I wake up feeling satisfied and a bit achy, and it takes me a minute to remember why. The lingering scent of Liam’s cologne makes last night come rushing back, and I can’t help but smile. I open my eyes to sunlight—I forgot to pull the drapes last night, which is no surprise considering I had other things on my mind—and roll over, reaching for Liam. Instead of the warm, solid man I was anticipating, my hand meets cool sheets.
“Not again,” I groan, burying my face in the pillow. I lift my head almost immediately because the pillowcase smells like Liam, which only heightens the disappointment coursing through me. Sitting up, I scan the bedside table for my phone before realizing I must have left it downstairs last night. I try to tell myself there’s likely an explanation text or voicemail on my phone—Mae needed Liam to pick up Rex, Nathan needed him at work, Thea needed help with something—but it doesn’t stop the other, louder voice in my head. The one that tells me I’m not worth sticking around for, despite everything Liam said last night. Despite the way he looked at me and practically worshipped my body with his own.
“This is why feelings are the worst,” I grumble as I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and push to my feet. I mentally shove aside thoughts of Liam and his stupid sexy smile and bedroom eyes, and force myself to focus on what needs to be done. I might as well shower since I’m already naked anyway, and then I’ll make coffee and…well, I don’t know what, but it won’t be dwelling.
I take a few steps forward and then scream when Liam appears in the doorway. I scramble to cover myself up—as if he didn’t see every inch of my body a few hours ago—and when that doesn’t work, I hop back into bed and pull the covers over my head.
The sound of Liam’s low chuckle draws closer to the bed. “Don’t cover up on my account.” Through the thin white sheet, I make out his form as he sets something on the bedside table. I expect him to reach for the sheet and pull it back, but he disappears from view. A moment later, the other side of the sheet lifts as he climbs into bed next to me. “Hi.”
“Hello.”
“Would you feel better if I got naked too?” he asks, inclining his chin toward where my arm has moved instinctively to cover my breasts. Now that my freakout over having him suddenly appear has passed, I notice he’s wearing his white undershirt and boxer briefs. When I don’t answer, he says, “You thought I left, didn’t you?”
“No. Maybe. Yes.”
His mouth lifts in a rueful half smile. “I’m sorry. You were out cold, so I thought I could get downstairs and be back up with coffee before you woke up.” He pushes the sheet off and sits up, gently gripping my arm to help me into a seated position.
“I know I gave you shit last night about staying in Honeywell, but I want you to know I respect your boundaries,” he continues. “If the next few weeks are all we can have together, I accept that. I want to spend as much time with you as possible, so I’ll take you for however long I can have you, Joss. If that’s okay with you.”
“That’s definitely okay with me,” I tell him. I also tell my heart to stop the swoony little pitter-patter thing it’s doing at Liam’s words.
“He really did a number on you, didn’t he?” he asks softly. “Your ex, I mean. I feel like it’s easy for you to assume the worst about people. About me.”
My mouth opens to tell him that’s not true, but the words won’t come. He’s right, even though I wish he weren’t. “Fame comes with a lot of painful lessons that teach you to be wary of people and their motives. I never used to jump to conclusions or assume the worst, so that is likely a product of my ex, yeah. I’m sorry you keep bearing the brunt of that mistrust.”
Liam shakes his head. “You don’t need to apologize. I can’t imagine what it must be like to have your personal life turn into fodder for headlines. I can promise that you can trust me, though.”
“I believe you. And I promise I’ll work on being more trusting.” My eyes drop to his shirt-covered chest. When they lift back to his, he’s peering at the sheet covering my breasts as if he can see through it. “That coffee sure smells good.”
He makes a quiet hum of agreement, his eyes meeting mine again.
“I could get dressed and we could have coffee,” I say, reaching out and sliding my hand across the hem of Liam’s t-shirt. “Unless you really did want to get naked too.”
His eyes darken, giving me an answer before he even speaks. “Second option. Definitely the second option.”
*****
To the outside world, Liam and I likely look like a loved-up couple as we walk into Sweet Escapes. My arm is linked through his and our hands are laced together. Liam’s cheeks are ruddy from the cold, and I’m sure mine are just as red and not only from the chilly air.
We’re only a few steps inside the café when Liam’s hand tenses in mine. I follow his gaze to see Thea sitting alone at a table across the room. I loosen my grip, and his hand slips from mine.
“Can we go talk to my sister for a minute? I haven’t seen her in a few days.”
At my nod, we cross the café and stop in front of Thea’s table. She’s staring so intently into her black coffee, it takes her a minute to notice us.
“How’s Rexy?” she asks by way of greeting. Her voice is rough. All of her appears rough. Her eyes are bloodshot and ringed by dark circles. Without any makeup on, she looks much younger than usual. Her face is covered in patches of breakouts, some of which are an angry red as if she’s been picking at them.
“He’s good,” Liam says. “We had dinner with the Murphys last night and he slept there.”
