Lydia's Pine Harbor Christmas, стр. 16

Theo shook his head. “It shouldn’t have to be a contest.”

“Yeah? Tell that to Lydia.”

“Give it time. It’ll sort itself out.”

Marco mulled it over, but it just didn’t feel right. “Unless Bryce is some sort of control freak. That’s what they do.”

“You’ve lost me.” Theo squinted in that parental way that he had when he wanted to be supportive but couldn’t.

“I’m saying he could be one of those control freaks. One day they’re dating, and the next day she’s cut off ties to her family and friends, and he keeps her locked up at home and completely dependent on him.”

Theo leaned back and studied Marco. “Do you really think that’s what’s going on? For one thing, Lydia would never put up with that.”

“Good point, but still…”

“Marco, it’s an interesting theory, but it’s a little over the top.”

“So if that’s not the case, then she hates me.”

Theo winced. “Well, you know what they say.”

Marco rolled his eyes. “No, I don’t.”

Theo looked as though he was stating the obvious. “Occam’s razor. The simplest explanation is usually the right one.”

“Oh, great. Thanks. “

Theo’s eyes twinkled. “But in your case, it couldn’t be that.” He reached for Marco’s chin, but Marco swatted him away. “Look at that face. What’s not to love?”

“Me. Not that this has anything to do with love, because it doesn’t. We’re just talking hypotheticals, right?”

Marco looked too amused. “Oh, absolutely.”

“But if she hates me, I can understand why. Look at me! Sitting here wringing my hands like a…”

“Person who wrings their hands a lot?” Theo laughed. “Look, why don’t you go upstairs and take a little time for yourself. I’ll be fine here—until dinner.”

Marco thought for a moment then hopped off the stool. “I’m going out for a run.”

Theo grabbed a rag and started to wipe down the counter, then he looked up and called to Marco, “It’s the middle of December. Watch out for black ice!”

The road was clear enough, but Marco was rusty. He’d been busy working and studying, and exercise had fallen by the wayside, and he was paying for it. But that was okay. It was time to begin a new phase in his life. Spending less time with Lydia would mean more time for running and schoolwork. Maybe that was all he needed—more running and fewer emotions.

His life had shifted so gradually that he never noticed it coming, but one day, he woke up to discover he was dependent upon Lydia. It began simply. They had fun being together, so he didn’t think about how he looked forward to seeing her or how he missed her when something else got in the way. That was to be expected from friends who got along as well as they did, but they were always just that—friends. It wasn’t as though they were dating. But a few months passed, and there she was—part of his life. He hadn’t even seen it coming.

In a way, Lydia had done him a favor by severing ties. They’d become too close, and she must have known it. That was how people got hurt, although he always assumed that sort of pain was confined to a dating relationship, and emotional pain was what he sought to avoid above all.

When his mother had died, he was too young to know how to process his grief. Therapy helped him get through it. But the memory of that pain cemented his resolve to avoid feeling that way ever again. Since then, he had insulated himself from relationships that threatened to deepen.

It was never his aim to come across as a free-spirited guy who couldn’t be pinned down, but once he realized that was how people perceived him, he went with it. It worked. Women in his life had low expectations, so no one got hurt. He liked it that way—or he used to. One thing he did not like was being rejected. The last person he would have expected it from was Lydia. She’d caught him off guard. Although quiet, she knew what she wanted—and it wasn’t Marco. He inwardly groaned. It was Bryce.

As the days passed without seeing Marco, Lydia grew more accustomed to being without him. One evening, she sat beside Bryce as the curtain rose on a nearby college production of The Nutcracker. Marco would never have suggested it. She wasn’t even sure if Marco owned a suit. Bryce did. In fact, he owned several. She knew that because they’d already attended a theatrical version of A Christmas Carol and two Christmas parties at the homes of family friends, and they had dined at a couple of really nice restaurants. Although he never spoke about it, it was apparent he had money. That was Bryce—humble, kind, and generous.

That wasn’t to say Marco lacked any of those qualities. He might have lacked Bryce’s wealth, but he was every bit as humble, kind, and generous as Bryce. Since she’d known Marco, he had been there for her when she needed it most. He’d been a really good friend. Since she’d ended the friendship, Lydia had repeated that thought process so many times. This was the part where the guilt settled in. Cutting Marco off with no real explanation must have hurt him. Looking back, she’d been selfish in her handling of it, but continuing on the path their relationship was on would have been too painful to bear.

Godfather Drosselmeyer’s musical cue brought her back to the moment. Something had always been a little off about Drosselmeyer, but that was the beauty of Christmas. It cast a magical glow over the even the most cringeworthy things—like having anyone, even a jolly red-suited man, able to people when they’re sleeping. That was such an unsettling thought. She supposed it was largely a matter of who was doing the seeing and when. For instance, she had no objection to Marco climbing a tree and more or less flying through her window. It all