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"Not like you, right Murph?" I ask. "You didn't even tell your best friend in the world you were getting married."
She doesn't look the least bit guilty. "Good thing I didn't tell you. You probably would have showed up and objected to the marriage."
Instead of arguing my case more, I hand over her gift bag. She takes it with narrowed eyes, but her whole face lights up when she digs through the tissue paper and sees what's inside. "A Morrison?" She looks up. "Is this an original?"
She's obsessed with a modern artist who's still unknown enough that her paintings are reasonably priced. I don't get why Murphy likes the art, but I tracked down a five by eight painting that didn't break my bank account. "It is. Maybe it'll make you rich some day."
She pulls the painting out of the bag. I don't know how she could even tell what it is with the layers of packaging required to keep it safe. She rips through all that to reveal the colorful, chaotic painting below and she squeals with delight. "I love it."
"Way to show me up, man." Liam doesn't mean it. He's looking lovingly at his new video game.
"You gave me a husband for Christmas." Murphy forgets the painting to look at Liam. "Nothing can top that."
Liam looks up at her, and I finally see it. The love between them is stronger than inane bickering or an idiot best friend.
"I'm sorry," I say. "I should have listened to you and accepted that this thing between you two is real."
"You're forgiven." Murphy smiles and I finally have my best friend back. "Though you are incredibly obtuse. Do you know how many times Liam and I snuck off to have sex, and you never noticed?"
I take a step back. "I really don't want to know."
"You inheriting that cabin from your grandfather when you were seventeen was the best thing that ever happened to me," Liam says, all cheerful good spirits.
"The cabin? You had sex in my cabin?" I take another step back. "You two were already having sex at seventeen?"
Murphy waves a hand. "All that's in the past. What matters is that we forgive you and now we can all go back to having fun together like we used to."
"Where in the cabin—"
Murphy bounces up off the couch. "The Christmas tree unveiling is happening soon. Let's go so we can get front row seats."
The thirty-foot Christmas tree in town is up and decorated year round, but they change the decorations every few months with an unveiling ceremony each time. The Christmas Eve unveiling is the biggest and most celebrated. And it happens at eight pm every year.
"Please tell me it wasn't on the couch?"
Liam slaps my back. "Better you don't know. Come on. We don't want to be late."
"I heard Cherry and her cousins say they're going to be there tonight." Murphy waggles her eyebrows.
I'm not sure what I'm going to say when I see Cherry again and, unfortunately, I don't have time to go shopping.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Cherry
"This is so adorable." Peach claps and bounces in place. "I love Christmas and I love this town."
In front of us, drapes, hung from wires strung between the treetops, block from view the enormous town Christmas tree. The crowd of tourists and townspeople extends down the sledding hill and through the forest at the top of the hill. Peach wanted to get here early, so we'd have a good view and we're near the front of the crowd closest to the tree. I suspect the better view is from farther away, since the tree is so enormous, but Peach wants to be as close as possible.
"It is a pretty great town." And I mean it. Sadness about Xavier rests like a heavy weight in my stomach and the back of my throat, but excitement to be here with my cousins and about living here, at least for a while, and working for Josephine floats above the sadness, not eradicating it but lightening it.
For the first time in my life, I think I might be okay on my own. Maybe I don't need a man or a family. Maybe I can build a life for myself and be happy the way Josephine is happy. Heck, maybe someday I'll have kids on my own. It's hard to let go of my dream, but it's for the best. I don't need to get so caught up in my vision for the future that I go after another poor fit, like RJ.
And the heartbreak from Xavier is a million times worse than it was with RJ. If I ever stop hurting, I won't be in any hurry to sign up for risking my heart again.
"When is this starting?" Francis asks for the third time. He's wearing a sequined ski suit with a beanie that's got flashing lights on it. If the tree doesn't have a star for the top, he could fill in.
And his isn't the most outrageous outfit here. Peach is wearing angel wings over her puffy white coat, Blue has a full-on candy cane costume, and Marcus is dressed as a Christmas tree.
