Page 50 of Christmas Promises

Thirty minutes later, he arrived back at his SUV, a pit in his stomach. Why had he allowed himself to fall so hard for her? He should have known better. She’d almost married someone right before she came back to Sugarville Grove. How could he have thought it a good idea to spend time with her again?

Now he would pay the price. This was what happened when a man let his heart lead instead of his head. For God’s sake, he was a professor, a scholar. How could he be this stupid?

He’d almost reached his vehicle when he heard his name and looked over to see Max and Logan headed his way.

Max clapped him on the shoulder. “What happened to your date?”

“Her parents showed up. They didn’t seem too pleased to see Laney and me—in an embrace. She left with them. I have a bad feeling about this.”

Logan nodded, looking sympathetic. “Come on, let’s go get a beer and some food at the Moose. We can talk through it.”

“Yeah, okay,” Nolan said.

The three of them walked the short distance to the bar and grill, weaving in and out of the crowds still milling about after the tree lighting. When they arrived, the hostess said they were full in the dining room but they could sit at the bar.

Soon, they were seated three abreast at the mahogany counter. The bartender, Jimmy, was a guy they’d gone to high school with.

“If it isn’t the Hayes brothers,” Jimmy said. “How are you guys?”

“Good,” Max said. “Thirsty.”

“What can I get for you?”

They ordered beers and a few appetizers to share. Nolan wasn’t at all hungry. His stomach felt as if someone had painted the lining with black tar.

Jimmy quickly had beers in front of them and left to wait on Charlie Kane, the woman who owned the pizza shop. Even in his distress, Nolan noticed how Max’s gaze lingered on Charlie for a second or two. He put that aside to think about later. Right now he was too miserable to think about anyone’s love life but his own.

“Tell us exactly what happened,” Logan said, sounding like an attorney.

Nolan explained the situation, including Laney’s weakness for pleasing her mother. “And we’re so new. She’s probably thinking how foolish she’s been to get so involved with me so quickly. I bet she ends up leaving with them before Christmas.”

“You seem to have gotten pretty far ahead of yourself here,” Max said. “You don’t know that’s how she’s feeling.”

“But she wouldn’t even look at me as she walked away,” Nolan said. “I’m such an idiot.”

“Whoa now,” Logan said. “You’re not an idiot. You just really like her, and this is scary.”

“I think I’m in love with her. I don’t think I ever fell out of love with her,” Nolan said.

“No shocker there,” Max said. “You talked about her for years after that summer.”

“We had this talk earlier that being back together was fate. Meant to be. All that.” Nolan rubbed his forehead. “But maybe she’ll think it’s all foolish. You know how it is when you’re in a bubble with someone and it suddenly gets burst?”

“I saw the way she looks at you,” Max said. “I think it’s a thick bubble.”

“Yeah, and my sense about her is that she’s stronger than she looks or thinks she is,” Logan said. “She’s been through a lot and she’s vulnerable, but that’s not really relevant.”

“Nor is her mother’s opinion,” Max said. “No way. She’s crazy about you.”

“You have to have a little faith in her and yourself,” Logan said. “What you guys have is special. You didn’t imagine it.”

“I hope you’re right,” Nolan said. “Because I can’t help but think I’m about to have my heart crushed.”

“This isn’t the same as Jill,” Max said. “Not to be rude, but she never looked at you the way Laney does. And you never looked at Jill the way you do Laney.”

Jimmy brought out chicken wings and nachos, along with some utensils. His brothers dug in but he nursed his beer, still too upset to eat.

“I think this has more to do with Dylan than Jill,” Logan said, wiping hot sauce from his chin with a napkin. “You’ve held yourself back in friendships and relationships since his death.”

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