Page 53 of Meet Me at the Christmas Cottage
“Thanks.” Dani put her hands in the back pockets of her jeans as they watched Jonah climb the ladder this time, Pastor Arnie handing him one of the oversized ornaments. “I loved the idea of covering the ceiling with Christmas balls.”
“It looks great. I thought the hotel burned down though. There doesn’t look to be any damage in here.” Bronte motioned to the room.
“You probably can’t tell from outside, but this building doesn’t actually connect to the hotel, so other than a few superficial issues, it was spared from too much damage. Come on.” Dani motioned Bronte with her head. “Let’s get to work on the bows.”
Bronte followed Dani over to the table where the two other women were quickly tying bow after bow. How would she ever be able to keep up?
“Bronte, you know Mia.” Dani held a hand in Mia’s direction. Mia glanced up and smiled at her, then Dani turned to the forty-something woman sitting across from Mia. “And this is Janine Dirks, she’s the president of the Jonathon Island Historical Society.”
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Janine said, nodding her hello. With her red hair and large glasses, she looked the part for a president of the historical society. Janine held up her hands, fingers tangled in ribbon. “I’d shake your hand, but I’m a little tied up at the moment.”
Bronte smiled, taking the seat next to Mia. “That’s okay, it’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s really easy,” Dani said, taking a seat across from Bronte and picking up a spool of ribbon. “You measure out about this much”—Dani stretched out a piece of ribbon and showed Bronte—“and then one, two, three, and four—and voilá, a bow.” Dani held the velvet red bow she had somehow looped together in front of Bronte.
It looked easy enough, but after three tries, Bronte’s bow still looked lopsided. “I don’t think I’m being much help.” Bronte held up her one sad bow.
“That looks great,” Mia said, folding together two more bows and adding them to the pile.
“I agree,” Janine said, plucking the bow out of Bronte’s hand and adding it to the stack. “The trick is not to overthink it. Mia, you want to help me get the tablecloths on the tables? It looks like Liam and Cody are just about finished putting them up. We’ll probably need to steam the tablecloths first, then we can start getting the centerpieces together.”
Bronte grabbed another piece of ribbon and tried to twist it into submission as Mia and Janine pushed away from the table.
“So,” Dani said once they were alone. “You and Jonah?”
“What about me and Jonah?” Bronte ducked her head to hopefully keep Dani from noticing her face turning red. She hated her body’s response. “There’s nothing going on between us.” Why did she feel the need to add anything? Now it looked like she was trying to hide something. Which she wasn’t. There wasn’t anything to hide.
Her thoughts drifted back to their kiss. She had almost convinced herself it had been a figment of her imagination.
“Mm-hmm. That’s not what Liam said.” Bronte could feel Dani looking at her. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re good for Jonah. He seems happier when he’s around you.”
“Jonah just seems like a happy guy in general.” Though she didn’t hate the idea that she, of all people, made him happy.
“Oh, he is, but he’s had some rough times, just like all of us at some point or other.”
“Like what?”
“Jonah won’t talk about it, and he’d kill me if he ever found out I told you, but seven years ago, he was engaged. Bree, a girl we grew up with.”
Bronte swallowed. Jonah had mentioned having his heart broken by someone, but he hadn’t mentioned they’d been engaged.
Dani glanced over her shoulder as if making sure no one was listening in before continuing.
“He and Bree were high school sweethearts, and everyone thought they’d end up together, but after dating for years, he came home on leave one month, and they just broke it off. No one really knew what happened, and between you and me, I don’t think he ever really got over it. Until now.” Dani wagged her eyebrows.
“Oh.” Bronte wasn’t sure what to do with this information, and why was Dani telling her all this? Was it some offhanded way of giving Bronte her blessing? Did she even need Dani’s blessing?
No, she didn’t, because nothing was happening between her and Jonah, and nothing ever could.
“All I’m saying is, if you think there might be something there, and I really think there is, you should go for it.”
“I don’t know.” Bronte added another wonky bow to the pile. “Truth is, I’ve sworn off love.”
“Maybe you’re finished with love, but it might not be finished with you.”
Bronte bit her lip. Her heart warred within her chest, beating so fast she felt like it would pop out at any moment. Jonah was so different from Brad. But did she really think she could take a chance again?
“Lights are done, Dani.” Jordi slid into the seat next to Bronte, and Bronte couldn’t have been more thankful for an interruption from her swirling thoughts and all this talk about love.
