A Family For Christmas (Hearts In Georgia; Harmony Cove)

by Marian Wilson

  “I love you, too, Peggy,” Aaron said in a tone that shattered Grace’s heart. It was the same tone he used to speak with to her during the early days of their relationship.

  Just as quickly as the sorrow and devastation had washed over her, they were shoved aside by boiling rage. It seethed through her, white hot, blurring any sense of self or propriety. Grace shoved herself away from the wall and stormed down to the door, her eyes fixed on the gaping maw of darkness that held her deepest sorrows. She pushed on the door with all her might, watching with twisted elation as it bounced off the wall and caused Aaron to jump away from the woman in his arms.

  He whipped around, and his jaw nearly hit the floor when he saw Grace standing there.

  “Grace, I—I can explain—”

  “Save it,” Grace spat. “I don’t want to speak to you ever again. Do you understand?” Before she gave Aaron a chance to reply, she turned her murderous gaze onto the poor girl standing beside the desk. Why did it have to be Peggy? She had been the one girl in his group of friends that she actually liked. “You can have him,” she said to her. “That is, if you want some lying and cheating scumbag.”

  Grace didn’t wait to hear anything from either of them. She turned on her heel and stalked from the office, leaving the two of them in stunned silence.

  It wasn’t until she stepped outside that she nearly stumbled over, the adrenaline having finally left her body. She broke down outside the office building, sobbing into her palms as she staggered across the parking lot to her car.

  She was ashamed, humiliated, and devastated. She’d never thought she would ever be with someone who could do that to her, but in less than fifteen minutes, the man that she loved turned into the person who had single-handedly betrayed her more deeply than any other person in the whole world ever had.

  She slowly drove her car from the parking lot, doing her best to keep her composure as she made her way along. She couldn’t believe it.

  Nora had been right. He was no good for her in the end.

  9

  “Thanks again for watching them so last minute,” Lysander said, shrugging his coat off as he stepped inside the O’Neill house.

  “Oh, it was no trouble at all,” Charlie said with a wide smile. “You know how much we love having the kids over.”

  “Dad, Dad!” George appeared around the corner of the kitchen. “You’ve gotta see what I made! Come here!”

  Charlie gave Lysander a sly grin. “We did a little work down in my workshop this afternoon.”

  “Did you now?” Lysander asked, grinning back.

  George was nearly dancing on the balls of his feet as he waved Lysander further into the house. “Look! I made you a Christmas present!”

  “Oh, dear, you were supposed to keep that as a surprise for him,” Jan said with a laugh. “Oh, well. I guess he was just too excited.”

  Lysander saw a block of wood that had been painted in bright colors on the table, sitting on some old newspapers.

  “It’s a pen holder,” George said, his lips overcome by a giant smile. “You know, for all your pens at work!”

  Lysander looked at it a little closer and saw it; there was a deep hole that had been cut out of the middle. His heart warmed as he looked down at his beaming son. “It’s great, kiddo. I love it. Thanks.” He wrapped his arm around George and gave him a hug.

  “Well, I’m not giving you your present until Christmas,” Lily said from a chair at the table. Her little arms were folded over her chest. “I want mine to be a surprise.”

  “That’s fine with me, dear,” Lysander assured her. There was a knock on the kitchen door, and Charlie looked over at Jan with a furrowed brow.

  “Who could that be at this hour?” he wondered, looking up at the clock. It was half past eight. Jan moved to the door and was just about to pull it open when it swung inward on its own, and Grace stepped through.

  Lysander could immediately see something was wrong. Grace’s cheeks were flushed, and he knew that it wasn’t cold enough out for that bright a red. She kept her head bowed, and her shoulders were tense.

  “Hi,” she mumbled, finally looking up, a smile lighting up her face. It was not quite as warm as it usually was. Lysander thought it looked forced. “Sorry that I’m here so late. I was hoping I could pick up that sweater I left here yesterday? I wanted to wear it tomorrow when I saw Nora.”

