He tried not to read into the symbolism of it all—constructing a house with the woman he wanted nothing more than to construct a future with—but it was there. There in the way he piped the icing while she pressed the candies into it. In the way she chose the frosting color for the roof and he slathered in on. In the way she fashioned a wreath with the candies he slid her direction. They were a well-oiled machine, finishing their house well before everyone else.
Of course, Laney’s grabby hands slowed down Team Lance-Sarah. Working with a baby tossed a monkey wrench into productivity, but what an adorable little distraction she was.
Holden’s parents cuddled close as they decorated. Holden always knew they loved one another, but rarely displayed it so freely. His heart clenched when his father snuck a quick kiss. Jill blushed and waggled her shoulders, and Zeke went in for another.
Enduring love was something to celebrate. Holden knew that, and in that moment, he wanted it more than anything in the world.
He didn’t want to cut short his opportunity to experience that.
Sarah excused herself from the festivities first to put an overtired Laney to bed. The poor little girl had been rubbing her eyes for the last half hour, coating her cheeks with sticky sugar and frosting.
“Night, Laney girl.” Holden gave his niece a kiss and squeezed her tightly.
“Say goodnight to everyone.” Sarah took her daughter’s tiny hand into hers and mimicked a wave. “I’ll be down after I get this little beauty bathed and put to bed.”
Once Sarah retreated upstairs, Jill let out a sigh. “I sure wish she would move back home,” she said wistfully.
“Now, Jillybean, we’ve said before that we will support whatever she decides to do. And if that decision is to stay in Sacramento, then she has our full blessing,” Zeke said.
“She moved there for Darren, and thenhemoved across the country,” Jill interjected with an edge to her voice Holden didn’t often hear.
“I understand what Mom’s saying.” Holden came to his mother’s support. “It sure would be nice to get to be a bigger part of Laney’s life. And to be able to help Sarah.” He shot a look over at his buddy. “And I’m sure it would make Lance pretty happy to have her around more.”
Lance’s face turned a darker red than the cinnamon candies in his hand.
Zeke just carried on. “In my humble opinion, there’s no better place on this planet than Snowdrift Summit. And there’s no other people I’d rather have around me than family.”
Holden looked over at Rachel. Her expression was indecipherable, but her focus remained on readjusting the small shingles she’d constructed out of licorice bits. She fiddled with one, then moved on to another.
Holden didn’t want her to have guilt over leaving. For choosing to live elsewhere, away from her family. She had every right to make that decision. He moved a hand to her knee and squeezed reassuringly before letting go. Her eyes flicked up to his.
“You ready to go soon?” He spoke only to her as he flipped his wrist over to look at his watch. “We’ve had a big day.”
“We can stay a little longer.”
They waited until Sarah returned and then commenced with voting for the best gingerbread house.
Sarah and Lance’s won, and Holden knew it was the baby handprint placed directly on the snowy front yard that sealed the deal. It looked like a snow angel pressed into coconut shavings and it was the perfect finishing touch.
And, as creativity would have it, both Jill and Zeke and Rachel and Holden had crafted twin Christmas trees on their displays, towering nobles made from upside-down ice cream cones slathered with green frosting. They decided not to measure them this time.
Holden and Rachel ducked out first. While Rachel was in the foyer zipping up her jacket and gathering her purse with Scout waiting patiently at her side, Jill took her son by the elbow and steered him out of earshot.
“Don’t let this one get away,” she said pointedly. “Again.”
Holden didn’t answer, only smiled, because if he spoke in that moment, he wasn’t sure what would come out. He had more emotion bottled inside than he knew what to do with.
The truck was cold. Holden cranked the dial on the heater all the way up. Frigid air gradually turned warm and swirled about the cabin, but he still gave Rachel his scarf to ward off the chill. She twisted it around her slender neck and pulled the fabric up to her chin, breathing deep.
There had been an introspective quiet that settled between them throughout the last portion of the evening.
It wasn’t for lack of things to say. Holden had an entire novel of words he wanted to confess. A whole love story. But he couldn’t. It wasn’t fair to try to convince Rachel to stay when he’d always known she had to go.
He could kick himself for all the wasted years.
“What’s your plan for tomorrow?” He turned down the heater a few degrees and the white noise filtered out.
“I’ll be spending the morning with my dad at the store and then helping my mom with some Christmas wrapping.”
