Take Me Home for Christmas

26

“Why didn’t you tell me she has a drinking problem?” Ted asked.

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before Eve answered. “How’d you find out?”

“How do you think? She was here alone all day, on Thanksgiving. Her car was just repossessed and she was trying to cope with her psychotic mother. That doesn’t sound like a recipe for disaster to you?”

“Oh, no. I hope she’s okay....”

He remembered the moment he’d found her lying on the floor. He’d felt such a jolt of panic when he thought she might be injured—or worse. Suicide had crossed his mind, which was why he hadn’t been all that upset when he’d realized it was only alcohol. “She’s fine. She’s sleeping it off. But...I wish I’d known so I could’ve been more prepared.”

“And how would you have prepared?”

“By locking the wine cellar so it wouldn’t turn out to be a booby trap for her!”

“Ted, if she wanted to drink badly enough, she would’ve found a way to get some booze.”

“Without a car? I live five miles out of town. She would’ve had to want it pretty badly.”

“What else did she have to do today? You said she was home alone. She could’ve walked that far.” The tenor of her voice changed. “She might not have made it back, depending on whether she drank on the way home, but...”

He didn’t care to imagine it. At least she was safe. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

“There were a lot of reasons I didn’t tell you.”

“Like...”

“I’d promised her I wouldn’t tell anyone. I didn’t feel it would be fair to break that confidence just because you and I started seeing each other.”

He remembered Alexa’s reaction not too long ago when he’d gone down to the kitchen for a glass of wine—and finally understood it. “We’re not talking about spreading random gossip. She’s my housekeeper! You don’t think I had a right to know that my wine cellar might cause her some serious problems?”

“Last I heard, alcohol addiction isn’t something people are required to reveal on a job application. I figured it didn’t matter as long as it wasn’t affecting her work. She’s had it hard enough since Skip died without me going around blabbing about her personal problems—especially to her employer who didn’t really want to hire her in the first place. From what she told me, alcohol was her only escape. Skip controlled every aspect of her life, wouldn’t even let her have a job. So I wasn’t feeling particularly judgmental. And you can be a very exacting person.”

He sat up. “What’s that supposed to mean? I’m judgmental?”

“You’re capable of so much, and you expect others to live up to your standards.”

“I don’t understand what Sophia’s addiction has to do with that.”

“Besides the job issue, and whether or not you’d be willing to hire her, I thought that learning she was an alcoholic might change the way you look at her—and at me. I didn’t want that to be the deciding factor in our relationship, didn’t want you to choose me over her just because I’ve never been to rehab. I hoped you’d fall head over heels in love with me just like you once did with her. We all know how you used to feel about her, Ted. How much she meant to you and how long it took you to get over her. If you were going to date me, I wanted it to be because of who I am instead of what she isn’t. Does that make sense?”

“Not entirely,” he grumbled, but it did. He was just hesitant to acknowledge the legitimacy of her concerns. He wasn’t sure that, in the past four weeks, he’d been able to come very close to the target she’d painted for him.

Was he falling in love with her? It didn’t feel like it. He kept telling himself that he had to give their relationship more time, try harder, be more dedicated, stop thinking of Sophia. But he couldn’t order his heart to love one person instead of another. Despite the hurt she’d caused him, it was still Sophia who took his breath away.

“When it comes to me, to us, I don’t want you to rely on some...checklist that has more to do with your head than your heart,” Eve explained. “No girl wants to be a consolation prize.”

“I appreciate what you’re saying,” he told her, but he feared her expectations were set too high. If she hoped to own his heart the way Sophia once had—he couldn’t deliver that.

“You appreciate it?” she said. “That’s your response?”

She’d given him an opportunity to reassure her, and he’d blown it. They’d been sleeping together for a month. He could see how, after that much time, she might be curious as to where he stood on the relationship. But how could he convince her they were heading toward marriage when he felt no closer to it today than the morning after they’d first made love? Just a few minutes ago, it had been all he could do not to carry Sophia to his bed. If she hadn’t been drunk, there was even a chance he might have succumbed.... “I care about you—”

“You cared about me a month ago, Ted.” She paused and he waited, tense, for her to continue. “Is that all you’ve got?”

Think how easy your life will be if you stick with Eve. Don’t be Rhett Butler! “I don’t know what to say.” He scratched his head, hard, as if that would somehow set his brain straight. “I want to feel the way you want me to.”

“But it’s not there. That’s the rest of the sentence, isn’t it?”

