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Holly blinked at her. “Of course I do.”
“Okay, so then… forgive me, friend. You know I love you, and I’m not trying to overstep… but do you really think it’s a good idea to force it on him in this way? Don’t you think it might be hard for him to sit alone, in his own home, with that reminder of what he’s lost?”
Holly’s face softened, and she reached out and took Robin’s hand in both of hers. “I love you too. And you’re not overstepping. But here’s the thing… life goes on. And I promise I’m not intending for that to sound so blunt and cold, because even though they were my parents and not my husband, you know I understand loss in a deep way. But one thing you and Jack both need to realize is that even when we lose people we love, life goes on. Ithasto.”
Robin pulled her hands away. “I know it does.”
“Do you?” Holly tilted her head, not seeming at all bothered by the fact that Robin had pulled away. “Because from where I’m sitting, you’re sliding back toward the dark place you said you were in right after Matthew died. And I think you’re letting my brother’s presence here trigger you into it in the same way you think this tree is going to trigger him.”
Holly’s words were like a slap in the face, and Robin reared back from the force. “Wow. Really?”
“Yes.” Holly stood her ground, her face soft and knowing.
It was oddly comforting, actually, despite how upset Robin wanted to be. Seeing her friend look so open and kind even while delivering a harsh truth that she hadn’t known she needed to hear made the whole thing a lot more palatable.
“I think you might be right,” Robin said after a long moment. “But I’m not sure what to do about it.”
“I think, like my brother, you might need a reminder that it’s okay to be happy and sad at the same time. It’s okay for him to simultaneously enjoy Christmas and miss his parents; and having a tree or lights on his house doesn’t have to be painful unless he lets it.”
Holly paused there and took Robin’s hand again, and she willingly surrendered to the comforting gesture. “And you, Robin, need to realize that it’s okay to have feelings for Jack even though he’s a cop. What happened to Matthew was awful and tragic, but it doesn’t mean the same thing will happen to Jack. Not letting him into your life because you’re afraid of losing him is the same thing as not living at all, and I know I never got to meet Matthew, but I’m sure he wouldn’t want that for you.”
Silent tears slipped down Robin’s cheeks as she considered this, and she swiped at them with her free hand. Then she whimpered at the sight of the foundation on her black glove.
“Shoot, I probably look ridiculous.”
Holly reached into her purse and pulled out a baby wipe. “Mom of a toddler. I always have wipes on me. Just take it all off, and you’ll be good.”
Robin chuckled and took the wipe, her spine straightening as the icy cloth swiped over her face. But it was also good. Refreshing. In fact, she held it under her eyes for a beat in case they were swollen, and when she emerged, she found Holly smiling fondly at her.
“Better?” she asked.
Holly nodded. “Much less drowned clown. Which is good because Halloween is over, and Christmas is here!”
Robin laughed as Holly pulled her to her feet and hugged her tightly.
When she released her, Robin wrinkled her nose. “Now what?”
“Now, we complete Operation Christmas Tree Surprise.”
“And… then? The other stuff?”
Holly rolled her eyes. “Just let him in, silly. You don’t have to throw yourself at the man—which, by the way, is something I don’t need to hear about—but just don’t push him away.”
Robin mirrored Holly’s eye roll, then nodded once. “Deal.”
CHAPTER9
Jack
When Jack unlockedhis front door that night, the very last thing he expected to find in his living room was a Christmas tree. And yet, there it was, proudly positioned in the corner of his living room.
The air smelled of fresh pine, and as he saw the evidence of pine needles that had managed to escape his sister’s notice, he realized she’d actually gotten him a real tree and it wasn’t some kind of candle or air freshener to simulate the effect.
“Holly,” he ground out, letting his head fall back so he could stare at the ceiling. “Seriously?”
So, it appeared his sister’s shifty eyes when she’d told him about her girls’ day with Robin hadn’t been his imagination after all. He’d asked Nick more than once if he knew what Holly was up to, and since he’d removed the tracking app he used to have on Holly’s phone when he was her hired bodyguard—because, unlike her, he knew how to respect someone’s privacy—he hadn’t been able to check to see if she was really at the nail salon for all that time as she said she was.
But really, if he’d still had the tracker, and he’d seen that she was at the tree lot, what would he have done? Stormed over there and told her to knock it off and stop trying to cram Christmas down his throat? Of course not. He would’ve done exactly what he was doing right now. Shake his head, silently curse her, and then reluctantly give in.
