Chapter 4 Too Little, Too Late

Brex's dark gaze surveyed Laura warily as he claimed the seat beside her, the one he'd originally pulled out for her. She would've preferred it if he'd sat across from her. It felt harder to breathe having him this close.

"I'm sorry." He shook his head at her in a sad puppy kind of way. "I'm going to keep apologizing until you forgive me."

"I forgave you a long time ago." She hated the tremor in her voice and hoped he didn't notice it. Now wasn't the time to dissolve into hysterics. She needed answers.

"Thank you. It's more than I deserve." Reaching into one of his large coat pockets, he withdrew a delicate wooden flower and laid it on the table between them. Though it looked handcrafted, she doubted it was his work. He'd never commanded that kind of finesse with a set of carving tools.

Back when they were dating, a gift like that would've melted her heart into a puddle of liquid on the floor. At the moment, she found herself simply wondering why he'd bothered.

She raised her gaze to him without acknowledging his gift. "Why did you ask to see me?"

"Are you kidding?" His eyes widened in a brand of surprise that looked real. "Seeing you is all I've been able to think about since the moment you…since we…" He fell silent, looking uncomfortable.

"You're the one who broke our engagement," she reminded stiffly. Don't you dare try to rewrite the past on that one, mister!

"I did, and it's something I will always regret." He dragged in a heavy breath. "And if you hadn't left the circuit shortly afterward, I would've already done a better job of making my regret known to you."

She nodded instead of answering, not sure if he'd intended to make it sound like she owed him an apology for that. Her entire family had moved. It was a business decision that had nothing whatsoever to do with their failed engagement. The fact that he hadn't tried to stop her from moving to Pinetop had been her first clue that he was getting cold feet about their forthcoming marriage. The fact that it had taken more than a year for him to chase after her to attempt a reconciliation was equally concerning.

A waitress approached their table. She set a pair of water glasses on their table with a flourish. "Would you like coffee to go with that? Or tea? Or juice?"

"Coffee, please," Laura murmured. "With cream."

"Make that two coffees," Brex chimed in. "Extra cream for hers."

"You betcha! I'll be right back with them."

A wave of sadness washed over Laura as she watched the waitress sail away to fill their orders. It would've been easier to remain angry with Brex if he'd come back into her life without an apology. Instead, he was making every effort to come across as the same super sweet and sensitive guy she'd first fallen for. It made her wonder all over again where they'd gone wrong in their relationship. What was it about their engagement that had given him cold feet? Why had he ended it so abruptly? And why was he so interested in rekindling it? Why now? What had changed? The more she thought about it, the less sense his sudden reappearance in her life was making.

His mention of her exit from the traveling vendor circuit felt significant. Did he really see that as the reason their relationship had failed? He was referring, of course, to their nomadic existence on the road. For years, her family had fallen into the pattern of traveling the same path and schedule as several other craftsmen and their families. They'd driven from town to town in a caravan of trucks, vans, and RVs. Like their own little tribe. Or band of gypsies, as a few of them preferred to call themselves.

Brex Morrison was one of those people. He'd taken it a step further, more specifically referring to himself as the Last of the Gypsies. Not only was it his choice of lifestyle, it was the brand name he'd given the line of merchandise he made and sold. In the end, perhaps it was his gypsy heart that had spelled doom for their almost marriage.

He was a rolling stone with an adventurous soul. He'd continued to wander from town to town and state to state after he'd broken their engagement. Maybe wandering was in his blood. She and her family, on the other hand, were finished with that life. They were very much enjoying having a hometown and a street address. They also greatly appreciated the steady income that came along with it. She had zero interest in returning to Brex Morrison's gypsy existence.

Drawing a bracing breath, she tossed out her next question. "What do you hope to accomplish during your visit to Pinetop?"

"Other than running my booth at the Sweetheart Spectacular?" His dark eyebrows rose. "I'm going to do everything I can to win you back, Laura." He'd started talking almost before she'd finished asking her question. Was it her imagination, or did his answer sound rehearsed?

He hitched his chair closer to hers. "I screwed up, Laura. Letting you go was the worst decision I've ever made. If you can find it in your heart to give me another chance, I want to show you that I've changed. That I'm capable of continuing to change for you." He pressed both hands dramatically to his heart. "For us."

Us? She stared aghast at him. There's no us any longer. Despite how prettily he was begging, there was no answering spark inside of her. She was, however, suddenly and acutely more aware of Ames Carson's presence at the table across from theirs. She could feel his gaze on her and sense his support. She clung to the feeling like it was a lifeline.