Shit. He could hear the disappointment in her voice. He was hurting her even though he’d promised himself he’d never do that. “Maybe not yet, but...that doesn’t mean what we have can’t develop into whatever we want it to be. I won’t give up. Not as long as you’re interested in trying.”

“How flattering. You’re asking me to rely on the power of your will. Your determination.”

He’d said the wrong thing, been too honest. “It’s not just determination. It’s knowing that you’re...that you’re everything I should want in a wife.”

“So I get a better score on your checklist.”

“I don’t have a checklist!”

“Never mind. I think a month of giving it all we’ve got is enough, don’t you?”

“A month isn’t that long, Eve. We’ve barely gotten started. And we have a...a good relationship. We never fight. We enjoy each other. We trust each other.”

“There we go. That’s it. You trust me, but you don’t trust Sophia.”

Could anyone trust Sophia? Maybe she wouldn’t be able to beat her addiction. Maybe what she’d been through had scarred her too deeply. Or maybe she’d get back on her feet but move away. “Look, there’s nothing wrong with basing a relationship on trust, nothing wrong with what we’ve got.”

“Except that we’re trying to make it into something it’s not!”

He said nothing, could say nothing.

She was the one who eventually broke the silence. “That night in the hot tub...”

He fell back on his pillows. Remembering that night should’ve brought him pleasure. But it didn’t, not any more than the encounters he’d had with various other women along the way. Only Sophia stood out. “What about it?”

“Why did you make it sexual?”

“I couldn’t see why we shouldn’t be together. I thought it would fulfill both our needs.”

“I’m glad you didn’t say it was because you were drunk.”

“Come on, we’ve discussed this.”

“Except that there’s more to it than what you’ve admitted. You wanted to protect yourself from getting back with Sophia, right? You needed to insert someone between you and her to feel safe.”

This conversation was moving into dangerous territory, but he had no clue how to turn it around. “If you know that now, you knew it then. So why’d you go along with it?”

“Because I wanted to believe. I wanted to delude myself as much as you did.”

At least she was taking some responsibility for the situation.

He closed his eyes. “I’m sorry, Eve. My brain has never functioned properly when it comes to her.”

She laughed without mirth. “Hello! Then stop pretending you don’t know what love is!”

“I feel sorry for her and, yes, I’m attracted to her. I’m not sure that’s love,” he said. “Anyway, love doesn’t necessarily make a relationship successful.”

“No, but it gives you a hell of a lot more to fight for—and it makes life far more rewarding when you win. In any case, I’m stepping out of the picture. That means you’ll have to figure out what you feel for her and deal with it one way or another,” she said and hung up.

Ted stayed on his bed for...he didn’t know how long. He just lay there, wrestling with himself and staring at the ceiling. He wanted to give Sophia a chance. She seemed to have changed in all the important areas. But her life was in shambles. After coming out of such a bad marriage, after going through what she’d endured for fourteen years, was she even in a position to know what she wanted?

And what if she couldn’t overcome her addiction?

As soon as she heard Cheyenne’s voice, Eve almost hung up—but it was too late. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t spoken yet; she’d placed the call so her name would’ve come up on Chey’s screen.

“Happy Thanksgiving!” Cheyenne said cheerfully.

That confirmed it. There was recognition in that greeting. “Happy Thanksgiving to you, too.”

Normally, Eve loved this time of year. They were heading into December, which was her favorite month. It was a tradition that she and Cheyenne decorate the B and B for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. Once they came back from coffee, they’d drag the wreaths and garlands out of the attic and, by Sunday night, Little Mary’s would look like the subject of a Norman Rockwell painting, with a fire burning in the hearth and the old-fashioned Victorian Christmas tree in front of the window. The competing B and B at the other end of town spent a lot of money when they remodeled a couple of years ago, but Eve didn’t think they came close to the quaint charm of her place—not during the holidays. Even the cemetery next door, with its lovely iron filigree fence and century-old tombstones, added to the ambience. And if they were lucky, there’d be snow....

But after her last conversation with Ted, decorating the inn didn’t sound half as appealing as it had before. She’d thought that for the first time in a long while she’d have someone special, someone besides her family, to share Christmas with. And now it would be awkward at coffee on Fridays, too, especially once everyone learned that they’d already ended the relationship.

“Did you spend the day at Ted’s mother’s place?” Eve asked.

“The last part of it. The first part we spent with my parents. What about you? Did you have the Amos boys over like you were planning?”

“They had dinner with us, but...it was a little uncomfortable.”

Eve slid beneath the covers of her bed. “Why’s that?”

