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‘I told Maria we could stay in the guest room,’ Emilia offered.
Maria glared at her mother.
Angie mustered a smile to appease her family. ‘I’ll stay in the guest room while I’m home.’ She had no intention of staying longer than necessary and moving her nonni out of the room for a week or so didn’t make any sense.
‘See!’ Maria shrieked and pointed the spoon at Emilia. ‘I told you it was fine.’
Emilia grunted and sat at the table set for four.
Maria led Angie to the chair she had sat on since she was a kid, gesturing her to sit. ‘Tell us all about your trip. I’m almost finished with dinner. I made your favorite.’
Angie sat at the table, allowing the warmth of the house to envelop her into a tight hug. She was used to the wide-open space of her and Brett’s apartments. The house where she grew up felt smaller than it had the last time. But the laughter and happiness shining in her family’s eyes lulled her into a sense of security she hadn’t realized she had missed.
***
Angie could barely keep her eyes open during dinner, even though her brain was three hours behind. She guessed the exhaustion from moving her life across the country and breaking up with the man she had expected to marry had finally caught up with her. At least she would soar over the potential jet lag.
After saying goodnight to everyone, Angie headed upstairs to the guest room. She wearily carried her heavy feet down the long hallway toward the last door, lugging her suitcase behind her.
Angie had slept in smaller confines in college, so she didn’t mind the change in her plan. The moment she pushed open the door, it rebounded back, smacking against her arm. Pain zipped through her elbow and she frantically rubbed the spot to make the radiating ache stop.
Angie pushed the door open again, slower this time, and flicked the light switch. Against the back of the door, a folded-up treadmill blocked her way. She squeezed into the room, turning her suitcase to pull in behind her.
In the far corner was a table, covered with scrapbooking supplies, and on the floor were about twenty photo albums. Next to that were even more Christmas decoration boxes, which her mom usually stored in the attic. Angie guessed that she hadn’t dared to pack them away since her dad had died. The rickety pull-down ladder to the storage space always terrified her mother.
A headache formed behind Angie’s eyes and she rubbed the side of her temple, willing for it to go away. Adding physical pain to her mental anguish wasn’t going to help her get any sleep. She abandoned her other suitcases in the hallway, turned the light off, and flopped onto the bed. Moonlight poured into the room, throwing shadows across the walls.
It wasn’t long before a single tear slipped down her cheek. Even in her own home, she couldn’t help but feel cast off. Days ago, she was a successful event planner for one of the most prestigious hotel chains in the country with a sexy, wealthy boyfriend and a fantastic apartment. Now she was back at home, in the town she had always wanted to escape from.
Angie thought of the giant rock on Brett’s fiancée’s finger, and her skin prickled. Hot tears coursed down her face and she tightened her grip on the blanket around her as the memories of her relationship with Brett flooded her mind. He was the perfect boyfriend. When they were out together, he never seemed interested in other women. Though, they did keep their relationship a secret since he was her boss. Was that the appeal for him?
Angie wasn’t the type to throw herself pity parties, but her chest had felt empty from the moment she boarded the plane in California.
Gathering all the memories of Brett, she mashed them into an ugly ball and shoved them into the darkest reaches of her mind. Her breathing slowed as her eyes became heavy.
Angie was a list-maker, which was a big part of her job. If there was ever a time to make one, this was it. Her eyes squeezed shut as she worked out the next step of her plan. She was on the other side of the country, so she doubted she would see Brett again. Not that she ever wanted to. Before she left, she had demanded a glowing recommendation letter to help in her new job search. It was part of her request in the severance package.
Her job had been a coveted position at the company, and she knew the vultures would be there after the holidays picking up the pieces of her previous life. This was a tough time of year to search for another job. But, with the New Year on the horizon, there wasn’t a better time to start over.
First, she would update her resume and scour job openings in New York City and surrounding areas.
Angie never intended to stay on the East Coast, but it would have to do while she could get back on her feet. After bouncing back from this, she would leave again on a new adventure.
This was all temporary, and with a plan in mind, she snuggled under the covers with visions of job offers dancing in her head.
Chapter 2 (#ulink_00f2b18d-1d86-51fb-9fe7-75757788a4d6)
The pounding of Nick Bower’s feet against the ground and the tinkling of dog tags next to him created a monotonous sound in his head. It was the perfect rhythm to help him free his mind and think more clearly. The temperatures had dipped over the last week, and it was almost cold enough outside to decide against taking his morning run. But he couldn’t disappoint the most important girl in his life, Charlie. At least that was what he told himself. Running cleared his head and helped untangle any family or work issues and working with his father led to a lot of those. It also helped ease his guilt during his busiest season when he couldn’t be there for Charlie as much as he wanted.
After his second lap around the park, he headed home. Charlie trotted next to him, her tongue lolling to the side.
Nick had found the golden retriever at a dog rescue event three years ago during one of his solo runs. She’d howled for him, louder than the others in her litter, until he’d walked over. The moment he’d looked into those brown eyes, it was love at first sight.
