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She’d come back.
His veins flooded with cool relief as she slipped out of her car, wearing cut off jean shorts and a grey t-shirt that read OTTB Mafia across the back. He had no idea what that meant, but there was the outline of a horse’s head on the front when she turned.
She smiled when she saw him standing like an idiot, tongs in hand. “Hey.” Her voice was pitched high, like when she was talking to Copper, who had scrambled out of the car after her. He should’ve known she’d take him wherever she went—she’d brought the dog halfway across the world.
“Hey.” He barely managed to croak out the one-word answer. “I thought maybe you’d…” He didn’t say the rest. Couldn’t admit out loud that what he’d spent all afternoon telling himself he wanted was a lie. He’d been wrong. He didn’t want her to be gone and for his life to go back to normal.All it had taken was twenty-four hours and the life he’d carefully constructed felt like an empty shell. “I didn’t know where you were.”
Her brow creased. “I just went to town. For some food.” She went around to the boot, and as she pulled out a grocery bag, those damn Christmas lights fell out again.
He was at her side, bending to pick them up before he’d realised that’s what he was going to do. Which seemed to happen a lot around her.
She reached to take them back. “That reminds me. Do you celebrate Christmas?”
“Christmas?”
“Yeah. That big holiday that’s coming up right before New Year’s? Do you celebrate it? Because I noticed you don’t have a single decoration up. Maybe you’re Jewish? Or—?”
“I celebrate it, yes. Get a card for my mum every year. That sort of thing.” When he’d been deployed, missing out on Christmas with the family had been a big deal. After he’d gotten back, it all just seemed… frivolous. Pointless. And it wasn’t worth the trip, now he lived so far away from his mum.
“A card? That’s it?” Her voice was incredulous. “Holy cow, youarea Grinch! You don’t even have a single decoration!”
“Not much point in decorating when it’s only—” His attention snagged on Copper, who had lifted his nose and was scenting the air. That was when he remembered—“The meat!”—and took off for the back garden, tongs and lights still in hand.
They atehis overcooked steaks and Lena’s green salad and ice cream bars on the back porch. When they’d finished, Lena shimmied herself into the hammock he’d tied between two trees. She trailed one arm out as she swung slowly from side to side, reaching to pet Copper until he curled on the ground just below.
“Your night sky is so weird.” She laughed, a breathy, musical sound. “I don’t recognise anything. Or else it’s upside down.”
“I felt that way too, when I was in Iraq.” The words just slipped out, as if they’d completely bypassed the part of his brain that determined what he should and shouldn’t say.
“Were you there long?” Of course she had more questions.
“Long enough. Almost a year. Less in Syria.” In the dark of twilight, talking was easier. He almost said more, explained why he’d come back early, right before Christmas three years ago.
“Two deployments?”
“That’s right.” His voice came out more terse than he meant it to.
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pester you.” She swung for a bit, and when she spoke again, her speech was slower than usual. “I know I said I’d be gone this morning, but I talked to the lady at the Fig Tree Lodge earlier, when I went into town. She was so nice, even called up all the other innkeepers she knows, but nobody had anything until after the holidays. I promise I’ll figure out something else soon. You won’t be stuck with nosey old me too much longer.”
“I’m not stuck.” He wanted to take the hand that she dangled from the hammock and trace the blue veins at her wrist, following them up the inside of her arm. He wanted to do a lot more. “You can stay as long as you need.” As soon as he said it, he knew it was too much.
“Don’t you have anywhere to be for Christmas? With your family?”
“Nah. My mum’s off on some cruise with her new husband, so I’m on my own.”
“I don’t have anyone either. ‘Cept Copper. We should celebrate together.” She was slurring her words so much, he wasn’t even sure she was really still awake, but it didn’t stop his mouth from going cottony at the thought of spending Christmas with her. Of eleven more days.
“We could do.” He had no idea what that might mean to her, how an American normally celebrated Christmas.
He thought she’d askwhatthey could do. But she didn’t say anything. The silence stretched and by the time he’d thought to ask what traditions she liked best, she’d fallen asleep.
* * *
He couldn’t leaveher in the hammock all night. She was liable to wake up at four a.m. to dingos howling and freak out. Or else she’d terrify a possum and herself half to death, or startle a mama kangaroo and make her snatch up her joey before it even got the chance to take a run around. “Lena?” He didn’t know how to wake her, where it was okay to touch her.
“Mmmm.” She barely stirred, her eyes opening just long enough to see him before her heavy lids closed again.
“Hey. Christmas Girl.” A smiled ghosted across her lips at the nickname. He hoped she’d forget he’d called her that, come morning.
