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“What? Where?” Roni quickly looked around them, pulling the silly stocking hat off her head and patting down her hair as she searched the faces of the people walking by. “I don’t see him.”
“In there.” Melanie pointed through the window of the coffee shop toward Jimmy, who stood behind the counter wearing a gold T-shirt with the word Frankie’s printed across his chest. The chest she’d been dreaming about resting her cheek against all year. The chest she hadn’t felt in ten long years.
Roni gave a little squeak as she slapped her hand over her mouth, and her eyes widened. “What on earth is he doing there? Wearing that shirt? I thought he lived and worked in Denver. As an artist!”
Had everything he’d told her been a lie?
Had he been in Pineville this whole year? She gave a little squeak of disbelief.
Melanie grabbed her arm. “Come on. We’re going in.”
“No.” Roni pulled back as horror deadened her ability to move forward. “I can’t.”
“Why not?” Melanie demanded. “He was in your shop last night when we were talking about this place, about the event that is competing with the Caroling Kickoff. But did he say anything? No, he didn’t even say hello. He just ran out of there as if his tail were on fire. Is that what you’re going to do now? Run? No. You won’t because I won’t let you. You deserve better than that. You deserve answers. Especially if the man has been leading you on and lying to you all year long.” Melanie’s outrage colored her cheeks a bright crimson. “Now, we’re going in there, and we’re going in right now. Okay?”
Roni couldn’t swallow. Couldn’t answer. Her friend was right to be mad. But where was Roni’s outrage? Her fury? It was buried beneath a mountain of hurt. Her eyes burned with humiliation and unshed tears.
“Why didn’t he tell me?” she whispered.
“You won’t know until you confront him and demand answers,” Melanie insisted.
Roni’s head started to shake back and forth. She’d been talking to him on the phone and over email for a solid year, telling him all her dreams, her plans. Could he have been here that whole time and not told her? “I can’t,” she squeaked as hot tears spilled onto her cheeks. She quickly brushed them away, turning from the window.
“Oh no, you don’t.” Melanie grabbed her arm and burst through the door, dragging her in her wake.
No! Stop. This isn’t happening.
Jimmy looked up, about to ask Melanie if he could help her, when his gaze fell on Roni. Surprise widened his eyes before regret filled them. At least he had the decency to look ashamed. “Roni.”
A flash of anger seared through her. This whole year she’d dreamed of this moment. Hoped and planned for a second chance with him, and he hadn’t even had the decency to tell her he was in town.
Working for my competition!
“Hello, Jimmy. Or is it Jim now?” she asked, looking at the name badge pinned to his chest.
“I…” He opened his mouth to say more, but looked at a loss for words.
“Roni?”
Roni turned at the sound of her name and saw a woman she hadn’t seen in years, also wearing a gold Frankie’s T-shirt—Jimmy’s mother. Roni remembered her. How could she not? His mother never thought she was good enough for her perfect baby boy.
“How have you been?” Suddenly his mother was standing in front of her. “I was hoping I’d get the chance to see you. I was just telling Jim he should invite you over for dinner one night so we can catch up.”
Catch up?Roni gave her head a good shake to clear the confusion from her muddled brain.
“Mom, can you give us a minute?” Jimmy asked with a softness to his voice and a light touch on his mother’s arm.
“Of course.” She gave Roni an apologetic smile, then hurried to the other end of the counter to deliver a couple of lattes.
Not gingerbread or peppermint lattes, Roni thought smugly, but plain old lattes. Her place obviously had better coffee. Her furniture might not be as nice, and everything else wasn’t all new and matchy-matchy, but she made awesome lattes.
Was that why Jimmy was at her place last night? To check out his competition? Fury burned in her soul.
“Roni, can we talk?” Jimmy walked around the counter and gestured toward a round table by the window.
Roni could barely swallow. She grabbed Melanie by the arm and hung on tight as they walked toward one of the few empty tables and took a seat. Roni pulled in a deep breath and then another as a buzzing sounded in her ear.
“I’m really sorry you had to find out this way. I wanted to tell you myself last night,” he started.
