Page 28 of Catching the Mistletoe

Janet smiled. “Well, the parents and caregivers wanted to extend their gratitude. They’ve prepared a special lunch for you both in the family room. It’s their way of saying thank you.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet of them. I hope it wasn’t too much bother.”

“Not at all. If you’d like to come with me now?”

“Sure.”

We followed her into a kitchen/dining area and the moment we walked through the door, the aroma of home-cooked food hit us. A long table was set up in the middle, covered with a checkered tablecloth and an array of dishes. Parents and caregivers were gathered around, smiling as we entered.

“Please, have a seat,” Janet gestured toward two empty chairs at the head of the table.

Mack and I sat down, the camera crew positioning themselves discreetly to capture the moment but not intrude upon it. Plates were passed, food was served, and for a little while, it felt like we were just part of a big, extended family.

“Wow! This is amazing, guys.” There was a steaming pot of chicken noodle soup, a tray of baked ziti oozing with melted cheese, and a colorful salad bursting with fresh veggies. For dessert, someone had made a fruit cobbler, the crust golden and the filling bubbling with a mix of seasonal fruits.

I looked around the table, my gaze falling on a mother lovingly spoon-feeding her son, then moving to a dad who was softly singing a lullaby to his daughter. It was amazing how much love you could see in such small moments. Oh god, oh fuck. I was gonna lose it. I blinked rapidly, trying desperately to fend off the tears.

The room started to blur, the faces around me becoming almost indistinct. Then I felt Mack’s gaze on me and looked up. His eyes were like a tether, grounding me. I dragged in a breath, then another. I was teetering on the edge, and the only thing stopping me from crashing down right now was Mack.

Feeling calmer now, I dragged my gaze from his, pushing the food around with my fork, pretending to eat but not really tasting anything. Finally, the lunch wound down, and we said our goodbyes to everyone. Parents helped their kids back to their rooms, other people moved around cleaning up. There was some chicken noodle soup left over and Sarah brought it to us with a smile. “Just thought you could do with this, for the road.”

“Thank you. That’s really kind of you,” Mack said in his quiet way.

I nodded, finally finding my voice, though it was quieter than I would have liked. “Yes, thank you. We really appreciate it.”

Sarah looked at me closely. “Hey, hun. You okay?”

I forced a smile, the corners of my mouth lifting in a semblance of happiness that didn’t reach my eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I lied, because how could I begin to explain that I was anything but? “It’s just, you know, the kids…”

“I know,” she said gently. “But you’ve done a truly wonderful thing here today and I hope knowing that makes you feel better.”

“Thank you.” It didn’t. Not at all. But I wasn’t going to tell this sweet, saintly lady that, now was I? So, we said our goodbyes and were finally able to leave. I walked out on rubbery legs, blindly following behind Mack as all these uncontrollable feelings rioted inside me. Out at the RV, I stopped, putting my hand against the side, squeezing my eyes shut against the torrent of tears that threatened.

“Little dove.”

Oh. God. “I think…I think I need a hug.” My voice was no more than a broken whisper, but he heard me and in the next moment, I was wrapped in his arms, my head on his chest, right over his heart. Then he just held me. For the longest time. Until I was finally able to draw in a shuddering breath without shattering into a thousand pieces. “Sorry,” I murmured, pulling back a bit to look up at him. “Didn’t mean to be such a basket case.”

“You’re not.”

I could drown in his eyes, all gold flecked and kind. I could also stand here all year, with his arms around me.

His eyes searched mine for a long moment, as if he were weighing the depth of what I was feeling. And then, gently, ever so gently, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead. It was a simple act, and so incredibly sweet, but it had my stomach flip flopping in a weird way and my heart lurching.Now back off and don’t make it weird by throwing yourself at him.

“I’m glad we’re friends again.”

“Always.”

Well, that was also very sweet and went a long way to making me feel better. Before I could answer, though, Evelyn approached. Mack stepped back, away from me, and I already missed the feeling of his arms around me.

“Sorry to interrupt…” her eyes darted sideways and my heart skipped a beat. There was a camera pointed right at us. It must have caught the entire scene between me and Mack. Wow, how awkward. “Just thought you’d want to know; we’ve got details of where we’re headed next.”

“Great. Where are we off to?”

CHAPTER14

Mack

Twin Falls, Idaho. A six-hour drive away. Arabella was quiet when we got in the RV and I steered it out of the parking lot, heading north. It wasn’t that tense silence that made her feel like she couldn’t talk to me, though. It felt more like a tired, worn out sort of quiet. I hated that she felt that way, but I gotta say it felt so much better to be able to talk again.

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