Troy pulled out a container of apple juice from the fridge and turned around to face Dante. “Hey,” Troy mumbled. The greeting was far from friendly. He’d made a point to speak to Dante in the most minimal way possible.
“Hey,” Dante said in response. A thick tension hung in the air like a dense fog.
“What are those bags for?” Troy asked, his eyes focusing on Dante’s luggage like laser beams.
“Dante’s going to be staying here,” Mimi said in a no-nonsense tone that brooked no argument. She seemed to be waiting for Troy to make some sort of comment or voice his disapproval. Instead he simply stood there with a shuttered expression.
She looked back and forth between them, her beautiful face marred by a deep scowl. “I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you, but I suggest you fix what’s broken. It’s time to put these petty issues to rest. It’s what your father would want for his sons.” Her voice broke as her slight shoulders shook and tears slid down her cheeks.
At the same time, both Dante and Troy strode to her side to comfort her. Dante drew her into his arms and she buried her face in his chest as Troy patted her back in a soothing manner. Dante felt like an ass. He and Troy were breaking their mother’s heart with their fractured relationship. She’d already lost her husband and was still getting used to life without him. It would be a long time before she was past the mourning stage, if ever. Losing the love of her life would stick with her for the remainder of her days. They all needed to be sensitive to that fact and do their best to help in any way possible.
“Please don’t cry,” Dante begged her. “We’ll straighten things out.”
“Or die trying,” Troy said. His lips twitched with merriment. The familiar saying made Dante chuckle. It was an inside joke between the two of them going all the way back to their middle school years. Clearly, Troy hadn’t forgotten the good times or the rapport they’d once shared. Somehow it had gotten buried under the weight of their conflict. Perhaps, now that he was back in town, they could wade through the mess together. For the first time in a long time, he felt a small glimmer of hope about getting back to a place where they’d finished each other’s sentences.
His mother raised her head. “See! It’s not that difficult to get along, is it?”
Dante and Troy locked eyes. He wasn’t getting a warm and fuzzy feeling from his little brother, which meant Troy wasn’t going to make it easy for him to broker peace between them. But he’d seen a chink in his brother’s armor just now, and he planned to keep hammering away at it until he broke through. His mother wanted peace between her boys, and Dante wanted to make her happy while he still could. His time in Mistletoe was limited. Before he knew it, he would have to fly back to California to film additional scenes for the film and work on postproduction. He had a bucket list of things he needed to set right before he headed back to his regular life. Lucy’s face flashed before his eyes. Yesterday he’d gotten a glimpse of the Lucy he’d fallen head over heels for all those years ago.
She’d let down her defenses and shown him the sweet, tender side he’d always adored. She’d gone into protective mode when he and Troy had gotten in each other’s faces. It took him back to when she’d been his number one defender against anyone who messed with him. Despite her unassuming façade, she’d always been a firecracker with a wicked sense of humor. Dante had gotten a glimpse of that as well during their outing.
Things had been going well until he’d made the stupid comment about her oh-so-kissable lips. He’d been speaking the absolute truth, but it had been way too soon to say something so intimate. Her response had been to get as far away from Dante as she possibly could. Right before his eyes he’d seen her revert back to the standoffish version of Lucy, the one who’d wanted nothing to do with him.
Lucy still hadn’t forgiven him for leaving her behind, and he was starting to wonder if she ever would.
* * *
Lucy stood back and surveyed the main area of the library. All morning she’d been busy decorating the place with Christmas bling. The smell of pine cones drifted through the air along with peppermint from the diffuser she had placed at the circulation desk. There was nothing in this world quite like the holiday season to kick her spirits into high gear. She didn’t understand those who went all bah humbug and griped about it. What wasn’t there to like? Sparkling lights and peppermint hot cocoa. Santa Claus and gaily wrapped presents. Elf on the shelf and heartwarming holiday movies. It was a little slice of ho ho ho heaven.
