Dear Santa(32)

“Time will tell.” Lindy said.

“Time is a great healer, right? I mean, that’s something my mother always says. And, Lindy, I want you to know something. You’re talented and smart, and whatever you do will be a success.”

“Thank you,” Lindy said, feeling lighter than she had in a long while.

“Okay,” Celeste said. “I’ve said everything I wanted to tell you. Bye, Lindy.”

“Bye, Celeste.”

The house was quiet when Lindy went inside. Her parents had already gone to bed. Her head was reeling from the conversation with Celeste. She doubted she’d be able to sleep. She headed into her room and readied for bed, dressing in her flannel pj’s, unaccustomed to these bitterly cold nights. Fluffing the pillow, she sat up and reached for her phone, scrolling through Facebook and then playing a few online games. She’d crushed Candy Crush and had moved on to another game, realizing that all she was doing was killing time until she was too tired to function any longer. On a whim she sent Peggy a text.

    You awake?

When her friend didn’t respond, Lindy figured Peggy was dead to the world, and rightly so. It was after one. Anyone with a working brain was asleep by this time of night. Unless Billy was still up. She hesitated, and then sent him a text on the off chance he was still awake.

You home yet?

Yes. What’s up?

I miss you. She shouldn’t have admitted that, but before she could rebuke herself, her phone rang.

It was Billy.

“You’re awake? I thought you’d be home and asleep long before now,” he said.

“Yeah, me, too.”

Her voice must have alerted him to the fact that she was troubled, because he asked, “What’s on your mind?”

She regretted disturbing him, especially when she knew how many hours he’d been up dealing with the assorted problems that were all part of owning and operating a restaurant. “You’re tired. We can talk about it later.”

“Let’s talk about it now,” he said, encouraging her in that gentle way of his. As exhausted as he was, he sought to comfort her. She couldn’t do that. Not after the day he’d had.

    “I should never have—”

“Lindy!”

Seeing that she was the one who’d reached out, Billy wasn’t going to listen to any excuses. The truth was that she needed a willing ear and so, as briefly as possible, she relayed her conversation with Celeste.

“Sounds to me like your friend is dealing with some major regrets.”

“It felt good to tell her I’d forgiven her and Brian, freeing somehow. And I meant it, Billy.” She was grateful for the chance to let Celeste know she’d moved on. Forgiveness was one thing, reconciliation was another.

“Do you think the reason she reached out is because she saw you and me on Wednesday?” he asked.

“She mentioned seeing us.” Lindy left out the part about finding Billy handsome.

“Did she happen to see the kiss? Bet that blew her mind.”

Lindy didn’t know what Celeste had seen or not seen. If any mind was blown, it’d been hers. She wasn’t mentioning that, either. “It’s a possibility. I don’t know what she saw; she didn’t mention it if she did.”

“I thought wanting them to see us was the reason you asked me to kiss you?”

Remembering that kiss made Lindy smile. “As I recall, you weren’t overly pleased that I’d blatantly used you.”

    “True, but that kiss. I have to tell you, Lindy, it shook my world.”

“It shook my world, too.” A warm sensation washed over her. “Every kiss since then has done the same.” Again, she shouldn’t be telling Billy this, especially when she’d resolved this was a holiday romance. The fact of the matter was that there was little choice what she would do in the future. She had a signed lease. Her livelihood was in Seattle. And more important, Lindy had a lot to prove to herself and Media Blast. Moving back to Wenatchee after being betrayed by her best friend and Brian, leaving the job she had trained for and emotionally invested in, would feel like she was somehow giving in and admitting defeat. Moving back to Wenatchee would look like she was coming home with her tail between her legs…especially when she felt, deep down, that success was around the corner. She couldn’t do that. Wouldn’t.

“You’ve grown quiet. What are you thinking?”

“That I should let you get to bed.”

“Lindy?”

“Yes?”

“It’s late. I’m exhausted and probably shouldn’t ask you this.” He hesitated, as if even now he was weighing his words.

“Ask me,” she said softly.

    When he spoke, his voice was so low she had to strain to hear him. “Stay.”

“Stay?” she repeated, hoping she’d heard wrong.

“I don’t want you to go back to Seattle. I feel like we have the start of something that has real potential. I hate to see it end.”





CHAPTER THIRTEEN





The next morning, Lindy slept until ten. Her mother was busy in the kitchen, which made her feel terrible, as she’d intended to help with the meal preparations. Her mother went all out for Christmas and cooked for weeks in advance. Her plates of cookies delivered to friends on Christmas Eve, following the church service, were tradition.