"Say something, Laura." Brex ducked his head, attempting to bring them eye to eye.

However, she leaned away from him, repulsed by the thought of sharing that kind of intimacy with him again. The realization slammed into her that it was over between them. Truly over.

The waitress returned with their coffees, breaking the awkward silence that had followed his impassioned plea. "What else can I bring you two sweeties?"

Sweeties? Ugh! Laura shook her head. "Coffee is more than enough. Thank you. I'm not hungry."

A wrinkle formed in the middle of Brex's forehead. It was the first sign of irritation he'd shown since walking into the restaurant. "Of course, we're eating! That's the whole reason we agreed to a breakfast date." He rattled off a request for a double order of biscuits with sausage gravy. "And a side of fresh fruit," he finished with a sly wink at Laura. "Her favorite."

Her eyes widened in dismay at him. Did he honestly consider this to be a date? That he could simply march back into her life after being gone for over a year and simply pick up where they'd left off?

Brex waited until the waitress walked away before grumbling, "Quit looking at me like that. You know how much I've always hated making scenes in public." He glanced furtively around them at the quickly filling dining room. The Peppermint Palace was a popular breakfast venue in Pinetop. The locals and tourists alike were avid patrons of their art-like culinary creations, as well as the handful of peppermints they piled on every ticket at the end.

Her anger sparked at his tone. He was acting like she was a small child in need of a reprimand. She'd all but forgotten about this side of him — his condescending streak that coiled like a cobra in the shadows and struck without warning. No, he hadn't changed. Growing a short beard and tossing a few carefully rehearsed apologies into her lap didn't qualify as meaningful change.

"What I think," she said slowly, fighting to keep her temper under control, "is that you and I came into this meeting with very different goals in mind." She reached for the wristlet lying on the table beside her. Unzipping the pocket where she kept her cash, she withdrew a few dollar bills and laid them on the table. It was more than enough to cover her cup of coffee. "I was looking for closure about a marriage that almost happened, but didn't. Not…" She waved a hand vaguely in his direction, "whatever you seem to think this is."

"Reconciliation," he supplied in a mildly sarcastic voice. His veneer of humble remorse was quickly slipping. "Couples do it all the time. They work out their differences and come out stronger on the other side."

She shot to her feet so quickly that she nearly knocked over her chair. It scooted back with a noisy scraping sound. "Number one, we are not a couple. Number two, this is not a breakfast date." Her voice crescendoed as she met Ames' bemused gaze, well aware that the rising volume of her voice was making heads turn in their direction. "Number three, I'm walking out of here before you get schooled on what an actual scene looks like."

He shook his head in disappointment at her. "I still enjoyed seeing you again, Laura. Maybe we can visit again before I leave town?" He glanced around them again, his mouth twisting in distaste at the growing crowd. "Maybe somewhere a little more private?" His condescending tone was back.

A huff of disbelief escaped her. "I don't see the point since I have nothing more to say to you. This was a mistake. Goodbye, Brex." She yanked her jacket off the back of her chair and spun blindly away from him.

And nearly smacked into Ames.

"Whoa there!" He gently caught her elbows. "Oh, hey, Laura!" He pretended like he was just then recognizing her. "What's going on? Are you alright?" The look he gave Brex was drenched in frost.

"Yes. I, er…" she slid from his grasp and stumbled past him, "just remembered I need to take care of something important at work."

He stalked after her. "You need a ride?"

She didn't answer until they were standing outside the restaurant. She fumbled with her jacket, shivering uncontrollably. "Th-that was a very bad idea!" She scowled back at the restaurant.

Ames quickly moved behind her to hold up her jacket so she could slide her arms into it. "Come on." While she zipped up her jacket, he slung an arm around her shoulders. "You're freezing. Let's get you out of here."

She twisted her head around, trying to see if his brothers were following them. "What about Nash and Flint?"

"Don't worry about them." He tugged her tighter against his side. "Flint will be more than happy to eat the pancakes I ordered. I'll text him and Nash to let them know I'll come back for them in a bit." He led her to his gorgeous old Chevy, unlocked the driver's door, and gave her a boost into his seat.

"Aren't you hungry?" She had to grit her teeth to stop them from chattering as she shimmied over to make room for him.

"Yep, but I can eat later. Right now, I'm more interested in getting you out of here." He leaped into the seat beside her, scowling in concern down at her. "Because that's what pickup riders are for."

