Tic-Tac-Mistletoe - N.R. Walker Page 0,45

a super small ceremony at the courthouse a year ago. I was going to come over for it, but then we began the plans for me to move here, so I held off.”

“I’d have loved to have a sister,” he said. “When I was younger, I always wanted a brother to play ball with. But as I got older, I wanted a sister. I think I’d have gotten along better with a sister.”

“Well, yes and no. Liv hated that I played with her dolls and make-up, but she liked that I’d sit there for hours while she did my hair and make-up. And I could wear taller heels than her, she hated that, and my legs looked better. But mostly we got on okay. Better as we got older, for sure.”

Ren laughed as he ate, then he sipped his coffee. “Must have been hard when she left.”

“To be honest, I was so busy at work and with my own life that her going off on some overseas trip was a bit of a relief. Which sounds awful. But I’d been the grown-up after our parents died, so seeing her off on the plane was almost like one responsibility off my list. Which again, sounds awful.” I shrugged. “But then she met Josh and the reality of it all hit me when she told me she wasn’t coming home. I’d really taken her for granted.”

“It can’t have been easy,” he said gently. “You were so young yourself. Being responsible for a teenager when you were so young . . . I can’t imagine what that was like. I know how hard it was for me losing a parent when I was in my thirties.”

“It was hard. I was at college and had to deal with organising funerals and wills and estate attorneys. I was studying finance so I was no fool, but yeah, it was a very steep learning curve. Trying to keep Liv from spiralling out of control, see that she finished high school, and make sure she didn’t blow her inheritance on shit eighteen-year-olds would buy.”

“She must have turned out okay.”

“Yeah, she did. She had to grow up quickly too. But she got through university to be a primary school teacher, and then she got itchy feet. Wanted to travel and see the world. Someone she knew was heading to the States so she thought, why not go with them.”

Ren smiled at me. “And now you’re here.”

“I am. I didn’t get far, admittedly. Ran my car off the road on day one.”

He put his fork down on his empty plate. “I’m not complaining about that,” he said. Then his lips twisted in a thoughtful pout. “Do you think you’ll do what your sister did?”

“What’s that? Meet someone and stay here?”

There was unguarded vulnerability in his eyes, and he nodded.

My heart squeezed and my tummy tightened. “I can’t say for sure. I mean, I’ve been here for three days and I don’t have a crystal ball . . . but I gotta say, Ren, it looks promising.”

Chapter Ten

Ren

I didn’t want to sound like some needy, insecure man-baby, but I had to know. Here I was, convincing myself in my head that I wanted someone in life—I wanted Hamish in my life—and the truth was he had only been here three days, and he was here for two years and then he’d be gone and I’d be alone again.

I was setting myself up for imminent failure.

But me asking him was wrong and as I packed an overnight bag and cleaned up the house, it bothered me that I’d put him in that position. It was a shitty thing to do and I felt bad. When we were finally in the truck and on our way, I only got to the end of the driveway before I had to say something.

“I didn’t mean . . . What I said before about meeting someone and staying, like your sister did, I don’t want you to think I’m pressuring you into anything already,” I blurted out. “We haven’t even been out on an official date yet. And you’ve been here for three days, and I feel terrible. So, I apologise. Sorry.”

He was sitting in the passenger seat with his pink coat and hat on and with Chutney on his lap. He gave me a startled expression. “What are you sorry for? You didn’t pressure me into anything.” Then he frowned. “I actually thought it was sweet and it was possibly in the top three