“I think it’s fun,” I tell her. “Have you always been a big Christmas lover?”
She wrinkles her nose and shakes her head. “It wasn’t a big deal in my house growing up, although I have to give Liam credit for always trying to make it special. I didn’t really care too much ’til Rexy came along. And, this might make me sound like a nutty fan, but it was around that time I started watching your movies. I had postpartum depression really bad, and all I did most days was sit around with the baby and watch TV. Your movies gave me so much hope. I know they’re not real, but when I watch them, I can imagine someday things will work out, you know? That I’ll stop being a fuck-up and I’ll meet an amazing person who will love me and Rex and we’ll all live happily ever after.”
Her voice sounds dreamy and her head is tilted up, gaze out of focus. Her tone and the words themselves make my breath catch and my chest swell with sympathy. Nearly everyone I’ve encountered in Honeywell so far has taken me by surprise, and Thea is no different. She looks so tough, but seeing her with Rex earlier and now hearing her speak of a happily ever after in a pensive, faraway tone reminds me how deceiving appearances can be.
She laughs suddenly, her gaze clearing as it returns to mine. “You ask a simple question and I give you my life story. Welcome to Honeywell Hollow.”
If I knew her better, I’d reach out and lay my hand over hers where it rests on the bar. I don’t know how she’d react, so I say, “I’m glad my movies helped. Lately I’ve been feeling like they’re just cheesy fluff—not that there’s anything wrong with that, everyone needs some escapist fun sometimes—but to know they actually touch people…well…” I trail off, shrugging. “Is everything okay now? I know Rex is far from a baby, but from what I’ve heard, postpartum depression is no joke.”
She nods, straightening and stepping back to rearrange some glasses under the bar. “It was rough for a while there. It was just me on my own with this tiny baby. I didn’t know anything about kids, so I felt like I was as new as he was. Liam came back to Honeywell when Rex was a couple months old, and he made sure I went to see a doctor, plus helped with the baby. I don’t think we would have survived without him.”
If my chest was swelling before, I feel like the Grinch now after his heart grew three sizes. Before I can figure out a response, Thea plants her hands on the bar and blows out a noisy breath. “Anyway. Enough of that, at least for now. What can I get you, Joss? Wait, wait, let me guess.” She narrows her eyes and studies me; first my face and then my hair, which is swept back and held in place by a dozen or so bobby pins. She leans on the bar and shimmies forward a bit, giving me an up close and personal look at her full breasts as she examines my outfit, then my purse and shoes. She hops back down and plants her hands on her hips. “Vodka martini. Lemon twist instead of olives.”
I burst out laughing. “How the hell did you do that?”
She shrugs one shoulder, grinning in a way that somehow manages to be both cheeky and enigmatic. “It’s a gift. I’m right, aren’t I?” When I simply nod, still chuckling, she says, “One vodka martini coming up.”
She mixes my cocktail and presents it with a flourish before grabbing a bottle of beer for herself. She asks about my home in Toronto, what I’m working on next, and about a few of the people I’ve worked on movies with. I’d hoped to avoid ‘shop talk’ in Honeywell, but Thea’s genuine interest puts me at ease enough to open up.
I’m giving her a few hints about the new Christmas movie I’m in that comes out the second week of December when I sense someone standing behind me. A whiff of musky cologne greets me before he does.
“If it isn’t Honeywell’s newest temporary resident.” Liam leans on the bar, shooting his sister a grin before his smiling eyes land on me. “I wouldn’t have pegged you as someone who frequents dive bars.”
“Are you kidding? Places like this are my personal catnip. They’re the perfect spots to people-watch and get all kinds of ideas and inspiration that helps with my acting.”
A hint of a smile flirts around the edges of his mouth as he studies me, seemingly trying to puzzle out whether I’m being serious or sarcastic.
Thea gives a little snort. “I ran into Joss earlier today and invited her here for a drink tonight.”
Liam places a hand over his heart and exhales sharply. “So you took a rain check when I invited you for coffee, but you accepted my sister’s invitation?”
“Next time you’ll know to invite me for cocktails instead of coffee.”
He ducks his head, chuckling softly. “I’ll remember that.”
Thea gives another little snort and takes a swig of her beer. Liam raises his head to look at her, his smile slipping a notch. Thea’s eyes lock with his and the bottle freezes halfway to her lips. She stays like that for a moment, as if in a tableau, then she raises the bottle slowly and takes a deep pull. “Chill, big brother,” she says, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. “It’s just one beer.” She sets the bottle down with so much force, foam erupts over the rim.
Before Liam can respond and without so much as a glance at me, Thea swivels on her heel and struts to the other end of the bar. She says something to the bartender there, who nods and disappears into the back. I watch her for a minute as she interacts with customers. Despite her rigid posture, her smile is firmly back in place.
Liam sighs and scrubs his hands over his face. All traces of playfulness from a moment ago are gone, replaced by an air of defeat. This is clearly an argument they’ve had more than once. It makes me think of the alcohol I smelled on Thea’s breath earlier this afternoon, and yet, in the time I’ve been here she’s only taken a few sips of beer.
“So,” I say, clearing my throat, “you seem to be everywhere.”
He offers me a tired smile. “Small town.”
“Right.” I cast around in my mind for something to say. I want to see him smile again, want the tense lines of his shoulders to ease. I wouldn’t even mind going back to our flirty banter. “I met Rex earlier today.”
His eyes brighten.Bingo.
“Yeah? He’s a great kid. Being his uncle is one of the best parts of my life.” His eyes shift past me, and I peer over my shoulder at Thea, who’s still at the other end of the bar. She meets her brother’s gaze and, although her expression remains stony, there’s a slight softening around her eyes. When I turn back, Liam’s eyes are back on me. “You’re not going to ask what that’s about?”
“It’s none of my business. But I’ll listen if you want to tell me.”
Silence falls as he mulls it over. Before he can say anything else, Thea returns, setting another martini in front of me, along with a glass of what looks like ginger ale in front of her brother. The two of them stare at each other for a long moment, seeming to communicate silently. Finally, she shimmies up onto the bar like she did when she was checking out my outfit, and plants a loud kiss on Liam’s cheek.
“Sorry to have interrupted your flirt flow earlier,” she says, eyes darting back and forth between me and Liam, a Cheshire Cat grin overtaking her face. “Carry on.”
I sputter out a laugh as she flounces away, ponytail swinging.
