Christmas at Fireside Cabins - Jenny Hale Page 0,78
she didn’t let his statement derail the conversation. “Theo, if you don’t want me around, then so be it, but don’t just disappear and cut yourself off completely. Don’t do that to me again.”
He locked eyes with her, remorse sliding down his face. “Lila, I didn’t intend to meet you, and it’s really bad timing…” He tilted his head, seemingly contemplating the situation. For a second she thought the corners of his lips were forming a smile. But then it faded. “I didn’t cut off my phone so you couldn’t call me. I cut off my phone to keep myself from calling you.”
A buzz of excitement swam around inside her. “Why stop yourself?” she asked.
Theo slid her coat off and draped it on one of the chairs, then offered her a seat. He lowered himself down across the table from her. “The first time I saw you walk in with all your friends, something about you pulled me in. I had to work to keep my eyes off you. It frustrated me to no end because all I wanted was to be left alone.”
“Why?”
“It was easier to avoid getting hurt.”
“And now?”
“That’s the problem, Lila. I’m not in a position to be what you want me to be.”
“And what do I want you to be?” He was talking in riddles.
“Present.” He rolled his head on his shoulders, closing his eyes, clearly dealing with some kind of inner turmoil. “I’m so far under water that I can’t focus on anything but myself right now. No matter how much I’d love to.”
“You’re present every day at the coffee shop,” she said.
“I won’t be anymore. I’m here because I just met with my real estate agent. He’s got an offer on the shop.”
“Oh,” she said, letting her dejection show. She leaned across the table and touched his arm. “Theo, why don’t you tell me what you’re going through so I can go through it with you? You don’t need to deal with whatever it is alone.”
“I don’t want to drag you into this.”
“You wouldn’t drag me into anything. I’d willingly step into it with you.” When he didn’t answer, avoiding her gaze, she changed course. “We don’t have to have a plan right now. And I guess we should get Eleanor’s car unstuck before the snow buries it.”
“I’m not sure we can get it out of the ditch. You’ve dug yourself into a pretty good hole. But if you want to try, we can. Worst case, I can drive you home in my truck.” He stood up, lifting her coat off the chair and handing it to her. Then he went over to the closet and pulled out a shovel.
Lila wasn’t any closer to answers, but Theo had used the word “we,” which was a start. She put her coat on and followed him back out into the cold.
When they got to the car, she stopped him. “I’ll tell you what. We get this car out and you tell me what’s going on. All of it. If the car’s stuck, then you’re off the hook.”
His gaze shifted to the tires, half buried in dirt and snow. “You’re always making deals…”
“Do we have a deal?” she asked, ignoring his attempt to sidestep her suggestion.
He shook his head disbelievingly. “Deal.”
While Lila got in the car and wound down the window so they could talk to each other, Theo dug a pretty good trench at the front and back of the two stuck tires. Then he stepped away.
“Put it in reverse and hit the gas lightly,” he told her.
Lila complied; the engine moaned but the wheels rocked backwards a bit.
“Okay, now put it in drive,” he said.
Lila shifted.
“Got it in drive?”
Lila gave Theo the thumbs up.
“When you hear me yell ‘go,’ hit the gas. It’s definitely in drive, right?”
She checked again. “Yes.”
“Don’t run me over.”
“I won’t.”
Theo walked around to the back of the car. “Go!” he yelled.
Lila hit the gas just as Theo grunted loudly, pushing the vehicle. It strained forward, the wheels spewing snow, dislodging itself but not completely out of the dirt. He dug another trench around them. “Let’s do it again. Ready?”
Lila nodded.
“Now!”
Lila hit the gas while Theo pushed, and suddenly the car felt light, releasing from its spot and sliding onto the street.
“Oh! We did it!” Lila said excitedly, the idea of having Theo to herself making her nervous and excited at the same time.
Theo rolled his eyes as he came around and got into the passenger seat, winding up the window. “I