“It’s very nice to meet a new friend here. Family is great, but this is pleasant,” she said.
“Well, it seems that we’ll be seeing a lot of each other this week. So tell me, in the spirit of the season, what’s was your favorite thing about Christmas growing up?” I asked.
She checked her watch. “I really should be going, Jason. We’ve got the open house and holiday lights party tonight, and I need to help my sister get ready.” She stood up and began zipping her coat.
“Okay, well would you like me to drop you off? It’s on my way.” I didn’t want our afternoon to end, but I could also tell that something was wrong, and I wanted to fix it.
“Oh no, that’s not necessary. I have one more quick stop to make before heading home. And I have my sister’s car. I’m sorry to rush off, but I gotta go. Thank you for the coffee, Jason. It was lovely chatting with you, really.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you later then,” I called after her as she rushed off. I definitely said something that upset her in some way, and it was gnawing at me.
I paid for the coffees and was headed back to my truck across the square, when I ran into Gabe yet again. I wasn’t in the mood for one of his weird talks about love, and I definitely didn’t want to talk about Samantha with him. I felt like he pushed me in the wrong direction there. It was a total waste of time to get hung up on a woman who didn’t even live here.
“Jason! How was coffee?” he called out to me as I walked by.
I’d intended to ignore him and keep on walking, but I couldn’t. I stopped, turned around, and addressed him. “Hi there, Gabe.” I waited a moment, trying to choose my words. “What’s your deal?” I asked.
“What do you mean?” he asked, innocence in his tone.
“I mean, why are you trying to get me to spend time with Samantha? Who is she to you? She doesn’t live here and isn’t planning to. In fact, she pretty much hates winter, so what is going on here?”
“Things aren’t always what they seem, Jason.”
“You’re just going to talk in riddles?” I was exasperated.
“Samantha is special. What she feels deep inside and what she tells you aren’t the same yet. But they will be,” he said.
“What in the hell are you talking about? She is going to be here for a few days, and then she’ll be gone.” Saying it out loud was even more frustrating than the conversation itself. We had a great time chatting and everything was fine until I asked her about Christmas. Then it hit me, something about Christmas upset her. Why didn’t I think of it before? My expression must have changed when I realized her problem was Christmas, not me, because Gabe began to grin.
“You figured it out?”
“Something happened to her that made her not like Christmas, didn’t it?” I asked.
“Now you’re paying attention.” He nodded.
“But she was fine talking about all the things she was doing for the holidays here. So, what was it?” I asked.
“That is for her to tell you. And she will. In time. Be patient. Be persistent. It’s not for nothing.”
“How do you know that, Gabe?” Then before he could answer, I replied. “Let me guess. You know some things?”
He grinned and bundled his coat against his belly. “You’re listening. Keep doing that.” With not another word, he walked off, leaving me once again standing there with my thoughts.
Well, if she needed Christmas to be awesome, I was the guy for the job. Christmas was my thing, and I’d make this the best Christmas since whatever had happened to her.
Chapter Nine
Samantha
I hustled out of the diner like my hair was on fire, probably making a spectacle of myself. While I knew that Jason had no idea that I didn’t want to reminisce about the holidays growing up, I didn’t want to explain it either. Up until that moment, it had been amazing. We chatted about all kinds of things. He asked about the books I had read. He’d even heard of some of the authors that I edit. I love a man that reads.
There were no awkward moments, and I didn’t even stumble over my words like I usually do. Although I didn’t typically find myself having coffee with terrific-looking men all that often. I was actually done with my errands that day, contrary to what I told him, and when I left, I power-walked to the car where I banged my head on the steering wheel repeatedly.
It wouldn’t ever go anywhere. It couldn’t. We live a thousand miles away in what may as well be a different planet. But that didn’t mean that I shouldn’t be nice or even enjoy the flirtation. He was such a nice guy. I felt like a total fool.
I headed home to my sister’s house, where she was waiting for my return. When I sighed audibly, she put down her glass of wine. “What happened?”
“So, I ran into the handsome stranger again,” I said.