like she was losing control of her life. How could things deescalate so rapidly from being in heaven for a week to trying to figure out how she could escape?
Common sense won out then. She’d found her voice.
“Ted, get real. You can’t dictate your family’s holiday traditions to me. We either start making our own right now, or I’m moving out.”
Taking his focus out of the camera lens and really looking at her up on the ladder with the kid he had already fallen in love with, Ted knew viscerally that she was right.
“I’ve never stood up to my parents before.”
“Well, that’s probably why you’re still single.”
“I’m not sure what to do.”
“We need to make a list of everything that we want to do for the rest of the month. Next week is the Papa Noel Festival,” Kelly said, climbing down the ladder, with Danny laughing and trying to hang on to each rung. “Kid, I’m gonna beat your ass if you don’t stop,” she told him. “Then there’s the Christmas festival and boat parade, then Christmas Eve and Day. Since your house is closer to the village than your parents’ place, I say let’s have everyone over for the boat parade, and then we can eat downtown and don’t have that mess here. We can have everyone back here later for dessert and coffee or wine and cheese or whatever you’re in the mood for.”
“I can do that. Give me a list. I think we can leave it at having them come here for the boat parade and we go there for Eve. Nothing more unless we have to go to your parents’ house.”
They looked at each other and high-fived.
“God, this is exhausting.”
“It’s called compromise,” Kelly said. “You’re an adult man. A successful veterinarian. You can do this.”
“Please come here,” he asked, grabbing her arm as she walked by. They embraced tenderly, and Danny came up to them, wrapping his arms around their legs, and they included him in the hug. “My family.”
Kelly grinned up at him. “Whatever you say, dear.”
Chapter 8
After working up a sweat dancing like a wild woman to her grandfather’s old zydeco records, Maggie climbed the stairs to the second floor to take yet another shower. Afterward, she sat at her computer at the kitchen table situated where she could look out the window at the water, and the peace that surpasses understanding washed over her. She had a job she loved with great clients, a wonderful home in a place she loved, and if Justin calmed down, a great boyfriend, too.
For the next hour she worked on her clients’ projects. At four, her phone beeped. It was Justin. Her badly behaved inner child wanted to ignore it, but she didn’t want to destroy their relationship, and if she gave in to her baser desires, which included going introvert on him, it wouldn’t take long for the end to come.
“Hey.”
“I guess you know it’s me,” he said, contrite.
“I know it’s you. Your name comes up when you call me.” She giggled a little.
“Do you want to go dancing tonight?”
“Like we did a week ago?”
“Right. At the roadhouse.”
“I’d like that.”
They decided on seven o’clock. It was early, so they’d have time to eat first. She could tell he didn’t want a lot of downtime to rehash the events of the day. Would she be able to just let it go until the next time he had a meltdown over something she’d done against his will? Thinking on it, she honestly didn’t know if keeping quiet was possible. It would take an act of her will.
At seven, he pulled up to the gate. She’d forgotten about changing the combination to the lock and didn’t remember until she got a text. What’s going on with the lock?
“Oh crap,” she said out loud.
She quickly sent him a text with the new combination and went back inside to wait, pacing. Yet an additional thing to tick him off, and while she thought of it, her anger grew. If he truly got mad about the new lock combination, she’d tell him to take a hike.
He pulled up, and she stood behind the door, peeking at him. When he turned the lights off, she could see him staring out the windshield, not moving. Was he trying to assuage his anger? She’d wished her mother would have called to give her the scoop on what he’d told everyone there.
Finally, the truck door opened and he got out, a huge bouquet of flowers in