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Brielle drew a breath and glanced at Nick. “There’s one more thing I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Okay.” My eyes stayed on hers.
“Nick and I are getting married the day after Christmas.”
I smiled and nodded. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” She grinned and looked at Nick. “But we wanted to head to Bora Bora for our honeymoon.”
My heart sank.
More time to be away from Tate.
“And I don’t think I should bring Tate.” Her brows rose. “Amy would be with you, and we’d make sure you had anything you needed.”
“Wow. That’s incredible. I’m beyond excited.”
“It’s for three weeks.”
I smiled, glancing at my little buddy. “Even better. I’m up for it. I’ll take time off from the bar, and I’ll stay in Buttercup Lake near family.”
Relief flooded through Brielle. “Thank you so much. The thought of trying to enjoy my honeymoon while balancing motherhood and…” She stopped. “No, that sounds awful. It came out wrong.”
One thing I knew was that Brielle always told me she didn’t want children, but I was completely in awe at the ease and grace with which she mothered Tate. The children issue was always a deal breaker for us. I smiled at the irony as Brielle walked over to Tate and bent over to kiss him before Amy strolled out the door with him.
“No, I understand.” I nodded, glancing at Nick, who looked adoringly at Brielle.
But I desperately wanted to give Tate another taste of life where nannies didn’t take care of his every whim.
“I can’t wait to get to know my son,” I told them. “So, please feel free to honeymoon for as long as you want.”
Brielle laughed. “You might be singing a different tune when you’re running on no sleep.”
I grinned and nodded, knowing I’d be counting the seconds for that opportunity, but now, it was my time to figure out how to tell Daisy.
Chapter Twenty-One
Daisy
The coffee shop was a riot of Christmas cheer, but the festive mood felt like a stark contrast to the chaos thrashing inside my heart. My chest ached with confusion from Hunter’s random texts. But I believed more than anything that he wasn’t back with Brielle.
Most likely.
I groaned and put my head in my palms as Abby laughed behind me.
“I hope this drink cheers you up,” she teased, rubbing my back. She bent over and brought her mouth to my ear. “I put a little Schnapps in it. Shh. Don’t tell anyone.”
I sat up and chuckled. “It’s eleven in the morning.”
“And not a second too soon.” She winked at me and wandered back to behind the counter as a line formed through the café.
I looked around, and comfort wrapped itself around me. I needed to be in the mix of Buttercup Lake, to feel the festive mood, the celebratory dance of the holidays, and try to drown out my own thoughts.
I sipped my peppermint mocha, the warmth barely registering, but the Schnapps certainly did. Abby’s gaze met mine, and she waggled her brows. I shook my head teasingly before sitting back in my chair to try to ignore the nagging pit in my stomach.
Red, silver, and green garlands twisted around the wooden beams. A tiny Christmas tree had been placed on each table, twinkling with miniature multicolored lights.
A large tree stood in the corner with shimmering gold and silver ornaments as the warm glow of the overhead lights sprinkled down. But as I sat and watched smiling faces, listened to the chatter, and heard the holiday music through the speakers, I realized that all of the Christmas magic in the universe wouldn't lift the weight of worry off my chest.
