the corner and bumped right into Dennis from church.
“Oh, sorry, Dennis. I’m running around like a madwoman, making sure the float is ready.”
He reached his arms out to steady me with a smile. “No worries, Hannah. I’m excited to see yours. I heard you entered one for the restaurant.”
I grinned. “I did. I hope everyone loves it.”
His eyes moved away from me to across the street and he squinted. I followed his gaze and saw Jack standing in a nice suit, black coat, and leather gloves. He leaned against a wreath-decorated streetlamp, looking wistfully down the road where the floats would soon be coming out of. My heart seized, and I thought of the story he told me about his mom. Willow Harbor was special to him, and I loved that.
Dennis watched me watching Jack and grinned. “Must have been a hard choice. I don’t envy you, dear,” he said.
I jerked my head back at his comment. “What? What choice?”
He nodded to Jack. “Between him and Luke Halston.”
Whoa.
“I don’t know what you mean, Dennis.”
He appeared confused. “Oh, they both came to the spring worship concert that night and brought you flowers. I assumed they were both sweet on you.”
It felt like time had stopped. I replayed his words in my head, but couldn’t figure out what he meant.
“No. You must have misunderstood. Jack never came to the concert.”
Dennis gave me adon’t mess with melook. He was the greeter for our church and a retired doctor. He had a really good memory, but I was hoping right now it had failed him that night.
“That boy”—he pointed to Jack—“was holding yellow roses and wearing a gray suit with red silk lining. He asked where he could find Hannah Phillips before the show, and I took him to your warmup room.”
I gasped as shock reverberated throughout my body.
