“Yes.”
“Mona is coming tomorrow?” I wrung my hair over my ear just to do something with my shaky hands.
“The day after. Tomorrow is Christmas. When are you flying back home?”
I blinked. “That’s right. I’m getting my days confused.” I rubbed the side of my head and released my gaze from him. “I-I’m leaving in three days.”
Lee’s eyebrows pinched. “So soon.”
I looked back up at him and the dagger in my heart twisted even more. I needed to end this. The longer I was with him, the more I didn’t want to let him go.
“I need to get back to work,” I said. “My vacation time is over. Thank you again for the wine. Enjoy your dinner.”
I stepped to the side, but Lee mirrored me, and said, “I was surprised you got sick so suddenly. I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
My cheeks flared hot. His tone indicated he knew I had lied. It was a perfect opportunity to tell him the truth. But what did it matter? We were never going to be a couple. It was best to leave on my terms.
I held up my chin, refusing to show him any weakness. “Actually, I was slightly under the weather that day and I’d thought I would feel better after I took some medicine. But I’m sure you didn’t miss me. You had all those beautiful women to entertain you.” A fake laugh escaped me. “Anyway, I really need to use the restroom.”
He furrowed his brow and parted his lips to say more, then shut them. If he didn’t believe me, he would have pressed for further explanation. And if I meant something to him, he would have said something.
When Lee didn’t budge or move out of my way, I walked around him. I took a peek when he opened the door and got a glimpse of a woman in a dress with black heels.
Cassie or perhaps someone new. Some other sophisticated beauty who’d make him forget about his temporary nanny. I shouldn’t care, but it stung.
He was turpentine to my oil-canvas heart.
Chapter Thirty-One — Christmas Day
Abby cooked breakfast while Father made coffee. The aroma filled the house with warmth and love. I loved having all of us together under the same roof. It reminded me of the days when we’d lived with our parents. How fast time flew.
“Should we wake up Ty?” Father placed his steaming mug of coffee on the dining table and took a seat.
“Maybe we should. I can’t believe he’s still sleeping.” Abby slid the scrambled eggs onto a large plate and passed it to me.
Tyler and I had played Unicorns versus Skeletons until he had conked out on my bed. I would never tell Abby. What else are aunties for?
Mother spread jam on the toast and then sliced the mango into a bowl.
After I set the plate of eggs down, I went back to the kitchen to help Abby. “If Ty doesn’t come out soon, I’m going to wake him up.”
On cue, Tyler entered the dining room rubbing his sleepy eyes, still wearing his PJs. “Is it breakfast time?” he said groggily.
I went up to him and kissed his head, then I pointed to the tea table. “Look, Ty. Santa Claus ate his cookies and drank the milk.”
Last night, Tyler and I had put out a few cookies and a glass of milk before we’d gone to sleep. Tyler must have forgotten it was Christmas morning. His eyes shot wide and he ran to the tree.
“Santa Claus brought all these presents?” His voice rose to a new level.
Last night, Abby and I spent a couple of hours wrapping presents for Tyler and our parents. Ten more boxes were added under the tree.
“Hold on a minute.” Abby rushed over from the kitchen and turned Tyler to face her, but his eyes were gleaming and locked on the gifts. “You need to say good morning. Eat your breakfast first, and then we’ll open presents.”
Tyler nodded and sat next to Abby at the dining table with plate of eggs in front of him.
“What’s our plan today?” Mother asked, enjoying a bite of toast. “Yum. This mango jam is delicious. I need to buy some to take home with me.”
Abby’s mug clanked on the table after she finished drinking. “How about we go to the beach after we open presents. We can have a picnic there. I was going to take you all to a luau tomorrow but you have already been. Instead, let’s go to Princeville which is on the other side of the island for lunch.”
“Sounds perfect.” I sighed.
Outside the window, palm trees swayed in front of the plush green of the neighbor’s front lawn. A hen and her little chicks dashed across the street. Then a cab passed by. Thoughts of Lee and Bridget reeled through my mind.
Lee hadn’t called, even after he had asked if Bridget could call me. I supposed he would after Christmas. I wondered how they were celebrating and what they were doing.
Last week on one of my days off, I’d gone shopping to buy presents for my family and, yes, for Lee and Bridget. I had purchased a stuffed unicorn and had a T-shirt custom-made that said, “All the sparkling things.”
For Lee, I’d had no idea what to buy, so I’d preordered chocolate cookies from his favorite bakery to be delivered on Christmas Day.
On the card, I’d written: To the man who has everything. Hope your days are as sweet as these cookies.
I’d also painted a portrait of him and Bridget, from a photo I’d taken of them by the waterfall. A perfect moment when they were smiling and looking at each other. But I hadn’t let him know yet. It was still hidden in his painting room.
“Right, Kate?”
“Sure, Dad.”
I hadn’t been paying attention to their conversation. I had no idea what they were talking about. I must have given him the right answer to earn a pat on my back.
Abby gave me a sad face from across the table. She wasn’t mocking me—she felt sorry for me. It was nobody’s fault but mine. I got attached to a man who had no reason to love me, and a girl that wasn’t mine. It was best Bridget and I didn’t talk. Just the sound of her voice might crack my broken heart even more.
After breakfast, we sat around the Christmas tree. Tyler and I sat on the hardwood floor while my parents opted for the sofa.
“This is for you, Tyler. It’s from your Grandma and Grandpa Summers.” Abby handed Tyler a box with reindeer wrapping paper and a big red bow.
“What is it?” Tyler shook the box.
Father waved his hand, chuckling. “Don’t shake it, Ty. Open it.”
Tyler tore the wrapper and his jaw dropped. “It’s my own tablet. Thank you.” He jumped up and down and hugged his grandparents.
“You shouldn’t have.” Abby scowled. “You’ll spoil him.”
Mother clucked her tongue. “Like he isn’t already. That’s what grandparents are for.”
“Let’s open these next. They’re from Auntie Kate.” Abby smirked at me. She handed one to my parents, Tyler, and then picked up hers. She sat next to me on the floor while she opened it.
The sound of crisp paper ripping filled my ears.
“Oh, Kate, this is beautiful.” Mother held up a sixteen by twenty-four photo I’d had framed. “When did you take this?”
“I had an opportunity to take a tour around the island in the helicopter.” I left out who I had gone with. They didn’t need to know. More questions would be asked.