Hometown Christmas

by A. M. Williams

  He stepped into her room and went to the chair at the desk postioned against the wall.

  “Kat, you really don’t have to tell me anything.”

  Kat sighed. “I know. But I think if I explain it, you’ll understand why David lost his cool and why I freaked out.”

  She said nothing for a long time and he wondered if she wasn’t going to tell him after all. Eventually though, she started talking, and a ball formed in his stomach as he listened to her.

  “I dated Scott for a little while in college. I don’t talk about it much, but David and I went to State together. We were both going to become vets and open up a clinic in Haven Falls. He and Scott roomed together our freshman year and the three of us hit it off.”

  Ford was surprised to hear she was going to be a vet. He’d not heard her talk about attending college at all and obviously she hadn’t continued on to veterinary school. She paused and blew out a shaky breath, glancing at him quickly before dropping her gaze back to the floor and continuing.

  “Scott asked me out around Christmas that year and we started dating soon after. After we’d been dating around six months, I found out I was pregnant. I was twenty and nowhere near ready to be a mom, but I was so excited, you know?

  “I told David, and he said I needed to tell Dad and Scott so we could figure out what to do. I called my Dad. He was disappointed, but said he would support me. I went to Scott and David’s apartment soon after to tell Scott. David left once I got there so we would have some privacy.

  “I told Scott what happened, and it shocked him. He said nothing for the longest time. Then when he started talking…”

  Ford felt sick. He didn’t need her to continue to know that something bad had happened that night. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her she didn’t need to tell him, but she continued talking before he could form the words.

  “The details aren’t important. What is important is that he ended up confessing that he’d been cheating on me. Had been for a while, actually. He’d been planning to break up with me before summer started. He then informed me that he didn’t want anything to do with the baby I was carrying. My next memory is of being in the hospital and being told I miscarried the baby because of the stress. I passed out after he told me everything. David came in right after I hit the floor and rushed me to the hospital.”

  At the words stress, Kat’s voice broke and Ford’s heart broke right along with it.

  She looked at him and he saw that tears were streaming down her face. It surprised him he wasn’t crying himself.

  She continued talking, telling him about her recovery, which was hard because of the depression she slipped into. He transferred schools and no one in her family had seen him since. They had no idea he’d finished his schooling or that he was working at a veterinarian in North Carolina.

  It was at that point that he knew he couldn’t stay across the room and let her cry by herself. He stood and walked over to her, sitting next to her on the bed and wrapping his arms around her.

  As soon as his arms circled her body, she started crying in earnest, the rest of the story coming out in a gush.

  “I’m sorry that happened to you,” he said, rubbing a hand through her hair.

  He didn’t know what else to say, so he remained silent as Kat sobbed.

  After an unknown amount of time, she calmed, and he realized by her breathing that she had fallen asleep. He sat there for several more minutes, enjoying the feel of her in his arms before he got an arm under her legs and scooped her up. He walked until he was next to the part of the bed that she’d already turned down and gently laid her there.

  Kat didn’t move as he moved her around and covered her with the sheets and duvet.

  Though he felt like a creep, he stood there for several moments, watching her, wondering how he was lucky enough to meet someone so strong.

  He couldn’t believe what she’d endured with Scott and that she was so well adjusted after.

  While it was horrific, knowing that she’d come out on the other side stronger because of it made him fall a little more in love with her.

  He wanted to get to know her more and find out other things that had happened to her. He wanted to know everything there was to know about Kat Phelps.

  He only hoped that she would let him in.

  Sixteen

  Ford

  After putting Kat to bed, Ford didn’t sleep well and was up early. He’d unlocked the door between their rooms, so he peeked his head into her room once he was up to check on her. She was in the same position he’d put her in the night before.

  It was still early, so he brewed some coffee from his in-room machine and sat in the armchair by the window, turning over the previous night's revelations.

  He couldn’t believe what Kat had told him. He would have never known that had happened to her from talking to her and being around her. He knew that people didn’t have flashing neon signs over their heads announcing their trauma to the world, but he hadn’t expected Kat had anything like that in her past.

  Then to find out it was one of his former colleagues that had been a part of it, one that he respected, made him sick to his stomach.

  He knew that something had happened to Scott when he was in undergrad since it had happened at State and there was talk when Scott was hired. But no one ever said what it was, and he assumed it was something like public drunkenness or a fight at a party, not breaking up with a pregnant girlfriend and causing her miscarriage.

  Ford’s mind was racing at the revelations.

  One thing was clear though. His feelings hadn’t diminished any, and he was falling for Kat. Hearing how she’d pushed through and overcame the trauma that Scott inflicted on her showed a different side than he’d seen up to this point.

  She was so much stronger than she let on and that was attractive.

  But he now also understood why she seemed so hesitant around him, awkward even. It had been ten years, but he imagined there were some lingering effects from the relationship that would never fully go away.

