Page 81 of The Mistletoe Mix-up

“Thanks,” he said, his chest squeezing so tight he was afraid he might pass out. He got up from the table before he made a fool of himself.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“I’m getting some air.” Sam grabbed his coat from the hook by the front door. “I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.”

Sam didn’t like the hurt he heard in that one word, but damn it, could Wren really not see how this was killing him? Not even the kid part, but the fact that it hadn’t taken much for him to fall in love with her again, although this time was different. She wasn’t the same wild child she’d been, and he respected the calm, collected woman who could walk into an unstable situation and put everyone at ease. The way her mood could shift from sassy to playful, keeping him on his toes. The way her touch could leave him weak, desiring her with an intensity that made him want to keep her in his arms forever.

Wren couldn’t see any of that, though. She thought that he was just being a good friend, that offering her a part of him without any strings attached was just him being supportive. Part of him had hoped that by being there for her, she’d realize her love for him, too, but that hadn’t happened.

The door opened behind him, and Wren stepped out, her jacket zipped under her chin.

“Hey, what are you doing out here?” he asked.

“I feel like you need this,” Wren said, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him in close.

Sam’s arms returned the embrace, his lips pressed against her hair. “Thanks.”

“Sam?”

“Yeah?”

“Maybe you’d like to come over and help me decorate the tree, since you don’t have one?”

She had no idea how painful that sweet invitation was to hear. Wren wanted him to be part of something special, but couldn’t see the significance. Trees were for couples. For families to decorate as they changed and grew.

Yet just like everything else she’d ever asked, Sam couldn’t say no.

“Sounds like fun.”

Chapter Twenty-four

This time, Wren didn’t sneak out on Sam in the morning. Instead, she kissed him goodbye before she left, whispering, “I’ll call you later.”

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” he mumbled sleepily.

“I have to get home and get ready for lunch with my family.” Plus, Duke usually got breakfast around this time, but Sam’s eyes were closed, so she didn’t bother explaining the rest.

“Well, have fun. I’ll miss you.”

Wren’s heart squeezed at his barely audible whisper. Even though she knew Sam was half asleep, she thought he might actually mean it.

And if he did mean it, how did she feel about that?

So many things had shifted between them, especially last night. They’d gone from reconnecting sexually to becoming friends. Then last night she’d been so moved by his gift that she couldn’t resist touching him. It was strange because up until she had returned to Mistletoe, she knew exactly who she was and what she wanted, but this place seemed to change her every day. It was like the warmth of the people and tight-knit community of the town made being alone almost impossible. There was so much to share with someone, and the person she’d been reaching out to the most was Sam.

After they’d gone to her place and fed Duke last night, they’d decorated the tree, then curled up on the couch under a blanket to admire it. She’d been overwhelmed with the idea that they’d created this beautiful tree together and that they could be creating a baby, but then the heaviest thought of all hit her like a ton of bricks.

What they had together felt like a real relationship, maybe even one that wouldn’t turn to stone after a few years. Or was that just her wishful thinking? They had been apart for so long, imagining that they could be together. But maybe because Wren was nostalgic, she was seeing things that weren’t real. The only time she’d ever been in love was when she was a teenager, and it had torn her apart to let him go. When she’d found out that she hadn’t needed to, that they could’ve spent the last nineteen years together, it ate her up inside. What would their life look like? Would he have followed her to Arizona while she went to school? Would Sam have opened a tattoo shop there? Would she have left the police force in Arizona and moved on, or would they have stayed there because of his dream? Maybe he would have followed her to her next job in Houston and loved it there. Would her father have forgiven them both or gone through with his threat?

If Wren had told Sam that she’d taken a pregnancy test all those years ago, would it have ended the same way, with a false positive and her period starting a few days after he left? Even when it had turned out to be nothing, if she’d told him, would he have stayed no matter what?

She thought about that moment all the time. Deep in her heart, Wren knew Sam would have taken on all her father’s wrath if she’d given him hope. Especially if he’d known the reason her father lost his head that day.

Even now, with his paper signed and his parental rights terminated, she couldn’t imagine Sam not being there for her or the baby.

Suddenly, shame overwhelmed her, so intense that tears pricked her eyes. How had she been so selfish, so cruel? Despite what was said about him in town, Sam had always been good to her. He was kind. He was strong. He was honest and trustworthy. He was a catch, and she’d done the same thing every other woman in town had.