Page 51 of Promise Me This Christmas
She didn’t like this new tone of his.So cold, so blunt.“Actually yes, it is.Exactly what have I done to offend you?”She put a hand to her hip and wondered why her heart was suddenly racing.He shouldn’t have this power over her.And yet, it seemed that he did.
With one finger he delicately cleaned the line of grout he’d been working on, then he put his hands on his thighs and stood.“I tried hard to see your point of view when it came to Andrew.Why couldn’t you extend the same courtesy for me when it came to my sister?Amy may have been in my life for just a short time.But she and Chet and Robbie, they’re family.”
Her stomach muscles clenched tight.“I know that.”
“So why come down so hard on me for wanting to protect them?Amy invested all the money she got after the car accident that killed her mother into the bed and breakfast.You’ve seen how much she loves the place and how hard she works to preserve the history and provide the best possible experience for her guests.”
Larkin swallowed the bitter taste accumulating in her throat.All her muscles were so tense now she’d begun to tremble.She stared into his deep blue eyes and waited for the rest.
“All the things that went wrong this week—they weren’t Amy’s fault.Why can’t you see that?”
She let his sentence sit in the air between them for a moment, wondering if he could hear how unfair he was being.But the grim line of his mouth remained hard.
“What makes you think I don’t?”she asked.And then her phone buzzed, signaling an incoming text.Worried about her grandmother, she pulled the phone from her pocket.
But the message wasn’t about Gran, it was from Marly.Can you come to my office?I want to talk about your article.
Chapter Fourteen
“Ihave togo,” Larkin said, returning her phone to her pocket.
For a moment Carson’s expression softened.“Is your grandmother okay?”
“This is work.”She turned on her heel, not happy with how she was leaving things, but also too upset to trust herself to continue this conversation.She was very aware of how much she owed Carson for doing this work for her grandmother.But at the same time, she would not let him sit in judgment of her.Of course she could always defend herself.
But he shouldn’t be putting her in the position of needing to.
Even though she was on foot, it only took ten minutes for Larkin to reach theCourier’s office on Front Avenue.One of the benefits of a small town, she could walk pretty much anywhere in ten minutes or less.As she pulled open the main door, she spotted Marly at the coffee station at the back of the office.There was no one else around.
“Good timing,” Marly said.“I just boiled the water to make some coffee.Would you like a cup?”
“Yes, thanks.”Already she could feel her blood pressure lowering.There was something about this office she really liked.It felt authentic and steeped in history.She liked that the furniture was old, and the desk surfaces were scarred.The framed photos on the wall might be yellowed, but they told the story of a proud small-town paper that had survived through all kinds of world upheaval.
“This has been quite a week.”Marly passed her a mug of coffee and pointed out the cream and sugar.“Doctor it up how you like and let’s go to the layout table.I’m going to be relieved to put this issue to bed.I still have a lot of Christmas present wrapping to do.How about you?Are you ready for Christmas?”
“It’s easy for me.Gran and I will have a video call with my parents and sister’s family in the morning.Then we’re going to the Graff for Christmas dinner.”She’d made the reservation a month ago, knowing that the hotel would likely be fully booked for the holiday.
“We can’t compete with the Graff, but if you’d be happy to settle for a home-cooked turkey you’re welcome to come to our house.Mom is flying in from Chicago, but otherwise it will be just Drake, me, and our kiddo.”
“That’s very kind.But we wouldn’t want to impose.”
“You wouldn’t be.My mom would enjoy seeing your grandmother again.They were good friends back in the day.”
“I’ll ask Gran,” Larkin finally agreed.
“Now, about your article.”
As Marly splayed her hands on the table and leaned in, Larkin prepared herself for the criticism.As a journalist you had to have a thick skin, but it was never easy when an editor suggested changes, or, worse still, rejected a piece outright.
“I loved it,” Marly said.“This is just the kind of feature on Bramble House I was looking for.And I also liked your suggestion for the follow-ups.”
“You did?”
“Absolutely.I know I’ve asked before, but I have to ask again.I’d love to offer you the position of chief editor for theCourier.”She slid a piece of paper across the table.“Here’s the deal.It’s probably not what you’re used to, but the cost of living in Marietta is a lot less than Denver.”
“Marly, I’m really flattered.I have a lot of respect for local journalism.I think it’s important for our country and I’d love to be a part of what your family has built here at theCourier.But I have to be honest.Much as I love my grandmother, I just can’t see myself moving to Marietta.”
“This is a pretty vibrant community.We have more to offer than you might think.Plus, we seem to generate a lot of great eligible men.If you’re into that.”
