Page 28 of Holiday Hitch
Jamie laughed, even though letting herself joke around felt kind of wrong. “Why? “She asked.
Malack shook her head, “You have to wear all the layers to be warm, but going up and down the hill over and over gets you all sweaty. It doesn’t make sense, and it always ruined my cute snow-fit.”
Giggling, Jamie nudged Malack’s shoulder. Her deep adoration for Dani wasn’t the only reason she was glad to have moved home. Being back in New Winford had allowed her to reconnect with some of the most important people in her life, Malack being primary on that list.
“I always preferred the snacks we got after,” Malack added wistfully.
By the time they had made it to the stand, Jamie was sweating, just like little Malack on the snowy hill. But she wouldn’t let that get between her and a steaming cup of chocolate.
Jamie walked up to the counter to order, “Can I get two hot chocolates, one with whip cream, one without?” she asked, offering the woman in the truck a soft smile.
The woman was happy to oblige, a look of recognition crossing her face as she prepared the cups. Jamie tried to ignore the obvious gawking.
But when the woman returned to the counter with two steaming cups of hot cocoa, she asked, “You’re LAWSON, right?”
Jamie nodded as she passed the woman her card, “Sure am.”
“Well it’s great to meet you! How long are you in town?” she asked.
It was still a sore spot for Jamie after her fight with Dani. When Dani had finally come home the night before, it was so late that Jamie was already heading to bed. She couldn’t find the energy to get more information from Dani. Instead, she had opted for a terrible night's sleep on the couch, filled with lots of tossing and turning.
“Not sure yet. Maybe forever,” Jamie said glumly as she stuck her card back into her wallet.
Malack led Jamie away with a pat on the back, shooting the woman a dirty look over her shoulder for asking such an invasive question. Jamie always admired Malack’s ability to quiet the small-town gossips who were always looking for news.
Malack shuffled Jamie toward an empty table by a little campfire a few feet away.
“You really did have a rough night, huh?” Malack said, trying to lighten the mood. Jamie nodded.
They settled into their seats, and after a moment, Malack said, “All right, what happened?”
It was still strange for Jamie to be able to talk openly about her life. When she was in the city, she couldn’t even trust her “closest” friends to keep her secrets. Everyone was always looking to sell a story for some extra cash. But Jamie and Malack still held secrets for each from two decades prior, with no intention to ever spill.
Jamie shrugged, “I don’t even know how it all started. And I just feel like she’s being selfish. I’m not even going to be home in a few months, and she can’t seem to find any time for me while I’m here.”
Malack sighed and looked into her friend's eyes, “What did she say when you raised your concerns?”
Jamie took a deep breath, “She said she didn’t want to wait around for me to leave her.”
Malack’s eyes widened at the implication, “Ouch.”
Jamie nodded, “Yeah.” But when she thought about it, she still didn’t understand what it meant. What would avoiding Jamie now do for Dani?
“I just don’t understand why she thinks rushing the wedding would stop me from leaving if that’s really what I wanted to do?” Jamie asked, looking to Malack for guidance.
Malack nodded and thought about the question before answering, “Maybe it’s just like a way to make you commit right before you leave. Maybe it’s more about her than you? To be fair, could you name a celebrity that hasn’t cheated on a partner?”
Jamie thought about it for a moment. Of course, Malack was right. Long distance could be hard, and when you mixed it with stardom, few celebrities were able to keep it in their pants for a partner at home.
But Jamie had been cheated on. She knew what it felt like to be betrayed like that. How could Dani think that Jamie would do that toanyoneelse, let alone her?
“Sure, but isn’t that concerning? That she would want to lock me down before I proved my loyalty to her?” Jamie asked.
Malack laughed and shook her head, “No, we just live in a marriage-obsessed society that deludes us into thinking that a ring is all it takes to keep someone around.” She leaned in and slapped Jamie’s knee, “You’re a hot, megastar with women falling at your feet just to get you to glance in their direction. You can understand why your fiancée would be concerned, right?”
Letting a deep breath out of her lungs, Jamie shrugged, “I get the impulse. But I haven’t done anything to make her so worried.”
Malack winced, “I may have heard through the grapevine that you’ve been… uninvolved in wedding planning. And maybe having a rockstar partner who was about to depart on a global tour not be interested in planning their nuptials might raise an alarm?”