4. Lydia

4

LYDIA

Still in dream - Christmas Eve - Two years ago

I headed to Hailey's parents' house for their big Christmas Eve celebration. I looked forward to it every year. There was always fun, laughter, and tons of food. Her family was huge, and everyone would bring their specialty dishes. If you left their party hungry, there had to be something wrong with you. Hailey's aunt Maria, would make the best pickled shrimp I'd ever tasted. She only made them at Christmas, so I always ensured I was starving when going to the party. I had to get my fill of them.

Knowing my luck, I'd wake up from the dream before I could eat any.

On the way to Hailey's, my mind drifted to the actual events that happened two years ago and wondered if the same would happen in my dream. Feeling the excitement well up in my chest didn't take long. I was going to see Jake, Hailey's brother. He was three years older than Hailey and me, and we used to drive him crazy when we were younger, always wanting to play in his tree fort with his friends. Of course, as we got older, he didn't see me as annoying anymore, and we became quite close, especially when Hailey and I started attending Appalachian State University, where he was offered a full-ride golf scholarship.

He couldn't get rid of us.

My cheeks started to hurt from smiling at the memories; we had a lot of crazy times in college. I missed those days.

I was almost to Hailey's parents' house, and I knew that when I turned the corner into their neighborhood, there would be cars everywhere. I wanted to see if there was a closer spot to the house, but of course, there wasn't, and I ended up parking in the same exact spot I did two years ago.

"If this is my dream, I should be able to alter it and park closer," I said out loud. "But I guess I'm not that lucky."

Everything, other than the time with Max at the retirement home, was the same as before. Before getting out of the car, I glanced in the back seat, where a small silver-wrapped present sat with Hailey's name on it. It was a crystal heart necklace she'd been wanting for a long time. I loved it so much that I'd gotten one to match. From that day on, we wore them almost every day.

I reached for the present and hopped out of the car. My stomach growled and I couldn't wait to get inside and eat Maria's shrimp. But what I really couldn't wait for was to see Jake. I hadn't seen him in person since this day two years ago. He had shown up to the party, surprising everyone; it was the last time he came into town before becoming a professional golfer. I'd seen him on TV, though. Since turning professional, he'd won The Sentry tournament in January, the Phoenix Open in February, the Masters in April, the US Open in June, and the RSM Classic just last month, earning him millions of dollars. I wouldn't know what to do with that much money. It was strange to think that one of my childhood friends was a superstar in the sports world. Jake had worked hard to become what he was, and I was so proud of him.

The closer I got to the house, the louder the music grew. I could see everyone inside, laughing and having a good time.

When I walked in the door, I spotted Hailey holding a cup of eggnog and she squealed when she saw my ugly sweater.

"Oh . . . my . . . goodness, I love it."

She rushed over and flung her arms around me; her slurred words clearly showed that the eggnog had gotten her tipsy already.

I laughed and hugged her back. "Merry Christmas Eve!"

She let me go and pursed her lips. "What took you so long to get here? You're never late."

Even though I was in a dream, I figured it wouldn't hurt to tell her what happened. "I met someone," I confessed, giving her the present in my hand.

Her red hair was almost the same shade as Max's, only his was darker.

Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped. "I don't know what to be more excited about, the present or the guy." She held the silver-wrapped gift to her chest. "I want details. Where did you meet this guy, and what's his name?"

"His name is Max, and I met him at my grandmother's retirement home. He was visiting his grandfather."

I knew it was time for Jake to appear, and it wasn't long before his arms wrapped around my waist, and his voice boomed throughout the room.

"Surprise, everyone! I'm home!"

Everyone rushed over and I moved out of the way the second Jake released me. The whole family crowded around him, giving him hugs and bombarding him with tons of questions. Jake had a way of standing out in the crowd. He hadn't changed much since I saw him last. His dark hair was a little shorter, and of course, it paired perfectly with his piercing green eyes. Add that to his impeccable sense of style and you have the perfect package. Then again, he had to keep up a good appearance with being on TV constantly. All the girls loved him when we were in school.

Hailey draped her arm over my shoulder and sighed. "Do you see how everyone fawns over the boy? It's a good thing I'm not jealous."

We both laughed and I smacked her arm. "He's famous now, Hailey. Better get used to all the screams and excitement when he's around."

She snorted. "Please. He's just my older annoying brother. He'll never be famous to me." She finished off the rest of her eggnog and let me go. "You're going to have to tell me more about this Max guy when I can actually hear over the commotion."

The room had gotten louder with her family vying for Jake's attention. Hailey pulled my arm and dragged me to the giant bowl of eggnog in the dining room. The whole table around the bowl was filled with food and sweet treats. I spotted Maria's platter of pickled shrimp and downed five of them; they were heaven.

Hailey filled up her glass with eggnog, and I grabbed some, too. "When will you let me open my present?" she asked, holding up the gift I gave her.

I took it away from her and set it with all the others under the Christmas tree in the corner. Hailey's parents always went all out for Christmas; every room had a tree.

"You can open it when everyone else opens theirs," I laughed.

She huffed playfully and nodded toward the living room. "Want to hang out with me and Oliver?"

I nodded and was about to follow her, but Jake appeared and took my hand. "Actually, I need to talk to Lydia for a minute. We'll be right back."

Hailey huffed in mock annoyance. "Fine. You steal all the attention and now you're stealing my best friend." She waved for us to leave. "Go. I'll be fine drinking my eggnog and listening to Grandaddy talk Oliver's ears off about the colonoscopy he had last week."

