Page 64 of Meet Me at the Christmas Cottage
Why had she left? And left without saying goodbye. Something was definitely going on. He needed to get back home to check on her to make sure she was okay. Maybe she wasn’t feeling well. “I really didn’t know. Thanks, Dani. Did she get a ride or walk?”
If she had decided to walk…He shivered at the thought of her strappy heels and backless dress. She’d freeze to death between here and the house.
“I don’t know. You might check with the guys giving rides to and from the ferry. Maybe one of them took her back to your house?”
Jonah dodged past Dani and headed toward the front of the ballroom.
Pushing out into the cold, he hoped to see Bronte there. Instead, he was met by nothing but the tall columns on the veranda. The sparkling lights wrapped around the columns didn’t give off a lot of light, but there was enough for Jonah to tell Bronte was long gone.
“There you are, you big lug.”
Jonah spun, spotting Martha in the shadow of one of the columns. “Me?” He pointed a finger to his chest, but he didn’t see anyone else close that Martha could be talking to.
“Yes, I’m talking to you.” Martha stepped out from behind the column.
“What are you doing out here? Aren’t you cold?”
Martha snorted. “I came outside for some fresh air for a minute. And don’t try and change the subject. That girl was the best thing that could have happened to you, and you go and do something so foolhardy with Bree, who isn’t your round peg.”
“Round peg? Martha, what are you talking about?” Jonah ran his hand over his face. He didn’t have time for one of her lectures.
“She’s more of a square peg to your round hole,” Martha muttered.
Jonah took Martha by the shoulders and dipped down so he could look her in the eyes. “Martha, what are you talking about?”
Martha threw her hands up. “Bronte. She’s perfect for you, and you had to go and kiss that Jennings girl in front of God and everyone.”
“What are you talking about? I didn’t kiss—” Jonah stopped. Bree. “Are you telling me that Bronte saw Breetrytokiss me?”
Martha scoffed. “Didn’t look like you weren’t enjoying it.”
Jonah ran a hand down his face. “Bree tried to kiss me. I pushed her away before she got the chance to.”
Martha harrumphed, lips pursed.
“I’ve got to get home.” Jonah turned to go back inside to get his coat from the coat check. He didn’t want to take the time to get it, but it was too cold.
He handed his ticket over to the teen at the coat check with a plea for him to hurry. The boy disappeared into the coat closet. It was taking him forever. Jonah rapped his knuckles on the counter. Checked his watch. How long did it take someone to find a coat?
“Make this right, Jonah White,” Martha hissed from his side. She had followed him inside.
The teen appeared, handing Jonah his coat.
Jonah grabbed it and shoved his arms into the sleeves. “I plan to.”
He had to.
ChapterSixteen
What had she been thinking? She had been so stupid. An entire week and a half of work completely wasted. Bronte looked at the clock in the corner of her computer, as if staring at it would give her some time back. It only seemed to remind her of the deadline looming.
Twelve days.
Tears stung the backs of her eyes. She swiped a hand over her face and clenched her jaw. She was not going to cry over another man. She may have cried over Brad, but she’d been with him for years. She sure didn’t need to cry over a guy she had only known for not even two weeks.
The way to get through this was to just get through it. She needed to focus, write the words for the original plot she’d already figured out, and turn in the book. She wouldn’t have time for an edit or a read-through, so this draft was going to have to be as near to perfection as she could get it. She placed her fingers back on her keyboard and started typing.
Then she backspaced what she’d written and tried again.