His raw sincerity was so refreshing that she burst into tears. Until this very moment, it hadn't dawned on her that everything he'd ever said to her could be taken at face value. With him, there was no guessing. Nothing but pure, unadulterated honesty and kindness.

"Hey, that wasn't supposed to make you cry!" He sounded agonized as he slammed his door shut and started the motor. Reaching toward the dashboard, he turned on the heater and aimed the central vent at her.

"I know." She fumbled with her seatbelt and was relieved when he took over and snapped it into place. "Sorry. I'm just…overwhelmed right now."

"That's understandable." He tightened the strap a little to make it more secure. "Listen, if you want to talk about what happened back there, I'm a good listener. If you don't wanna talk, I'm also good at cranky silence. Just ask Flint." He glanced over his shoulder before pulling out of his parking spot. He paused at the parking lot exit, popping on his right blinker.

Too many emotions to name bubbled inside her. "I should've n-never suggested meeting for b-breakfast," she confessed through chattering teeth. "From the m-moment we sat down, he acted like it was a d-date."

With a grunt that she couldn't quite interpret, Ames slung an arm across the seat behind her. "Yeah, that's a little strange, considering how long it's been since you last saw each other."

She tipped her head against his well-corded arm. "I still don't understand why he bothered coming into town. I may never understand it."

"Did you ask him?" Ames sounded puzzled as he turned onto Main Street and cruised slowly toward Santa's Toy Factory.

"I did." She frowned at his strong jawline. "He gave me some cock and bull story about wanting to get back together."

"Not surprised about that." Ames' voice was dry.

"Well, I am," she exploded. "He dodged the question both times I tried to drill down into why he broke up with me in the first place. If he's not willing to even discuss where we went wrong, I don't see any path forward for us." Quite frankly, she'd lost interest in even hunting for a path forward.

"Breaking my heart." Ames gave her a squeeze hug.

"No, it's not." She burrowed closer to him, finally starting to warm up. "And it's one of the things I appreciate the most about you."

"Oh, really?" He sounded fascinated.

"You're so stinking honest. I don't have to second-guess every word that comes out of your mouth to try to figure out what you really mean."

"Yep, I'm a what you see is what you get kinda guy, right down to the endless quantities of spilled coffee." He turned into the parking lot of the toy store.

She squirmed on the seat cushion, realizing he didn't get that she'd made up her excuse about needing to get back to work. She only worked every other Saturday. "So, um, today is actually my day off," she confessed as he pulled around back and brought his truck to a halt in front of the rear exit.

"I am aware." He set the emergency brake and swiveled her way without killing the motor.

"Then why did you bring me here?" She raised her head to take in their surroundings and discovered that the sporty white Jeep she shared with her sister was the only other vehicle parked back there. She and Ames were otherwise alone, sandwiched between the three-story toy store and the mountain behind them.

"To regroup." He cocked his head at her. "Sometimes you need a moment to just breathe after a big performance in the ring."

"Thank you for understanding." She smiled shyly at him.

He responded with a lazy grin that made her heartbeat pick up the pace a little. "You feeling any better?"

"A little." Her smile slipped as she replayed the events from the past half hour or so inside her head. "Brex's sudden appearance in town is nagging at me. Something feels off about it." Several somethings, actually. If he was truly interested in reconciliation, it had taken him an awfully long time to come to that decision. And why show up without giving her advance notice? Signing up for the Sweetheart Spectacular felt off, too. In the past, he and his gypsy craftsmen friends hadn't given small towns like this a second glance, preferring to spend their time and resources on bigger cities that drew much larger crowds.

Ames drummed his fingers against her shoulder. "You care to elaborate on that?"

"I'll try." She scrambled to put her worries and fears into words. "If Brex Morrison's goal really is to win me back, he did too little too late."

Ames' expression lit. "I can certainly get on board with that statement."

"And I really don't get why he bothered signing up for the Sweetheart Spectacular. In the past, he avoided small towns like the plague."

"You're here," Ames pointed out mildly.

"I've been here for over a year," she reminded.

"There's that." His hand tightened around her shoulder.

"What if he had another reason for coming to town?" she mused. He'd always been a bit on the mysterious side, sometimes conversing like old friends with men and women she'd never laid eyes on before. She'd always credited it to his ability to make friends quickly, but what if there was more to the seedy company he sometimes kept?

