15. Lydia

15

LYDIA

I spent most of last night at the Winter Bash with Violet. Ben and Jake got along great, and they talked for hours about golfing and photography. Jake promised Ben he'd mention his name to the different sports magazines when the time came for interviews. If anyone could capture the serenity of a golf course at daybreak, it would be Ben. Jake could open doors for him that I didn't have access to.

After the Winter Bash, Jake and Ben stayed to help clean up the park. Violet and I helped for a little while, but I could barely hold my eyes open when midnight came around. I drove home and was already in bed when Ben dropped Jake off.

Now, it was morning, and I had to get ready to meet Max at the retirement home. My phone beeped and I rushed out of the bathroom to grab it off my nightstand.

Max: On my way to Willow Creek. See you soon. I picked you up some coffee from Sarah's Café.

His kindness warmed my heart. I quickly texted him back; I was running late.

Me: You're the best! Thank you. I'll see you in a bit.

Max had everything I could ever want in a guy. He was smart, charming, open to trying new things, and very handsome, which was always a perk. It was clear he was the path I needed to choose.

I rushed over to the mirror and ran my fingers through my curly hair. Since Max and I were going to the retirement home, I opted to wear the ugly sweater I had on the day I met him for the first time. It was the one with the Christmas tree that lit up with all the ornaments.

The house was quiet as I made my way down the hallway. With how late Jake stayed out, I had no doubt he was still sleeping. However, when I glanced out the window, his car was gone. He must've gotten it fixed.

After locking up, I hopped in my car and headed to Willow Creek Village, which was only a few minutes away. When I pulled in, Max was waiting by the door with my coffee in hand.

I parked beside his truck, and he greeted me with a smile. "Good morning."

"Good morning," I said back, hugging him. He handed me the coffee and I took a sip; it was Sarah's crème brulee roast. I closed my eyes and savored the taste. "This and hazelnut coffee are the best. I'd die if they didn't exist."

Max chuckled and we strolled inside. "I only drink coffee once in a blue moon. You'd think I'd need it with being a professor and dealing with college kids."

He had a point. I didn't know anyone who didn't drink coffee.

"I always thought it'd be fun to be a teacher. But I knew my legacy was to take over my parents' gallery, so I never pursued anything else."

"How'd it go with your photographer last night?"

We strolled down the hall to my grandmother's room, where we figured his grandfather would be.

"It went great," I answered, sipping more of my coffee. "I think Ben has a talent that everyone should see. I really want to see his work in magazines."

Max bumped me with his shoulder. "Well, if anyone can get him there, it's you. You have a passion for art and for helping people."

"Thanks."

In all reality, it was probably going to be Jake getting Ben into all the magazines. I didn't mind as long as it happened.

We reached my grandmother's door, and I heard laughter inside.

I glanced over at Max and lowered my voice. "You don't think they're . . ."

Max squeezed his eyes shut. "I don't want to visualize that right now. Let's just knock and pray they're dressed."

I knocked quickly and held my breath, wondering if I would hear them scrambling around inside. Max always wheeled his grandfather around in the wheelchair, but John could still walk and move around if he didn't have to go a long distance. I was pretty sure all the parts of his body still worked.

The door opened and my grandmother flung her arms around me. "Good morning, Liddy Bug. I'm so happy to see you. We were just catching up."

Catching up? She saw John every day. Why would they need to catch up?

When she fully opened the door, it all made sense. Sitting at her round kitchen table was John . . . and Jake.

What was he doing there? Today was supposed to be just Max and me. How was I supposed to concentrate on my relationship with Max if Jake was always around? It was as if the universe was tossing him into the mix to make things difficult for me. Then again, I should've known nothing about my time-travel experience would be easy. I'd changed the dynamic of things, and obviously, Jake was affected by it.

"Jake," I said, my voice a little harsh. I didn't want to be mad at him for interfering with my time with Max, but I couldn't help it. He was making things way more difficult for me. "What are you doing here?"

My grandmother walked over to Jake and patted him on the shoulder. "Jake, sweetheart, I'm going to let Lydia take you down to see Regina. Her son has been asking for an autograph."

I stood there and clenched my teeth. By the look on Max's face, he wasn't too thrilled with the situation either. This was not how I wanted today to go.

"Seriously? Can't he go by himself?" I said. "Max and I came here to spend time with you and John."

She gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "Oh, Liddy Bug, you see me all the time. A few minutes won't hurt you."

