In a classic move, an elderly woman with a selfie stick lowered it—as if to see if he was wearing underpants—but once she got her laugh, she quickly put it away. It was a running joke that had begun with the first movie: did Trevor Montgomery go commando under that kilt? She’d probably seen that headline a thousand times over her lifetime.
Itchy to get back home—because already, she missed the girls and Cole—she got out of the Land Cruiser and bought the cinnamon rolls, another gallon of milk, and some nice, thick maple bacon she’d add to tomorrow’s breakfast. When she came out of the Emporium, she saw that an even larger crowd had gathered, and Trevor was in full-form, his voice loud, his laughter booming.
He just had a way about him. He made people happy. It was a gift.
A sharp pang clutched her heart. He reminded her so much of Cole, and that made her miss him fiercely. His heart needed to know that, so she pulled out her phone and texted him.
Hailey: Thinking of you.
The moment she hit Send, she regretted it. It didn’t come close to expressing her feelings.
Hailey: I miss you. Seems silly, doesn’t it? I’ve only been gone a couple hours.
She sent it, but she knew it still wasn’t right. She was being too cautious, guarding herself.
It’s too late for that.
You just have to go for it.
Hailey: All right, you want to know the truth? I miss you when you’re just down the hall, and I count the hours every night until I can have you to myself. I want to spend every minute with you.
Protecting yourself, being so reserved, took a toll, and she only knew because of the relief she felt after letting the truth spill out of her.
He didn’t respond, though, and she didn’t see the three dancing dots to let her know he was going to.
That made her retreat into her shell a little and question whether she’d said too much. But who knew what he was doing right then?Whatever. She couldn’t just stand there waiting for him to say something back.
Dropping her phone into her tote, she strode right into Coco’s Chocolates. The place smelled divine, all warm and creamy with the bitter edge of freshly roasted cacao beans. Instead of buying drinks that would be cool by the time she got home, she bought gorgeously decorated boxes of cocoa mix. While waiting for her charge to go through, she sampled a truffle. Her eyes practically rolled back in her head from the creamy texture and the rich chocolate flavor. It was the best she’d ever had.
Finished with her purchase, she headed out to the car, wondering if she should let Trevor know she was ready to go, but it turned out she didn’t need to. Without so much as looking at her, he parted from the crowd, waving and throwing out one-liners. “Let’s get out of here.”
Only when she buckled in, and Trevor edged away from the curb, did she dare check her phone.
Cole: You are my bliss.
They entered a quiet house. The smell of cinnamon and pine filled the air, lights twinkled, and evidence of little girls was everywhere. The toy kitchen Cole bought them had pots and fake food scattered all around it and remnants of their last art project littered the coffee table. Amid the chaos, Hailey noticed some new decorations. Arms full, she tipped her chin toward the vintage Noel sign. “Another visit by your elves?”
“Hey, now. If ole Saint Nick spilled his secrets, it wouldn’t be magic, now, would it? But that is a good-looking sign. And it’s better than the inflatable Santa’s workshop he considered buying that would’ve fit nicely on the front lawn.”
She grinned. “And what stopped him from following through with that one?”
“Even Santa can read the room.” Trevor had a twinkle in his deep blue eyes. “Less is more, or some sad adage like that.”
“I’m so glad I met you. I understand your son so much better.”
“How so?”
She would’ve continued the teasing, but she sensed he was in a more thoughtful state of mind. “You both flip a switch when you’re in public. Like you, he’s quiet when he’s home.” A dark cloud passed over him, and she quickly scrambled to chase it away. “Which makes sense, of course. You’re both public celebrities.” When it didn’t go anywhere, she grew flustered. “Your publicists must coach you on how to behave.”
He watched her for a moment, as if deciding whether he could trust her. “Anywhere I go, the paparazzi’s waiting for me. If you give them a smile, a comment, even just a scrap of personality, you make it so much easier on yourself. If the world likes you, then they don’t harass you. I never wanted to embarrass my son, so I’ve played the game as best as I could.”
“I wasn’t judging you. I promise. It’s just something I notice about both of you. I guess that’s why you raised Cole here? Because the paparazzi leave you alone?” Speaking of which, where was he? She set her bags down in the kitchen and noticed a tin of Scottish butter cookies.
“Not sure I raised him exactly, but yes, that’s why I chose Calamity over Malibu. Well, that, and I didn’t want him to become an entitled brat.”
“You did a good job on that front. He’s the best man I know.”
“I’ve seen a whole other side of him here. With you and the girls.” See, he was quieter again. Subdued. Not unhappy…just introspective.