Page 76 of The Christmas Arrangement

Daniel’s eyes are bright and damp.

“Rachel’s here,” I continue. “In Mistletoe Mountain. She and Dash are barely speaking. She’s trying to protect him by taking away his agency. She’s repeating history.”

“What do you mean?”

“She told me”—my voice cracks—“real love is letting someone go to pursue this dream. She said she knows it’s hard because she did it herself. She said she loved Dash’s father but she let him go to pursue his dreams.”

“What if they don’t want to see me?”

“What if they do?”

He’s quiet for a long moment. Then he says, “Why do you care so much?”

“I love Dash.” The words are out before I can stop them. “I’ve only known him for six days, but I love him. And even though I screwed everything up between us by pushing him away, I want him to have just one family Christmas, for fig’s sake.”

He holds my gaze. “Okay. Let’s make it happen.” Then, “Did you just say for fig’s sake?”

The drive back to Mistletoe Mountain takes forever and no time at all. I call Griselda, who confirms she picked up Dash. She asks if I found Daniel. I say yes. She asks if I know what I’m doing. I say no, but I’m doing it anyway.

“That’s the way,” she says with a smile in her voice.

I hang up and turn the radio on. A Daniel Lovelace song is playing. Of course it is.

As he sings about finding his way back home, I realize that all these songs about love, loss, and yearning are really about Rachel.

Chapter 30

Three Things

Ivy

* * *

I must’ve set tables for hundreds of events at the inn. Wedding receptions. Anniversary dinners. Holiday parties where families who actually like each other gather to celebrate.

This is nothing like any of those.

“Are you sure about this?” Noelle asks, smoothing the tablecloth for the third time.

“No,” I admit, arranging silverware with trembling hands. “But I can’t think of another way.”

The dining room looks beautiful, at least. All the food is laid out on platters in the middle of the table. Family-style, the way we do Sunday dinners. Roast chicken, roasted vegetables, and fresh bread, still warm, courtesy of Merry. It’s all comfort food, because something tells me we’re going to need comfort tonight.

I count the place settings to make sure there are nine: Dash, me, Rachel, Daniel, Dad, Noelle, Merry, Holly, Jack.

“What if this blows up in my face?” I adjust a water glass that doesn’t need adjusting.

“Then it blows up,” Noelle says. “But at least you’ll know you tried.”

Dad appears in the doorway. “Ivy, are you sure you don’t want to let Dash know Daniel’s coming, and who he is?”

“Even if I wanted to, it’s too late now.” My stomach twists.

“This seems risky,” Dad said carefully.

“I know.” I set down the glass before I break it. “But he’s been with his mom all day. If I told him, he’d confront her. I think that would go sideways and they wouldn’t show up at all. This way, all three of them are here. There’s at least a chance that they’ll face things head on.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing, sweetpea.”