And that was it . . . I had to go. Max smiled at me, but it was tense. His patience with Jake was running thin. Hell, mine was, too. Everywhere I turned, he was there. It was easier when he was gone all the time. Even though I missed him, I didn't have to feel what I felt now. It was confusing, and confusion was the last thing I needed. My mind was already a jumbled mess.

Jake stood and said hello to Max as he passed him to the door. I mouthed the words, I'm sorry, to Max before following Jake out and shutting the door. Without saying a word, I led Jake down to Regina's desk and her squeals of delight when he gave her an autograph echoed throughout the whole building. Once he was done, I pulled him to a vacant corner where we could be alone.

"What are you doing here, Jake?" I snapped.

His smile faded and his eyes bore into mine. I felt vulnerable under his stare, like he could see right through me. I was afraid he'd see what I'd been hiding that I might have feelings for him. In all honesty, I knew I was hiding it from myself. If it stayed buried, it would be forgotten. That was my hope.

"I came to see your grandmother," he stated.

I flung my arms in the air. "Why today? You knew Max and I were going to be here." Huffing, I folded my arms over my chest. "You could've come at another time. It's not good for me and Max if you're always around. It's going to cause problems. I could feel Max's tension; he's going to think something's going on between us."

Jake averted his attention to the floor, his jaw clenching. He seemed at a loss for words, but then he lifted his eyes to mine and said, "I felt like I needed to be here."

His words struck a chord in my heart.

"Why?" I asked, the words just a faint whisper on my lips.

Jake shook his head. "Don't you know?"

My heart stopped, and a part of me had a feeling I knew, but I still couldn't admit it to myself. Did I even want to know what he meant? Knowing could change everything.

Before I could stop myself, the words left my lips. "Know what?"

Jake blew out a sigh and turned his face to the side. "Something tells me you're not ready to hear it."

When he met my eyes again, something in him resonated with me; it matched the feeling gnawing away at my gut—longing. However, as long as I didn't act on it, the feeling would disappear, I was sure of it. Jake was my friend, and I didn't want to jeopardize that. We had a lifetime of memories together.

Jake's lips pulled back slightly. "I'm going to go, Lydia. I'll see you at the house."

Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked away while I stood there frozen. In that moment, something had changed between us. It couldn't be taken back. A door had been cracked open, and the force behind it wanted it to open wide. I was afraid of what was behind it.

After taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, I made my way back to my grandmother's apartment. Everyone was at the table watching Max shuffle the cards. "Want to play Kings in the Corner?" he asked me.

My heart was conflicted, and I tried to ignore it by smiling like everything was okay.

"Of course," I replied. "Deal them out."

I was about to sit down when my grandmother clutched my wrist. "Excuse us," she said to Max and John. "We'll be back in a minute. I want to show Lydia the present I got her mother for Christmas."

She held onto my arm and pulled me into her bedroom, shutting the door behind us. "What's so secretive about the present you got Mom?" I wondered curiously. My grandmother faced me and glared as if she was mad. I stared back and waved a hand at her face. "Why do you look angry?"

"Oh, I don't know," she snapped, keeping her voice low. "Maybe because you were mean to Jake."

My mouth dropped in shock. "I was mean to him? He wasn't supposed to be here. All he's done is mess up my dates with Max. He knew we were coming today."

She shrugged. "Maybe so, but he always visits me when he's in town. He knows I like to see him."

I wasn't expecting to hear that.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" I questioned. Why would he keep his visits with her a secret from me?

Tears formed in her eyes, and she smiled. "Being with me helps him connect to your grandfather. I know it makes him sad to talk about it, so I'm assuming that's why. He doesn't want to let those emotions get to him. You know it was your grandfather who helped him with his golf swing."

I remembered those days like it was yesterday. My grandfather and Jake would be in the backyard practicing for hours. He knew Jake would be a success and voiced it for many years before Jake went pro. Even Jake's father would join in and take lessons from my grandfather.

"Pappy would be so proud of Jake if he were here," I murmured.

She reached over and held my hand. "Just like we all are. He means so much to us, including you, even if you don't want to admit it."

"Seriously? Between you and Violet, I don't know who's worse."

Her gaze narrowed. "What has Violet said?"

I huffed out a sigh. "She says that Jake wants to be with me."

I waited for a response and all she did was smile. "She would be right, Liddy Bug. Jake cares about you."

"Of course he does, Nana," I said. "I care about him, too. He's one of my best friends."