Jake pulled on my hand and chuckled. "Yeah, we don't want to hear that."

He took me to the back door that led to the patio and grabbed a jacket off the coat rack, draping it over my shoulders; it smelled like his cologne. He winked at me and opened the door.

"It's a little chilly outside, but I need to get some fresh air and distance from the rest of the family." He released my hand and held the door open for me, closing it quickly behind us. "Finally, some peace and quiet."

"What did you expect?" I said, leaning against the patio railing with a smile. Jake smiled back and came over to stand next to me. "No one has seen you for months. They're all excited," I added, bumping him with my shoulder.

The chilly winter air blew around us and he crossed his arms over his chest, revealing his well-toned arms. Clearing my throat, I nodded at his bare skin. It was winter in the mountains and all he had on were jeans and a gray, short-sleeved polo shirt.

"You should've grabbed another jacket," I teased, snuggling into the one he put around my shoulders. "I'm not cold at all."

Jake chuckled. "I'm fine. I miss the weather up here. We're supposed to get some snow tonight."

He was right.

From what I remembered, it started snowing while we talked outside. I couldn't wait to have a white Christmas. It felt amazing being here with him again. I didn't realize how much I missed him until now. I missed our talks and the way he'd make me laugh.

Even though he was still gaining success in the golf world, he was still the same Jake. The fame hadn't gotten to his head yet, and I hoped it never would. Jake nudged me with his elbow.

"How are things at the gallery? Is business good?"

Beaming, I looked right into his eyes, loving how genuine he was. "It's going great. You should stop by before leaving town and see all the changes Violet and I made."

It was exactly what I had said to him that night two years ago, even though I knew what the outcome would be.

Jake's grin widened. "I'll try to fit that in. If not, I promise I'll be by soon."

I remembered feeling hopeful of him coming by, but he couldn't. If he wasn't busy competing, he spent the rest of his time in interviews and talk shows. I couldn't hold that against him; he was trying to build his future and make a name for himself.

"If not, it'll be okay," I assured him, changing up our conversation from two years ago.

We were just in a dream, so it didn't matter if I said the exact same things as I did when this conversation actually happened.

"Besides," I added, moving to stand before him, mirroring his stance by crossing my arms over my chest. "I predict you'll be super busy in the new year."

Jake smirked. "Oh yeah? Do you think I'll win any tournaments?"

If he only knew.

Nodding, I couldn't help but snicker. "I believe you will. Want to hear my predictions?"

He tilted his head to the side, his eyes taking on a curious twinkle. "Go for it."

I pursed my lips and narrowed my eyes in mock concentration. "Okay," I started, "here we go. You're going to win The Sentry, the Phoenix Open, the Masters, the US Open, and the RSM Classic."

Jake threw his head back and burst out with laughter. "Wow, Lydia. That's pretty optimistic."

I shrugged. "You can do it. I have faith in you."

His smile faded slightly, almost like he didn't believe in himself. "Thanks. That means a lot."

I poked him in the stomach. "And when you make those millions of dollars, you'll owe me an expensive dinner."

He held out his hand. "Deal." It was a shame none of this was genuinely happening. Jake released my hand and crossed his arms again to block out the cold. "I'm assuming you came here alone tonight?"

Regretfully, I nodded. "Yep. I can't seem to find that right person."

He looked away and nodded. "It'll happen."

"What about you? I saw you on TV with a really pretty brunette. Isn't her name Daphne?"

Daphne Elsher was a fashion model, gorgeous in every way. Jake met my gaze, and his lips turned up into a small smile.

"Yeah, that's her. She wants to get married. I don't know if I'm ready for that yet."

I remembered him saying that and at the time, I wanted to tell him that he shouldn't rush things, but I never did. Since I was in a dream, however, I could do what I wanted.

"I wouldn't, Jake. It's too soon, and honestly, I think you should be with someone longer than two months before taking the plunge. Especially in your case."

Jake's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Sighing, I placed a hand on his arm. "Jake, you're becoming one of the country's top golfers. You're in magazines and on TV, not to mention, you're a handsome guy. Women are probably falling all over themselves to get your attention."

He smirked. "You think?"

I rolled my eyes. "I know. And with being popular, you'll have women wanting you because of your fame. I'm just saying to take it slow with Daphne. Make sure she wants to be with you because of who you are, not what she can gain from you."

None of this was discussed when I attended the party in real life two years ago. I had no clue what the dream version of Jake was going to do. What I didn't expect was for him to open his arms and fold them around me.

"Thanks, Lydia. I've missed talking to you."

Closing my eyes, I hugged him back. "I've missed it, too. Try not to be a stranger this next year."

He sighed. "I'll try." He let me go and blew out a puff of steam from the cold. "I need some eggnog with an extra splash of brandy to warm me up. Want anything?"

I shook my head. "I'm good, thanks."

He lifted his brows, giving me another chance to change my mind, but I shook my head again. "Okay, I'll be right back."

Jake disappeared inside and I looked up at the sky, wishing to the stars that the dream could be real. And just like that, the snow started to fall. It came down in massive flakes, coating the patio within seconds. It was perfect. But then, I felt everything around me slipping away, vanishing right before me.

Present day

T he next thing I knew, I opened my eyes and was on my couch. The TV was still on, but The Nutcracker had already finished playing. I stood and grabbed my blanket, carrying it to the bedroom. I remembered every single detail of the dream.

If only it was what really happened.