  If he was in her shoes, he was certain he’d be leery of dating or being intimate ever again.

  A knock on the connecting door to his room pulled him from his thoughts and he looked over to see Kat peering around the edge of the door and into his room.

  “Morning,” he said, smiling at her.

  “Morning,” she mumbled, her voice still rough from sleep. “Can I join you?”

  He nodded. She disappeared from view for a few seconds before she stepped into his room with a cup of steaming coffee in her hand. She sat in the other armchair by the window and sipped her coffee leisurely, her gaze steady on him.

  “Is there something on my face?” he asked, setting his cup down and swiping at his face.

  She shook her head. “No, I’m just trying to figure out if you’re looking at me differently now.”

  He arched a brow. “Why would I look at you differently?”

  She dropped her gaze and ran a finger over a pill in the fabric of her chair. “I don’t know…maybe because I admitted my deepest, darkest secret last night.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “While that explains a few things, that doesn’t change my perception of you.”

  She looked at him with narrowed eyes. “Really? You don’t think anything different about me?”

  She was sitting ramrod straight in her chair and her chest was heaving from her anger as she sucked in deep breaths.

  His eyes widened. He wasn’t sure what to say to her words. He had to wonder if these fears were because other people had asked her if she’d do that or assumed that she would.

  Suddenly, Kat deflated, and she set her cup down before running her hands over her face. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lashed out like that.”

  He was hesitant to touch her, but she was hurting and he wanted to offer some kind of comfort. He lightly touched her arm, making her flinch away.

  He dropped his hand and leaned forward. “Loo
k. Yeah, what you told me is a game-changer in some ways. It’s part of your past and it explains some things I’ve noticed about you. But it doesn’t change how I feel about you. I still think you’re beautiful and kind.”

  Kat’s hands dropped to her lap, and she looked at him with wide eyes. “Beautiful and kind?”

  He nodded and sat up straight, clearing his throat. He’d said more than he’d planned to. His heart started beating quickly in his chest and his palms felt sweaty.

  “Yeah. I think you’re beautiful and one of the kindest people I’ve met.”

  He paused and released a loud breath. “I told you I wanted last night to be considered a date. I still feel that way. It wasn’t perfect, but it was nice to take you out, even if the night ended badly. I want to take you out again.”

  He worried that he was moving too quickly when her mouth opened in shock and she said nothing.

  She’d just confessed to being cheated on and miscarrying after hearing the news and here he was telling her he wanted to date her. There wasn’t a manual for something like this, but he was sure that wasn’t how things like this worked.

  “You still want to take me on a date?” she finally asked, staring at him in shock.

  He nodded. “Yeah. I still want to take you out.”

  Kat’s mouth snapped closed, and she swallowed audibly as a hand fluttered up to her head. She patted her hair before her hand fell down to the collar of the shirt she was wearing and tugged. If that didn’t tell him she was nervous, nothing else would.

  “You have nothing to be nervous about. If you don’t want to go out with me, that’s fine. I’m a big boy and can handle the rejection. But I wanted to lay all my cards out on the table.”

  Kat nodded, but she still said nothing. She reached for her coffee cup and brought it to her mouth, her hands shaking slightly.

  He paid close attention to her, ready to help her if it got to be too much. But by the time she lowered the cup, her hands had steadied, and she looked like her bout of nerves had passed as well.

  “Okay.”

  He looked at her face and arched a brow. “Okay?”

  She nodded. “Yes, okay. Let’s go out. For dinner or whatever.”

  “Dinner or whatever?”

  She nodded. “Yep. Whatever it is people do on dates, let’s do it.”

  His lips twitched, and he worked to suppress the smile threatening to spread across his face. She was awfully cute when she was flustered and worked up. But he wouldn’t tell her that.

  He cleared his throat and grabbed his cup, bringing it to his lips to give him something to do while he thought over what they could do.

  “Any requests?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “I’m going to admit something here. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a date with someone that I really liked.”

  She dropped her gaze to her coffee cup before glancing back up at him. Her lips were twisted, and she was nibbling on her bottom one.

  “It’s technically been a while for me also.”

  She scoffed. “You were married. Not sure I believe that.”

  He sighed. “I don’t want to get into it today, but just know that my marriage was over long before it ended.”

  She cocked her head to the side, and he was certain she was burning with questions, but she held her tongue and didn’t ask.

  “Do you have ideas?” she asked finally.

  He shrugged and sipped his coffee. “I have a few.”

  “Want to share with the class?”

  He grinned at her. “Where’s the fun in that? Just know that it’ll be a great date and I plan on kissing you at the end of it.”

  Her mouth dropped in shock at his words and he cheered internally. “What do you say we head down for breakfast? I’m starved.”

  Without waiting for her to respond, he walked past her and into his bathroom, shutting the door behind himself.

  Once alone, he sagged against the door. He’d put on a show that he was Mr. Confident out there with her, but inside he was a mess. He wanted to take her out like no one’s business, but he was a little worried that she wasn’t ready for it.