“Good. Good. Do you think I could maybe go over and see him today?”
“Of course you can, Thea. You don’t need my permission to see your son.” Despite his mild tone, Thea’s eyes flare with anger. It passes quickly and she deflates, turning back to her coffee.
Liam puts his hand on her shoulder. “He’d love to see you. Maybe just…go home and shower first? And get something in you other than black coffee.”
Thea raises her head. Instead of looking at her brother, her bloodshot gaze moves to me. “You must think I’m a terrible person. Or at least a terrible mother.”
“Not at all,” I say emphatically. I pause, trying to think of what else to say. I don’t know her well enough—not to mention it’s not really my place—to say I hope she can beat back the demons keeping her away from her son. Keeping her from living a full, rewarding life. I’m sure she’s heard it all before anyway. “I know you love Rex, and he adores you.”
Her eyes fill with tears. “That makes it so much worse, though,” she says. “I do love him. I love him so much. I should love him enough to get clean and stop the cycle my mother started.” Her haunted eyes shift to Liam, who stiffens by my side. I brush my hand against his and he grabs onto it, holding it tight while reaching for his sister’s shoulder again with his free hand. To me, he says, “Would you mind giving me and Thea a minute to talk alone?”
“Of course not. Take as long as you need. I’ll go grab a coffee and sit.” I squeeze his hand before releasing it and placing it on Thea’s shoulder. “Have Liam give you my phone number, okay? Call me if you ever need anything, even if it’s just to talk.”
Liam slides into the chair next to his sister as I walk away. At the front counter, I order a croissant to go with my coffee since my stomach is growling and I don’t know how long Liam will be. With coffee and pastry in hand, I scan the café and choose an isolated table near the front by a window so I can observe people outside instead of being tempted to watch Liam and Thea.
When my phone rings, my first instinct is to ignore it. I hate when people talk on phones in cafés, especially since they’re usually loud enough to overhear without trying. I’m completely alone in my little corner, though, and a quick glance at the screen shows it’s Natalie, who will likely keep calling if I don’t answer.
“Hey,” I say quietly, angling my body toward the window so my back is to the rest of the café. “How are you doing?”
“Are you hiding in a closet or something?”
I chuckle. “No, I’m in a café.”
She asks if I’m free to talk for a few minutes and, when I tell her yes, we catch each other up on what’s been happening since we last spoke. Naturally, she asks about Liam, and I veer the conversation away from him, telling her about dinner with the Murphys last night instead.
“Sounds like you’re really settling into life there in Honeybee Creek,” Nat says. “Do I need to worry about you not coming home? Because I have news that might just draw you back to the city.”
I sit up straighter in my seat. “Oh?”
“You’ll never guess who was at the audition for that Pascal sisters movie.” Her pause only lasts a second, probably because she knows I hate guessing games. “Selma Melissa Graham.”
“You’re kidding. Were you up for the same part?”
“Nope,” she says, popping the p. “The movie is about two sisters. Adopted sisters,” she amends, likely knowing I’d question that since Nat is Chinese-Canadian and Selma is Black. “After we auditioned, they called us both in and told us we did great.”
“That’s wonderful!”
“It gets better,” Nat says. “They told us they’d been thinking about how the movie would work even better with three sisters instead of two. And they want you to play the third sister.”
Shock makes my body go numb. My phone slides from my limp fingers, and I manage to grab it before it hits the table. “Why would they want me? I mean, I know they wanted me to audition in the first place, but for them to rewrite the script with a part just for me? That’s not…I can’t…you’re joking, right?”
“I’m dead serious, Joss. They said they think the three of us would make indie movie magic. They know you and I are close, and they said the so-called feud between you and Selma would create a huge buzz around the movie.”
“What did Selma have to say about that?”
“Well, first she made it clear there truly isn’t a feud between you two,” Nat says. Some of the tension eases from my shoulders at that. “And she agreed it could work in the movie’s favor, not only to draw interest from viewers, but from investors too. You know how indie movies are always looking for extra funding.”
When Natalie says my name a few seconds later, I realize I’ve been sitting here bobbing my head silently as I contemplate what she told me. “I’m here. Just…processing.”
“I know you said you were afraid of what fans would think if you veered too far from your regular roles, but actors do it all the time. You may not have aspirations of being a big movie star, but you also don’t want to be type-casted forever, do you? Or be stuck doing the same From the Heart movies over and over until you’re too old to play romance leads? Think of some of your favorite actresses, the ones who never do the same role twice, whose versatility you admire. This could be your chance to break free of being known for your sweet-as-pie roles. From being known as the Queen of Christmas.”
“I-I’ll think about it,” I stammer. “I need to talk to my agent. And the Pascals, obviously, if this is the direction they really want to go. When do they want to start filming?”
“They’re still scouting locations, but they’re thinking early next year.”
“Do they plan to shoot in Toronto?”