The duo came to an abrupt stop at the front door to Nick’s apartment building, where the doorman, Frederick, stood between the outer and inner doors rubbing his gloved hands together.
‘Good morning,’ Nick said, pausing to stretch his hamstrings.
‘Getting a little cold out,’ Frederick said, blowing air into his fists.
‘Not for this girl,’ Nick said, scratching Charlie’s head. She pushed her nose into his hand, demanding more love. ‘She’s the only one who matters.’
‘Until you find a lucky woman.’ Frederick winked.
Nick smiled, tighter this time, and walked inside. Frederick wasn’t the only person in his life pushing for him to meet someone else. Heat clung to the sweat on his forehead. The uncomfortable change in his temperature wasn’t all from the exercise.
As he trudged over to the elevator, thoughts of his ex, Molly, filled his mind.
The doors opened, and he stepped inside, trying to shake her out of his head. The ‘lucky woman’ Frederick described was a myth. At least based on his most recent history. Charlie was non-negotiable in his life. Even with the sweetest dog on the planet, Molly somehow couldn’t stand the hair on her clothes and Charlie’s kisses were as horrifying to her as dunking her face in a toilet. For a while, he chose to ignore her many ultimatums. But with his work schedule taking over his life, he didn’t quite understand Molly’s real disgust until he came home to a half-empty closet and a confirmation of their breakup via text.
It wasn’t much after nearly a year of dating. But when Molly wanted something, she went after it. Molly didn’t shy away from letting everyone know how much ‘better’ she had done lately. She had filled her newsfeeds with vacations and events with her new boyfriend.
Eventually, Nick deleted his social media accounts to keep his head in the game and from falling through the black hole beckoning him to search through more of Molly’s pictures.
No one had been more excited about the breakup than his dad. He didn’t appreciate distractions from work, and according to him, Nick’s girlfriends were the biggest. He’d been out on dates a few times since their breakup, but he wasn’t interested in any of the women long-term. Thirty-two was young enough to make these mistakes, and he was going to be more careful this time.
When Nick opened the door to his apartment, Charlie pulled away from him and took off toward her water bowl. She stood by the bay windows which overlooked the city he’d lived his entire life.
Charlie padded over to Nick with dripping jowls as he headed for the coffee maker, nudging his knee with her snout. He scratched her head and reached for the container on the counter.
Nick scooped kibble into her bowl. He knelt, offering the perfect opportunity for a quick lick on the cheek. ‘You must be hungry, girl.’
The scent of percolating coffee moved through the apartment and snapped Nick back to reality. Molly was five months ago. He had moved on, and he tried to forget the memories as quickly as they had appeared.
Nick sat on the couch glancing out at the city waking up around him and sipped from the steaming mug of coffee. His phone buzzed from the table next to him – six-thirty on the dot. His dad was already at the office. Work didn’t start until eight, but his father liked to make a point of showing up before everyone. It was a mix between wanting to show off and proving that he was worthy of being the boss. Not that anyone ever challenged him.
When Charlie finished her food, she hopped onto the couch and curled her body around herself, bumping Nick’s arm. He absently rubbed her head while admiring several of the apartment buildings across the way that had already decorated their windows and trees with twinkling colored lights.
It was the second day of December and people were ready for Christmas. Last year, Molly had hired a company to decorate the apartment for the holiday. The fake fir tree and poinsettias didn’t bring him the Christmas spirit at all. He preferred the scents and warmth of the season surrounding him. The only time he experienced a sliver of that was at his parents’ house, or his brother David’s, around Christmas.
Nick leaned over to grab his phone. Charlie lifted her head and plopped it down on his lap, looking for more scratches. He couldn’t help but laugh; she knew he was leaving soon and wanted to get as much time with him as possible before Mrs Wilson arrived to take Charlie to her apartment for the day.
He scrolled through his phone until David’s name came up in his messages. The last discussion they’d had was about the timing for Thanksgiving dinner. His parents always hosted the holidays, so David scheduled his dinner later to make sure Nick wouldn’t have to choose between his parents and brother.
The rift between his father and David had gone on too long, but their dad would never concede. When David chose to leave the company to pursue his passion, it severed the ties between their family. Well, mostly because their dad couldn’t let go of the fact that David no longer wanted to work for the family business. Nick was never going to abandon his older brother, his wife, and two nephews, but their father made every holiday more complicated than it needed to be.
Their mother met with David and the kids often, but no one talked about it. To his father, it was as if David never existed. When Nick had tried to bring it up with his dad, he’d attempted to convince him many a time to build bridges, but the results were always the same – stern glares and long strings of uncomfortable silences. David had contested it wasn’t worth making Nick’s work-life a living hell, so the silent barrier carried on.
An alarm blared from Nick’s phone, catapulting him back to the present.
Charlie looked up at him with wide dark eyes.
