The Christmas Ball by Lily Seabrooke

Author:Lily Seabrooke
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2019-12-10T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Alice

I was with the kids, struggling by myself to manage so many separate games of Candy Land I felt like a casino operator, when Henry showed up. He leaned in through the doorway with two steaming-hot mugs and smiled at me.

“Alice, I was wondering if I could get a second with you.”

“Henry—great,” I said. “Yes. Plenty of seconds with me. Help me out.”

He looked around at the mess of kids all trying to figure out the game, from four-year-olds dropping their play pieces on the floor and staring at them to Troy, who I knew was cheating, and, like, who the hell cheats at Candy Land? “I was hoping for a private conversation.”

“Well, that hope’s dead in the water. Maybe after playtime.”

He laughed, shook his head and walked over to join me, offering me a mug of cocoa. “Here. Lisette told me cocoa helps calm you down. So… moderating Candy Land?”

I took a long drink of the cocoa. “Yeah. Thanks, Henry.”

We got it handled pretty well. The kids, who had been loudly complaining they wanted Lisette, took well enough to Henry too, and the games all went smoothly. We never caught Troy, but he ended up losing anyway, so I think that went just fine.

All in all, once game time was over and the kids had rejoined their parents, I felt like I could breathe again. Somehow I’d almost finished the entire mug of cocoa. I sank back into the sofa laughing.

“I owe you one, Henry. So, private conversation?”

“Very secret stuff. Would you mind joining me on the patio? I don’t want to be overheard, you know.”

I raised an eyebrow, but I dragged myself up off the sofa. “Lead the way, boss.”

The air was colder than usual once we got outside. There was a faint wind blowing swirls of snow up through the air, and I leaned back against the wall of the house, holding my cocoa close to my face.

“So,” Henry said, standing a little uneasily. “Just to make sure, everything we say here is a secret, right?”

“Of course. Cross my heart and hope to die. Trust me, I never reveal a secret.”

He smiled weirdly. “So… how’d you do it?”

I didn’t like that. “How’d I do what?”

“Open up Lisette like you did.”

I gulped. “I don’t know. We just hit it off well. I mean, we got along well ten years ago, and things have just felt natural between us now?”

“She’s spent years bouncing between people, always brushing them off before long, but I’ve never seen her attach to someone like she has to you.”

I drank the cocoa. It helped calm me down. “I mean, I’m not too different, actually. People usually get fed up with me before long. Don’t like how open and loud I am, I think. But she’s a good friend.”

“It’s good to see.” He beamed. “She really likes you, you know. She hasn’t had a satisfying relationship in a long time, and I think you’re good for her.”

My heart dropped and I forgot for a second how to speak.

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