Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30218 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 151(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30218 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 151(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
Good, even.
All I had to do was act normal, and everything would be fine.
7
CASEY
Growing up, my mom had always said I was good in an emergency. There’d been a small fire in our kitchen once, and even as a twelve-year-old, I’d known to smother it instead of toss water at it and make everything worse. I remained calm and collected on the outside, even when I was completely freaked out on the inside.
And it was all I could think about now, as I casually walked around with Rome and Justin, sipping mulled wine and chatting like the three of us were all good friends.
Even though I was dying a little inside, every time I caught Rome’s gaze.
Every time I accidentally looked a little too long at his lips, and remembered how good they had felt on mine.
I tried to shove those memories out of my mind.
“I swear, he looked like he wanted to kill me for it,” Justin was saying, still laughing about a man who’d come up and snatched up a Christmas tree from right under his nose.
“You could have taken him, for sure,” Rome said.
“Dad, I’m a pacifist, and you know it,” Justin said. “I might not look like a hippie anymore, but I’m all about peace. Even when it comes to Christmas tree snatchers like him.”
I clicked my tongue. “You’re lucky I already have my tree set up, otherwise I’d be fighting you for that one at the front. I still think it’s the best.”
“Casey, don’t encourage him,” Rome said. “We still have the back half of the lot to check. And I have a working theory that that’s where they keep the freshest trees. Holy shit, speaking of which—look at those.”
Rome took off like a bloodhound toward the edge of the lot, where two guys were loading more trees fresh off of a long truck.
“That’s like catnip to my dad,” Justin said, nodding over toward him. “Trees so new they’re literally still loading them off of the pallets? He’s in heaven.”
For a moment Justin and I stood watching as Rome inspected all of the new trees across the way.
“I’m glad you’re back. Even if it’s just for a week,” I said.
“Me, too. Thanks for coming tonight, too,” Justin said. “I think my dad likes you. I haven’t seen my dad this happy in way too long.”
I felt a heat creep up to my cheeks, and I was glad for the dim light so Justin didn’t see me blushing for no damn reason.
I cleared my throat. “Likes me?” I said.
Justin nodded. “Oh, yeah. He’s having a great time, he’s getting along with you, and he’s in his element being in a Christmas tree lot, for sure. It’s good to see. To be honest, I’ve been worried about my dad.”
“Wait, worried about him? Why?” I asked. “Is something up with him?”
Justin’s face looked crestfallen as he stared off toward his dad, who was currently running a hand along a branch on one of the pine trees. “I mean, where do I start? Something’s been up with him for years, I think.”
I furrowed my brow. “This is new to me. You never mentioned anything was going on with your dad, other than that he was a great guy.”
“He is a great guy,” Justin said. “I just don’t always think he sees that.”
“Really? He seems pretty confident to me,” I said softly.
I was trying my hardest not to think about my night with Rome right now—but the last thing in the world he’d seemed was unsure about himself. He’d been smoother than hell, fun-loving, and had been totally at home in his own skin when he was with me.
“If you want the truth, I don’t think he’s ever let himself live down being alone for so long,” Justin said. “I mean, for the last decade, I was busy with school and now work. But he’s tried so hard to date and find love again. Women, men, tons of dates that seemed so promising and never ended up panning out.”
“Your dad’s a total catch,” I said. “I can’t believe that.”
“I know,” Justin told me. “My mom found someone else so quickly back in the day, and it blindsided him. It hasn’t been as easy for him.”
I shrugged one shoulder. “Maybe he just has high standards.”
“And he’s fucking lonely now, dude,” Justin said. “He’s dying of loneliness, and he doesn’t even realize it.”
Justin’s words hit me right in the heart. I tried to play it cool, waving a hand through the air.
“He doesn’t seem that lonely to me.”
Justin pulled in a big breath of air, his expression finally softening. “Yeah, because tonight is the happiest I’ve seen him in a really long time. I was starting to wonder if he’d given up on the magic of this time of year, but tonight, it’s back.”