Page 4 of Sweet Yuletide (Indigo Bay Christmas Romances #4)

On the evening of December eighteenth, Sheridan removed her suitcase from her mom's SUV.

Bumper-to-bumper traffic filled the upper level at Portland International Airport.

Between idling cars stopped in the right two lanes, people hugged goodbye—something she would do in a few minutes.

She double-checked to make sure she had everything.

A horn honked.

She understood the impatience and the aggravation that accompanied the holidays. That was why she would soon be on a red-eye flight, heading from the Pacific Northwest to a state she’d never visited.

As her breath hung on the chilly air, Sheridan shivered. The thirty-degree temperature didn’t cause the response, but a mix of anticipation and nerves. Even though she wanted to get away, knowing it was time to go made her insides twist.

She shut the hatch. “Thanks for driving me to the airport, Mom.”

“Don’t thank me. I enjoyed the time with you.” The pompom on her mother’s wool hat made her taller than Sheridan, who was five-ten in flats. “But I wish you’d change your mind about spending Christmas alone.”

“This is what I want to do.” She didn’t hesitate to answer.

She didn’t say “need” because her mom would only worry more.

They’d discussed this for the past ten days, ever since she agreed to house-sit for Hope Ryan and her twin brother, Von, in South Carolina.

Saying no never entered Sheridan’s mind.

She’d been desperate to get away from Berry Lake, which Hope seemed to sense.

No doubt, the artist heard Deena’s stories about Sal “firing” his daughter and “evicting” her from the apartment because of drug usage.

The gossip had reached a ridiculous level, and Sheridan needed to escape the drama.

“A vacation will be good for me,” she added.

Her mother sighed, a long, drawn-out exhale loud enough for people below in the arrivals area to hear. “This will be our first Christmas apart.”

Since the divorce, Sheridan alternated Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with her mom and dad, so each had her for one day. Most kids would have enjoyed opening presents and having stockings at both houses, but she would have preferred her parents together.

Not. Going. To. Happen. Now.

“Next year, I’m all yours.” She forced a smile. “But you’ll have Max’s daughters with you this year.”

No one knew how blending the families would work.

Whereas Deena treated her as an enemy on sight, Max and his three daughters were the opposite.

They tried as hard as Sheridan and her mom to make sure everyone got along.

The Culpeppers were nice, especially Nell, who worked as an RN at the hospital and helped Sheridan move out of her apartment.

“They’re sweet,” her mom agreed. “But I’d enjoy having you home, too.”

Except it wasn’t Sheridan’s home. Someone else bought that house years ago. Her mom had moved in with Max, and Sal did the same with Deena. Sheridan had been happy to have her comfy apartment, but that wasn’t hers now.

Don’t go there .

She raised her chin. “I’ll text.”

“Call so I can hear your voice.” Her mom rubbed her gloved hands together. “I’ll miss you so much.”

“I’ll miss you, too, but I’ll be back on the thirty-first.” Not that Sheridan had any idea what she’d return to other than her mom and stepfather’s guest bedroom and a job or two that paid minimum wage. “I plan to figure a few things out while I’m in Indigo Bay.”

“I’ll pick you up and we can discuss it on our drive home.” Her mom adjusted the collar on Sheridan’s jacket. “Just remember, the new year is the perfect time to make a fresh start. You’re talented, and any gallery would be lucky to have you as an employee.”

Except there was only one in Berry Lake. She would have to leave her hometown to stay in the industry she loved, but how could she work for another place with no recommendation from Sal?

Not trusting her voice, Sheridan nodded. She wasn't sure if a fresh start would be enough given she had nothing left and needed a brand-new life. On the flip side, things could only go up from here.

At least she hoped so.

Her mom hugged her, wrapping Sheridan in warmth, softness, and the scent of puppies from the litter the rescue had taken in yesterday. Sheridan held on tight, not wanting the moment to end.

Her mom let go before she did, which was a first. “Do you have your driver’s license and wallet?”

The question was so typical of Sabine Culpepper.

It didn’t matter whether she was running the rescue or being a mom; she always checked to make sure nothing got missed.

The woman was a combination of motherly love and warrior fierceness.

Both kept the local rescue afloat when its survival had teetered for years.

Sheridan patted the leather backpack she was using as a purse during her trip. “In here. My credit card, too. Anything else I forgot, I can buy there.”

“You’ll be so far away.”

