Page 38 of A Match Made at Christmas

She turned on Christmas music while they decorated, and not for one second did he find any of it cheesy. In fact, he considered it to be a near-perfect way to pass the time. Best of all, the angst he’d felt earlier had mostly disappeared.

She made hot cocoa and when they were finished with the tree, she floated the idea of baking Christmas cookies. Of course, he agreed. Neither of them mentioned Peggy or Howie. Aunt Nellie might not approve, but he simply didn’t want to think about anyone but Prudence.

The day faded into night, and they settled back on the couch for a viewing ofIt’s a Wonderful Life, and once again, Hayes was overcome with comfort.

Pru felt like home.

The note from Aunt Nellie’s box was tucked inside the pocket of his peacoat, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask Pru about it. Why, he wasn’t sure. Pru was his friend. And yet, the thought of her being in love with someone—someone who wasn’t him . . .

“I love this part,” Pru said, staring at the screen. There was a big bowl of popcorn between them, and the flickering blue light of the television painted her in a faint, hazy glow.

“Pru, I found something today,” he said without thinking. Truth be told, he hadn’t been paying much attention to the movie.

She looked at him. “Did you hear me when I said I love this part?” She smiled.

He didn’t. He’d turned serious, and there was no going back.

She paused the movie. “What did you find? Something else about Howie and Peggy?”

He leaned over to grab his coat from the back of the armchair he’d flung it over and pulled the page from his pocket.No turning back now.

When she looked at it, her eyes widened. “What is this?”

“It was in the matchmaker box.”

She scanned the page, eyes inevitably landing on the phraseHeart otherwise engaged.“I don’t understand.”

“I guess Noni Rose tried to match you,” he said.

If she was angry about this, Pru didn’t let on.

“You never mentioned anything to me about seriously dating anyone,” he said.

She folded the paper and handed it back to him. “Because I didn’t seriously date anyone.” She pulled her legs up underneath her.

“Oh.” He studied her. Was she in love with someone she shouldn’t be? Someone married? “You don’t have to tell me. I was just wondering.”

She turned toward him. “I don’t know what Aunt Nellie thought she knew, but my heart is as unattached as it’s always been.”

“Oh,” he said. “Okay.”

But something told him she wasn’t being honest. She was holding back.

He thought of the several times she’d asked him why he wasn’t sleeping. He was holding back too, and he didn’t want to anymore. Not here, not with Pru.

The white light from the Christmas tree glowed behind them, and the coziness of the fire enveloped them in peaceful comfort.

“I saw someone die,” he said now, certain talking about this wasn’t going to end well.

Pru stilled.

He hadn’t told anyone what had happened on his trip through the Middle East. In retrospect, he probably shouldn’t have gone. He’d been doing a series on finding beauty in unlikely places, and it had been very well received—it turned out a lot of people want to travel to countries that aren’t known for being tourist destinations.

In hindsight, he’d been foolish and arrogant to think he could leave there unscathed.

But if there was anyone in the world who would listen without judging him, it was Pru.

And he wanted her to know.

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