“Do you think it looks Christmasy enough?” she asked as she took a few steps back and surveyed all the decorations with a critical eye.
Lucy had been able to create a festive atmosphere on a shoestring budget. A gorgeous tree—donated by Sawyer’s Christmas tree farm—sat in front of the large bay window. She’d decorated the tree in the style of the Victorian era, which gave the tree an elegant appearance. She’d strategically placed red poinsettias all over the library, providing the space with pops of color. At the entrance to the library Lucy had constructed a Christmas tree composed of books. It was whimsical and unique. Garlands decorated with berries and pine cones hung by the staircase. Just for fun she’d set up a little area where patrons could get a Polaroid picture taken of them standing next to the tree and holding up a library book of their choice.
Denny Clark, her coworker who ran the children’s program, let out a hearty chuckle. “Is that a serious question, Lucy? You have more Christmas decorations than the Christmas Village shop down on Main Street.”
Lucy grinned. It had been her goal to make the place look festive. Mission accomplished! “You know me so well. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”
“Anything for you,” Denny said as he hustled over to the story-time area so he could lead toddlers in a reading project. For the hundredth time Lucy wondered if Denny had the hots for her. Stella swore up and down that Denny was madly in love with her, but the very idea of it was ludicrous. He was much younger than her and she’d never thought of him as anything other than a friend and staff member. But she had to wonder about his feelings at moments like this one when his eyes lingered a little too long and held a hint of something deeper than friendship.
Lucy shook off her suspicions about Denny and dug into the huge pile of library books that needed sorting and stacking. Although there were other staffers who could take care of these chores, Lucy enjoyed performing these tasks. It reminded her of her teen years when she’d known without a shadow of a doubt that she would one day become a librarian.
Although Lucy loved working at the Free Library of Mistletoe, the one downside was that she was indoors all day. The library did have lots of windows, but she still yearned to be outside in the fresh air, especially since today signaled the day voting began for the title of most festive holiday decorations. Mistletoe would be bursting at the seams with Christmas cheer as businesses vied for the coveted title bestowed by the townsfolk. At lunchtime, she decided to seize the moment and take a long, brisk walk through town. She very rarely took her full hour for lunch, but today she was going to use every minute of her break. Her staff was very capable of holding down the fort in her absence. She pulled on her navy-blue wool coat and a white knit hat, then replaced her heels for a sturdy pair of winter boots. After stuffing her wallet in her pocket and putting mittens on, she was all set to head into the great outdoors for a while.
Despite the winter chill hovering in Mistletoe this time of year, Lucy loved Maine weather. The wind whipping across her face made her feel energized and vital. She called out and waved to all the townsfolk she crossed paths with as she walked from the library, down Main Street and toward the town green. She couldn’t imagine not living in a place where she could interact with friendly, warm faces each and every day. Lucy still longed to travel the world and see all the places she dreamed about, but Mistletoe was the only place she wanted to call home.
Lucy strolled past the downtown shops at a leisurely pace, pausing to enjoy the ar
tfully decorated windows. Everything looked merry and bright. It gave her warm fuzzies seeing all the wreaths and tinsel. As she crossed the street to make her way to the town green, Lucy noticed a small number of people gathered by the gazebo. As she walked closer, she spotted one of the baristas from her favorite coffee shop. Willa Jeffries was a recent high school graduate who was obsessed with all things related to pop culture. Lucy wouldn’t be surprised if she was president of the Dante West fan club.
“Hey, Willa. What’s going on?” Lucy asked.
“Hi, Lucy. It’s so exciting! They’re filming some scenes for Dante West’s new movie! I’m going to ask if I can be an extra.”
