Page 70 of The Holiday Heartbreaker

“I was busy,” she said.

“Yeah. Me too. Really busy. Playing poker. My brother’s friend Charity took all my money.”

Her lips twitched. “Sorry about your newly impoverished status.”

“It’s okay. The only mouth I have to feed is my own. I’ll weather the storm.”

“Doesn’t answer the question of why you’re here today,” she pointed out.

“Well, Christmas is coming up. Just a little over two weeks. I couldn’t help but notice that you don’t have a Christmas tree.”

She had brought a box of Christmas ornaments with her. Shoved it in the hall closet. She had done her best to make holidays spectacular for Benny. So she had a treasure trove of decorations. She just hadn’t gotten around to doing anything yet this year.

“Well. Yes. I suppose we do need a Christmas tree. Is there a lot we can go buy one at?”

He laughed. Laughed at her. “No. I was thinking we would go hunt one out upon one of the trails.”

“Tree hunting!” Benny said, leaping around like an excited frog.

“Yeah, it’s so terrible here, huh, Benny?” she asked.

Benny looked at her and tried to force his mouth into a flat line. “I didn’t say I liked it.”

“But you can’t really say that you don’t,” Brody said.

“Well.” Benny’s eyebrows were comedically angry. “There are more places to play.”

“Priorities well and truly in order,” Brody said. “You game for the tree hunt?”

“Benny,” she said. “Go inside and get a hat and gloves.”

Benny obeyed, scrambling up the front steps and going into the house. He closed the door behind him, and she stood on the porch with the steps between them.

“Kids are mean,” Brody said. “I didn’t really realize that.”

“Yes. They are. Parenting is thankless and often terrible. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I love that kid. And he drives me insane. But that’s kind of the way it is.”

“Well. Good to know. And not sorry I am firmly team: no kids for me ever.” For some reason, that made her stomach feel hollow.

But it wasn’t her business, and she had no right to have feelings about his life choices. So she’d just move on.

“And his dad drives me insane, but I don’t have to deal with him anymore.”

“What’s going on with his dad?”

“He was just complaining to me about not getting to see Benny this weekend. But he doesn’t take all of his weekends. He never has. He definitely could drive down here and get him if he wanted to.”

“I’m sorry. That must be tough.”

“It is. Thank you.”

“I’m going to let you in on a little secret.”

“What’s that?”

“I don’t really care about the fact that you don’t have a Christmas tree. I just wanted to see you.”

Her breath rushed out of her lungs in a wash. “Really?”

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