Page 100 of Theirs for the Holidays

I can’t help but chuckle, shaking my head. I didn’t know what to expect from Simon, since I didn’t really interact with him at allbefore I left Sweetwater Lake, but I like him. He has an easy way about him, and he never asks too much of people.

It still feels unfamiliar to be this light and amused, especially with someone I don’t know well, but it’s nice in a way.

“I’m sorry I was late,” I tell him. “I lost track of time.”

“It’s alright,” Simon replies. “I know you were trying to delay the inevitable.”

“The inevitable?”

He nods to the chessboard, already set up in front of him. “Your inevitable defeat.”

I roll my eyes. “Just flip the coin for color, old man. Save the sass for when you actually win.”

He laughs and flips the coin. I call it as tails. It lands on heads, and he grins, making his first move.

That sets the tone for the first game, with Simon winning even quicker than usual. He topples my king with his bishop and gives me a look.

“See? Inevitable.”

“That was just a warm up.”

“Sure, sure. The next one will be different, right?”

It’s not.

Half way into it, it becomes pretty clear that I’m going to lose this one too. Simon moves his knight and raises an eyebrow.

“Check. Is your head in the game, Rhett, or is there something else on your mind?”

“Sorry. I’m focusing.” I move my king out of danger, but three moves later, Simon is calling check again.

“Do you want to talk about it, or are we going to keep pretending your head isn’t in the clouds?” he asks.

I sigh, scanning the board for a possible move to make. “It’s nothing. I’m just… tired.”

“Uh huh. That’s always the excuse. But I know better.”

“What do you think you know?”

“You’re distracted, and I know what the problem is. You’re mooning over a woman.”

I blink, caught off guard by him being right. I shake my head. “That’s not?—”

Simon cuts me off with a chuckle. “I might be old now, but I was young once, Rhett. I’ve been there, so I know what it looks like.”

“You do?”

“Hey, I was a looker back in my day.” He grins, sweeping silver hair back off his forehead. “Had women lining up to ask me to dance. Spent my youth chasing down pleasure and then the next thing I knew, I was old.”

“Sounds like you’ve got some regrets,” I say, trying to be gentle about it, but still curious.

Simon just shrugs. “Who doesn’t. I’ll tell you this though. Violet’s grandmother was a dear friend of mine, but I also had a thing for her for a while. Years. Never got the guts to tell her my feelings.”

I blink, surprised. “Why not?”

“Somehow, even though we were both getting up there in years, I thought I would have more time. Always came up with an excuse why I couldn’t tell her then and there, and I’d tell myself that I’d say something next time. And then… then there was no next time.”

I pick up on his meaning with a sinking feeling in my stomach. “I’m sorry to hear that, Simon.”