Page 90 of When You Were Mine

“It’s both.”

The place was mobbed. “What’s going on here?”

“Apparently, in Iceland, everyone reads a book on Christmas Eve. How great is that? I might have to make it a thing with my own family.”

He wasn’t much of a reader, but an image hit of the two of them in his sitting room, a fire blazing, curled up on the loveseat as they drank hot tea and read. The only sound would be the pops and crackles from the fire. “That’s a tradition I can get behind.”

As long as I’m with you.

“They also open their presents on Christmas Eve.”

“What does that leave for Christmas Day?”

She shrugged. “That’s when they visit family and have parties. I learned all about it from the concierge. Which proves my point about how important their role is in a resort.”

She was doing it again. Wearing the “consultant” mask. “Let’s look for books after we eat.”

“I won’t be here tomorrow night, remember?” she asked. “I’m leaving tonight.”

“Okay, but we’re starting that tradition for ourselves, right? After you’re done celebrating with your family, you can read.”And I’ll do the same wherever I am.

He had several open invitations to spend holidays with good friends. His producer, Darby… But the only place he wanted to be was with his son and grandkids.

He’d call Cole and ask him how best to be in their lives. Time was too precious. He didn’t want to miss a moment with the people he loved. He’d done enough of that.

After they settled into their booth by the window, they placed their orders and waited for their coffees.

Her phone buzzed, and she read the screen. “I told Piers we’d have to skip whale watching, but he said it was canceled anyhow.”

“The whales are probably hanging out in their underwater caves, reading books and sipping hot cider.”

She laughed. “Oh, I don’t know about that. He says the orcas are pretty active, so I’m bummed to miss out on that. But the point is to get a sense of his personality, you know? How he handles pressure, how good he is at communicating. I can only get that from spending time with him.”

“Got it. Well, I’m just the driver, so whatever you need me to do, I’m down.”

“As long as we head back by noon, I’ll have plenty of time to get to the airport.”

The clock was ticking, and he wasn’t going to babble about travel plans anymore. “You said we’re not on the same page, and that’s something we have to talk about. If you tell me you don’t feel the same way I do, and you want me to leave you alone, I’ll do that. It will suck, but I’ll respect your wishes. But if there’s any hope for us, then I’m not giving up.”

She sighed in resignation. “Trevor, I’m not the same woman you left alone in that motel room. That woman was free to run wild with you. That woman loved and trusted with her whole heart. That woman… She’s gone. This woman sitting here with you today is different. You might not like her.”

Okay, wow. He hadn’t expected that answer. “I’ve met a lot of people in my life, and the truth is, I haven’t clicked with many of them. I just haven’t. I don’t know why. I can’t explain it, but with you, even after all this time, it’s real, and it’s powerful. And I don’t want to live without it.” He started to reach across the table for her hand, but he stopped himself.She doesn’t want it. “Do you feel anything even close to what I do?”

“Yes, of course I do. I think last night answered that.”

“But?”

“When we were twenty, you didn’t know what you wanted to do with your life. You didn’t want to farm. You weren’t interested in law or medicine. And now, you’re in the same position. Your career is over, and you don’t know what you want to do next. And I know you. You crave meaning. I don’t want to throw myself into this with you, only for you to walk away the moment you find your calling.”

Fuck it. He reached for her hand. “Sweetheart,you’remy calling. I wasn’t allowed to think or even act on it, but it’s always been my truth. And I don’t care how it sounds. I don’t care what anyone thinks. The only thing I’ve ever wanted is to be with you. I want us to buy a ranch in Calamity. I want us to?—”

“Here you go.” The server set their plates down in front of them.

“This looks great.” Elzy beamed a smile. “Thank you.”

“Can I get you anything else?” the server asked.

“No, this is perfect.” Elzy stirred the granola and fresh berries into her yogurt. “Mm. Good.” She dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “Did you ever try directing or producing?”

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