Page 79 of Holly Ever After

“Oooh, look at these scented candles!” Mom exclaims, picking up a jar and sniffing it. “Frosted Cranberry, sounds exotic.”

Jackie raises an eyebrow. “If by exotic you mean it smells like my grandma's potpourri had a love child with a fruit salad, then sure.”

Ignoring her, my mom puts the candle in our already overloaded cart.

“Mom, your house already looks like Christmas threw up on it. Why do you need more decorations?”

“These aren’t all for me. Brenda is allowed to come home in two days. God knows Sean is already working himself ragged.” I ignore the slight spasm in my chest at the mention of his name. I haven’t seen or heard from him since the hospital last week. I try not to dwell on it, try not to feel the slight ache in my ribs, but it hurts. I can admit that much.

The cottage still faintly smells of him. The silence from him is unsettling, and my thoughts drift dangerously towards the man-shaped void he's left in my life.

It’s so ridiculous, but my heart has severed all connection to my brain on this one. I’m walking aimlessly into unknown territory.

It’s just a little crush. I haven’t been home in so long, I’m clinging to something familiar, particularly after the breakup with Adam.

Adam!

It’s the first time I’ve thought about him since the dress up party at Molly’s.

“I was thinking we could clean the place up and put out some decorations for when she gets home,” my mother continues, knocking me out of my reverie.

“That’s really lovely, Mom. Count me in.”

Jackie leans over. “A chance to invade Sean's domestic territory? Count me in too.”

“He doesn’t even live there anymore. Mountain man’s got a cabin,” I tell her, the words sounding more acidic than I meant them to.

My mother turns to me, her eyes a little wide. “Have you seen it?”

Jackie crosses her arms over her chest, blowing a curl from her face. “Yeah, Holl. Have you seen it?”

I discreetly flip her the finger while smiling at my mother. “No. Mark told me Sean built the place a couple of years ago.”

“You should see it. It’s amazing. Ask him for a tour. I’m sure he won’t mind.”

I would rather pull my eyelashes out, but now I’m more curious that I should be.

The thought of being in Sean's space, among his things, is both terrifying and intoxicating. My imagination runs wild for a second. I bet it’s all rugged and masculine, filled with leather and wood and…

God, stop it, Holly.

I shake myself back to reality, double-checking to make sure I haven't actually drooled on myself. That man might be the death of me.

Thirty-Two

We're nearing the finish line at Brenda's house, each of us taking on a different domestic battlefield. Mom tackled the kitchen, transforming it from a dull cooking space into a culinary winter wonderland. She even managed to hang mistletoe in the doorways, because according to her, “You never know when you'll need a smooch.” Jackie took on the living room, strategically placing tinsel in all the wrong places and managing to erect a Christmas tree that leans precariously to one side. I was left with the bathroom, and let me tell you, tinsel does not belong there. Yet here we are.

“You guys, we're almost done. Do we have any of those pine-scented air fresheners left?” I call out as I finish placing some Christmas-themed towels next to the sink.

“I used the last one to make the trash can smell like a forest,” Jackie announces from the living room, sounding absurdly pleased with herself.

“I think we've managed to turn Brenda's house into the North Pole's southern annex,” Mom says, stepping back to admire her handiwork in the kitchen. “Wouldn't you say?”

“I'd say it's Christmas on steroids,” I reply, giving a nod of approval. “If Santa ever needed a vacation home, this would be it.”

Just then, Jackie trots in from the living room, holding a string of lights that blink so erratically they could induce a seizure. “I found these in the garage. Think they're too much?”

Mom and I exchange glances before bursting into laughter. “At this point, what's too much?”

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