“They’re actually thinking of going for a small town,” Natalie says. “They prefer doing movies in places where they can boost the local economy, you know? Hire local tradespeople and extras.”
“Right,” I murmur, staring out the window at the townspeople bustling by. I consider suggesting Honeywell, but dismiss the idea almost immediately.
“Now that I’ve dropped this giant bombshell on you and have given you plenty to think about, I need to run to meet my publicist. I’ll tell the Pascals to give you a few days to think it over and then get in touch with you. Do you want me to have them start talks with your agent in the meantime?”
“Yes. Yes, do that. Thanks, Nat.” I’m still so stunned, I can barely get more than a few words out. If the Pascals were to call me right now, I’d probably just stammer out a bunch of nonsense that would have them second-guessing their desire to hire me for their movie. There’s also the fact I’m still technically on holiday. It’s been nice hiding out here in Honeywell, forgetting about the outside world and the demands of my job. I’m not quite ready to get back to that way of life yet. I’d like to prolong this peace and quiet for a while.
And, as I glance over my shoulder and see Liam striding across the café toward me, I think of how I’d like to enjoy other things for a while longer too. Liam catches me looking at him, and his serious, far-away expression morphs into a slow smile that has my heart rate escalating.
“I’ll talk to you soon, okay?” I say to Natalie. “Thanks for calling.”
“Of course,” she says. “Call me if you need to talk this over. It’s a lot to think about and it’s ultimately a huge, potentially career-changing decision, but…wouldn’t it be amazing to finally work together on a movie?”
“It would. It really would.” We’ve talked about it over the years, but our role choices have always been vastly different. “Talk soon. Love you.”
Liam hears that last part and raises one eyebrow in question as I disconnect and put my phone away.
“My best friend,” I tell him as he slides into the seat across from me and takes my hand. “How’s Thea doing?”
Liam sighs, looking down at our joined hands and playing with my fingers. “She’s okay. I ordered her some breakfast and told her to be sure to eat all of it if she can.”
“Should we join her?” I ask.
Liam shakes his head. “She wants to be alone.” He sits back in his seat, fingers still loosely gripping mine. He runs his free hand through his hair, fisting it at the back of his neck. “She says she’s going to check herself into rehab. We’ve done the research before and found a facility she agreed to, although she’s never actually gone. I told her we’d make arrangements for her to go in January, but she said she wants to go now if there’s an opening.”
“Now?” I ask. “So she’d be gone over Christmas?”
Liam makes a sound of assent. “I don’t know what to think. She’s told me she’d get help a thousand times before, and nothing has ever come of it. If she does decide to go, she’ll have my full support, but Rex will be devastated.”
Poor Rex. He’s too young to understand that Christmas without his mom, while painful and strange, is better than a lifetime without her if something were to happen to her as a result of her addiction. My heart aches for him and for Liam, who will be left to deal with a brokenhearted little boy.
“If Thea does go, we’ll all double down on our time with Rex,” I say. “We’ll keep him busy, get him doing as many fun things as possible. It won’t be the same, but hopefully he’ll at least understand how loved he is.”
One side of Liam’s mouth turns up in something resembling a smile. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. If Thea goes, I’ll see about taking time off work once Rex is out of school so he can be my sole focus.”
Silence falls, and Liam appears lost in thought. I offer to get our breakfast, and head for the counter to order. I linger after I pay, chatting with Regina and casting surreptitious glances at Thea, who’s slowly making her way through her own breakfast. When another customer approaches, Regina says she’ll bring our order when it’s ready.
On my way back to the table, Liam’s body language is noticeably more open. A pair of colorful flyers lies on the table and he’s perusing one with a small smile on his face.
“Someone was distributing these, so I grabbed two,” he says as I take my seat. “It’s an updated list of all the upcoming holiday events in town. They’ve resurrected all of Rex’s old favorites and added a bunch of new things too.” He points to an illustrated image of a couple dancing. “The Snow Ball is next weekend. It’s an all ages dance at the community center. You can wear whatever you want, although people usually use it as an excuse to dress up, sometimes even in costumes. Thea was Elsa from Frozen last year. She tried to convince Rex to dress up like Olaf the snowman, but he has this hilarious powder blue suit he loves to wear. It’s probably too small this year, not that that’ll stop him from cramming himself into it.”
I chuckle at the image, and Liam laughs along with me. It’s good to see him smiling again. He tucks the flyers away when Regina delivers our breakfast. She chats with us for a minute and then returns to her post behind the counter.
“Will you be my date to the Snow Ball?” Liam’s eyes are trained on the ketchup he’s squeezing next to his home fries. “Or my…well…you know what I mean. Whatever the equivalent of a date is for whatever we are.”
Flustered Liam is adorable. “What about Rex?”
“Let the kid find his own date, I asked you first.”
I stifle a laugh. “In that case, yes. I’d love to be your date.”