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I wasn’t sure I could be friends with Talon. But for the sake of our family and friends, we needed to get past this.
We danced for a few more songs, then Talon suggested we watch another movie while we ate our pie.
As soon as he moved to grab the basket, I rubbed my arms, missing the warmth of his body.
Talon nodded toward the pillows. “Get under the blankets. I’ll throw more logs on the fire.”
I waited while he grabbed logs and threw them on the dwindling fire. In no time, it was glowing again, making a comforting crackling noise.
Talon returned with two slices of pie with whipped cream on top. I accepted the plate with a smile. “Just how I like it.”
“Vanilla ice cream would be even better, but I doubt it would have kept.”
Everything about this night had exceeded my expectations. I wanted to move on, but I wasn’t ready to let go of him. “Do you think we’ll be okay after tonight? That we can move forward as friends?”
Talon’s face was pensive. “We might have to work on it. Maybe we could spend more time together.”
“What are you suggesting?” I ate a bite of the still-warm apple pie, the fruit bursting on my tongue, and the hint of cinnamon lingered.
“I’d love to show you what I’m working on in the shop, and Sebastian installed a temporary ice rink for his date with Hanna. Maybe we could check it out before it’s removed.”
“I can’t believe he had a rink brought in for her.” A pang of jealousy pierced my chest. Hanna and Sebastian had been friends for a long time. I always suspected Hanna wanted more, and this was the confirmation that Sebastian did, too.
Talon smiled, looking so much younger. Not quite the boy I dated because he had filled out and grown more scruff on his face.
I took another bite of the pie, moaning when the flavors overwhelmed my mouth. “I love Daphne’s pies. I order them every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
Talon chuckled as he wiped crumbs from his beard. “Don’t let my brothers hear you say that. They don’t like us buying from the competition. I’m not sure how Marley snuck the pies past Heath.”
“She probably didn’t tell him about it. Marley likes to do things first and apologize for them later. Besides, I like Daphne.” I’d gotten to know her a bit while we were getting ready for the auction.
“I don’t know her.” Talon’s voice was low.
“If the Monroes don’t like us hanging out with the competing Christmas tree families, then why did Cole bid on Daphne?”
Talon immediately sobered. “I have no idea.”
“I hope she’s okay.” Daphne was on the awkward hot tub date with a guy she probably didn’t know well.
Talon shrugged. “Cole would never hurt her. Maybe they were friends in school. Marley and Heath secretly dated in high school and none of us had any idea.”
“It didn’t sound like she was looking for anything long-term because she’s a single mother.”
“Cole’s a good guy. I don’t think he’d intentionally do anything to hurt Daphne,” Talon repeated as he moved to the projector to choose the next movie.
This time, we laid down on the blankets. I resisted moving closer to him. My heart seemingly remembered everything about him and was eager to latch onto him again.
I couldn’t do that. Not when I didn’t know how Talon felt about us. He said he wanted to heal. That wasn’t the words of a man who wanted to rekindle a relationship. It was the sign of a man who wanted to move on to someone else.
If it was what he needed, I owed him that much. I hate that I’d hurt him back then. But I’d only wanted to protect myself.
“Come here,” Talon said, lifting his arm so that I could rest my head on his chest.
“Are you sure?” I didn’t want to confuse things or fall back into him again. I had a feeling it wouldn’t take much.
“Never been surer about everything.”
My heart beat a staccato rhythm under my rib cage as I moved closer to him, the heat of his body enveloping me as I rested my cheek on his chest and my hand on his stomach.