  Either way, she’d said yes and he would make sure it was a date she’d never forget for all the right reasons.

  He needed to get to planning.

  Seventeen

  Kat

  Kat tried not to let thoughts of her pending date with Ford distract her too much as they rode the elevator downstairs to where breakfast was held.

  Part of her wanted to completely dissect every interaction she and Ford had to this point to determine if his feelings matched her own. The other part of her wanted to bask in being with him right then.

  The basking part won out.

  When they reached the dining room, she spotted her brother sitting at a table by himself. She elbowed Ford and pointed toward him before grabbing a plate to load up with food.

  After getting her breakfast, she wound her way through the tables scattered throughout the room and joined her brother.

  “Good morning,” she said, slipping into a chair next to him.

  He looked at her with concern on his face. “Good morning.” He paused and tilted his head as his gaze raked over her. “How are you feeling?”

  She shrugged and nibbled on a piece of bacon. “Could be worse.”

  Ford set a plate down next to her and claimed that seat. “What happened after we left?” Ford asked.

  David snorted and shook his head. “Scott continued trying to talk, and I almost punched him.”

  Kat choked on the coffee she’d just swallowed. “What?” she asked as she started coughing.

  “He wouldn’t shut up,” David said, giving her the side eye. “He kept trying to talk to me about what happened and I didn’t want to hear it. Once he realized I was serious about punching him, he and his date left the table.”

  Kat frowned briefly. That wasn’t exactly how she’d imagined the night before going.

  “I didn’t realize you’d worked with him,” David said, looking at Ford.

  Kat glanced his way and noticed that he looked sheepish. “I didn’t realize you knew him, otherwise I would have said something when he emailed me about sharing a table.”

  Kat’s brows rose. “You chose to sit there?”

  Ford nodded and dropped his gaze to the eggs on his plate, which he was pushing around with his fork. “If I’d known the history there, I wouldn’t have agreed. But I always got along with him and didn’t see the harm.”

  Silence greeted Ford’s words. While a part of her was upset knowing that Ford had orchestrated the seating arrangements, she couldn’t be all that upset about it because he didn’t know her history with Scott. Very few people did, since she didn’t like talking about it. It solved nothing.

  “So long as you don’t do it again,” David said, glaring at Ford.

  “Trust me, I have no desire to talk to him ever again.”

  Kat’s brows rose. She didn’t realize he felt so vehemently about it. Ford glanced at her and his brows furrowed. “Why do you look surprised?”

  She shrugged. “I didn’t realize you felt that way.”

  Ford laughed, but it wasn’t because something was funny. It sounded more disbelieving than anything. “You didn’t realize? I didn’t realize I had to make sure you knew that I thought cheaters were terrible people. What type of person do you think I am?”

  Kat looked at him with horror on her face. “No! I wasn’t thinking that! I’m sorry!”

  She was horrified with herself for making him feel that way. “I wouldn’t think that about you at all. I’m sorry, I should have been more careful with my words.”

  She was mortified and hoped that Ford wouldn’t hold it against her.

  He studied her for a few moments before nodding. “Okay. I shouldn’t have taken them to heart.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing like offending someone to make the morning go better.

  The three of t
hem lapsed into silence and picked at their breakfasts. It was entirely too awkward between the three of them and she didn’t know what to say or do to make it better.

  Unfortunately, she didn’t even get the chance to try to break the ice because someone tried to break it for her.

  A throat cleared behind her and based on the facial expressions of the two men with her, she suspected who it was.

  She looked over her shoulder and saw that she was right. Scott was standing there looking uncomfortably at the three of them.

  “Didn’t you get the message last night?” David asked, pushing his chair back to stand.

  Ford mimicked him and stood as well. Kat twisted around in her chair, not comfortable with Scott standing behind her.

  Seeming to realize this, he walked around the table and pulled out the fourth chair, sitting down.

  David and Ford stared at him, but Scott was looking right at her.

  “I wanted to come and talk to you today. I wanted to apologize.”

  “What the fuck?” David muttered, sitting down.

  Kat was shocked. She didn’t know what to say or think about Scott sitting across from her to apologize for something that she never wanted to talk about ever again. Add in the fact that he was the last person she wanted to see and she couldn’t even form a sentence.

  “What?” she finally sputtered, finding her voice.

  “I’m sorry for what happened ten years ago.”

  Her eyes widened as she took in his words. Superficially, she knew what they meant and what he was trying to convey. But the more she thought about the words, the more she realized they were empty of any real sorrow.

  “You’re sorry for what happened ten years ago?” she asked, double-checking that she had the wording right.

  Scott nodded.

  Kat laughed. “You’re sorry for what happened, but you’re not sorry for your part in it?”

  Scott’s mouth dropped open, and she took some satisfaction knowing that she had just surprised him.

  “Don’t try to twist my words!” he finally said.