AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mindy did sigh then, not wanting to hurt Landon’s feelings, but also not wanting to lead him on.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” she began softly, watching as the realization that she was letting him down easy washed over him.
“Oh,” he mumbled, nodding his head. “Okay.”
Mindy could tell that he was disappointed, and she felt guilty for that, especially as Landon told her he hoped she had a good day and then walked away toward a table. But she knew that they both deserved better than what they’d been giving each other.
She didn’t see a future with Landon. In fact, she had never been able to. Mindy could now admit to herself that she’d just been dating him to make her feel a little less alone, and neither of them deserved that. She wanted a love that lit her up from the inside out. The kind of love that made her feel like she was floating.
The image of a familiar face flashed before her mind. A handsome blast from the past that made her heart rate skyrocket, but she quickly stamped the image down. That period of her life was long gone, and it would do no good for her to dwell on it.
She shook her head, clearing her mind of all thoughts except getting through the remainder of the day as Allison came back to the front of the shop and took up her post at the register. Mindy went to the kitchen, beginning to work on another batch of trifles.
She hummed to herself as she worked, allowing the melody of a familiar love song to carry her through her work. And all the while, Mindy was fighting off images of a man she’d once loved. One that got away from her, and one that she would never, ever forget.
* * *
Valerie shifted nervously on the front seat of Clark’s truck, wiping her hands along her jeans to help clear them of the sweat that had broken out on them.
“Stop fussing,” Clark said with a laugh as he turned the steering wheel to pull into the driveway of their destination. “They’re going to love you.”
“You might be a little bit biased,” Valerie teased, but it didn’t stop her stomach from doing flips as the door to Clark’s childhood home was pulled open and his mother stepped out onto the porch.
The woman had brown curly hair and vivid green eyes that Valerie could make out at a distance. She was waving at them merrily, and Valerie had to work to steel her nerves.
“It’s Christmas,” Clark whispered to her the moment before pushing open his door and trotting around the truck so that he could open hers.
It was the first time that Valerie had somewhere to go on Christmas Day since her mother passed away. And the fact that she’d be spending it with Clark’s parents, meeting them for the very first time, had her on the verge of hyperventilating.
The moment that Clark pulled the door open for her, she slid down onto the snow, and it crunched under her boots as they approached the woman on the porch.
“Maureen Mitchell,” the woman explained, extending her hand in greeting as the couple approached. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Clark has told me all about you.”
Valerie had to fight the urge to blush as she took Maureen’s hand and shook it.
“I’ve heard a lot about you as well,” she said warmly.
She had known that his parents knew who she was. Clark had confirmed as much. But he’d also confirmed that they’d promised to not freak out when they met her, and to treat her just like they would any regular old person. Which Valerie appreciated very much.
Maureen opened the door wider, waving them into the house, and Valerie and Clark followed after her. The moment they stepped through the door, Valerie couldn’t stop her eyes from darting around the space and taking it all in. Immediately, she noticed the pictures on the walls showing all different stages of the family’s lives together. Clark in a t-ball uniform as a child. The three of them on vacation on a beach, beaming like mad at the camera. A ski trip, a graduation. It was all right there, laid out for her along the walls.
They turned a corner and came to a living room that was overflowing with Christmas decorations. A man sat in a fluffy looking recliner in one corner, his gaze glued to the television on the wall.
“Kenneth, we have company,” Maureen said, catching the man’s attention.
She introduced him to Valerie as Clark’s father, and he gave her a kind smile.
“Just watching the parade,” he explained, pointing to the TV where a Christmas Day parade filled the screen. “Waiting for the giant glitter Santa Claus balloon. That thing is my favorite.”
Everyone chuckled lightly before Maureen turned back to Clark and Valerie.
“I just have a few things to finish up in the kitchen,” she said, waving them toward the couch. “Go ahead and sit for a bit. Dinner won’t be too much longer.”
Valerie tried to offer to help her, but Clark’s mother just waved her away affectionately, letting her know that there wasn’t much left to do. The smell that filled the house was making Valerie’s mouth water as Clark led her to the overstuffed sofa and plopped down.
They began watching the parade with his father, letting Kenneth fill the space with all kinds of fun facts about the different floats, balloons, and sponsors. Valerie loved experiencing this, getting to see a glimpse of what it must have been like for Clark to grow up in this town, what the life that shaped him had been like. And she found herself wanting to learn more and more.
Soon, Maureen came back into the living room and let them all know that dinner was done. When they walked into the dining room, Valerie had to stop herself from gaping. The food looked amazing. A beautiful turkey, mashed potatoes, homemade mac and cheese, rolls, gravy, green beans—the works. Valerie couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a meal quite like this.