“Presley told me she’d be with her boyfriend, but they got into a fight and she ended up calling me. She was lonely and wanted to come over, but...I had Aaron here.”

“They can’t get along well enough to have a Thanksgiving meal together?”

“She wants no contact with him. And...it’s not just that.” Eve heard a door open and close, then Cheyenne’s voice dropped. “There’s something else going on, something even more difficult.”

Cheyenne’s behavior pulled Eve out of her own sadness for the moment. “What is it?”

“I’ve never told you this. I’ve guarded the secret carefully because...because I haven’t even told Dylan. I can’t tell him—”

“You’re keeping a secret from your husband? The man you love more than anything in the world?” She sat up. “About what?”

“You have to promise me—swear to me—that you’ll never breathe a word of this to anyone.”

“Of course! Surely, we’ve been friends long enough for you to trust me.”

“I trust you with my secrets. But this isn’t my secret, and I haven’t told a living soul.”

Eve had no idea what to make of this. The two of them had been through a lot of ups and downs ever since Cheyenne’s mother had dragged her and Presley to town in that beat-up old car they’d been living in twenty years ago. Not only that, but Eve and Chey worked together five days a week. How could there be a secret Cheyenne hadn’t shared—with her or Dylan? “Whose secret is it? Presley’s?”

“Yes.”

“And it involves...”

“Wyatt.”

“Why would you have any reason to keep a secret about Presley’s son from—” Suddenly, Eve realized what had been right in front of her all along. “Oh, shit! Aaron’s Wyatt’s father!”

She’d asked if that was a possibility before. Most of the town knew that Presley had been sleeping with Aaron around the time—or not long before—Presley got pregnant. But they’d never been an item. And Presley had insisted that a man she met in Phoenix after she left Whiskey Creek was the father of her child.

“Wait. Aaron knows Wyatt exists—” she started but Cheyenne interrupted.

“He knows Presley has a child. But he thinks the father is from Arizona, like everyone else. They always used birth control.”

“It just didn’t work.”

“Apparently.”

“Isn’t she ever going to tell him?”

“I’ve asked her that repeatedly. She says she probably will—one day. But she keeps putting it off. She’s terrified Aaron will ruin her happiness and maybe Wyatt’s, too. But it’s getting harder and harder for me to be ‘family’ to both sides. I feel disloyal to my husband because this is his brother we’re talking about. I feel disloyal to Aaron, too—as his sister-in-law. And yet...I understand exactly where Presley is coming from. Aaron’s never been stable. He wasn’t ready for a child when she got pregnant. He wouldn’t have been interested, anyway—so she did him a favor by letting him off the hook.”

“I sure hope he looks at it that way when he finds out,” Eve breathed. “Dylan, too.”

“I’m afraid they won’t see it that way at all. And I can’t blame them. Part of me believes Aaron has the right to know, especially now that he’s changing, growing up. He still has his moments. He may deal with anger and resentment his whole life. But I’m seeing some maturity there. And I love him. It’s almost impossible not to love him.”

“You love your sister, too.”

“Exactly. I tell myself she’s never had anything. That she deserves Wyatt. You know how we grew up, what happened with our mother.”

“But Aaron’s led a hard life, too.”

“And what if Wyatt could make a positive impact on him—get him to change his priorities and settle down?”

“You think he might try to get custody or cause problems for her?”

“Maybe. It’s common knowledge that he’s something of a loose cannon. If I told him, and he did wind up making her life hell—or demanded even partial custody—she’d never forgive me. I’m so torn, I don’t know what to do!”

“God, you’ve been carrying this secret for what—two years?”

“Wyatt’s fourteen months old so...yeah, two years, including the pregnancy. I’m telling you, it’s harder every day. As Wyatt gets older, he’s looking more and more like his father. I’m scared that Dylan will eventually see the resemblance, and that no matter what I say, I won’t be able to refute what’s staring him in the face. It’s not as if he hasn’t asked me if I thought there was any chance Wyatt could be Aaron’s.”

Eve tightened her grip on the phone. “When he asked, you told him no?”

“I had to! He’d tell his brother. I have no doubt of that. Maybe they don’t always get along, but he raised Aaron.”

“You’re caught in the middle, all right.”

“And the pressure is mounting. This was just Thanksgiving. What will Christmas be like? Again, Dylan and I will have to work out a way to see Presley separate from Aaron, which’ll leave one or the other alone.”

“Surely Presley understands. She can’t expect you to always accommodate her.”

