“You’re on your own!” I called over my shoulder.
I didn’t plan on leaving him out there alone for long…but if he wanted to play, so could I.
12
GABRIEL
Wednesday
Liam
How’s it going over there?
Me
Fine.
Liam
That was convincing.
Me
Counting down the days until I can leave.
Liam
Because you’re having such a great time but miss me and Beans soooo much?
Me
Something like that…
Wednesdays were another of Lily’s prep days, and she opened the café later than normal to allow her time to get dough and other ingredients ready for the second half of the week.
It was impressive how efficiently and strategically she ran the café. And she did it all with a smile. She found time to chat with every customer, asking about their day or what they’d been up to, as well as offering suggestions on what to order. If someone ordered a drink that was from one of her past menus, she made it for them as long as she had the ingredients. She wasn’t only attentive with the customers—she was like that with the cats, too.
When she wasn’t talking to someone, she was humming along to the goddamn Christmas music playing through the speakers and swaying her hips to the rhythm.
Her energy and optimism both confused and intrigued me.
Lily’s personality was as sunshine as it got. Well, to everyone but me. It meant she had an edge, and I liked that. I got more amusement than I wanted to from her witty comebacks and sharp tongue.
Admittedly, we had a rough start, and I knew some of my comments weren’t helping, but I couldn’t help it. Something about getting under Lily’s skin made me feel alive, exhilarated…and I hadn’t felt that in a long time. Especially during this time of year.
For most people, the Christmas explosion inside the café likely brightened their mood. For me? I couldn’t stand it.
I’d never been a big fan of Christmas. It was hard to enjoy the holidays growing up, because my parents were either arguing or ignoring the holidays all together. It wasn’t uncommon for my mother to jet off on a vacation with her friends or for my father to be working. When most of my friends were surrounded by their families, I was alone, and I felt like I couldn’t tell anyone about it, because how pathetic would that sound? The time or two I did bring it up with my parents it went about how you’d expect. My mother ignored me and found her phone to be more interesting, and my father rolled his eyes, muttering something about how I had togrow upand thatwork didn’t stop for fucking Christmas.
Growing up, the few good memories I had during this time of year were waiting for the annual card from Hal and Vera. I remember being so excited to tear the envelope open. That was a memory I hadn’t thought about much until getting into town. It was hard not to think about how different my life could have been if I was able to spend more time with Hal and Vera. If maybe I’d come to Golden Falls sooner.
The last couple of years, Liam invited me to spend Christmas with his family, but I always felt like I’d be intruding, even if he insisted I wouldn’t be. I never felt like I fit in around this time of year. Being in Golden Falls—in this café—constantly reminded me of that.
But I meant what I said about seeing this through. I was serious about staying.
That wasn’t to say I didn’t feel on edge being in town. I did. There had been a lot of curious glances and whispering during my time in Golden Falls so far. At least they were no longer glaring, or taking photos…as far as I could see.
Those who had spoken to me had been polite but wary. The small talk had been limited to how long I’d be in Golden Falls, what I thought about the town, and how wonderful Lily was.They didn’taskif I thought Lily was wonderful—they told me. If it were up to this town, I know without a doubt they would choose for her to own the building, which made me wonder even more why Hal brought me into this.