She shook her head. "No, not like friends."

When I looked at her like she'd lost her mind, she gave me that stern expression that meant I better not disagree. She moved closer and her gaze never wavered from mine.

"No, sweetheart, he cares for you like your grandfather cared for me, like your father does with your mother."

"Has he said that specifically?" I asked. "Like, have those words left his lips, and you've heard them?"

"I don't have to hear it, Liddy Bug. I see it. I've seen it for years. You've just been blind to it."

"He's not an option, Nana."

She scoffed. "Says who? You make your own choices."

What if Jake was one of the paths Margaret presented me with initially? Would I have chosen him? My heart knew the answer, but my mind argued against it. Everything led to Max.

"Max is a sweet guy, Lydia," Nana proclaimed. "I know you two could be very happy together. Just make sure you explore all options before you settle down. I wouldn't want you to miss out on the epic love I had with your grandfather."

An epic love. We would all be so lucky to have that.

She let my arms go and hugged me. "It's time you found your happily ever after, Lydia."

"I agree," I whispered, letting her go. "Let's see if I can make that happen."

We walked out and sat down at the table with Max and John. My grandmother reached over and lovingly patted John's hand, her smile bright as she looked at him. As I watched them, the mistletoe on my sweater tingled with warmth. It was a comforting feeling, almost like what I was witnessing something that was meant to be.

"Lydia?"

I jerked my attention to Max, who smiled and reshuffled the cards. "We ready?"

Nodding, I touched my mistletoe, my mind reeling. I wish I knew what it meant when the mistletoe reacted.

"Let's play," I said. Then, I turned to my grandmother. "I'm not letting you beat me this time."

She winked. "We'll see about that."

M ax and I played cards with our grandparents for a few hours and watched several movies with them, one being a romance where two elderly people fell in love after meeting in a retirement home. It was pretty interesting, especially considering it reflected what was actually happening with my nana and John.

It was closing in on five o'clock and I was starving, so Max and I decided to grab dinner at one of the local taverns that had the best burgers in town. There was never a moment where one of us didn't have anything to say. Our conversations flowed so easily. It felt like I'd known him for years.

After finishing off the last of my fries, I sat back against the booth. Neither Max nor I had anything left on our plates.

"Do we want dessert?" he asked.

Laughing, I clutched my full stomach. "There is no way. Besides, I think I ate my sweet limit for the month at the cookie festival the other day."

Max nodded in agreement. "Can't argue with you there." His attention turned to the windows overlooking Main Street. "Do you want to walk around for a bit? It's a nice night and I'm not ready for this date to end yet."

He was such a sweet guy. How could I not fall for someone like him?

"I'd like that," I replied. "A walk sounds amazing. Besides, I can never get enough of seeing the twinkling lights everywhere."

Max chuckled. "If you could keep Christmas decorations up all year, would you do it?"

"In a heartbeat," I claimed wholeheartedly. The waitress came by with our check and I quickly snatched it from Max, giggling as I gave the waitress my card. "You paid for our food the other night. It's my turn now."

He pursed his lips and huffed playfully. "Fine. I'll get dinner next time."

When the waitress returned with my card, we put on our jackets and left. The wind was brisk, but the stars were bright in the sky, adding to the allure of the small Christmas town of Blowing Rock. As I looked around at all the lights, it was as if I could feel magic around me. That was how Christmas was to me. Sometimes, I wished it could be Christmas every day. I knew for a fact I'd never get tired of it.

"What are you thinking about?" Max asked, reaching for my hand.

I smiled and waved a hand at all the decorated trees in the park. "Christmas. I wish the town would keep up the decorations all year long. I feel a sense of joy during this time of year. Don't get me wrong, I'm mostly a happy person every day of my life, it's just it's different at Christmas."

Max chuckled. "It's almost magical, huh?"

I touched the mistletoe attached to my sweater. "Do you believe in magic . . . or miracles?" I asked him.

My thoughts wandered to Margaret, and when I looked toward the gazebo, I saw that she was there, dressed in her usual red sweater and black pants. She smiled and waved, but when I looked at Max and then back to the gazebo, she was gone.

Max squeezed my hand and pulled me closer to his side. "Do I believe in magic or miracles?" His gray eyes met mine and he smiled. "I do."

"You do?" I questioned.

He nodded. "How could I not? It's because of you that my grandfather is happy again. If you hadn't asked us to play cards with you and your nana two years ago, I don't think he'd be with us today."