“She does understand. She tells me all the time that she’ll be the one to bow out. But she needs my support so badly. She’s hardly making ends meet working at that thrift shop while she’s going to massage school. And now she’s hooked up with a guy who’s worse than Aaron ever was. I live in fear that she’ll slip back into her old habits.”

“Gee. Now I feel better about my own problems.”

“What problems?” Cheyenne asked. “We’re going into the Christmas season, which we both love. And you’re dating one of the most eligible bachelors in Whiskey Creek.”

“Was dating,” she clarified.

The phone went silent. Then Chey said, “You just told me you went to his mother’s for Thanksgiving.”

“That’s true. But afterward, we had a talk and decided that...that it’s not working,” she said, coming out with it.

“What part of it isn’t working? What went wrong?”

“You can’t guess?”

Cheyenne sighed. “I doubt you really want me to. It’ll sound too much like ‘I told you so.’”

“I think he’s still in love with Sophia.”

“I’m sorry, Eve. I really am. Maybe I wasn’t all that excited when I first heard about you and Ted, but I wanted it to work out. I mean, what could be better than having two of my best friends get married and start a life together?”

“Ted and I should’ve listened to you and everyone else. If it was meant to be, it would’ve happened long before now.”

“Not necessarily. I could see why you gave it a chance.”

Now Chey was downplaying her initial concern so Sophia wouldn’t feel like an idiot. That was nice, but a bit too obvious to be effective. “So...you said Aaron’s showing signs of maturing. Maybe you could set me up with him.”

“There’s no way I want you dating my brother-in-law—my nephew’s father!” Cheyenne cried. “That situation is complicated enough.”

“It was a joke!” she said, and this time it was true. “I just don’t seem to be having any luck picking ‘good guys.’ Maybe I should try the odd ‘bad boy’ for a change.”

“You’ll find the right person to love.”

“Maybe I should settle for Martin Ferris.”

“Martin Ferris! Where did that come from?”

“You know him, don’t you?”

“Of course I know him. He’s our bread vendor—and he hits on you whenever he makes a delivery.”

“That’s my point. He likes me—not you or Sophia or anyone else.”

“He also has the IQ of a rock.”

“Beggars can’t be choosers. With luck, my genes will prevail if we have a child.”

Cheyenne laughed. “I’m glad you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”

“Deep down I think I knew that Ted wasn’t over Sophia. I was just...hoping we were all wrong.”

“Ted’s a great person. It was worth a try. But tell me that you’re not mad at him.”

“I want to be mad at him. We could’ve had a good thing.”

“And Sophia will probably break his heart. I doubt she’s in any position to get into another relationship—not after what she’s been through.”

“I’ve considered that. But...he deserves the chance to go after what he’s always wanted.”

“Wow, you’re taking this well. I’m proud of you. Does that mean you’re coming to coffee tomorrow?”

“No. I’m not taking it that well!” she said. “I’m not ready to see him again so soon. And I definitely don’t want to tell the others.”

“Fine, we’ll let them have coffee without us.”

“If he shows up he’ll need to tell them. There’s no avoiding that.”

“No, but at least we won’t be there to hear everyone’s reaction.”

We. That was the earmark of a true friend. Although it was her stupid mistake, one Chey had warned her against, Chey was in her corner.

“That’s tempting.” She cringed as she remembered some of her more intimate moments with Ted, moments when she thought their relationship might last. She’d slept with him last night, for crying out loud—and now he was suddenly nothing more than her friend?

Yes, she should skip coffee tomorrow. The switch was too sudden. She needed some time. “I was really starting to fall for him, Chey.”

“I was getting that feeling—and I was so hopeful for you. It’s not like Ted to be wishy-washy. What did he say?”

“He didn’t break it off. I realized he wasn’t necessarily interested in me, he was just running from her. So I threw him back into her arms.”

“It’s better to face the truth, but...I’m sorry you had to do it.”

“I’ll survive. I survived Joe picking you two years ago, didn’t I?” she teased.

“You took that well, too.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m getting good at being rejected.”

“It only takes one Prince Charming and, like I said, you’ll find him. Meanwhile, I’ll come over first thing in the morning and we’ll start decorating.”

“No, I don’t want everyone to think I’m dividing the group. You and Dylan should go to Black Gold, like always.”

“You sure?”

“Positive.” It was a long shot, but maybe Ted would miss her. Maybe if he got together with Sophia, he’d realize he wasn’t missing anything after all.

Thinking that way was sort of mean. But Eve hadn’t been lying when she told Cheyenne that she’d fallen for him.