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“Men,” she growled.
Yeah, men. I leaned forward, resting my arms on my legs, and hummed “So This Is Love” to a mournful tune.
After a few seconds, we broke out into fits of laughter.
It was better than crying. I had a feeling there would be tears in my near future. Unfortunately, if they weren’t my tears, they were going to be Quinn’s when she didn’t get her wish. I really hoped it wasn’t going to be a blue, blue Christmas for her—or me.
TRISTAN
TRISTAN STOOD IN FRONT OF the bathroom mirror, sizing up his flannel shirt. He wasn’t sure if it made him look too much like a lumberjack, or if it screamed masculinity. He couldn’t remember the last time he cared so much about how he looked. Not like Calista would look at him, anyway. The woman was driving him mad. All he wanted was one tiny glance. From there, he would try to pull her in with his gaze and pray she wasn’t completely immune to him.
She’d seemed startled when they’d locked eyes at the funeral. This gave him a dash of hope. He just wanted the chance to explain and apologize. Okay, and maybe to taste her lips one more time, or for the rest of his life, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen.
The only thing he had going for him was Quinn. She’d told him what she’d said to her aunt last night after dropping off the food. If she kept it up, he was going to buy her a car or anything she wanted. Not that he was using his niece to get to Calista, but he was thankful for all the help he could get.
However, it could have just ticked Calista off. She loved Quinn more than anyone, but Tristan knew he couldn’t make it seem like Quinn and he were ganging up on her. Or that they were hatching elaborate plans to snare her into some trap. Although he would love to get stuck somewhere alone with Calista, where she had no choice but to turn to him. Or at the very least, acknowledge he was alive.
He hoped chopping down the Christmas tree and decorating it today would lend itself to such an opportunity. He planned to show her he remembered every word of “O Tannenbaum” in German. Maybe that might garner a smile from her. And … hopefully she would require everyone hold hands while they sang, as she’d always insisted. Tristan was going to do his best to make sure he stood between Quinn and Calista when that happened. He wasn’t sure how he would accomplish it, but he would figure out a way.
Tristan peeked over at the freestanding stone tub in front of a large window. It boasted a gorgeous view of the pond and a meadow full of wildflowers in the summer. A vision popped into his mind of Calista taking a bath in it, her legs peeking out a bit while she listened to Joan Jett and sang along to “Cherry Bomb.” He imagined her pulling him into the tub to join her, even if he’d dressed for the day. That was the kind of woman she was. A cherry bomb.
He slapped a hand on the cement counter. Why did he ever let her go? He’d known no one as playful and sexy as she’d been. When she loved, it was with all her heart. Yes, she was impulsive and a little much at times, but he missed her passion and her no-holds-barred way of living. Even if it got him arrested. At least he knew she’d bail him out. Well, not anymore. She’d probably leave him to rot in jail now.
Tristan stared in the mirror and sighed. “You’re an idiot.” He threw on a splash of cologne, Heritage. It was Calista’s favorite.
His phone buzzed on the counter. He picked it up to see Quinn was calling.
“Hey, Quinnster,” he answered.
“Hi,” she said, bummed.
“What’s wrong?”
“Aunt Calista got called into work. The scheduled doctor called in sick.”
That is tragically ironic, Tristan thought. “Do you want me to come pick you up and we can chop down the tree?”
“No,” she was quick to say. “Aunt Calista has to be with us.”
He would prefer that too, even if all she wanted was to chuck the axe at him.
“She has Sunday off. We can do it then.”
Sunday seemed like an eternity away. He was turning into a lovesick teen with thoughts like those. “Okay, kiddo. We can go to the shelter and pick out that kitten.”
“All right.” She didn’t sound thrilled.
“Or we can do something else.” He’d taken the day off so he could be with her and … Calista.
“I want to get a kitten; it’s just I was hoping …”
“Yeah, me too.” He stared at the tub again, enticing thoughts running through his mind. He needed to get a grip. There was no chance Calista would ever take him back. He didn’t even feel deserving of her after what he’d done.
“Maybe we can take her some food again, but this time you can come in too.”
“I don’t think she would like that.”
“Probably not. I’ll think of something, though.”
