Page 55 of The Mistletoe Trap
Preacher Abbott glanced between the two of them, the creases in his forehead deepening, and her assuredness wavered a pinch. “So, uh, Kristin mentioned that she ran into you at the antique store earlier today. I’m glad you two finally had the chance to clear the air and catch up.”
Everything inside of Julie froze—Gavin certainty hadn’t mentioned the run-in to her, and she’d thought they were closer than that. What did she have to do? Crack open his head and manually pry the information from his brain?
“We’ve missed having you around this year,” Preacher Abbott continued. “Especially when it came time to put the angel on the tree. I’d never needed a ladder with you around, and I nearly knocked the entire thing down trying to prove I didn’t require one, either.” He chuckled, and then his features softened. “My family and I, we all wish you the best. I hope you know that.”
“I appreciate that. More than you know.” There was genuine emotion in Gavin’s expression and voice, only Julie couldn’t pinpoint which one. Remorse? Relief? Regret? Any other R-named feelings she could list? “It was nice to get the chance to see Kristin now the dust’s settled. She told me about her soap and lotion business, and I’m thrilled it’s going so well for her.”
Joy lit the preacher’s eyes. “She’s thriving here. It started as a hobby, but now she’s running her own business, and stocking several shops around the state.”
A shrill, barely-there whine filtered through Julie’s ears, swallowing up parts of the exchange. She tried to remain neutral, but the reminder of what Gavin and Kristin had shared chipped away at the confidence she’d worked so hard to lacquer on this past week.
“And you’re in Phoenix, correct?”
It took a nudge from Gavin to realize the question had been directed at her. “Yeah. I’m in warm and sunny Arizona, and I seriously love my job. I was recently promoted, so I’m now in charge of the biggest lab in the city. I love that day in and day out, my job’s never the same. Sometimes it’s a tumor or a hairball the size of my fist, broken up by the constant influx of umbilical cords and placentas. Oh, and there was this one case—”
“Please,pleasedon’t mention the diabetes penis again,” Gavin said.
“Why are guys so sensitive about their penises?” Even the preacher had folded in on himself at the mention.
“Um, for the obvious reasons.” Gavin looked to Preacher Abbott for backup, and he grimaced.
“I’ll pass on that particular one, thanks.”
Most people might find it odd to have this discussion with males—much less a member of the clergy—but she’d always been very comfortable studying each organ as an individual, as well as how they fit together. “Some kids enjoy Legos. I’m like the Indiana Jones of figuring out mysteries and artifacts inside people’s bodies.”
“That’s real…”
Julie turned her head to Gavin, a smile to match the pride radiating through her already forming.
“Disturbing,” Gavin finished, and her smile morphed into a glare. Apparently not one that was scary enough, as he only laughed. But then he curled her close, rubbing blessed warmth into her arm with his hand. “And I love how into it you are. Even if I’m terrified of the idea of you wielding a scalpel.”
“Long distance must be hard,” Preacher Abbot said, and she and Gavin exchanged a glance. Did he…assume they were dating? And if so, did they correct him? “Keeping up your friendship, what with Gavin’s busy traveling schedule.”
From anyone else, Julie might assume it was a jab at Gavin. But Preacher Abbott didn’t have a mean bone in his body. On the other hand, did that mean they were still giving off the just friends vibe?
While it’d prevent people from prying, it made Julie wonder if she’d only imagined the overallmoreness. Either way, ithadbeen difficult to keep in touch, even with their relationship remaining on the friendship side of the spectrum.
“It’s not easy,” Gavin said. “We try to schedule time for each other, but there are a lot of months where we’ve rescheduled to the point we have to start from scratch. Not to mention how often my teammates insert themselves into our video chats. They all adore her and want a turn at show-and-tell. I can hardly fault them for it, though. They’ve caught on to what I’ve always known: there’s no one better than Jules.”
The strings in her heart tugged, providing a hint of the aching they’d do if they attempted a long-distance relationship. Every time he traveled, she’d wonder how many women were hitting on him. How tempted he was. A dozen other complications that played tug-of-war with her heart.
But was she really going to let fear dictate the decisions she made? That wasn’t brave or exciting or any of the traits she longed to be.
As they neared the last block of decked-out houses, Julie spotted their family, gathered and waiting for them, chatting and laughing.
One of her favorite places to be was here in Crystal Springs, with their combined families, all the holiday festivities filling the days with a whirl of activity. Between their parents, grandparents, and a handful of others who would head to the Frosts for their annual Christmas Eve hangout, she couldn’t help mourning the fact that she and Gavin were nearing the end of their second to last day.
Preacher Abbott scooted to the edge of his seat, prepping for the end of the ride. “Thanks again for letting me tag along.” He placed his hand on Gavin’s shoulder and gave it an affectionate squeeze. “Don’t be a stranger, okay?”
The sleigh slowed to a stop, and it became very clear there was no chance of the stranger thing. Not with the two other Abbotts clustered among her and Gavin’s families.
Julie tried not to focus on Kristin’s face as they climbed down and stepped onto the sidewalk, but she couldn’t help it. She appeared happy as she nodded in both Gavin’s and then her direction.
But then Mrs. Abbott snagged the attention, the steely glare she aimed at Gavin impossible to miss—and the way Gavin’s posture stiffened suggested he’d noticed. So while two of the Abbotts seemed to have forgiven him over things not working out, Mrs. Abbott gave the impression she hadn’t yet and likely never would.
I wonder if it’s because he didn’t marry Kristin and make her rich and famous, or if she’s still upset at him for moving her so far away from Crystal Springs in the first place.
After some idle chatter and exchanged holiday wishes, they reached the farewell portion of the evening, and Gavin extracted Julie from the group. She could hardly keep up with his long strides as he headed toward the SUV. Once they reached the bumper, Julie tugged him to a stop.