Of course. She knew that Dante was filming all over town, but she hadn’t heard any talk of filming taking place on the town green. With the majestic Christmas tree standing tall and proud next to the gazebo, the location was a no-brainer. It was nice to know that Dante still knew all the best places in Mistletoe. He hadn’t forgotten its charm. The entire town would come together in one week’s time to deck the tree with ornaments and lights. It was one of Lucy’s favorite Mistletoe traditions. Because she enjoyed the town’s holiday festivities so much, she’d made a point to get more involved this year. Lucy had volunteered to be in charge of Santa’s Village, the area where kids in town lined up to meet Santa Claus. Other than the lighting of the tree ceremony, Lucy thought the meet and greet with Santa was the most heartwarming event.
Lucy swung her gaze around the area. Surprisingly, not too many people were gathered, no doubt because of work schedules and school being in session. Lucy had a feeling that most weren’t aware of it. If they had been, she was sure the town green would have been swarmed with high school kids wanting to catch a glimpse of Inferno.
Lucy was able to easily get a spot near the front where she could enjoy the action. She caught a glimpse of Dante standing on the sidelines intently watching the scene unfold. On several occasions he yelled cut and went over to speak with the actors. Even from a distance Lucy could tell he was a perfectionist when it came to his work. He appeared to be coaching the actors so they could get the scene right.
As she continued to watch, the male actor lifted the actress up by the waist so she could place an ornament on the Christmas tree. Lucy sucked in a deep breath as she caught a glimpse of the actress’s face. She was Lucy’s doppelganger. It was jarring just seeing her own face reflected back at her. She looked more like her than either Stella or Tess. Lucy was beginning to feel a strong sense of déjà vu. It washed over her in such intense waves that she felt dizzy. Was she going crazy? Her heart started thundering in her chest and her palms were sweaty. Was this what she thought it was?
She was in such a daze that she wasn’t even aware the scene had ended until she heard Dante’s voicing calling out to her. She slowly walked toward him, past the cordoned-off area, as her head buzzed with questions.
“Hey there,” he said, flashing her a million-dollar smile. “I’m so glad you came down to watch. I would have invited you, but I assumed you were working.”
“I’m on my lunch break,” she said. Her head was still spinning.
“So, what did you think? First impressions?” he asked. Lucy could tell he was nervous awaiting her verdict. He still had the same tell. A tremor in his jaw was pulsing like crazy. It was a little bit endearing to see him on pins and needles waiting for her opinion.
“From what I saw it looked romantic and very intense. Definitely a movie I’d be interested in watching.”
“Yes! That’s what I was going for,” Dante said, letting out a sigh that sounded a lot like relief to Lucy’s ears. The creases around his eyes softened once she’d given him her thoughts, and he no longer appeared so tightly wound.
She bit her lip. “I might sound certifiable, but is this film about us? I know that might sound self-absorbed, but the ornament, the massive tree on the town green, the way he hoisted her up. We did that, Dante. And your lead. She looks like me. We could be sisters.”
Dante didn’t respond for a second, which made her wonder if he was questioning her sanity. Heat flamed her cheeks. Why hadn’t she just kept her mouth shut? Just as she was about to apologize for sounding so self-indulgent, he nodded. “I’m sorry. I should have said something sooner. You’re not imagining things. It’s our story.”
* * *
Dante winced at the look on Lucy’s face. Not only was she stunned, but she looked a bit pissed off, judging by the frown on her face. Her brows were furrowed, which was a sure sign she wasn’t pleased. His stomach tensed up at the realization that his grand gesture had backfired. There had been so many times when he’d written her a letter telling her about the film, but each and every time he’d crumpled it up and thrown it in the trash. He’d taken the easy way out instead of dealing with it head-on. And now she was standing here in front of him utterly flabbergasted by the revelation.
“Why?” she asked. “I don’t get it.”
Why? What could he say that wouldn’t sound shocking or insincere? Lucy had no idea that he’d thought about her almost every day for the last eight and a half years. How could he put his feelings into words without sounding ridiculous? She’d written him off years ago, but he’d never gotten over her. Not by a long shot.
All he could do was tell her the truth. “Because it was the most important romantic relationship of my life. Nothing since has even come close, Lucy.”
Lucy didn’t say anything, but her eyes began to blink fast and furiously. It was a sure sign she was struggling to process his explanation.
