Shifting the blanket that covered her, she gathered her wet hair and twisted it into a knot. Yes, she had kissed Jace, and yes, it was even better than she remembered. But that didn’t bring in a paycheck, nor did it sort out her future. So it was time to put him out of her mind.
Selena peeled off her wet shoes and rubbed at the red dye that had bled onto her toes. A very tempting method for warming up had just driven away, so she’d have to settle for a hot shower. Then she'd call Melanie, eat some cocktail sausages, work on a painting for a couple hours, and unwrap the packages she had picked up at—
Shit. She had left the packages in the back seat of her car, which was currently heading to Wilkinson’s Garage on the back of Jace’s tow truck. And her suitcase was in the trunk, too. More evidence that just being close to Jace turned off all practical thoughts. She hadn’t even thought to empty her car.
Darren and Alison had set aside three packages that had come to her former apartment: one from her parents, one from Darren’s sister, very thoughtful, considering the state of her and Darren’s relationship, and one she didn’t recognize. But Selena definitely wasn’t going to call Jace and ask for them. Hopefully her car would be done by Christmas so she’d have at least one present to open this year.
The wood under her feet was cold as she started up the steps to the main floor. The last of daylight filtered in through the large windows that faced the lake, but enormous clouds hovering over the water blocked out the sunset, dark and threatening. It was going to storm again soon, maybe even snow.
Selena padded over to the far corner of the room and plugged in the little white lights that she had strung over the windows. They were her main efforts to bring in a little Christmas to this oversized house. The room lit up, soft and warm. She found the remote on the coffee table and turned on the gas flames to a slow burn. Much better. The plush U-shaped couch with its oversized pillows was inviting, but her hands were still shaking from the cold.
Clutching Jace’s blanket tighter, she hobbled back to the bedroom.Herbedroom. She had considered giving up the house and the car, hating Darren’s lawyer’s insinuation that she had married for money. Truthfully, she could have made a lot of it on her own at a graphic design firm if she hadn't agreed to all of Darren's work moves. Still, her lawyer had convinced her that she needed somewhere to live while she got back on her feet, even if she turned down the monthly alimony. Though Darren never had any interest in a beach house just north of her hometown, he’d fought hard to keep both residences in the split. So she had followed her lawyer’s advice, and, luckily, the judge didn’t give him everything he wanted, or she’d be in a bad place right now.
Instead, she owned a beautiful house on the Lake Ontario beach and had a college degree to her name, a life straight out of her parents’ dreams when they’d come to this country. Minus the divorce, of course. She had no loans and low living costs, both important, considering it was hard to make a livable single income as an artist. But for now, it was her best option. If money got too tight, she could always go back to waiting tables.
The heated floor in the master bathroom was heavenly. Selena turned on the shower and let the steam fill the room. Stepping in, she moaned as the hot water splashed on her head, burning her icy fingers and toes. She tipped her head back and let the water run down her body, thawing all the other places the rain and cold had penetrated. Ohh, she never wanted to leave this cozy little shower stall.
Shecouldstay here all day, or at least until the hot water ran out. No one was waiting for her to make dinner or pick up the dry cleaning. There was no rush to get to the next thing on Darren’s calendar. She could even spend the day dying back those red streaks that Darren had suggested cutting out when he’d been promoted. Apparently, they didn’t saywife of a CFO. How many other parts of herself had she quietly surrendered? What he’d really wanted was a personal assistant with benefits. And even the benefits part had waned.
At first, Selena had a hard time believing that Darren had gotten together with Alison, his real-life administrative assistant, after the divorce. Too cliché. Alison, with her subdued sweater sets and her neat blond ponytail. But that was fine with Selena, or it had been until two days ago. Until she’d walked into her old Boston apartment to pick up the packages waiting for her there and had a little conversation with said administrative assistant. Who had kids from a previous marriage.Kids.Darren had been adamantly against having a baby at this stage of their lives, but according to Alison, he was “such a devoted dad.” In fact, Darren had even decided to switch jobs because all his traveling would be hard on her kids.
It was that last detail that Selena couldn’t digest. It was still twisting in her gut, days later, bringing up the leftover bile from years’ worth of moves and sacrifices and arguments about this subject. He had voluntarily stopped traveling for Alison’s children, but he wouldn’t do it for her, even when she’d begged him?
Happy holidays, Selena.She had spent too much of her trip to Boston dwelling on those details with Melanie, her college roommate. Time to move on.
Selena turned off the shower and wrapped herself in an enormous, fluffy towel. The divorce had been a reset button, and she had spent a lot of time in recent months doing whatever she wanted, whenever the hell she wanted to do it. Freeing, really. More recently, a bit of loneliness had set in, along with the looming question,what comes next? But after that kiss tonight sent her back nine years, Selena’s thoughts were somewhere else. Maybe it wasn’t just Jace she had left in Sacred Harbor. What parts of herself had she given up, too?
She twisted her hair into another towel and headed for her closet to put together her grand enjoying-the-day-alone ensemble. It should be tacky, the anti-Darren of outfits. The kind the wife of a CFO wouldn’t wear. The kind that Alison wouldn’t touch.
Selena reached for the thick, reindeer-themed leggings that Melanie had given her for Christmas a few years ago and tugged them on, the soft cotton warming her legs. Next, she went for her t-shirt drawer. She had been collecting good ones for years, snarky, campy or just plain fun. Was a holiday-themed selection the right mood? Selena sifted through t-shirts, passing by one with a Santa hat and the wordsNaughty. Definitely naughty,and settling on an old favorite, soft and dark blue, with the lines,Of course I talk to myself. Sometimes I need expert advice, written in white script. Darren especially hated that one.
She pulled her Boston University sweatshirt over the shirt and rummaged through her sock drawer for the warmest pair. One fluffy Christmas-themed sock stuck out. Where was the other one? No amount of searching turned it up, but who said socks had to match? Selena grabbed a grey wool sock and slipped the un-pair onto her feet.
Tacky outfit? Check.
Time for a pick-me-up call to Melanie while making a decidedly unmarried meal. Mac and cheese from a box with a cup of hot coffee. And cocktail sausages, of course. Perfect. Selena filled a pot with water, turned on the stove, and dialed her friend’s number. Mel answered on the first ring.
“Hey, girl. You home yet? I saw the weather in your area wasn’t looking good.”
“Just got home, and the rain is turned to sleet.”
“One more reason to come back to Boston. The weather is better.”
Selena rolled her eyes. “Marginally.”
Melanie was exactly what she needed right now. Selena had stayed in her spare bedroom as the divorce unfolded, so her friend knew all the details about Darren and her break-up. And back in college, Mel had learned more about her break-up with Jace than she probably ever wanted to know. Now that Selena was back in Sacred Harbor, Mel’s advice was the old cliché about getting over the last guy by getting under someone new. Or new-ish, meaning Jace. Which meant she would be thrilled to hear about the evening’s developments.
“So…my car broke down just south of Sacred Harbor.”
“Did you plan that?”
Selena sent her friend a long-distance glare. “Hell, no.”
Mel gave a snort of laughter. “Is this story going in the direction I think it is?”
“Depends on how dirty your mind is right now.”
“I’m giving you a long-distance high five.” Her friend paused. “But you two didn’t get together, did you? Either that, or he’s pretty quick, which means I should probably take back the high five.”
