Sweet Joymaker (Indigo Bay Christmas Romances #3) - Jean Oram Page 0,26
saw them and veered away. “What makes you think it was me?”
“It wasn’t?”
He shook his head.
“Were you surprised?” she asked, curious about what they might have in common.
“In retrospect, no. In the moment, yes.”
“That was like me and Roy,” she said, starting the next round by putting down a card. “It surprised me when he voiced those thoughts. He’d gotten a lot further than I had with that line of thinking. It was unsettling how he’d allowed himself to complete that what-if. Then to keep following it until it became an actual plan.” She felt the hurt, the sting, the betrayal. She’d always shut down those types of thoughts, believing the two of them would be in it together, through thick and thin, right until the end.
“Did you dispute the divorce?”
She shook her head. “If someone’s that far gone, what’s the point? I wasn’t getting him back.” They finished the hand, and Clint scored the points for them both.
“That’s game.”
She swept up the cards, putting them back in their box and feeling like a rebel for not shuffling them first. “Nice job on the win.”
“Is there a prize?” Clint asked. His smile made her leave her old hurts behind and return to the moment. To Clint. To laughter and joy.
“There’s a kiss, but only if you promise to be a good sport about winning.”
“I’m always a good sport.”
Maria scooted forward in her chair, leaning across the small table to give Clint a kiss that had the promise of becoming more.
She heard through the patio doors the rattle of the front door closing, then Kit calling, “I’m home!”
“We’re out here,” she answered, disappointed in the timing.
“I have good news,” her friend announced, sliding open the patio door. “The fundraiser needs more help.” There was a groan in her voice despite her cheeriness. Maria had never seen Kittim in a truly bad mood, and couldn’t imagine what it might be like. She had a suspicion it might feel as though the earth had fallen off its axis.
“Oh, hi. You must be Clint,” her friend said.
He stood and shook her hand.
“What are you two up to?” Kit asked as Clint offered her his chair. She declined and he sat again.
“Making out,” Clint said, as Maria replied, “Playing a game of Getting My Butt Kicked at Cribbage.”
Kit smiled and winked at her. “Way to go, girl.” She moved back inside, calling through the open door, “I’m hungry. Do you two have plans for supper?”
Maria frowned and checked her watch. It felt like she and Clint had just eaten lunch, but it had already been hours. She checked the sky, and sure enough, the sun was dipping toward the horizon.
“Sorry, we ate your leftovers,” Clint said.
“Good. I never do.”
Maria watched him, curious if he thought they might have supper plans.
“I was thinking a stir-fry.” Kit leaned out the glass door to address Clint. “Do you want to stay?”
“Sure.” He stood up. “What can I do to help?”
“You can open the bottle of white wine I have chilling in the fridge. I’m going to change out of these clothes. Maria, can you yank the appropriate veggies out of the crisper?” Without waiting for an answer, Kit headed down the hallway toward her bedroom.
“You two have been friends a long time?” Clint asked.
Maria nodded.
“I can see why.”
“How’s that?” she asked as they moved to the kitchen.
“You’re both good at taking charge as well as taking orders. You’re a lot alike.”
Maria chuckled. “I suppose that’s true.” Except Kit didn’t seem to be having a late midlife crisis.
“She’s a good friend?”
“The best.” And she had been for years—ever since they’d met here one summer and she’d borrowed Kit’s sunscreen on the beach. They didn’t see each other often, but they kept in touch.
Clint opened the fridge, handing Maria the bottle of wine before rummaging through the other contents. He began passing her various items.
“I can do that if you want to open the wine.”
“Don’t trust a bachelor when it comes to vegetables?”
“Not especially. Have you met my boys? They practically died of scurvy when I left them alone on the ranch for a few months.”
“It was just a ploy to get you to come home again.”
Home. What was she going to do when she returned home? How was she going to resolve this feeling of being unsettled inside? And what was she going to do about Clint?
She placed a hand against his back as he continued his search through the fridge, and said, “I don’t know how this can