Page 2 of Cozy Little Christmas

That wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement but Hannah knew exactly what her friend meant.

“They’re a work in progress. The Shelter Inn Singers will never sound like a Broadway chorus. That’s not the point. I just want them to have fun, to remember the joy of music and hopefully work on a little memory stimulation at the same time.”

“You do such a good job with them,” McKenna said. “Everyone loves your Monday visits. Paulo told me that of all the different programs we try to offer here, music is his favorite.”

“That’s good to hear, especially because I know how busy you keep them. Mabel was telling me earlier about the Guess the Mystery Casserole potluck you had last week where everyone had to bring a dish but couldn’t reveal the secret ingredient.”

McKenna made a face. “Don’t remind me. Dorothy Martin won hands down with her Magnificent Mac and Cheese but when she was trying to share the recipe she couldn’t remember whether she added half-and-half or cream cheese. In the end, we had to go through her trash to find the empty half-and-half container.”

Even as she spoke, McKenna seemed on edge. With her phone clutched tightly in her hand, she glanced back at Hannah, though she didn’t quite meet her gaze.

Hannah frowned at her friend’s unusual behavior. McKenna was usually cheerful and exuberant, effortlessly juggling the demands of mothering three young children as well as running the retirement community with happy enthusiasm. Few things ever ruffled her calm.

“Is something wrong?” Hannah finally asked.

The other woman shifted, sending another troubled look down the hallway. “I heard some hot gossip earlier today and feel like it’s only fair to give you some advance warning.”

Hannah tensed, her friend’s concern leaving her suddenly uneasy. “That sounds ominous.”

McKenna blew out a breath. “I really don’t want to be the one to tell you this but somebody has to. If I were you, I would want to know. And if I found out one of my friends knew and didn’t give me fair warning, I would have more than a few words for said friend.”

Where was this going? Hannah couldn’t begin to guess. “You’re making me nervous. Maybe I don’t want to know your hot gossip.”

“You don’t,” McKenna agreed. “But I think you need to. Kelsey Bradley was in here earlier today to visit her grandfather.”

“Stanley Kenner. Right.”

The elderly retired banker, with his natty clothes and his cheerful attitude, was one of her favorite people. She liked him enough to overlook his connection to a man she preferred to forget even existed.

“Hannah.” McKenna took her hand. “While we were chatting, Kelsey happened to mention, almost in passing, that her brother is coming back to town for the holidays.”

Hannah went still as a hot, jumbled tide of emotions crashed over her. The old ache of loss, the sting of betrayal, the soft, stubborn grief and that longing she had tried so hard to bury. It all rushed back at once, raw and impossible to outrun, even a dozen years after Wes Kenner broke her heart.

She cleared her suddenly dry throat. “Is that so?”

“I didn’t get any details about when he’s coming or how long he will be here. Kel had her darling baby with her and we were distracted by the adorableness, plus my youngest was throwing a tantrum at the same time, but yeah. She was all excited about having him here with the family for the holidays. I . . . thought you should know.”

Somehow she hadn’t seen Wes in all these years. She knew he had been back to town on occasion, particularly for his grandmother’s funeral the previous summer. She had been on a hiking trip to Alaska at the time and had missed the funeral.

Every other time he had been back to visit his family here in Shelter Springs, Hannah had managed to avoid him on purpose. She had gotten over him and the sudden implosion of their relationship a long time ago. Somehow she had managed to weld back together the shattered pieces of her heart. But why risk sailing anywhere near that particular emotional iceberg?

“Did Kelsey happen to say when he was coming back?” she asked, her throat suddenly tight.

With any luck, Wes would only visit the week between Christmas and New Year’s, after all her professional and family obligations around town had been met. She could hibernate in her house without running any risk of seeing him.

Or maybe she would book a solo cruise to Mexico during that time. That wouldn’t be cowardly of her; it would simply be a somewhat extreme form of self-care. Right?

“Again, it was a fleeting conversation and we were both distracted by our kids. We couldn’t get into all the details. I’m sorry. I wish I knew more.”

“It’s fine. I appreciate the information anyway.”

“Are you okay?”

At the concern in her friend’s voice, Hannah forced a smile that made her cheeks hurt as if she had spent the past hour in a dentist’s chair. “Sure. Why wouldn’t I be? Wes and I mean nothing to each other anymore.”

“He broke your heart, though,” McKenna said softly. “I hate that he hurt you.”

“It was a long time ago. So far in the past, it might as well be another lifetime.” So far in the past, it might have happened to another person. Someone younger, more naive and infinitely more breakable than Hannah was now.