A Sweethaven Christmas by Courtney Walsh

Author:Courtney Walsh
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780824932367
Publisher: Guideposts
Published: 2012-06-26T16:00:00+00:00

Lila

While the rest of the town sat beneath the stars enjoying the Sweethaven Christmas concert, Lila sat at a small table in the deserted Main Street Café. Only one employee worked behind the counter—a skinny kid with droopy eyes. Luke must’ve given everyone else the night off.

She’d replayed her conversation with her father over and over again, though she’d tried to put it out of her mind. She hadn’t even realized how hurt she was over the idea of her father having other children—and grandchildren—until the moment the words spewed from her mouth. But there they were.

Last night, as she rehashed the whole scenario to Tom, she cried and told herself to get it together.

“I’m an adult, and he’s been letting me down my entire life. Why is this any different?”

Tom held her as they stared up at the ceiling of their room at the Whitmore. “Hurt is hurt, hon,” he’d said. “Doesn’t matter how old you are.”

When would her parents’ grip on her ever loosen? When would she stop trying to measure up—trying to please them and be who they thought she should be?

Her thoughts turned to the way she lived her life in Macon. Junior League. Community Board. Social events where she would be seen. Even her home had been decorated to please other people. At her core, Lila had always wanted something cozy and lived in—something like Adele’s house, which boasted none of the flash or wealth that she’d grown accustomed to.

The cottage she and Tom bought would be different. It would be exactly what she’d always wanted. Maybe she’d even buy something from Adele’s store. And Mama would hate it and that was just fine with her.

She needed to find the courage to stand up for her own ideas—in her home and in her life.

The bell above the door chimed, pulling Lila’s attention. Her breath caught in her throat as the woman she’d been avoiding—her sister—walked in, focused on Droopy Eyes behind the counter. Lila pressed her lips together and remembered how Mama had spoken to the woman in the store the other day.

If she wanted to start being the opposite of Cilla Adler, now was the perfect time.

The woman ordered as Lila enjoyed a few more moments of anonymity. Tall and thin, she did resemble Daddy, in much the same way that Lila did. They both had shoulder-length blonde hair and fair skin. Lila had never had a sister before—and for a brief moment, she wondered if the two of them had anything in common.

The woman paid for her drink, then moved down the counter toward the pick-up. As she did, her eyes swung in Lila’s direction and she quickly looked away.

For the first time since their conversation in the bathroom on Thanksgiving, Lila stopped wallowing in her own self-pity and wondered what this woman had been through. Assuming Daddy was her father, what had this woman’s life been like without him? Had Daddy even tried to stay in touch? And did Lila have any

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