"I don't know." Ames shook his head. "Want me to ask around to see if anyone else can help shed light on that?"

"If it's not too much trouble. I'll do the same." She bit down on her lower lip. "All we really know, at this point, is that he has a booth reserved at the Valentine craft fair. I'm not even sure what he's peddling these days." Her thoughts returned to the delicate wooden flower he'd laid on the table at the Peppermint Palace.

"Toys," Ames supplied.

She eyed him curiously. "How do you know that?"

"Because I have a very nosy younger brother." He gave her a wry look. "Between last night and this morning, he took it upon himself to play Sherlock and do some digging around. So did Flash Billings." At her puzzled expression, he explained, "The guy who gives all the sleigh rides around town."

"Oh, he was a sweetheart!" She was really looking forward to taking him up on his offer to reschedule their sleigh ride.

"You might've seen him at the post office, too, where he proudly serves as postmaster." His lips quirked. "Often in holiday attire."

"Now that you mention it…" Laura's mother usually made the daily post office run for the Merry Woodmakers, but Laura had gone in her place a few times.

A contemplative silence settled between them. It didn't take long, though, for more questions to start burning inside her.

"Do you know what kind of toys Brex brought with him to sell?" She was dying to know if he was working solo these days, or if he intended to display a conglomeration of products from other crafters. He'd often done so in the past, usually for the seedy new friends he'd made in nearly every town they'd visited.

"On his application for a booth, he stated that he sells children's toys. Wooden ones. Sounded a lot like what you and your family make."

"Not even close!" She shook her head vehemently. "He makes quirky stuff, like slingshots and rubber band guns. He gets a lot of complaints from parents over safety issues." Brex generally brushed off their concerns, calling them helicopter parents who were afraid of letting their kids have a little fun. He liked to brag that slingshots and guns were some of the most beloved toys of all time. Once, he'd even drawn a Biblical reference to the story of David killing Goliath with a slingshot.

Ames grunted. "There was no mention of that in the description he gave for his products. I think the exact word he used on his application was heirloom. Yeah, that's it. He said he makes heirloom toys."

Laura's lips parted in shock. "That's how my family has always described our toys. In the past, he focused on the gypsy theme of his products when filling out applications."

"Guess he's switched up his game." Ames didn't sound any more thrilled about it than she was.

"It's a complete knock-off of our branding, if you ask me," she spluttered. Her parents were going to be sad and disappointed all over again about her ex. Lucy might take it a step further, hunt him down, and try to wring his neck.

"It'll be interesting to see what shakes out when I ask around town about this chucklehead." Ames reluctantly straightened, pulling his arm off the seat behind her and reaching for the steering wheel. "In the meantime, let me know where you want me to drop you off. My brothers are probably finished eating by now and wondering when I'm going to show back up."

She drew a deep breath and let it out. "I should probably stay here and go check on my sister."

He raised his eyebrows at her. "I thought you said?—"

"I know." She made a face at him. "Now that I've thawed out, I've changed my mind. Work is exactly what I need to throw myself into after what just happened. Plus, Lucy is probably dying to hear all about it while it's hot off the grill. Paying her a visit will save my texting fingers." She wiggled them in the air at him. "I'll catch a ride home with her."

His gaze lingered on her face for a moment. "If you're sure you're sure."

"I'm sure." She impulsively touched his arm. "Thanks for everything. Tell your brothers I said thanks to them, too. You guys are the best pickup riders!"

"Our pleasure, ma'am." Ames punctuated his words with a devilish wink. Then he opened his door and leaped to the ground. Turning around, he held out his arms for her.

She unclasped her seatbelt and scooted closer. Then she slowly leaned into his arms.

As he lowered her to the ground, their gazes clashed and held.

"Ames." His name tore out of her. "I…" As if drawn by a magnet, her gaze shifted to his hard mouth. It was the first time she'd allowed her mind to go there, to think about kissing her best friend.

His eyelids grew heavier. "You want to know what it's like, too, don't you?"

She caught her lower lip between her teeth with a bleat of distress, yanking her gaze back up to his. What am I doing?

His blue eyes burned knowingly into hers. "It's okay to admit you want to kiss me, Laura. Your secrets are safe with me. All of them."

"I don't know what to say," she whispered. Yes, she wanted to kiss him. No, she wasn't ready for things to change between them like that. What if it didn't work? What if it destroyed their beautiful friendship? She wasn't sure her heart could handle being shattered a second time.