‘Don’t look at me like that.’ Nick got up and walked toward the bathroom while Charlie plodded over to her bed to wait for him to get ready.
***
On the way to work, Nick’s shoulders lifted slightly. He tried to hold onto the loose feeling in his body from the run, but it proved to be a challenging task. His fingers tensed around the steering wheel of his Lexus as lyrics of a magical snowman floated from his speakers. The town had started its transformation into the holiday season. Workers stood on cherry pickers, placing lit snowflakes against tall poles. Wreaths hung from most of the business doors while artificial snow collected at the corners of the windows.
A text came through on the console in his car, and Nick glanced at the name.
‘I’m on my way,’ he said into the speaker before the phone sent the text off to his dad. He’d never been late for work but always had to be on his toes.
The mall loomed next to him as he drove past the entrance toward corporate parking. Knowing he had a meeting with his father in about a half hour, Nick needed more coffee to lubricate the conversation. A pastry would help too.
The valet lot was in the back of the mall. Nick stepped out of his car and straightened his tie. A young guy dressed in a puffy vest and hat branded with the Westford Mall logo walked over to him.
‘Good morning, Mr Bower,’ he said, as a white cloud billowed from his mouth. It seemed to be colder than earlier that morning during his run.
‘Morning,’ Nick said, handing over his keys before rounding the lot toward the street.
The sign for Kevin’s Café beckoned Nick to pick up his pace.
Years ago, Nick had negotiated the contract for the café. At the time, his father took a lot of convincing that the café wouldn’t take money away from the food court, and that it would be a draw for the mall instead. Patrons loved the coffee, so they tended to stick around to shop while sipping from their lattes.
Entering the café, the strong scent of freshly ground coffee filled his nose. The light from the hazy December sun cascaded down through the front windows. Nick unzipped his coat and stepped into the line already six people deep.
While waiting, he scrolled through several emails to get a head start on work.
‘Two everything bagels with extra cream cheese,’ the woman in front of him ordered.
While Nick only really wanted to order for his dad, the thought of a bagel made his stomach growl.
Vickie, the twenty-something barista, caught his eye as she started on the food. She winked her false eyelashes at him. ‘The usual?’
‘Yes,’ Nick said. ‘Also, a scone and a wheat bagel with lite vegetable cream cheese.’
‘Toasted?’ she asked.
‘No,’ Nick said, checking the time on his platinum watch.
The woman in front of him glanced over. She did a double take and her eyebrows arched before she turned back to Vickie.
Nick had no idea what that look was for, but he couldn’t help moving closer to explain himself. ‘Your order sounded good.’
‘I can’t stand wheat bagels. I mean, what’s the point if you’re not going all in?’ she said.
Nick smiled at her. ‘Should I change my order?’
The woman smiled, and her light green eyes crinkled at the corners before she turned back to her phone. ‘Do whatever you want.’ She was several inches shorter than him, wearing workout gear and a puffy red jacket. Under a knitted gray hat, her shiny dark brown hair almost reached the middle of her back. The same style of gloves peeked out from her pockets.
‘Are you starting your Christmas shopping early this year?’ Nick couldn’t help himself. He wanted to think it was more because of his line of work than wanting to talk to her.
‘Already done,’ she said. ‘I’m an online shopper.’
Nick winced. Not what he expected, but at least she was honest. She also had no idea what he did for a living. ‘Are you from around here?’
The woman cut a look his way. ‘I grew up in Brookside.’
‘A local?’
‘Does that surprise you?’ she asked, finally putting down her phone.
He cleared his throat, lifting his hands in surrender. ‘You have enough outerwear for a trip to Alaska.’
Vickie came back with her order and rang her up. The woman handed over her card to pay.
The woman pulled the hat from her head, smoothing her hair back. ‘I’ve lived in California for years. I’m so not used to the cold anymore.’ She unzipped her jacket, revealing another layer.
Nick wanted to ask her where in California, but Vickie spoke first. ‘It’s not working.’ She held the card between them.
The woman wrinkled the paper bag of bagels she held close to her chest as if she wasn’t willing to let it go without a fight. ‘Please try again.’
The door opened, letting another gust of cold air into the café, and three more people joined the already growing line.
Vickie shrugged, holding the card between two fingers. ‘I’ve tried it twice, and it’s not going through.’
The woman lowered her voice. ‘Please try it one more time.’
Vickie sighed and tried again.
The same double beep sounded from the machine.
Vickie raised her thick eyebrows at the woman. ‘Do you have cash?’
The woman blew out a breath. ‘I can’t believe this.’
‘Do you have another card?’ Vickie made a point to examine the line behind them. It was almost to the door now.
‘What’s the hold-up?’ someone behind them asked.
Nick glared at the guy.
The woman at the counter looked as if she wanted to crawl into the bag she gripped in her hands.
‘Here,’ Nick said, handing his card to Vickie.
The woman scowled at him. This time her eyes held an edge of skepticism. ‘You don’t have to do that.’
‘It’s fine,’ he said.
