Page 22 of A Tiny House Christmas

She bit her lips together and crossed her arms.

“I appreciate your courage. Yes, of course I wish one of us had summoned some sooner.” Again that rough laugh, void of amusement, and she realized he was trying. Trying to express himself after years of so much silence. “But you did the right thing by running out of that church. So, thank you.”

“You didn’t want to get married?” she whispered.

“It seemed like the next step.”

She nodded, understanding the pressure and expectations that had led them to what hadn’t truly been a bad place. But it also hadn’t been the right place.

“We loved each other, but without passion.” He reached out, tapped her arm. “I’ll always love you. But it’s more like…like you’re a friend, you know? A…sister almost.”

The word ‘sister’ hit her and she bowed her head. Would a man never see her as something more than that? As an equal or a lover?

“Know who doesn’t see you as a sister?” Tom asked.

Karlene rolled her head to the side in exasperation. She really did not want him setting her up with someone right now. Her heart had been through enough this week, thank you very much.

“McCall.”

Her neck snapped upright and she glared at Tom.Joey?

“He’s more than your friend. And when he looks at you, it’s the way I should have looked at you. You were right to choose him.”

“I didn’t choose him,” she said hotly. “He just knew where I was and gave me a place to stay.”

“How did he know where to find you?”

“What?”

“You bolted on Becky.” He made a swooshing sound and zipped a hand through the air like a horse taking off. “Gone.”

She groaned, reliving the imagined scene as he and his family realized what she’d done. “Your parents must hate me.”

“They’re confused and a bit hurt, but I think they’re starting to understand that what you did was an act of grace and saved us all a lot of hardship down the line. Although my mom still wishes we’d walked down the aisle and given her that.” He smiled, that same friendly one that was so comforting and familiar.

Karlene nodded. “Christmas must have been?—”

“Kar?”

“What?”

“Go to him.”

“Tom…”

“I’m serious. He’s the one, Karlene. And I think he always has been.”

Karlene parked her car in front of Joey’s house and slowly got out, catching a roller she used for tight leg muscles. Her Ford was loaded with the mess from her apartment, the rest still at Tom’s. She had today off, but would be at the arena again tomorrow to grind out knotted muscles and get her ailing players back into shape.

But today she had to figure out where she was living. And maybe figure out one other thing as well. Something bigger. A lot bigger.

Joey came across the yard, Brody at his heels, nose to the ground.

As Karlene watched Joey’s face for clues about how he was feeling, she had a fleeting wish that Tom had said something to him. It would certainly make her life a lot easier, that was for sure. Although did she really want her ex playing matchmaker?

Well, maybe if her chosen match was Joey. She’d wanted that man for as long as she understood wanting someone.

She shifted awkwardly in front of him, realizing he wasn’t about to sweep her into his arms and declare that she was the love and light of his life. She was going to have to do the tough stuff. She was going to have to fight for him.

---