Mistletoe Magic (Paradise Place #6) - Natalie Ann Page 0,41

about it or the divorce.”

Blair reached her hand over and laid it on Robin’s. “I’m not trying to be nosy. Not like you think. It’s just I was curious who was going to be our neighbor more than anything. I didn’t even tell Philip I did that or he’d lecture me,” she said, grinning. “You don’t have to tell me anything.”

“Thanks,” she said and turned to get the coffee ready. “It was a short marriage and a fast divorce.”

“And you were hurt. I’ve been there before. Where you are so in love with someone and maybe they weren’t the person you thought they were.”

She wondered if Blair knew more than she was letting on. “Something like that. Anyway, it’s in my past now.”

“But you’ve got someone else in your future.”

She figured Blair had seen Brian over. “I do. He’s a great guy.”

“You seem very happy. But I’ve got to tell you, in my dreams, there is a guy saving you. Maybe it’s you’re new man, maybe someone else. But it’s Christmastime and you’re standing by yourself and you look up and there is mistletoe over your head. Your man comes up and gives you a kiss and you realize all your dreams are coming true.”

“That’s kind of funny and sweet at the same time.”

She wasn’t about to say it’d always been a dream of hers to be kissed under the mistletoe. That would be silly and maybe it was every little girl’s dream.

“I know,” Blair said and accepted her coffee, then picked up the cream that Robin set out and poured a little.

Once Robin had her coffee in front of her, she sat down on the stool. “I moved here to get away from people or questions.”

“I can understand that too. I’ve been judged a lot. Some of it through my own big mouth.”

She couldn’t imagine. Blair just seemed so nice and down to earth. “I tend to keep to myself.”

“I learned to do that somewhat,” Blair said, laughing. “But I felt I could be honest with you. People have always thought I was odd or quirky. You see, my mother was murdered when I was really young and her best friend was my guardian. My father, Tyler, he adopted me. He’s married to my Pops, Jake.”

“I’m sure that would be strange to some people when you were younger. Now it’s more common.” She’d always thought it was but knew it wasn’t the case for some.

“Common but not always accepted. At least by people I used to date.”

“But Philip has no issues with it?” she asked. “What about your biological father?”

“I came from a Petri dish,” Blair said, laughing.

Now she understood a bit more about why people thought Blair might be a little out there. “Well then.”

“I know. Still, I have a great life. It’s not what most go through, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. And I learned that just because I’m different doesn’t make me a bad person. The right person was out there for me and I found him. It just took time.”

“Thanks,” she said. “For sharing that. I’m hoping the same holds true for me.”

“I think it’s already true for you,” Blair said, smirking over the rim of her coffee cup.

18

Lit The Flame

“So you’re okay with this?” Brian asked. This was the first Christmas that Meena was in Troy’s house and she was determined to have a party. His once shy best friend had caved and said as long as all he had to do was eat and drink, he’d be fine with it.

“Of course. Why would you think otherwise?” Robin asked.

She’d been a little quiet for days and he wasn’t sure what might be going on. “I don’t know,” he said. “We haven’t talked much this week and maybe I wondered if you were having second thoughts.”

“No second thoughts. Just so busy getting the shelter ready for the party tomorrow and making sure everything is just right. Then I had to finish up Christmas shopping. Rick is coming home on Sunday and, well, I’m excited to see him but...”

“A little nervous about what he will think of me?” he asked. He knew what it was like to be a protective older brother, and after what Robin had gone through, he suspected that Rick was more so.

Not to mention how close Robin and Rick were. She was always mentioning she talked to him a lot, went to him for advice, valued his opinion. Brian felt a little self-conscious she might be talking about him when