Just Home for the Holidays - Deborah Cooke Page 0,44

and he wasn’t sure it would be easy, but something had changed and Hunter liked that a lot.

It was all because of Chloe. Did he dare to tell her that?

Chloe woke up Christmas Day thinking about Hunter. They’d parted badly and she’d only caught a glimpse of him since, but it was the anniversary of Hollis’ death. As the only one who knew, Chloe wanted to make sure Hunter wasn’t alone. He was working at the club in the afternoon and having dinner with Jacinda, but what about this morning?

She tried to call him, but was directed to voice mail. That had to be a bad sign.

Her mom was alone in the kitchen, cupping her hands around a mug of coffee and looking out the windows. The snow was falling gently to the street below and there was a hush over the city.

“You’re not usually up this early,” Chloe said, after giving her mom a kiss. She poured herself a cup of coffee.

“Just wanted to enjoy every moment,” her mom said, and something in her tone caught Chloe’s attention. She turned to find her mom watching her, a sad smile on her lips. “They come next Thursday, on the second.”

“Who’s coming, Mom?”

“The auction people, of course.”

Chloe’s heart dropped. Her sister had been right. “You’re moving?” she asked, needing to hear the words.

Alicia nodded. “The apartment is already sold. I had the real estate agent show it when it was at its best, fully furnished and decorated for the holidays. It does look good, doesn’t it?” She peeked at the living room and smiled. “I wanted one last perfect Christmas here. It was, wasn’t it?”

“It was, Mom. How soon?”

“The deal closes on the sixth.”

Chloe sat down hard, knowing her surprise showed. “Where are you going to live?”

“A friend is letting me apartment-sit for the winter, while they’re down south. I’ll find something myself by the time they come back in March.” Her mom reached out to pat Chloe’s hand. “You look so surprised, dear, but it’s been coming for a while. Even Cooper didn’t have enough money to keep me forever. That’s why I wanted everything arranged with Josh, so you’d have somebody to count on.”

“Mom, you don’t have to fix me up...”

“You always have liked stability and routine, Chloe. I know how much it frightened you when your father died and we had to move. For the longest time, I was sure that you needed someone to take care of you and protect you from the kinds of shocks that life can bring.”

“Sounds like you’ve changed your mind.”

“I have.” Her mom smiled. “I like Hunter. He reminds me of your father. But more importantly, I like how you sparkle in his presence. He makes you laugh. He makes you forget your situation. I’m wondering whether he could teach you to embrace change, when it comes along, instead of always needing to control every detail. No one can do that, Chloe. The trick is to learn to go with the flow.”

Chloe stared down at her coffee, not sure what to make of her mom’s endorsement of Hunter. She barely remembered her father.

“You’ve changed, Chloe. I guess you’ve grown up.” Her mom smiled. “I don’t feel like I have to protect you from change anymore.”

“You don’t.”

“Good.”

“What about you, Mom?”

“It seems a bit late for me to be learning about myself, but I’ve had a few realizations lately. I like things, beautiful things, but I’m not sure I need to own them. It doesn’t break my heart that all of this will be sold. That surprised me a bit.”

“But if the money is gone, what will you do for cash?”

“It’s not all gone, of course. When all is said and done, there will be a little nest egg left, maybe enough for a small apartment of my own.” Her mom gave her a shrewd look. “I might call you for suggestions on making the most of that.”

“Any time, Mom.”

“And the lovely man at the auction house offered me a job, at least for now, and I’m quite excited about it. He said I knew my things better than anyone, and he’s right—I remember the provenance of every antique and every piece of art. He was quite impressed by what he called my encyclopedic knowledge, but I don’t just buy any pretty little bit of stuff. I do my homework. I buy the best. I wait for it.”

Chloe smiled at that. “You have your books and guides.”

“Exactly. You come honestly by your love of