“Someday I’ll tell her, just not right away. She deserves a wedding day free of drama.”
“Said like a doting big sister.” He winked and continued to devour his food. “How long were you and Charlie married?”
“Ten years.” I took another bite and swallowed, wanting to ask him the same thing. “Lily mentioned you were recently divorced as well.”
“See? Small towns talk.” He nodded, making me feel like a huge idiot. A hugegossipingidiot. However, he ignored it and carried on. “Member of the Divorce Club. After four years of unwedded bliss.”
I wanted to laugh at the tone of his voice, but it wasn’t right. Instead, I covered his hand with mine. “I’m sorry. It sucks, doesn’t it?”
“I’m used to shrugging it off because most don’t get itand have the best of intentions when they say it takes two to ruin a marriage, right?” He looked deep into my eyes. “But, yeah, it sucked.”
“Did she cheat?”
His gaze raked me over, as if studying to guess how I’d react.“That would probably make it easier, but no, she fell out of living the small-town life. She hated it, but we moved here because that’s where the job was, and as sole supporter, it’s my job to provide for her and take care of her. Besides, I figured the change would be good for us. Get away from her meddling family who were constantly asking from the moment we said ‘I do’ if we were pregnant yet.” He shook his head and let his focus fall to the salt and pepper shakers.
There was a lot of vitriol in his words, but I let him spew it out, pretty sure he wasn’t going tohold back either.
“All her parents wanted was a grandchild even though they’d never really accepted me into the family, and they were embarrassed to tell people what I did for a living. I think, at one point, they said I was in real estate.” He laughed a sad, painful laugh and pushed the tray off to the side. “Her previous boyfriends were all executives and doctors. I never knew what she found in me, but whatever it was, it wasn’t enough to keep her around. She got what she wanted and left.”
“I’m so sorry.Life’s unfair, isn’t it?” My heart ached hearing his story, and I searched his face for the answer clearly settling across it.
“Want to go for a walk? I feel I’ve brought this lunch down into misery.”
“Misery is my middle name, didn’t you know? Mona Misery Baker.” I almost tacked on my married name, but since I was at the start of all the paperwork to remove it, now was a good time to stop announcing it.
The weak jokeworked. A small grin played over his lips, but it didn’t turn into anything bigger. Instead, he rose and tossed our garbage away.
“Merry Christmas, Pete.” He waved at the silver-haired man.
“Merry Christmas, Jesse.”
The bells jingled overhead, and we stepped outside, back into the fresh ocean air.
Across the road, carollers sang.Real people dressed in long robes with top hats and bonnets, holding leather-bound songbooks in their hands. I blinked several times to make sure it was real.
“Let’s go listen.It’ll be good to hear the merriment and joy.”
No way was I going to get much closer. Carolers were not my thing, just like the whole of the holiday season. However, before I could put the brakes on, Jesse was tugging me across Main Street.
Chapter Six
I didn’t sing along with the carolers, but Jessesure did. He was tone deaf and off key, but clearly didn’t care. It was charming, if not a little hard to listen to, but I found myself entranced watching him feel the words and sing with all his heart.
He stepped back to me when the carolersclosed their books and moved further down the street. “Sorry, I just love that song. Couldn’t help myself.”
Never again will Ibe able to hear ‘Deck the Halls’ without seeing Jesse giving it his all.
“How come you weren’t singing?”
“Too busy taking in the moment.”
His gaze roamed up and down, and he tipped his head to the side. “Hmm… Okay.” He checked his watch. “Oh, shoot. I need to go. See you back at my place in a bit?”
I understood the need to go, but if I was being honest, I didn’t want him to leave.
“Sure thing. I need to pick up a couple of items and then go pick up my car.” I shifted my bags into my other hand.
He pausedand stepped closer. “What did Lenny say?”