Page 30 of Never Sleigh Never
“Hey Peanut.” I inch upright and lean against the headboard, doing my best to keep my hangover under wraps. “Have fun with Grandma?”
“Yes! We went to a craft fair this morning and I got you this.” She holds up a little wood ornament with hockey sticks.
“Wow, that’s pretty cool. Did you unpack your bag?”
“No.”
“How about you do that, and when you’re done, we’ll find the perfect spot to hang it on the tree?”
“Okay.” She crawls up the bed and wraps her arms around my neck. I hug her to my chest. Best. Kid. Ever. She scampers off the bed, dragging her backpack behind her.
A few seconds later, my mom appears in the doorway. “Have fun last night?”
“Something like that.” I scrub both hands over my face.
“I heard you didn’t leave the bar alone.” She lifts a brow.
Fuck. It hasn’t even been twelve hours, and the gossip mill is already turning. Do they ever take a break?
“And judging by the body print in the snowbank, you didn’t arrive home alone.” She flattens me with an unimpressed look. “You know, you should really keep your escapades indoors.”
“There were no escapades.” I sigh. “But duly noted for next time.”
“How is Brie McKenna doing?” She wanders into the room, doing a not-so subtle sweep of the floor beside my bed.
“If you’re looking for someone, you won’t find them.”
As she sits at the end of the bed, a frown etches her face. “Did you kick her out already?”
I roll my eyes. She’s relentless this morning. But it’s also not the first time I’ve tried to hide a girl in my room. There may have been a time or two in high school when I had to get clever with my hiding spots because under the bed and in the closet weren’t cutting it. But now I’m an adult, I shouldn’t have to hide anyone anywhere. “No one got kicked out.”
“But she’s the one you left the bar with?”
Suffocating myself with a pillow sounds more fun than this conversation. I scrub my hands over my scruff-covered cheeks and groan. “She gave me a ride. That’s it.”
Her brows furrow. “Then how did you two end up in the snowbank together? You two always seemed like an unlikely pair. You spent most of your childhood bickering. However, I could see how the connection would grow.” She nods as if she’s agreeing with herself.
I’m sure she’s seconds away from making wedding plans. “Look, Mom,” I sit up, squaring my shoulders, “there is no connection.”
“Is that why your eyes lit up brighter than the town Christmas tree as soon as I mentioned her name?”
Damn her for being so intuitive. Can I blame the glossy eyes on the hangover?
She squeezes my leg through the blanket; her soft smile turning serious. “It’s okay to find love again, honey. It’s been three years.”
Me and Brie? There’s no chance. Even though part of me is curious about the possibility. Then there’s Brooke. My dead wife, who I spent fourteen years with.
“You don’t have to forget,” Mom adds. “But there’s nothing wrong with moving on.”
I press my lips together. “Thanks, Mom. I’ll consider that.”
“Alright.” She pushes off the bed. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Hey Mom?” She stops and spins around. “Thanks for watching Josie.”
“Anytime. I’m glad you’re back in town so I can spend more time with her. Also, John called me. He’s already at the carnival helping with the finishing touches on the ice rink.”
“Thanks.”
