Lydia's Pine Harbor Christmas, стр. 19
“Well, I can’t lie. That does sound like fun, but I think we’ll be fine.” Which is why I want to get up and run to my car and bury my face in my hands—because that’s what I do over all my best friends. Lydia couldn’t hold her fake smile for much longer, so she said, “It was great seeing you, but I’ve got to get going. Say hi to Theo.”
“I will.” He made no move to leave.
“Bye, Marco.” She picked up her shopping bags and walked away, stunned.
Who am I kidding? I love him.
Lydia sank into her car seat and locked the door. What have I done? She’d always found Marco attractive, and nothing was wrong with a little crush. But the crush kept getting deeper. Though she had convinced herself the feelings would pass, they hadn’t.
They had blossomed into love. She didn’t know when it had happened or even what made her so sure it was love. As many poems as she’d read or love songs she’d heard, no one had ever managed to define love to her satisfaction. Yet she had never been surer of anything in her life. Maybe their separation had cleared her head, but it hadn’t done much for her heart. As she’d sat there with Marco, fresh emotions overwhelmed her. Like a tidal current, she couldn’t see it or hold it in her hands, but it swept her away with its power. Even if her emotion wasn’t love, it felt totally unlike what she felt for Bryce.
Lydia hit the steering wheel. “I am not going to let one random encounter with Marco ruin my one chance at happiness. Bryce likes me, and our relationship is going somewhere. I may not know where that is, but I know it won’t hurt like this.”
Eleven
One of the many remarkable things about Caroline Welch was that she knew how to throw a good party. The evening began with valet parking. Bryce handed over the keys.
“Wait! I almost forgot the Secret Santa present.”
Lydia started for the car, but Bryce stopped her and retrieved it himself. Then they went into the house. Lydia had been there before, but Caroline’s house had transformed to look even more like a magazine layout with fresh, fragrant evergreen and holly decorations. Poinsettias adorned the massive food buffet, while mistletoe hung in well-chosen locations.
Lydia wore a vintage deep-red velvet dress she’d found in a resale shop, while Bryce wore a black suit and a green-and-navy-striped tie. The house was brimming with people Lydia didn’t know, most of whom she presumed were Caroline’s clients and business acquaintances. While she glanced about, hoping to find someone she recognized, Bryce took two glasses of champagne from a passing server. They stood sipping champagne and talking. Christmas couldn’t get much more festive.
Almost a week had gone by since Lydia’s chance coffee meeting with Marco, and she’d decided it was time to face up to the truth. She genuinely felt for and probably loved him. They would always be friends on some level, but Lydia needed to think of herself. Loving someone who didn’t love you back was not a long-term prescription for happiness. Lydia couldn’t blame Marco. She doubted he knew. But every kindness he bestowed upon her broke her heart.
With that knowledge, she could take positive action by being good to herself and doing what was emotionally healthy for her. She was going to put distance between them but more subtly than last time. Her attempt at a clean break had been too drastic and impossible to sustain. She would make no grand statement but see him less frequently until she’d successfully moved on with her life. This time, she meant it.
Theo and Allie arrived, much to Lydia’s delight. Allie was one of her favorite people to talk to. This is going to be fun.
Then she saw Marco. He walked in wearing a sports coat and a red cashmere sweater. That was as dressed up as she’d ever seen him—and as handsome. Only a strikingly virile man could pull off the anti-suit look. But when he could accomplish it, women took notice. Lydia certainly did. Why does he have to keep doing that? Some things just weren’t fair.
As she observed Marco, Bryce struck up a conversation with a couple nearby. He introduced Lydia as his girlfriend, which was a first. She supposed she was. They had just never put it into words. It had a nice sound that she didn’t mind at all. It hinted at a future together, which was what she hoped for with Bryce.
Bryce’s new friends were describing a cruise they’d just taken. As nice as it sounded, detailed accounts of couples’ vacations never interested others as much as they did them. Without meaning to, Lydia let her eyes wander. Marco was schmoozing as only he could. It was a gift. The guy had never met a stranger.
Allie waved to Lydia. She whispered something to Theo then crossed the room to join Lydia. They raved about each other’s frocks, and Allie looked gorgeous in royal-blue satin.
“Wouldn’t you love to be Caroline for a day?” Allie asked.
Lydia laughed. “This is pretty amazing.”
Allie’s friend Kim joined them. “Too bad she’s too nice for us to resent her for it.”
Allie said, “I know. But she is. So you’ve just got to love her.”
Theo put his arm around Allie’s shoulder. “Miss me?”
Slipping her arm around his back, she said, “Desperately.”
Lydia turned to Bryce to draw him into the conversation, but he was involved in a deep discussion of cruise lines, so she turned back to Allie. As she did, a familiar voice made her heart skip a beat.
“Who’s your friend, Allie?” Then Marco appeared at her side. He turned to Lydia and said, “Wow.”
Lydia’s eyebrows drew together. “Thank you?”
He looked almost too amazed, making her wonder how she must look the