Page 9 of Make You Mine This Christmas (Holly Ridge #2)

Brody

I’ve dreamed a million times about explaining to Austin what happened when I left. How I regretted it instantly, but still knew I made the right choice to not bring him with me. He belongs in Winterberry Glen. I couldn’t be the reason he left the place that needs him.

I’d even imagined it going terribly wrong. But I never imagined him cutting me off and leaving me out in the cold—literally.

I get nothing done on my day off. I’m sure I slept at some point, but when I walk into the locker room thirty-six hours later, it sure doesn’t feel like it. But then I see a mop of dark brown, almost black hair, and throw a thank you up to Santa in heaven I timed my arrival perfectly.

“Austin,” I say. His eyes meet mine, and the nothingness I see in them stops me short. No anger, no sadness. Barely a hint of recognition. Just nothing.

“Uh, hi.” Everything I planned to say flies out of my head.

He nods in response and looks back down at his leggings, straightening out the horizontal lines so they’re even.

“Ileftsomethinginyourcar.” All one word, not a breath. And to think, I used to argue cases for a living.

“Huh?” At least he speaks to me, even if it’s to seek clarity about what a bozo I’m being.

“I left something in your car. It’s actually, well, more than one something, so I know I didn’t forget to buy it, so I think maybe a bag made it into the back seat? Did you see it?”

He looks somewhere over my left shoulder. “There’s a bag behind the driver’s seat, but I figured it was trash or something.”

“Oh, I bet it’s my bag then,” I say. My voice carries an inordinate amount more cheer than required for asking about a missing bag of toiletries. “Maybe after the shift we can go grab it?”

Austin turns for his locker and reaches inside. He reaches toward me without really looking at me, and I realize he’s handing me his keys.

“I have to leave early today, so why don’t you go get it now?”

“You’re . . . you’re leaving early? But there has to be someone there to help the kids after they see Santa.” Again, too much emotion, this time indignation at the idea he’d abandon his post.

“The kids will be fine. I’m going to take over as a greeter for today. I texted with Minh last night. You can put the keys back in my locker. The combination is my birthday.” His eyes lock with mine and a bit of angry heat pours into them. “If you didn’t decide to leave that behind, too.”

All the air leaves me in a big exhale. Getting away from me now and being sure to get away from me in the workshop too. I guess this is my life for the next three-and-a-half-weeks. “I remember. I . . . I make a donation to the Cancer Society every year on your birthday.”

This takes Austin so much by surprise he forgets he’s supposed to be indifferent. Shock, then raw emotion filter across his face before he gets ahold of himself and leaves behind a blank slate. His mouth opens and closes twice before he turns around and walks out without another word.

I slump against the lockers, exhausted before even working a minute of today’s shift.

The chai latte with cinnamon Susie made for me grows cold in my hand and curdles in my stomach.

I hate thinking this is how the rest of my time in Holly Ridge will be.

There has to be something I can do to fix it.

I straighten back up and head to Austin’s SUV to grab the bag of things he must have put in the back seat when we were unloading the other night. He needs some time. I hope.

The cold air whips against my cheeks as I step out of the gym, and I realize I’ve forgotten to put my coat back on. I pick up my pace, remembering the weatherman on the news last night predicting an even deeper freeze than already here.

The car beeps as I hit the unlock button, and my hand pauses on the door handle in shock.

A car seat sits above where I can see the white handle of the plastic bag resting on the floor.

Was it there the other night? Surely, I would have noticed something of that size.

I try to remember, but all that comes are flashes of Austin’s gorgeous face in the dim, usually unflattering light and the hurt I put there before he told me to go.

Does Austin have a kid?

I go through the motions of retrieving my bag and head back inside to get changed. Potentially life-rearranging news isn’t an excuse to keep any eager Santa visitors waiting.

As I put on the velvet red suit, my mind turns over what it might mean if Austin does have a kid.

Austin would be a great dad. Yanking my hat into place, I realize other than the fact he might be in a relationship with the child’s mother, it doesn’t change anything.

Especially because right now he’s not talking to you or even looking at you.

I wince at the honesty of my inner voice. Yeah, there’s that whole barrier too.

I put my coat back on and beat a quick path over to the workshop.

Stomping snow off my boots, I realize just how close I cut my arrival today.

My eyes immediately search out Austin as I sit down in the Santa chair and snag onto his back where he stands talking to one of the other elves by the front door.

Guess he really did ask to switch assignments.

Is it only because he’s leaving early today?

Or will he try to make it permanent, keeping himself far away from me?

“Ready, Santa?” Minh, the switched elf in question asks with a kind smile on his face. Time to stop my moping and get into character.

I put on what I hope is my jolliest smile and nod. “Let’s make some magic.” Austin pulls open the front door, and it’s go time.

* * *

We’re on our break around six when I see Austin getting his coat on.

“I have to go grab Cassidy from her grandma’s and take her home.

Melody came down with something on the way home from Springfield yesterday.

” The elf he’s talking to has their back to me, so I can’t hear their response.

Austin must feel my gaze because his eyes shoot to mine, locking for a quick second, before he looks away.

“Yeah, well, anything I can do to help, you know? Have a good evening, Monty. I’ll see you all tomorrow. ”

A moment later, Austin’s out the door, and I’m left staring behind him.

“So, what happened with you and Mr. Austin?” I jump slightly, finding Jimmy standing next to me.

“You sneak up on everyone like that?” I say, hoping to avoid his question.

He shrugs. “It happens more often than you think. So, what happened with you and Mr. Austin? At the beginning of the week, it was all tense, but in like a hot way. Now, it’s all tense, but in a sad way.”

I blink at the kid, a little dumbfounded he picked up on any energy between us at all, let alone the change. “Does everyone . . .” I trail off, too embarrassed to finish my sentence.

Jimmy shakes his head. “Nah, just me. Like I told Mr. Austin on Tuesday, it’s part of what makes me so good at this. I can read people.”

I nod and decide there’s really no use in denying it, especially if he’s mentioned something to Austin too. Jimmy’s from Winterberry Glen; maybe he knows something about Austin’s life I don’t know.

“So, it sounded like Austin needed to leave early to pick someone up?” I try to sound innocent and nonchalant, but the look on Jimmy’s face tells me how badly I failed.

“Like I told him, you need to ask. Even if I knew—which this time I do—I’m not going to tell you.”

“You told him to ask me something?”

Jimmy rolls his eyes, and I get the vibe telling grown men how to deal with their feelings is not what he signed on for. “Yeah, he asked me if I knew why you weren’t a lawyer anymore. Is that what you talked about to make the vibes all sad between you two?”

“Uh, no,” I say. “He asked why I left ten years ago without saying goodbye. I think I did a really bad job explaining it, since you know, now he won’t talk to me.”

“You just packed up and left?” Jimmy asks. “Damn Santa, that’s cold.”

Even though he’s calling me out on my terrible decision-making and even more terrible emotion handling, my lips curl up in a smile. “It’s not Mister Santa then?”

Jimmy shakes his head. “Nah, I think we’re on a first name basis now.”

“So, are you going to tell me what to do next?”

He shakes his head. “I think you know what you need to do. Now you gotta figure out how to make it happen. So, if you’re done being all sad, now that Mr. Austin is gone, do you want to take a look at the database I built after we close up tonight?”

I can’t help but laugh at the abrupt subject change. “Yeah, sure. I’m sorry I wasn’t here early enough to do it before. We can head to Jitters, and I’ll buy you a drink?” His eyes widen. “A hot cocoa-type drink—Santa can’t buy his elf a beer, even if he may or may not be of age.”