“I didn’t just come back to make this movie. I came back to try and mend things with the people I care about. You’re one of those people. On some level this movie explores the realest part of my life here in Mistletoe.”
She vigorously shook her head, her dark strands swirling around her shoulders. “You can’t undo the past. It’s not as if you can push a button and fix everything.”
Anger surged up inside of him, threatening to swallow him up whole. Couldn’t Lucy see that he was trying? He truly wanted to make things right, or at least put his best foot forward. He’d written the script for the movie as a love letter to their youthful relationship. It had been a painful process to relive those moments and face the fact that he’d singlehandedly ruined something beautiful and genuine. It wasn’t fair for Lucy to be so dismissive.
He counted to ten and took a few calming breaths. He had a hard time with being misunderstood. It had been the crux of his issues with his dad. Troy as well. It was wrong of Lucy to paint him as this cavalier person who didn’t have regret or remorse. It couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Don’t you think I know that? It’s not about erasing the past. It’s about acknowledging my mistakes and trying to bridge the gap,” Dante said.
“Why? Why do you even care? You have everything in this world a man could ever want. Why is this so important to you?” she asked in a raised voice. Her arms were folded across her chest and she was breathing heavily.
It was a loaded question, and he wasn’t sure if Lucy was ready to hear his truths. But he was in too deep now to back out. He moved closer to her, feeling the need for intimacy in this moment. Needing to make Lucy understand where he was coming from.
“Don’t you get it, Lucy? When I left Mistletoe I was only focused on making a big splash and getting famous. I was running toward something, but I was also trying to get away from all the fights I was having with my dad. I wasn’t thinking about all the bridges I was burning or how lost I would be without you or my family or my friends. It’s taken me almost nine years to get to this place where I have the courage to confront the past. That can’t be a bad thing.”
She shrugged. “I honestly don’t know what to think. It feels like a publicity stunt. There’s been a lot of hoopla surrounding your return to Mistletoe. And now your film is about our relationship. All of this is happening at the same time as you’re trying to branch out with your directorial debut. I can’t help b
ut wonder.”
Lucy’s words served as a dagger to his heart. She sounded so cynical. He knew his actions had been messed up, but he was a new man. Back then he’d allowed fear and desperation to cloud his judgment. He’d been so eager to pursue an acting career that he’d set fire to his life on the way out of Mistletoe. The decision to write the script and film the movie in his hometown had brought up a lot of issues from his past. And rather than run away from them, which he’d always done, Dante had decided to face it. It hurt like crazy that Lucy was questioning his sincerity.
“Are you serious?” he asked. “You really think this is all for show?”
Instead of answering, Lucy kept quiet and looked down at her boots. Her nonresponse spoke volumes. She didn’t want to acknowledge that he’d come back to town with the best of intentions. All she saw was a fake.
“I guess you really don’t know me at all. Maybe you never did,” he said, shaking his head with disbelief over her baseless accusations. She had no idea how wrong she was, and she didn’t seem to care either. He turned away from her and began walking back toward the set, his strides full of anger and purpose. All this time he’d held Lucy in such high esteem. Perhaps the years had changed her in immeasurable ways he was just beginning to realize.
Maybe he didn’t know Lucy Marshall at all anymore. And that realization hurt more than anything had in a very long time.
Chapter Eight
You really need to get a tree, Lucy, and then put lots of presents under it with my name on them.” Tess grinned from ear to ear at the idea of a mountain of gifts awaiting her on Christmas morning.
“You’re a stinker,” Lucy said, playfully pulling on her sister’s pigtail. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you Christmas is about giving, not just receiving?”
Tess sighed dramatically. “I know that. And I’m almost done with all my Christmas gifts. They’re all one of a kind and homemade. You really do have to pick out your tree soon because all the good ones are going to be taken by the time you get around to it.” Tess stood in Lucy’s living room with her hands on her hips, surveying the area by her large bay window.
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