  “Sweetie, I thought you were supposed to be at Aaron’s office party tonight,” Jan said, giving her daughter a concerned look. Grace’s smile faltered for a split second before she turned around and started to shrug off her coat.

  “Yeah, but I wasn’t feeling all that well. I just decided it was better to not push myself. At least not so close to Christmas.” She hung up her coat and then spun around, her eyes falling on Lysander. “Oh. I… didn’t realize that you had company tonight.”

  She nervously brushed her hands over her black dress, straightening the fabric as it fell to her knees. She wore black stockings, a classic pair of black heels, and simple jewelry that sparkled when the dim light in the kitchen caught them, and Lysander liked the French braid that encircled her whole head. Grace was beautiful, and he was rendered speechless by her.

  Her cheeks flushed as she looked away from him.

  “So, how is Aaron?” Charlie asked, taking a seat at the table beside George, who couldn’t care less what the adults were doing. He was too interested in his present for Lysander.

  “Fine,” Grace answered somewhat mechanically. She ran her palms over her dress once more. “Hey, Mom, can I make myself some coffee before I head home? I don’t want to intrude if you guys had plans—”

  “It’s all right, Grace, I just came to pick up the kids,” Lysander said.

  “Yeah, we were just catching up is all,” Charlie said.

  “Are you sure you’re all right, dear?” Jan moved toward the French press resting beside the stove. “You look awfully pale.”

  “Like I said, not feeling great,” Grace replied, a little too quickly. She smiled again.

  “Maybe you should cancel your plans with Nora tomorrow,” Charlie said, concern furrowing his brow.

  “Yeah, maybe I should,” Grace agreed. “She’ll be back in town after Christmas, so that would probably work.”

  Jan turned to find a cup in the cupboard, and Lily was tugging on Charlie’s arm, drawing his attention away. When both of them had looked away, Grace’s smile broke, and Lysander saw through the brave mask she’d been putting up, if only slightly. His heart thudded against his ribs as she caught his eye. He thought he saw a flicker of desperation in them, of something horribly wrong. It was clear that she was reaching her breaking point. But she was letting him in, at least a little. Did that mean she wanted to talk about it?

  Lysander looked around, wondering how he could pull her away without drawing attention to her fragile state.

  “Hey, you know what?” Lysander smiled at her. “I got this awesome chocolate gift basket from one of my secretaries today. The kids and I are never going to eat all of it. What if I went back over to the house and brought it back here, and we can all have some chocolate?”

  “Yeah!” Lily exclaimed.

  “Woohoo!” George cried.

  “I would never say no to chocolate,” Jan said, filling up the French press with hot water. “That sounds lovely with our coffee. Lysander, would you like some?”

  “Yes, that sounds great,” he said, still watching Grace closely.

  “Oh, there’s nothing better at Christmastime than some good candy, is there?” Charlie asked, putting his arm around Lily’s chair.

  “Hot chocolate!” Lily responded.

  “Oh, I can make some of that, too,” Jan said with a smile, turning to the pantry.

  “I’ll get the marshmallows,” Charlie said, getting up from his seat.

  “How about Grace and I go grab the basket?” Lysander suggested, looking over at her. Grace met his gaze, and he gave her a choice. If she wanted to go,
she could. He was giving her a way out.

  “Sure,” she said with a smile.

  The two of them slipped out into the night, the bright lights shining on either side of the garage, casting their faces in long shadows and halos. They walked in silence toward Lysander’s house. He was content to wait for her to speak, not wanting her to feel pressured to say anything in the first place. He unlocked the door and stepped aside, allowing her to pass.

  “Thank you,” Grace mumbled. He heard a croak in her voice.

  As Lysander closed the garage door behind him and flicked on the light, he saw her sag against the countertop in the kitchen. He hurried over to her, holding his hands out, unsure if he should touch her or not.

  “Hey, are you okay?” She kept herself upright with one hand and held out the other in front of herself.

  “Yes, I’m fine.” She struggled to push herself upright and took a shuddering breath. Lysander tilted his head to the side, surveying her.

