Page 33 of Through the Snow Globe
“Linus, this isn’t fair.”
He chuckled humorlessly. “No, it isn’t. See you once you’re home from Rochelle’s birthday outing.”
Diana flinched. “Actually, I told Rochelle I couldn’t make it. I want to be with you. I thought we needed to spend some time together.”
His lips stretched into a thin line. “See? Everything is funneled through you and your feelings. And how you do your best to avoid feeling them.”
Diana was about to argue when a customer rang the bell at the front counter.
Linus reached for Diana’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Go out with Rochelle. I’ll be here working a bit late anyway.” Linus let go of her hand, and it was all she could do not to snatch it back and hold onto it forever. Instead, she watched as he turned and walked away, leaving her standing there, heart pounding in her chest and Mariah Carey crooning “All I Want for Christmas Is You” in her ears. She didn’t want to leave, but she couldn’t just stay where she wasn’t wanted either. Especially after Linus had accused her of always doing that exact thing.
Her feet were heavy as she turned and left the store. She grabbed her umbrella on the way to her car, but didn’t bother to open it or shelter herself from the sleet this time. She let the precipitation hit her skin as she walked past Linus’s bike on the rack. Turning back, she looked at it.
He can’t ride home without his bike, now can he?
Without giving herself time to second-guess, she jogged over, lugged the bicycle off the rack, and wheeled it to the back of her vehicle. Then she heaved it up on the rack she had for when she and Linus went out of town. He never left without his precious bike.
There!Linus wouldn’t get hit by a delivery truck tonight. And he wouldn’t land himself in a coma either.Problem solved.
Diana quickly strapped the bike onto the rack and then hurried to the driver’s seat, closing the door behind her. She took deep breaths while contemplating where to go next. She had no scheduled patients and Linus didn’t want her helping him here at the store.
Her phone buzzed from her purse. She pulled it out and checked the screen. It was Linus’s mom. Again. Diana started to drop her phone back into her purse, but at the last second, fueled mostly by guilt, she connected the call.
“Diana?” Joann said. “There you are. I was getting worried. You haven’t been returning my calls.”
“Sorry. I’ve been a little busy.”
“Well, the holidays get that way, I guess. I know you’re at work right now, so I was expecting to get your voice mail. I just wanted to see if you and Linus would come over this weekend. I can cook and we can plan that wedding of yours.”
Diana watched as a car parked beside her. A couple got out to go inside Linus’s store. No doubt they were playing Santa Claus for their child this month. She thought they looked excited as they held hands and hurried through the cold drizzle. For a moment, Diana pondered having a family of her own. Linus would, of course, be a natural with their children. Diana would love to be a mother, but what if Grandma Denny’s influence was too much and she was one of those cold, standoffish caretakers?
Joann cleared her throat and continued talking. “So, you and Linus discuss if you can spare an hour or two this weekend, okay?”
“Right. I’ll talk to him.” Why hadn’t Joann just called Linus? “It’s his busy season, though.”
“Trust me, I remember. When Linus’s father ran the shop, I barely saw him during the month of December. I used to carry our meals to the store.” She laughed quietly. “If Linus can’t make it this weekend, maybe you still can. We can have a bit of girl time. I always wanted a girl, you know?”
Diana didn’t make any promises. She wasn’t sure what to even do with all of Joann’s attention. “I’ll let you know,” she said noncommittally.
“Yes, please do. Okay, well, I know you’re busy. I’ll let you go,” Joann said. “Call me.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Diana disconnected the call and watched through her windshield as more customers headed inside Linus’s store. Joann seemed to be trying harder to connect with Diana since Thanksgiving. For some reason, she thought she was getting a daughter out of this engagement, but Diana felt differently. She didn’t even really know how to be a daughter, no thanks to Jackie Merriman.
Diana turned on the windshield wipers and looked out at the shop in front of her. As long as Linus was inside selling toys, she didn’t have to worry that he was in immediate danger. And since it was Rochelle’s birthday, she knew her best friend would be taking an extended lunch. She always did on this date.
Diana pulled up Rochelle’s contact and tapped both thumbs along her screen in quick succession.
Diana:Where are you?
Rochelle:Are we on speaking terms again?
Diana:I’m sorry. I need you.
Rochelle texted an eye-rolling emoji.
Rochelle:I’m at the tavern having a quick bite.
