Pining For You (Jasper Falls 4)

She grinned. Even if Pop didn’t say it as often, there had never been a man who loved a woman as completely as he loved his wife.

“Why do you ask?” Gran wondered.

She shrugged. “Some people aren’t as affectionate as us. I’m trying to understand why.”

“Some people don’t know how.”

Skylar frowned. “What’s to know?”

Her grandmother glanced at her grandfather. “Some men can’t express their emotions, and they don’t much like feeling them either, especially when their life experiences haven’t taught them much about the nice ones. Sometimes they fear loving others because they worry it will open them up to more pain.”

Skylar’s frown deepened. Did Rhett have a painful past? Had someone hurt him? Broken his heart? Perhaps Addison’s mother had wronged him and that was why they weren’t together. There was only one way to find out.

That night, as she lie awake in bed, Skylar thought of all the ways Rhett made her feel loved. Sometimes it was a gesture, other times it was a look or touch. His actions gave away his feelings more than his words.

So, why did she need those words? Maybe love was about trusting a person’s intensions based on the proof shown through behavior.

In the end, she admitted that growing up with such an overwhelming family she’d become sheltered. She took love and affection for granted and overlooked that not every child grew up the same way.

As a teacher, she’d always been aware of that fact and sure to look for any symptoms of neglect. It was a part of her training, to not just educate, but fill any voids where nurture and care seemed low. How had she been so naive to think that such problems belonged only to children.

Everyone in Jasper Falls adored the mayor, but they didn’t truly know him. She saw the real Rhett Buchanan, and recognized how lonely he’d actually been before she’d come into his life. Maybe she could be the braver person and tell him he didn’t have to be alone any more.

In that moment, she admitted she loved him enough to wait for his heart to thaw.

23

Christmas Eve

* * *

Skylar slept as late as she physically could, wishing for any excuse to avoid facing her parents. She was still angry with her father and unsure what she would say to him when forced to confront him tonight.

She needed coffee before making any difficult decisions. Shuffling into the bathroom and then lurching into the kitchen of the big house, she sensed something was off the moment she reached for the coffee pot. The hairs on her arms rose and she twisted, finding Gran and her parents waiting at the dining room table—each one watching her expectantly.

“What’s going on?” A strange sense that she was being ambushed crept over her, and she regretted being too foggy headed to run.

“Get your coffee, dear, then we’ll talk,” Gran said with her usual cheer.

A vision of a wild gazelle tumbling to the earth flashed in her mind, ripped from the pack and taken out by an unexpected predator.

She got a little dramatic when cornered first thing in the morning before she had her coffee.

Her eyes narrowed and her mouth pursed. She hadn’t expected to start the day this way. Taking her time, she filled a mug and took an extra minute to stir in the cream with extra slow swirls of a spoon with perfectly spherical strokes.

She debated taking her coffee and walking right out the back door, but it was cold and she was only wearing slippers, so she carried her mug into the dining room. Her mom’s expression was unreadable and her dad was scowling.

“Have a seat,” Gran said invitingly, like this could somehow pass as normal and unthreatening.

Skylar obeyed, only because her grandmother had been so kind to her and she didn’t want to disrespect her in her own house.

The mood at the table was icy, and she suspected this meeting wasn’t at her parents’ request.

“I asked your mother and father here because I think there are some things we need to get straight. First, I want to set some ground rules. This is my house and it’s a holiday. I won’t tolerate yelling and it’s bad luck to fight on Christmas Eve.”

“Mom—”

“Don’t interrupt me, Katherine. Second, everyone at this table is an adult and should be respected as such. We aren’t here to hurl insults or hurt each other. We’re here to fix things. Anthony, maybe you should start. Do you have something to say to your daughter?”

“How could you let this happen?” His words cut off as Gran smacked him in the back of the head.

“Mom!”

Skylar’s mom gaped at Gran, but Gran only snapped, “I meant an apology.”

Her father crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not apologizing for pulling her out of that house.”

“You didn’t pull me out,” Skylar reminded. “I walked out. You humiliated me in front of half the town.”