Page 22 of Holiday Promise

Melody jumped, finding Thomas staring at her. He’d been talking about work. That was all he’d talked about since they’d sat down for dinner. Even Blake didn’t dwell on his work when they were together.

She squeezed her eyes shut, berating herself for thinking about Blake yet again. When she opened her eyes, she wasn’t surprised to find Thomas staring at her with concern.

“Are you okay?”

Melody nodded and looked away, her eyes already stinging, ready for the tears to spill. Why was she so emotional? It wasn’t normal to react this way after only a few weeks. She didn’t believe that feelings could grow so quickly.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Her voice squeaked, and she forced herself to look at him fully this time. “I’m fine. Sorry. I had something in my eye.”

He didn’t look convinced. Why would he? Thomas had warned her about dating Blake from the start. He’d never strayed from his opinion. The look of excitement when she asked if he’d like to get dinner had been next level.

Guilt swirled within her. She shouldn’t have asked him to come with her. Ms. Anthony was right that Thomas might have feelings that went a little deeper than a simple flirtation.

Swallowing hard, she focused on her food. The atmosphere of the restaurant near the harbor screamed Christmas Cottage. From the poinsettia and mistletoe décor to the colors of the food on her plate, Melody wouldn’t have been able to escape it if she tried. “This place is next level, isn’t it?” She let out a dry laugh as she lifted her eyes to Thomas. “Do you get to spend much of the holidays with your family?”

He shook his head. “My folks live in Arizona. With my work schedule, it makes it near impossible for me to take trips down there, and they really don’t like how cold it gets up here.”

“Arizona, wow. That’s quite a difference.”

“You grew up here, right? In Hollyberry Harbor?”

Melody nodded. “I did, from the time I was about eleven.”

His smile widened.

“What?” she laughed.

“I’ve heard about the locals here. They don’t tend to go very far.”

“Oh have you?” Melody placed her hands on her lap. “And who have you known who’s a local to Hollyberry Harbor?”

His expression faltered and immediately she knew who he was thinking about. He looked away and cleared his throat.

“It’s Alison, isn’t it?”

Thomas peeked at her. “It’s strange that you didn’t know her.”

“Yeah, well, this place is bigger than it looks.” She stared at her hands, fidgeting with them. “But I’m not surprised shewanted to stay put. I feel the same way. It was hard enough as it was to move to Portland to get a job. I never thought I’d make enough here. I’ve been lucky.”

“Have you?”

She lifted her gaze. “Of course I have. Wouldn’t you say the same? Blake’s a good boss.”

Thomas frowned. The temperature seemed to drop by a few degrees. Blake was the source of contention between the two of them, no doubt about it. Thomas might respect his boss and love his job, but he didn’t approve of the inter-office relationship that had occurred. Maybe going on a date with Thomas was a bad idea.

The more she gazed at the man across the table from her, the more she knew she shouldn’t have asked him here. But it was more than that. The unrest she’d felt since breaking things off with Blake had only snowballed since that night. She couldn’t stand to be in the same room as Blake without wishing he would smile at her, graze his fingers against hers, or pull her in for a breathless embrace.

A hot, searing pain flooded her chest and rose into her cheeks. These feelings wouldn’t go away no matter how hard she tried, and she knew it. There would be no fixing the heartache she felt without fixing things with Blake. As terrifying as that thought was, it was scarier to consider what a future would be without him in it.

What would happen when Max was too old to need a nanny? How would she feel if Blake brought home another woman he was interested in? Her hands trembled, and she clutched them harder together to quell the motion.

“I think this was a mistake,” she said quietly. “We should’ve never gone to dinner.”

“Melody—”

She turned teary eyes on him and shook her head. “There’s nothing you could say or do to change it. I don’t know if I’ll ever fully be able to give my heart to another.”