Page 83 of The Christmas Eve Delivery

Maybe that was what made Brookdale special. People took care of each other. I knew it was Lydia’s kindness that drew me to her. Maybe it was something she got from her environment, something she got from this town. Brookdale was special.

39

LYDIA

Evie stopped making cooing noises at the baby. She tilted her head to the side, and I could tell she was listening to Dan and Miles. It wasn’t until the deep rumble of Dan’s truck started that Evie turned to me. “Are you okay?”

“I’ve been asked that a lot in the last twenty-four hours,” I said with a chuckle.

“I’m serious, Lydia, are you? Are you okay? Are you and the baby safe?”

I let out a heavy sigh. “If you didn’t think we were safe with Miles, why did you leave last night?”

“I know that was a mistake,” she said. “I honestly thought I’d be able to get back in time, but it was so much worse out there than it had been when Miles came and got me.”

“Is it really any better today?” I asked.

The snow stopped falling, so there is that,” she said.

“We’re fine,” I told her. “Miles has been nothing but wonderful and supportive. He even stayed up all night to decorate a tree.”

I pointed at the meager attempt at our festive Christmas tree. It may not have been the biggest or the shiniest, but it was decorated with love and that’s all that really mattered to me. In a few years, we’d look back on pictures of the tree and laugh about it.

I covered my face with my hands. “Yesterday was just really hard,” I admitted.

Evie laughed. “Of course it was. You had a baby, and he is so precious.” She turned her attention back to the bundle in her arms.

“I love him,” I said, completely unprompted.

“Of course you do,” Evie replied. “Look at how beautiful and wonderful he is. How could you not love him?”

“I mean Miles,” I said. “I love him.”

Tears leaked from my eyes. I didn’t realize I was crying until my face was wet.

“I don’t know what I would do without him. How am I supposed to do this by myself, Evie?”

“You know you’re not going to be by yourself. I’ll always be here for you.”

“I know you will, but I want him,” I said. “I’ve wanted him from the moment I met him, and as much as I should have hated him these past few months, I never could.”

“Is that what you’ve been hiding from me this whole time?” she asked.

I nodded. “I’m sorry about that.” Guilt gnawed at me. I shouldn’t have hidden anything from her. She was my best friend.

“It’s not as if I hadn’t made my opinion of the man known. You’ve been fighting an uphill battle. I can see how you feel. You’ve had to do it all by yourself. You didn’t think I’d support you. You didn’t think he cared. He loves you, you know.”

My jaw dropped and I stared at her. I wasn’t eloquent with words on a good day, and this wasn’t a good day. I was so worn out and overwhelmed.

“What do you mean, he loves me? What did he say to you?”

“He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to,” Evie responded. “Look what he’s done. Your tree. He’s voluntarily went out with Mayor Dan trying to show you that he cares about you and this place.”

“Do you really think so?” I asked.

“I know so. Has he not said anything to you?”

“Oh, he said many things to me, and I think we’re at an agreement that we will go forward with whatever this is between us,” I tried to explain. We were going forward, but I didn’t know exactly with what.

---