  “You don’t look fine. I could tell as soon as you walked into your parents’ that something was wrong.” Grace exhaled heavily and looked away. “Something happened at that party, didn’t it?” She didn’t say anything.

  Lysander rubbed the back of his neck, looking around. He saw the basket of gourmet chocolates on the dining room table in the next room. “I don’t want to push you if you don’t want to talk about it, but I just thought you should know that I’m here if—”

  “Aaron’s been cheating on me,” Grace cut him off. She was staring off into the distance, and the haunted look in her eyes caused Lysander’s stomach to flip.

  “He… what?”

  Grace took another shuddering breath, and tears streaked down her face as she turned her eyes up to his. Staring at him, she let the tears flow freely. “I heard him talking with her. He told her he loved her and that he was going to break things off with me. Apparently, it’s been going on for some time.”

  “Oh, Grace, I…” Lysander had no idea what to say. “I’m really sorry.”

  She put her hands on her hips. She tilted her head back, taking long, deep breaths, attempting to calm herself. She blinked the tears in her eyes away. “I can’t believe I’m crying like this. I shouldn’t care so much.”

  “It’s all right that you do,” Lysander said. “There are no nice words that I can say about him right now…”

  She smirked up at him. “I couldn’t think of words that were strong enough on my drive over here that described how vile and despicable he is.”

  He smirked, too.

  Grace’s bottom lip trembled, and she covered her face. Lysander snatched a clean dish towel from the drawer beside her and gave it to her. She dabbed at her eyes, trying to keep her breathing even.

  “I’m sorry, Lysander. I didn’t mean to dump all this on you,” she said, taking a shuttering breath.

  “It’s fine,” Lysander said. “Honestly, I don’t mind. I don’t want to see you hurt, obviously, but I’m happy you chose to confide in me.”

  She folded the towel in her hands before bringing it back to her eyes. She was trying her best not to smudge her makeup any more than it already was. “There’s something about you that makes it so effortless to trust you, Lysander.”

  There was a warm stirring in his heart at her words.

  “Ugh, I’m just so upset with myself at this point. Aaron was the jerk here, not me. Why am I wasting any emotions on him? I should just forget him and move on with my life, let him deal with whatever dumb choices he’s going to make.”

  “Great sentiment,” Lysander agreed. “Easier said than done, though.”

  “Yeah… I’m realizing that,” Grace said, nodding as she looked up at him.

  “You know,” Lysander began, his heartbeat increasing. “Why don’t I take you out for dinner tomorrow night? As a way to help you forget about that loser. Remind you that there are some good guys still out there.”

  For a brief second, the look on Grace’s face was so undecipherable that he thought maybe he’d stepped way outside his boundaries. But then she smiled at him. “I think that’s exactly what I need now.”

  “A night of good food, good conversation—”

  “Great company,” she finished for him, and Lysander smiled back at her. She passed him the towel. “Thank you. I think I’m okay for now. He doesn’t deserve a single one of my tears, and I intend to keep that promise to myself. Thank you for being so kind to me.”

  “It’s the least I can do,” he said. “Well, should we get the basket and head back?”

  “Sure.” Grace pushed herself away from the counter. “And Lysander?”

  Hearing her say his name sent chills down Lysander’s spine. “Yeah, Grace?”

  She smiled a little wider at him. “Could you promise not to tell my parents about this?”

  Lysander pressed his forefinger to his lips. “I promise. I’ll let you tell them whenever you feel ready.”

  “I guess I could tell them that I broke up with him,” Grace said with a small chortle. “At least I’m the one who ended it.”

  Lysander’s hand grazed the back of hers as they stepped back through the door into the garage together, and his stomach clenched. Grace turned and smiled up at him, and he enjoyed the pleasant tingling in his heart at the thought of going out with her the next night.

  He was going on a date with Grace. A friend date, it sounded like, but hey, she was single now, wasn’t she?

  It was time to show her what it meant to be out with a man who would make her feel like the princess she deserved to be treated like.

