A Novel Christmas by Lynsey M. Stewart

Author:Lynsey M. Stewart [Stewart, Lynsey M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-11-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Cal

I moved the boxes containing the order of the service to the recycling bin and tidied up the bedroom, stripping the bed, closing the drawers and putting everything away in cupboards, including the stunningly untouched wedding dress. I needed to busy myself, distract my mind from the conversations of the evening and the realisation that Drew wanted to be nothing more than friends because he didn’t believe a happily ever after existed for him.

I couldn’t get on board with that. My mind and body were screaming at me to challenge him, the romance writer in me was horrified, but I wasn’t sure how I could help him change his mind.

Drew was still sitting in the same chair, staring into space, sighing occasionally and rubbing his hands across his forehead. He looked unruly and deep in thought. His hair was all over the place, his eyes tired like he needed to sleep for a week. I left him there and went downstairs, dumping the dead flowers from the vases into bins, dragging the enormous walls of crispy flowers to join the larger bins outside. As I was putting the glasses away, I heard the door upstairs and watched as Drew walked down the staircase, one thud at a time.

‘I’ve just been tidying. You don’t need to see any of this,’ I said, hiding the deflated balloons behind the bar until I knew it was safe to get rid of them.

‘Thanks, Cal. I can’t tell you how much you’re helping me.’ He bashed a chair with his hand and a plume of dust wafted into the air.

‘I could do some cleaning while I’m here.’

‘You’ve done enough. Thanks for hiding the evidence,’ he replied, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly as he sat down.

‘I’ve been thinking while you’ve been upstairs.’

‘Never good,’ he mumbled as I ignored him.

‘Can I ask you something?’ He leant back, nodded once and closed his eyes. ‘Why did you leave it like this? Everything untouched, just as it was left.’

His eyes remained closed, but his fingers twitched. ‘At first, I couldn’t face it. As more time passed by I couldn’t see the point. It was a crime scene. I didn’t want anything to do with the place. I busied myself with the cottages and ignored this completely. I allowed Gerry to use the front barn for the author retreat in the spring, but apart from that, I haven’t been back here since that day.’ I dropped myself down on the chair opposite and watched as he sat forward, both hands running through his hair leaving peaks where his fingers had been. ‘I knew Meghan was struggling. The isolation was too much. She was unhappy and I didn’t do a thing to help her. I should have done more.’

‘Let’s not do that,’ I replied. ‘You can’t blame yourself.’

‘I was obsessed with making this work. Not making us work.’

‘Perhaps you didn’t want to,’ I said.

He glanced at me like I’d found his secret. ‘You should be a detective.’

‘I’m good aren’t I?’ I replied as he chuckled.

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