“Last-minute shopping?” she asked brightly, not asking the one question she really wanted to ask.
What time is Jake coming home?
“It’s so nice out tonight, we thought we’d walk to the park and see the light display. Do you want to come along? They’re serving hot apple cider and hot chocolate too,” Marnie said hopefully.
“Oh, thanks for the invite, but I have a date with a tree and boxes and boxes of decorations.”
Marnie glanced up at the large balsam on top of her small car and frowned. “I thought you had that lovely prelit tree.”
“Oh, I did, but wanted the real deal this year.” Her in-laws had no clue that she had basically moved into the stone cottage at Wyndham, and for the moment she preferred to keep it that way. If they knew, it would lead to questions, and at the moment Raine wasn’t even sure what the answers to those questions would be.
All she did know was that everything was finally starting to feel right. Wyndham felt right. Her new balsam fir felt right.
Marnie took a step closer and cradled Raine’s cheeks between her gloved hands. “It’s so wonderful to see you out. You look lovely, honey.”
Raine lowered her gaze and leaned into her mother-in-law’s touch. “I feel…I feel as if I’m waking up, you know, and…” She paused, unable to stop herself. “Have you heard from Jake?”
Marnie gave her a quick kiss and smiled. “He called us from the airport. He and Lily will be home soon. As long as the roads are good, within the next few hours.”
“Oh,” Raine replied, her heart sinking. “Lily’s spending Christmas with us?”
“Jake invited her, and of course we couldn’t refuse. That poor girl, she needs us. She needs real family.” Marnie’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “I wonder if our original plan might still work.”
“Plan?” Raine said dully.
“Jake and Lily. He swears up and down that she’s just a friend but…I’m not sure I believe him.”
“Marnie,” Steven said softly, “let the young ones work things out on their own.”
She laughed. “I suppose I should keep my nose out of it. He is a big boy now.” She shrugged. “But it’s Christmas, and one never knows what kind of miracles can happen.”
“One never knows,” Raine replied, moving toward her car. “All right, I’ll see the two of you Christmas Eve?”
Marnie nodded. “Yes, we plan on attending candlelight service, and then we’ll be home by nine.”
“Good, see you then.”
Raine slipped into her car and watched Marnie and Steven meander down the sidewalk, holding hands, their bodies touching whenever they could—shoulders, elbows, cheeks.
She couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to have that kind of love. A love that grows with you. A love that is accepting and nurturing and forgiving.
She thought of Jake, and that familiar heaviness twisted insider her chest. It was a sensation she’d grown accustomed to, one she’d had a lot over the last few days. She thought about their past and the secrets she’d kept from Jake. And for the first time in forever, it seemed, she thought about a future.
And God help her, when she was alone, wrapped in the blanket they’d made love in only days ago—as she’d inhaled his scent and kept him close—she’d dreamed of a future with Jake.
A car horn erupted into the night and pulled her from her thoughts, which was for the best. What was the point in wondering about a future with Jake, when Barbie doll was back in the picture?
Twenty minutes later she pulled into the main driveway at Wyndham Place, which was in darkness, and followed it around to the cottage. Warm light flooded from the windows, and a feeling of lightness overcame her as she gazed at the simple stone structure.
What was it about this place that made her feel so settled? So at peace?
Her mother knew she’d been staying here and probably thought she was going through some sort of weird grieving stage, and who knows, maybe she was, but she didn’t care. At the moment all she cared about was that it felt right to be here. She would get the place up to muster and ready for Jake, and then she’d…well, then she would leave. It wasn’t as if this was a permanent sort of thing.
“Whatever,” she muttered as she slipped from the car. She wouldn’t think about it now. She’d leave all that stuff for another day. At least she had tonight, and even if it meant she only had one more perfect evening here, then so be it. If this was to be her doll house to dress up, then she was going to make the most of it.
It took nearly half an hour for Raine to empty her car of the groceries and decorations she’d bought. A new fridge and stove had been delivered a few days ago. At the time, she told herself she was doing it for Jake, making him a home to stay in while he worked on Wyndham Place.
But that was a lie. She’d only been back to her house for clothes and a few essentials. She’d spent every night here, on the blanket by the fire, with Gibson for company. She’d cleaned the loft upstairs and had her old bed brought over from her mother’s. The main level was spotless—the floors gleamed, the walls shined—and now, as she placed a huge wooden nutcracker near the hearth, it was perfect.