That hurt my heart.

"What do you mean?"

A heavy sigh escaped his lips and so much sadness was on his face. "My grandfather was in a bad way when my grandmother died. We all thought he'd give in to his broken heart and wither away. Luckily, he met your nana and that gave him something to look forward to. I've never seen him so happy."

My eyes burned just thinking about it.

"I'd have to say the same about my nana," I confessed. "I never thought I could imagine her loving someone other than my pappy, but I think she's getting there with John."

Max squeezed my hand again. "My grandfather said you were his miracle, Lydia. That's why I believe in them."

There was no stopping the tears that fell down my cheeks. I used my free hand to wipe them away and Max chuckled. "I didn't mean to make you cry." He stepped in front of me and wiped the rest of my tears away. "Just know that my family is truly grateful for you and your nana. They want to meet you soon." My stomach balled up with nerves. That was a huge step, but I knew it had to be taken at some point. "Would you like to come over for our family holiday party on Christmas day? You don't have to stay long. I know you probably have things to do with your own family."

If we were going to take that step, I needed to go all in just like he was.

"How about this?" I suggested. "I come to yours and you come to mine."

Max's grin brightened. "I look forward to it."

He grabbed my hand again and we continued to walk around the park. There were people everywhere, walking hand in hand like we were. I kept hoping for snow to come so we could have a white Christmas. My fingers were still crossed for that to happen.

"You know what else I'm looking forward to?" Max asked.

I looked up at him and smiled. "What?"

"It's exam week, which means it's my last week before break. I'll have a whole month off and I can't wait."

"Lucky," I grumbled playfully. "I wouldn't know what to do with a whole month off. Then again, having my sister at the gallery helps. If I need a day off, she covers for me and vice versa."

Max's eyes widened as if an idea just popped into his head. "Want to go snowboarding with me one day this week? I won't let you get hurt."

"And how are you going to stop that?" I asked, laughing.

He shrugged. "Not sure, but I can certainly try. And who knows, it might be you carrying me down the mountain."

Memories from when Jake had to do that with me popped into my head. After I got hurt, I was in so much pain, but Jake spent the entire afternoon trying to make me laugh until I could get to the doctor. No matter how hard I tried, I doubted I could ever forget about him. We had too many memories and too much history.

"If we survive our snowboarding date, how about the next one, we go to Thistle Meadow Winery and taste some wines? The chances of us getting hurt are slim to none."

Max nodded. "Deal. I'm really looking forward to spending more time with you."

"Same," I replied. "And next weekend is the Mistletoe Mania Festival. It's like Valentine's in December. There'll be carriage rides through the park and everything."

"Wow, three dates in one week," he teased. "How did I get so lucky?"

We strolled around the park for another hour until the weather started to get colder. The chills were almost unbearable which was strange. I loved the cold but wasn't handling it well now. Max and I walked back to Main Street where our cars were parked.

We stopped at mine, and I shivered from either the cold or my nerves. I had a feeling he was going to try and kiss me.

"What's your goal for us, Lydia? Like, what do you want us to be? I really like you and I want to see where our relationship can go."

I shivered even more, and my teeth chattered. "I want to see where it leads us, too," I said in all honesty.

He smiled. "Good. I was making sure we were on the same page."

His gaze drifted down to my lips, and he moved closer. My pulse quickened, and I held my breath, but then my nose tingled, and I stepped back, turning my head to sneeze into my sleeve. The chills worsened and my face began to burn like fire even though I was freezing.

"Oh no, please say it isn't so," I groaned.

"What's wrong?" Max replied.

He tried to move closer, but I held up a hand. "I wouldn't if I were you. I think I'm coming down with the flu. My sister was sick with it a few days ago."

Max snorted. "I don't care about that. Why don't you let me drive you home? You're looking pale."

I pressed the key fob to unlock my car and opened the door. "No, Max. Thank you for offering, but you can't afford to get sick. It's exam week and your students need you."

His face was filled with concern, which made me admire him even more. "But I want to help you."

I tossed my purse into the passenger's seat and turned back to him. "You can help by not getting sick. That way, as soon as I'm better, we can go on our dates."

Max's lips tilted up in a small smile but I could tell he was worried about me. "I'm going to call and check on you, okay?" he said, backing up toward his truck.

I nodded. "Sounds good."

The second I hopped in my car, I felt worse. All I wanted to do was get home and go to bed.