Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
And just like that, the fog cleared, I instantly sobered up and stood. “I need to get a Christmas tree.”
“What?” Rory and Finn said at the same time.
“A Christmas tree, I need to go get one.”
Rory cleared her voice and tried not to sound condescending. “Um, are you sure you want to decorate right now? I mean, don’t you want to get Clare back?”
Smiling, I quickly made my way to the bathroom, stripping out of the clothes I’d had on for way too long. I turned on the shower and said, “Trust me, Rory. I have a plan. I need to go.”
Before either one of them could say another word, I hung up, slipped into the shower, and for the first time in the last two weeks, I felt a sense of hope.
Clare
Is This Really Happening?
The light knock on my office door had me glancing up.
“Hey, Jess, what’s up?”
Jess was the receptionist for the main lobby.
She walked in and handed me an envelope. “A good-looking guy dropped this off for you. He said it was urgent you got it right away, so I brought it up myself.”
I raised my brows as I stood and took the envelope from her. “What did he look like?”
A dreamy look appeared on her face. “Brown hair, scruffy beard, like he’s not sure he wants to grow one or not. He was hot.”
I instantly brought up the image of Wes in the restaurant. He had looked like he hadn’t slept in days and had grown a slight beard. The sight of him had almost been too much, and I had to keep myself from getting up and walking over to him and Angie. Then when I saw them get up and leave, my heart fell to the floor. Was he avoiding me, or was it just as painful for him to see me as it was for me to see him.
“Did he say anything?” I asked Jess.
“Just that he needed you to have this as soon as possible and that it was urgent. Do you know who it was?”
Smiling, I ran my finger over my name in Wes’s handwriting. “Yes, it’s a friend of mine.”
“Is he single?”
My smile turned into a frown, and I looked up at her. “I don’t know.”
It was true, I didn’t know what had happened between Wes and Mandy. If I had listened to the plethora of voicemails or read his texts, I might know.
“I’ve got to get back,” Jess said, turning and making her way out of my office.
“Thank you, Jess. For bringing this up.”
She tossed a smile back at me from over her shoulder. “Sure thing!”
Opening the envelope, I pulled out a soft blue piece of paper. It was in Wes’s handwriting and simply had his address, seven thirty, and the words:
Please join me for our decorating adventure. Love, Wes
Drawing my brows together, I stared at the piece of paper. “A decorating adventure? What does that even mean?”
I slipped the paper back into the envelope and placed it on my desk before I sat back down. The rest of the afternoon was spent trying to focus on my work when all I kept doing was glancing at the envelope. I was kicking myself for deleting all of Wes’s voicemails and texts.
When I couldn’t take it anymore, I grabbed my phone and texted Rory.
Me: Are you excited for your first Christmas as a mom?
She responded back almost instantly.
Rory: I am so excited. Wait until you see the adorable outfit I got for Karleigh!
Chewing on my lower lip, I typed out my next message, not sure if I should ask about Wes or not.
Me: What are the family plans for the holiday? Mom and Dad want to keep it simple, we’re doing breakfast, then they would like to spend the day just watching movies.
Rory: You should come with us to Finn’s parents’ house. Everyone will be there, and I know Jennifer and Mike would love to have you there.
If Wes was going to be there, and Mandy was back with him, there was no way Rory would have invited me. Unless Wes wasn’t going to be there?
I shook the thoughts away.
Me: Thank you, but I’ll probably just stay home and watch a marathon of the Hallmark Channel.
Rory: ☹ We’ll miss you…all of us. That includes Wes, who hasn’t been the same these last two weeks.
Me: He’s not with Mandy?
Rory: God, no! I wish you would call him, Clare.
Me: He dropped off a note for me at work today. I’m going over there this evening.
Rory: !!!!! I’m glad! You two really need to talk. If you want to talk to me before you go over, best friend to best friend, you know I’m here for you. Always.
Smiling, I wanted to hug my phone.
Me: Thanks. I’m sorry I’ve kept you at a distance and haven’t been truthful to you and Autumn about how I felt about Wes. A part of me wasn’t sure myself.