  10

  Grace dusted her cheeks with a pale, rosy rouge that had the faintest sparkle to it. She’d purchased it months ago with the intention of wearing it at a friend’s wedding. But when she’d showed up at Aaron’s house with it on as a test, he’d told her that she looked like a clown. Her feelings sufficiently hurt, she’d shoved it into a drawer, where it had laid nearly forgotten for months. Everyone else in her life had told her how nice it had looked. She knew it was silly to take Aaron’s opinion so seriously, but he’d made such fun of her after it that she couldn’t bear it again.

  Grace stared at herself, checking her face from every angle. She had no idea why he had said those awful things to her. It looked good. It made her look young, and she thought it made her eyes brighter.

  She picked up her brush off the edge of the sink and ran it through her auburn tresses once more. It was smooth and silky thanks to the expensive conditioner she’d gotten as a gift from her mother for her birthday. She smiled at her reflection.

  When was the last time that I spent this long getting ready? She supposed she had developed a sort of routine with Aaron. Light on the eyeshadow, heavy on the eyeliner, and red lipstick. He’d liked that, so she’d worn it. Eventually, it had started to lose its effect, and she hardly put effort into her appearance when seeing him, at least not in the last six months or so.

  Tonight, she’d spent nearly two hours pulling clothes out of her closet, trying them on, and then tossing them into three piles: yes, no, and maybe. And it was all for a man that she was incredibly excited to be going out with.

  When Lysander had asked her out the night before, Grace could hardly believe it. She’d denied herself the bubbling feelings she’d had for him ever since meeting him because she was with Aaron. She knew that it might be hasty to be going out with another man the day after breaking it off with her long-term boyfriend, but Lysander had made it very clear that it was supposed to take her mind off what had happened.

  She reminded herself that she still hadn’t told her parents, as she put on a set of diamond studs they’d given her when she’d turned eighteen. She knew they wouldn’t be upset with her for leaving Aaron; they didn’t like him all that much anymore. But what she didn’t want to tell them was how humiliated she felt about him cheating on her.

  She still couldn’t believe it. He’d gone behind her back with another woman and just kept pretending like everything wa
s normal. Well… not normal, exactly. She’d known for some time that things had changed. And not for the better.

  Her phone buzzed on the countertop, and she picked it up. It was a text from Lysander.

  I’ll be there in five. See you soon!

  Grace smiled, and butterflies fluttered around in her chest. She was excited, and she found that thinking of Lysander helped to push away all the negativity she felt when Aaron popped back into her mind. It had been a very long time since she’d gone out with anyone that wasn’t Aaron, and she was really looking forward to it.

  She grabbed her coat off the back of the chair in her living room and headed for the door. She didn’t have to wait out on the front porch for very long. Soon, Lysander’s car pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex. She’d always been impressed by his style. His car was just like he was: sleek, refined, and sophisticated.

  When he parked the car and shut off the engine, Grace’s heart skipped a beat. Why was she so nervous? She knew Lysander well enough. They’d spent a lot of time together over the last few weeks. As often as she was at her parents’ house, she would inevitably run into him. Her parents had become like surrogate grandparents to Lysander’s kids, and it was clear that her mother and father really liked having them around.

  Lysander stepped out of his car, and Grace’s heart stopped. He was wearing a smart, navy suit with a pale blue tie and wing-tipped shoes. He looked like he’d stepped out of a bridal magazine, he was so good looking. She tried to swallow the lump that appeared in her throat and suddenly couldn’t find her voice.

  “Hi,” Lysander said in a smooth, gentle tone as he approached. A wide smile spread across his face. Every leftover thought of Aaron was washed from Grace’s mind when she stared up at him. He was absolutely gorgeous. And he was taking her out on a date.

  “Hi,” she said back, smiling at him. The rouge ended up being a complete waste; her cheeks were flushed enough all by themselves.

  “You look…” Lysander eyed her up and down, his eyes widening. “Wow… You look amazing,” he finished. There was a stifled laugh behind his words, and her heartbeat increased.