One More for Christmas(108)
Kirstie took the book but didn’t look at it. She was too busy looking at her mother. “You seem different. You’ve been so sad—”
“I’m still sad. Part of me will always be sad, and there are days when I’m crushed by it. But the truth is that sometimes life sends you change that you wouldn’t have chosen, and this was one of those times. I had no choice about losing Cameron, but I do have a choice about what I do with my life from now on. I miss him terribly, but I intend to get out of bed and keep living, no matter how hard that feels. And all the memories can come along with me.”
They all handled it in different ways, Kirstie thought. She handled it by being outdoors. By throwing herself into hard, physical work. She’d missed that.
And now she desperately wanted it back.
“Will this work, Brodie? Truly?” She’d been against the whole idea, but now she badly wanted it to work.
“Are you talking about the finances?” He pushed at his glasses. “You’ve seen the numbers. Yes, it will work, providing guests will pay what Samantha thinks they’ll pay. And providing enough people book.”
“And will they?”
“There are no guarantees, but she knows what she’s doing. She’s impressive.”
“You should know. You’ve spent enough time with her over the past few days.” She saw his face redden and was pleased, not because she had a sadistic streak—although who didn’t love teasing their sibling?—but because it proved she hadn’t been wrong. Those glances she’d observed, the brief brush of fingers as they’d passed papers between themselves, it had meant something. He cared, and she wanted him to care. She knew what he’d sacrificed to come back here, and she wanted everything good for him. “Relax. I like her. A lot. And you’re right—she is impressive. She knows what she’s talking about, she isn’t afraid to break a nail and she didn’t overreact when Bear got excited and peed on her leg by accident. So she gets my vote.”
“Your vote for what?”
“For—” she had to be careful not to overstep, because she didn’t want him to back off “—whatever position you choose to give her.”
“Consultant.” Brodie dropped the papers he was holding. Picked them up again, flustered. “She’s our partner in this, I suppose.”
“Partner. Right.” Kirstie tried to hide her smile, and he sighed and put the papers down.
“Is this going to be a whole new thing? Insinuation and sly winks? Because it will earn you a snowball down your neck.”
“It might be a new thing. Too early to say.” She finished her breakfast and pushed her plate away. “Depends on how much fun it is.”
“For me, it’s no fun at all.”
“But it’s doing my romantic heart good.”
“You have a romantic heart? I didn’t know that. Promise me you’re not going to embarrass me on Christmas Day.”
Enjoying herself, Kirstie thought about it. “Can’t promise that.” She saw her mother smile. “What’s funny?”
“The two of you bickering, the way you always used to. It does my heart good.”
“Seeing us fight does your heart good?”
“Yes, because it’s normal. It’s how it should be. I’ve missed it.”
Sister-brother banter, the type they’d always had until grief and the pressures of life had smothered it.
“So that’s confirmed, then. This is a whole new thing, because it makes Mum feel good.”
Brodie gave a resigned laugh. “Happy to take one for the team, but please don’t let Samantha hear you.”
Mary stood up and headed back to the stove. “While we’re talking about it, you should know that I like her, too.”
“Were we talking about it? I thought it was a Kirstie monologue. But if we are talking about it, perhaps this is a good time to point out she lives in Boston. Also, she’s just come out of a relationship.”
Kirstie beamed. “Which leaves her free for another relationship.”
“And you love Boston.” Mary opened the oven and pulled out a tray of cinnamon cookies. “You’ve always loved Boston.”
“Not that we want you to move there,” Kirstie said quickly, “just pointing out that you can visit.”
“Good to know I have your permission.”
She felt a lightness that she hadn’t felt in a long time. And a glimpse of a future that might hold change of the good kind. Change that wasn’t shadowed by darkness.
She reached for Brave New You, flipped it over and read the back cover.
Maybe she’d try just one chapter. Where was the harm in that?
Samantha
She waited in her room, jumpy and on edge, keeping her phone on long after everyone else in the house had fallen asleep. She kept glancing at it, but the screen didn’t light up.
Would he come? Should she have said something to indicate she wanted him to? But when? They’d been surrounded by people all day, cooking, planning, playing games.
Once or twice she’d caught his eye and he’d smiled, but she, who was so bad at relationships, didn’t know what the smile meant. She didn’t know what any of it meant.
And it wasn’t as if she was completely without experience. She’d dated other men. She’d dated Kyle for a whole year and hadn’t once felt like this. Not even at the beginning when it was supposed to be exciting. Not once had she felt a fraction of the things she felt when she was with Brodie.