Page 74 of Meet Me at the Christmas Cottage
“Why would He want me to do that? Just to break my heart and laugh all over again?” Another sip of scalding hot tea. Maybe it’d burn the pain away.
“I don’t think God is laughing, and maybe this whole thing with Jonah isn’t over yet.”
Bronte sighed. “Maybe God brought me into Jonah’s life for a reason, but it was probably just to make him realize what had been right in front of him.”
“Mm. Maybe.” Lexi picked up her mug and slurped her tea.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Bronte pushed away her laptop. “Why are you taking his side?”
“I’m on your side, Bronte. Always have been, always will be. But I just feel like there’s more here. Did he say anything to you before you left?”
Bronte bit her lip. “Not really. I left the ball and started working as soon as I got back to the house. Then by the time he showed up, we had two minutes before his family surprised him.”
She tried to think back to the two minutes before his family had arrived. Had there been something there? She hadn’t really let him talk or explain or say anything, sure he was just going to tell her what they had was a mistake and that he and Bree really loved each other. But it didn’t seem as if that was what he’d been going to say.
“And you didn’t say goodbye, did you? You just snuck out.”
“I said goodbye to Cody, and Jonah’s sister Amy.”
“And did neither of them say anything about this whole thing?”
“Cody took me to the docks. And told me…” Actually, she had been too upset and focused on keeping it all together when Cody told her bye. “I don’t remember what he told me.”
“I think you need to talk this over with Jonah.”
But Bronte’s head already shook back and forth. “I can’t, Lex.”
“What? Why not? You need to get your man. It’s your turn.”
“He’s not my man. He just happened to come home on the same night I arrived. We had an amazing week, and then it wasn’t. Maybe I just need to face the fact that I’ll always be the stand-in until the right thing comes along.”
“You can’t mean that.”
“Of course I mean it. It happened to me over and over in foster care. The Martins only wanted to adopt me until they got pregnant with their own child, and then Brad, and now Jonah…” Bronte shook her head. “This is real life, Lexi. People don’t run after their long-lost loves. Sometimes things just happen, and all they are meant to be is a blip in this thing called life.”
“No, about always being the stand-in.”
“It’s happened all my life, Lexi. What else am I supposed to be?”
“We live in a very broken world, Bronte. Maybe you do feel like you’re just standing in for someone else until the ‘real prize’ arrives, but I happen to know that God thinks you’re the real prize, and you’ll never be a stand-in for Him. You’ll always belong, Bronte.”
Bronte shrugged, emotion thick in her throat. Hadn’t Jonah said something similar? She pulled her laptop back onto her lap but didn’t open it yet. She didn’t want to talk about this anymore, but she was feeling the tug of depressing thoughts. If she gave in to them, she’d spiral again, and she’d never get this book done on time.
She opened her laptop. Time to get back to work.
* * *
Jonah listened as Reeves gave him the update about Sgt. Collins, the soldier Jonah had operated on before his leave. He’d asked to be kept in the loop on his care, and the sergeant had been doing so well he was being released early. The operation had had a few minor complications, so Jonah was relieved that post-op had gone smoothly.
“Sounds good, Reeves.” Jonah pushed the button to end the call.
“Whoa, big bro, sounds like someone just sprinkled dirt on your waffles.” Holland, blonde hair piled on top of her head much like Bronte wore hers when she was working, came up beside him, holding a mug of coffee out in his direction. He couldn’t help but think of the scent of the vanilla caramel Bronte preferred. She’d left a tin of it on the counter.
Jonah nodded his thanks before taking a sip of coffee. “Just work stuff. A patient I had been caring for was released.”
Holland studied him over the rim of her mug. “I think it’s about time to have that talk with Mom and Dad.”
“Mm.” Jonah set his coffee down on the counter and moved to the fridge.
