Page 72 of Snow Globe Secrets

“I’m not?” he said distractedly, making me decidedly uncomfortable as he continued to take in his son and me. I didn’t know where to look. Looking away from Austin seemed like I was avoiding him; looking at him felt like it would give away the game.

Giving up, I looked at my mug, which was mercifully almost empty. “More coffee,” I muttered.

“Tea!” Austin said, jumping up.

“I asked Mom to buy tea the other day. I’m sorry we don’t have one of those fancy water-warmer thingies.”

“A kettle?”

“Here, let me help you find the tea.”

I stood where I was, unsure about even being alone in the open kitchen with Austin until he was right there with an encouraging smile.

“Oh, yeah, we should have tea somewhere,” Marty contributed. “Try in the back of the tall cabinet.”

Austin was headed that way.

“I don’t mind a cup of coffee in the morning, you know,” I whispered to him, his head in the cabinet. He emerged, smiling, a box of assorted tea bags in hand. I moved to the sink, the noise of the water covering his next words as I rinsed out my mug.

“I do know that, but now you have choices. Like, you know”—he lowered his voice—"spending New Year’s Eve with me or with your mystery man.”

I glanced through the opening to see Martin had meandered to the coffee table in the family room, leaning down for the remote. The news blared through the speakers for a second before Martin lowered the volume. “Sorry, the volume was at Christmas music level, definitely not morning news level.” Austin and I waited for him to focus on the TV.

“So why does my Dad think you have a mystery man?” Austin continued to whisper despite the TV still being rather loud.

I stepped to Austin’s other side, taking me away from the opening and closer to him.

“I told him it wasn’t necessary for him to set me up with the toy store guy …”

“Turner.”

“Right, Turner, because I may have already found my own happiness.” I spoke in rushed and hushed tones, mainly just repeating my conversation with Martin, not realizing what I was saying.

Austin leaned in even closer. “You’ve found your happiness?” His voice caught, and his eyes shone. My heart beat fast in my chest, not sparing a concern for Martin, sitting on the other side of the wall; it beat only for Austin, who was looking at me like … well, he was looking at me like he loved what I had said. And I hoped my look back conveyed that I loved him looking at me like that.

Happiness and love and beating hearts, that was all there was in that moment on a Christmas Eve morning as we inched closer together.

“I know it’s too soon to say so, Austin, but I think I may have.”

I had never seen a smile so bright. “Randall.” His hand was on my forearm as we leaned ever closer, something in the back of our minds holding both of us back from kissing.

I don’t know how long we stood like that before I heard a throat clear behind us. Austin and I jumped away from each other, of course, and he awkwardly shoved the box of tea at me. I clutched it to my chest as Stephanie spoke.

“Oh good,” she deadpanned. “You found the tea.”

“Morning, Mom.”

“Good morning, you two. Merry Christmas.”

I turned away from them both. “Tea!” I said, feeling the blush rise in my cheeks. I headed for the water dispenser at the refrigerator to fill my mug with water before shoving it in the microwave, doing my best to avoid looking at either Austin or his mother. When I turned around, Austin had returned to the family room, and Stephanie was pouring her own coffee.

Eventually, there was nothing I could do but acknowledge her.

“Steph.” I tried to smile.

Holding her mug in both hands, not unlike her son, Stephanie came right up to me. My back hit the countertop; I was cornered.

She smiled kindly but narrowed her eyes.