He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. "You don't have to say anything yet. Just keep thinking about it." He drew her closer, dipping his head over hers to bring their mouths nearer. "About us. About what it's gonna feel like when we finally take that leap." He reached up to brush his thumb across her cheek. "Together."

She finally found the strength to move again. "Okay, Ames." She reluctantly slid from his grasp. "I'll think about it, okay?"

"So will I." He tipped his hat at her.

She could feel his gaze on her while she moved toward the rear entrance to Santa's Toy Factory. And while she fumbled with her key in the lock. Unable to resist, she glanced back at him before pushing the door open and letting herself inside.

He was lounged against his truck, arms folded, eyes glinting possessively at her.

Catching her breath, she hurried inside and shut the door. Leaning back against it, she closed her eyes. "Oh, my goodness! That just happened," she whispered into the empty hallway.

"What just happened?" Her younger sister's voice jolted her from the delicious haze her thoughts had become tangled in.

Laura jolted in surprise, eyelids flying upward. "I thought I was alone."

"Clearly." Lucy's dark eyes sparkled with mischief. She tossed a handful of her long, ice-white hair over her shoulder. For the past couple of years, she'd been dyeing her hair blonde. Though she refused to admit it, Laura was convinced it was because she was tired of them being confused as twins. They still looked a lot alike, even with Lucy's drastically different hair color.

Her younger sister danced closer. Since she was on the clock, she was in her elf costume. "Did you finally kiss him?" Her felt hat and striped stockings enhanced the wickedness painted across her expression.

Laura gasped. Were her thoughts really that transparent? "Wh-what are you talking about?"

"Ames Carson. Who else?"

Laura swallowed hard. "You do realize I went to breakfast with Brex Morrison?"

"According to the security camera in the back parking lot, you came back with Ames."

"Oh, now you're spying on me?" Laura couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"If I was, I wouldn't have to ask if you finally put the guy out of his misery and puckered up for him."

"Not even!" She squared her shoulders, pretending indignance. "We're only friends."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "The lies we tell ourselves," she sighed.

"I don't ever want to lose his friendship," Laura said quickly. "Or him."

Lucy's wicked look vanished. "He's pretty special, isn't he?"

Laura nodded, eyes misting. "I don't know what I would've done without him this morning." She didn't want to even think about it. "He's always been there for me, Luce. He's always had my back. I…I trust him." She drew a breath and let it out. "Completely."

Lucy's smile grew poignant. "In case I haven't made myself clear, I really, really, really like the way he treats my sister. You deserve to have a guy in your life who puts you first." Her expression darkened. "Unlike your arrogant, vainglorious, narcissistic toad of an ex!"

"Lucy!" Laura stepped away from the door, wide-eyed. "I had no idea you despised him so much."

"Oh, I was never all that impressed with him." Lucy's mouth twisted in distaste. "But after what he did to you, my opinion of him went downhill like an avalanche." She balled a hand into a fist and socked it into her other hand. "Dare I ask how your breakfast with him went?" She took a few steps backward and waved Laura into the nearest office. It was the one they shared.

Toy designs and patterns were scattered across both chrome desks. Organization had never been their strong point. Creativity was.

Laura spread her hands. "He claims he wants me back." Saying it out loud didn't make it sound any more convincing. She was harboring some serious doubts about his true agenda.

"And?" Lucy waved impatiently for her to continue. Sweeping a stack of papers off her desk onto the floor, she hopped up on it and patted the spot beside her.

Laura joined her, swinging her legs a little to stretch them. "I felt nothing."

"That's a good thing!" Lucy clapped her hands excitedly. Then she cocked her head at Laura. "Right?"

Laura wasn't sure how to put what she was feeling into words. "I went into it looking for closure about where we went wrong as a couple, but he refused to give me a straight answer about anything. About why he broke up. About whether he was ever going to be ready to leave the circuit. And then…" She glanced away. "It hit me that it no longer mattered, because he no longer matters. Not to me."

"Oh, honey!" Lucy impulsively threw an arm around her, leaning closer to tip their heads together. "I'm sorry you had to deal with all that this morning, but I'm not too terribly torn up about how it ended."

"Me, either," Laura assured. "Really." It was a relief to admit it out loud. "I think this means I'm finally over him." It had been a long, rocky path full of tears and heartache to reach this point.

"I'm glad." Lucy hugged her tighter. "Now if we could circle back to the other topic." Her smile flashed to its high-beam setting. "Are you ever going to get around to kissing Ames Carson?"