The other side of the country, which was the point. “Hope said Indigo Bay is like Berry Lake. Quaint with holiday traditions, but it’s located on the coast instead of near a lake and mountains.”

“You know no one there.”

Hope’s twin brother, Von, would be on his flight west before Sheridan arrived in Charleston, rented a car, and drove to the beachfront cottage. She forced a smile.

“It’ll be an adventure.” And better than staying in a living nightmare, watching Remy steal her job, apartment, and father. A good thing Sheridan wasn’t dating anyone, or her stepsister might have made a play for him, too. “I can’t wait.”

Her mother didn’t appear convinced. “Whatever you do, be safe.”

“I’ll be fine.” The words rushed out as much for Sheridan’s sake as her mom’s. “A quiet Christmas is what I need.”

“I wanted both of your blended families to be a updated version of The Brady Bunch , but I realize how na?ve I was.”

Because of Deena , aka the evil stepmother, was implied but unspoken.

“We both were.” Unfortunately.

But the sooner Sheridan put everything Sal did to her behind her, the better. She hadn’t seen him since that Saturday in the gallery. In a town the size of Berry Lake, that took effort, but it reaffirmed that his new family meant more to him than she did.

Her breath hitched. She ignored it. “All we can do is move forward.”

“Take those words to heart while you’re away. Find your laughter. Sal stole that and your smile, along with everything else.”

“I’ll try.” Sheridan had stopped crying two days ago, so that was progress. She’d needed the time to mourn. Part of her still hoped her dad reconsidered, but wallowing wouldn’t solve anything. She didn’t want to keep punishing herself for something out of her control.

Even if a part of her wished he would want her back at the gallery, at least.

Her mom’s eyes gleamed. “You’d better get inside the terminal before you catch a chill.”

“Thanks for everything you and Max have done and are doing for me.” Sheridan’s voice cracked. Without them, she would be homeless. They’d also paid for her round-trip plane ticket from Portland to Charleston and rental car. “I love you.”

“I love you, and I want you to have a merry Christmas.” Her mom tapped the tip of Sheridan’s nose.

The gesture was one she used with her daughter and the animals who passed through the rescue.

“Have faith, sweetheart. It may not feel like it now, but everything will work out the way it’s supposed to. ”

Sheridan hoped so because her life couldn’t get much worse.

Two flights, a layover, and not quite an hour's drive south, she arrived in Indigo Bay. The small coastal town was picture-postcard perfect with white lights and holiday decorations gracing the charming storefronts on Main Street. She recognized some of the names Hope had mentioned: Sweet Caroline’s Café, The Chocolate Emporium, Happy Paws Pet Shop, Coastal Creations, Trixie Cone, and the High Tide Art Gallery.

The town reminded her of Berry Lake with one big difference:

No snow.

That wasn’t a bad thing since she had zero Christmas spirit. She hadn’t told her mom, but Sheridan planned to call her on the twenty-fourth and then sleep and binge-watch her way through the twenty-fifth.

No tree. No gifts. Nothing to remind her of holidays past, and especially not the present one.

A good plan.

Now, all she had to do was pull it off.

A few minutes later, she parked her rental car—a white subcompact—in front of a charming beachfront cottage.

Multicolor lights lined the eaves, and a wreath tied with a red ribbon hung on the front door.

Pretty, but she would have preferred it if the place weren’t decorated.

No complaints, however; she was staying for free.

She yawned—something she’d done since the second flight when she hadn’t fallen asleep again.

A short nap wouldn't mess up her body clock too much, given the three-hour time difference. Even if she slept in tomorrow morning, all she had to do was deliver Hope’s painting to a fundraising event. That shouldn’t take long.

Sheridan exited the car. The temperature was in the high fifties. Much warmer than Berry Lake. A jacket would come in handy, but she wouldn’t need the parka she’d carried on the plane. She rolled her suitcase to the porch, reached into her backpack, and removed the key Hope had given her.

Anticipation surged. Sheridan had finally arrived.

As she unlocked the front door, excitement replaced any lingering nerves. A turn of the knob and she stared at gleaming hardwood floors, overstuffed furniture, and gorgeous framed paintings hanging on the shiplap walls.

“Wow.” She surveyed the open floor plan. “This is my kind of place.”

Sheridan recognized the style of the paintings and the familiar name in the corners—Hope’s. Sal better follow through on the February exhibit he’d asked the artist to do . Sheridan rolled her suitcase inside and closed the door.