Getting It Right (The Atticus Chronicles) by Kent Jane

Author:Kent, Jane [Kent, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2013-06-30T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

“Dinner was a gourmet delight as always, sweetie,” Dave said, kissing PJ on the cheek. “Your gravy and stuffing beat even my mom’s. But if you tell her I said that, I’ll be forced to reveal your deepest darkest secret to all and sundry.”

“You don’t know my deepest, darkest secret,” PJ scoffed with a smile handing him, and then Jack, a doggie bag.

It was Christmas and the last guests from what Dave called her Second Annual Potluck Orphan’s Christmas Dinner were leaving. She’d hosted the first dinner last year when she’d realized the number of people she’d met in her new hometown who were alone for Christmas.

People who simply had no one to spend Christmas with or who had families living too far away, many of them elderly people. Like the children’s party, it had expanded, from the six last year to twelve people this year. People like Mrs. Minarcin who owned the pet shop next door came and old Mr. Evans who came into PJ’s store everyday to read his newspaper just for the company.

And Bastian.

PJ had started the day at dawn, getting the turkey into the oven and calling her parents and Rome to wish them a Merry Christmas. It was her first conversation with her brother since she’d yelled at him over the phone last week. She’d forgiven him, though she’d made it clear she still thought he was an ass for not telling her the truth from the beginning.

She’d gone to the morning church service, determined not to let worry over the threat against her and her family or thoughts of Bastian ruin her Christmas until she’d come down from communion and seen Bastian sitting in the last pew. Then, he was all she could think about eclipsing even the death threat from the murderous triads in her mind for the rest of the service.

She’d caught glimpses of him over the last week. Now that she knew why he was really here, he seemed to be everywhere she went. She supposed he always had been, but now he didn’t need to be secretive. They’d had one short, stilted conversation when he’d brought Marco Santini into the bookstore to introduce him. From then on, lucky girl, she’d had two shadows.

Bastian had waited for her outside the church, and when she’d drawn near he’d pulled the most exquisite crystal dove holding an olive branch out of his pocket and held it out to her. “Merry Christmas, PJ,” he’d said. “Forgive me?”

And she had. It was Christmas. And she really didn’t want to be angry with him any longer. After all, he’d only been doing what Rome, his friend, had asked. She would have done the same for Skye. And, if she was honest, she’d also forgiven him because she’d missed him desperately. She’d gotten used to the daily visits he’d made the week before and she’d missed them and the easy camaraderie they’d established.

“Thanks again, PJ,” Jack said now, pulling her back to the present. “Sorry I have to leave, but my ex will be waiting for me to pick up the kids.

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