Page 31 of The Alien Reindeer's Bounty
Not expecting that.
“What? Are you serious?” Memories of Mads’ evasive behavior about his father and the way he always hung around her house like a lost puppy resurfaced. He hated being in his house and spent every moment he could outside.
Had Mads been too thin as a kid? Bruised? She couldn’t remember anything other than the scrapes and bumps they earned together.
“I’m sorry, of course you’re serious, but why didn’t you tell me? You never said anything,” she said.
“He hated this plan… place. My uncle’s work brought us here, but he hated every day. At first, it wasn’t so bad, but he drank.”
“I remember.” Pieces fell into place. The raised voices that carried over the fence. Arne Sommerfeldt always scowling and smelling sour, like old beer. Mads had always hung out at her house. They played on her Nintendo. They had sleepovers at her house, watching movies in the living room until they crashed. “He hit you when we were little?”
Mads shook his head. “No. At first it was just shouting and never being able to please him. He didn’t like my friendship with you but tolerated it early on. As we got older, he didn’t want us spending time together. He worried aboutmixing blood,” he said with obvious distaste.
“He didn’t like me?” Mads’ father had never been nice to her, but he hadn’t been rude or cruel, either. Apparently, he saved all that for Mads, behind closed doors.
“You were not from… where we are from, so no. He didn’t like you or anyone. He thought everyone here was primitive and uncivilized.”
She knew her hometown was rustic but damn, they had running water, electricity and the internet—all the hallmarks of modern life. She lived in a small town in the country, not the 1800s.
“I had no idea,” she whispered, horrified at what her friend experienced and the secret pain he lived with. Why didn’t he tell her? Why didn’t she notice?
“That last night, when he found out I kissed you, he hit me.” Mads rubbed his jaw, as if remembering an old hurt.
Odessa wanted to condemn Arne’s overreaction to a simple kiss but did not want to interrupt Mads.
“He took away my means of communication. I tried. I wanted nothing more than to hear your voice again, but I was far from home.” He spoke in a hurried manner, gaining vigor as he finally unburdened himself of his father’s poison. “I barely spoke the language. By the time I finally got away from him, I had to complete my military service. I came back home as soon as I could.” He squeezed her hand, wanting more contact but fearing rejection.
Shit. She hadn’t been nice to him. At all. He lived through that horror and when they were finally reunited, she’d been a brat about it.
Odessa rushed forward, wrapping her arms around Mads. Coffee sloshed in mugs. Tears blurred her vision. She ignored her doubt and unanswered questions, like how he couldn’t email once in twelve years. All that could wait. He shared his vulnerability with her, and she refused to treat such a gift so poorly. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know. I should have known.”
“I didn’t want you to know,” he murmured in her hair.
“So stubborn.”
His arms tightened around her and her heart felt lighter than it had in years. This was right. This was where she belonged.
The door to the house banged open. “Mommy, I can’t find my yellow sundress. I want to wear my yellow sundress. Why are you hugging that man? Are you still mad at him? Are youdating?” Ruby made kissy noises. “Can I have pumpkin pie for breakfast?”
Odessa pulled away. “Go inside, goblin. I’ll be there in a minute.” She wiped at her eyes. “I have to go. Work. Kid. Et cetera. Thanks for the apology and the shoveling.”
A smile stretched across his face, softening the sharp features. A bit of coffee glistened on his bottom lip.
She wanted to lean in and brush her thumb against his lips. Better yet, lick up the coffee.
“We have all this pie. Why don’t you come by tonight and help us out? Not like a date but pie and coffee. Not a date.” She held her breath, waiting for his response. Asking someone out was nerve-wracking and Mads had done it twice.
“I like both those things. Count on me,” he said.
She really hoped she could. It was just pie and coffee. Ruby staying the night with her grandparents took some of the pressure off, so the evening could be two old friends reconnecting over pie and coffee.
“I should go and make sure Ruby eats something besides pumpkin pie for breakfast,” Odessa said, slipping back inside.
* * *
The womanfrom the coffee shop, the one Jayson grabbed, stopped next to Odessa. “Hey, you know that guy, right?” she asked.
Odessa paused from her task of sorting out the bad apples from the display. “Jayson? Unfortunately.”
