AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He shouldn’t be so sure about that.
“Quinny, you’re going to have to get used to these kinds of things if you want to be a doctor like me.”
She bit her lip. “Well … I was thinking about taking over the family business like Uncle Tristan did.”
“Oh.” I tried not to sound too disappointed. That would require her moving back to Aspen Lake after college. Which would mean I’d have to as well, because I totally planned on being her kids’ pseudograndma. But a younger, hipper, trouble buddy sort of grandma. I had all sorts of plans for those great-nieces and nephews of mine.
“Actually, I was going to ask if maybe I could start working at the store too,” Quinn mumbled.
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with Beckett, would it?” Tristan asked.
Quinn’s rosy cheeks turned a shade redder. “Well … sort of. But I could be, like, his boss since it’s our company.”
To Tristan’s credit, he shook his head. “If you’re going to work for me, you’re going to start at the bottom and work your way up, just like everyone else.”
“Oh, okay.” She didn’t sound thrilled.
“It would be good for you,” I chimed in. Not because I wanted her to follow in Tristan’s footsteps. Those steps had led him right out of my life. But learning how to work hard was important, no matter the job.
Tristan threw me a thoughtful glance, thanking me for being his partner in this.
If he had only believed in me enough, we could have been true partners. We could have had our own kiddos with us, along with Quinn. I turned from him so he couldn’t see the longing for those things, and the anger because he’d stolen them from me.
“Do you want to start this week?” Tristan asked Quinn. “We could use the holiday help.”
She thought for a moment. “I guess so.”
I gave her a squeeze. “You can do hard things.” My dad had said that to me all the time. He was right.
“Okay,” she sounded braver.
Tristan clapped his hands. “Great. Let’s cut ourselves down a tree.”
After Tristan retrieved the saw, to his obvious disappointment, we trudged across his snowy property toward what he called the perfect tree.
All the while, I did my best not to fall in love with his ranch. It was as if he had taken our daydreams and magically brought them to life. On a grander scale, of course. I guess I couldn’t begrudge him that. Especially knowing now how much his lifestyle meant to him. Did he believe I was so unyielding in my beliefs he couldn’t even broach the subject with me? How could he not know that our love was the most important thing to me? Granted, I was opinionated, and I’d made no attempt to hide how I felt about his parents and their excess. But he should have at least given me the choice. Honestly, I don’t know how I would have reacted. I never wanted to be like someone from his side of the lake. I thought I was better than that.
Perhaps I could see why he had been afraid to talk to me, but that was no excuse for how cruelly he’d pushed me away. Oh well. Maybe I should thank him. If it hadn’t been for his rejection, I would have never become a doctor.
Tristan stopped and pointed to a tree several yards ahead of us near the pond that was just icing over. I bet in a month it would be the perfect place to ice-skate. “There,” he said, excitedly. “That’s the one.”
I swear the sun burst through the clouds at that exact moment and sent a beam of light to grace the full and evenly shaped blue spruce. It was gorgeous.
Quinn let out a high-pitched squeak before racing toward it.
I smiled, watching her go. More than anything, I loved seeing her happy.
Tristan stood proudly, his gaze landing on me. “Merry Christmas,” he said as if he were Bob Cratchit himself.
I clasped my hands together, trying my best not to be affected by him. Nor remember our first Christmas together, when I’d woken up to find him under my tree with a big red bow on his head. It was my favorite present. And did I ever enjoy unwrapping him. “It’s a beautiful tree,” I stuttered out.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, flustered, almost as if he didn’t mean to say it.
“You’re ridiculous.” I walked off, determined to keep at least one of my freaking promises. Why did he have to make it so difficult? Maybe the better question was, Why was my resolve so weak around him?
He caught up to me. “Listen, I’m sorry. I’m trying not to be charming.” He smirked.
I flashed him an incredulous glance.
