Page 17 of A Pen Pal for Christmas

I smirked. “Yeah, and you daring me to climb the old oak tree right after a rainstorm.”

Nick shook his head. “Eh, kids need broken bones. Makes them tougher. My mom would’ve killed me if Ida hadn’t beaten her to it. Good times.”

Scanning the foyer, Nick grinned. “Not much has changed around here.”

“Nope. Same inn, same town, same people… just more Christmas decorations every year.”

I scratched my neck, eyeing Nick’s festive sweater. “Didn’t expect to see you wearing them on your body, though.”

“Yeah, that.” Nick looked down with a sigh. “I married one of Santa’s elves, okay? But when you meet Holly, you’ll get it.”

“Can’t wait,” I replied. Ida had already filled me in about my old friend’s life as a married man with two small kids, but I was excited to meet them and see it with my own eyes. Given Nick’s history with this holiday, I was glad to hear the guy had found the kind of happiness that could wash away the darkness that used to be there.

Nick nodded at my to-go cup. “Did you bring one back for me?”

“I would’ve, but I was a little busy dealing with a weird thing,” I said, leaning one elbow on the counter. “Sofia Sullivan was there. She was talking to some guy, and it didn’t seem friendly.”

Nick’s expression darkened. “Did you recognize him?”

I shook my head. “He’s probably around our age, but not one of the guys we grew up with.”

“Did he seem like he knew her?”

“Yeah. Not a stranger, but not a friend.”

Nick crossed his arms over his chest. “Wonder if it was her ex.”

“Dane?” I asked, suddenly remembering she’d said his name.

“Yeah, that’s him. If he’s in town, Tommy should probably know about it. Did you tell him to get lost?”

“Sofia did, but if she hadn’t, I would’ve. Didn’t want to step into something that was none of my business, but she seemed… rattled.”

I hadn’t missed the way Sofia’s shoulders had stiffened or the quick flash of fear in her eyes before she’d masked it with calm defiance. She’d handled herself, sure, but something about the exchange gnawed at me.

Whoever that guy was, he’d thrown Sofia off balance. I didn’t like the thought of her dealing with it alone.

Nick’s frown deepened. “I’ll mention it to Tommy. He’ll want to keep an eye out. Thanks for saying something.”

“No problem.”

Nick’s expression shifted back to a grin. “Anyway, now that I’ve seen you, you’re not allowed to disappear again. I usually meet up with the guys at The Hearthstone a couple nights a week. The wives are pretty big on girls’ nights—pretty great atcoming up with reasons to have them, too. We figure we should do our own thing, while they’re at it. You should join.”

“Sounds good,” I said, my mind flashing to Sofia being behind the bar. “Let me know when.”

“Will do,” Nick said, stepping back toward his stack of papers. “Good seeing you, man.”

“You too,” I replied, heading for the staircase.

Up in my room, I set my coffee on the small desk by the window and shrugged out of my jacket. The room was simple but warm, with antique furniture and a soft quilt on the bed. I sat down at the desk, pulling out a blank sheet of paper and my pen. The cream-colored envelope from my latest pen pal letter lay nearby, its contents still fresh in my mind.

In her latest letter, the mystery woman had spoken about Christmas traditions, detailing some of her favorite holiday memories. Once again, her words had drawn me in, and I found myself wondering what she looked like, or what it would be like to talk to her in real life. Did she have the kind of laugh you could hear across the room, or was it quieter, softer? Did she sit by a fire while writing her letters, or was she more of a white-noise at the coffee shop kind of person?

There was so much more that I wanted to know, but really, I didn’t need to. The whole point was the anonymity, and I’d be smart to leave it at that.

I tapped the pen against the desk, my thoughts wandering. The letters I’d received over the last week had been an unexpected escape—a small pocket of lightheartedness that I hadn’t known I needed. I didn’t even know her name, but her words had a way of making the world feel a little less rough around the edges.

It was new for me, to be honest. What would she think if she knew the man on the other side of the letters wasn’t always as cheery as he sounded on paper?

---