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Emerson stirred in her sleep, and tightened her arm around Cassie’s middle. Cassie snuggled backwards slightly and tried to shut off her brain. She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly, let her muscles and her brain relax.

Maybe it was enough to just breathe.

At least for now.

“
We’ll also have to
pay taxes at the end of the year,” Mary said as she stood up from the computer. “Your mother did that each quarter. I know the accountant’s card is around here someplace. It’s the same guy you met with yesterday.” She pulled open a drawer and began rifling through it.

Emerson scrubbed her hands over her face. She already had the accountant’s card, but this break was much needed, so she let Mary search while she tried to focus on something other than numbers. They’d been going over things for almost four hours and her brain was full. Mary was fairly patient with her, but any changes Emerson suggested—no matter how slight—were met with all the acceptance and give of a slab of concrete. Adjustments were going to take some work.

The good news was that the inn was operating in the black, and there was no reason to think that would change. Emerson could see places where costs could be cut…simple things like buying cleaning solutions and such in bulk rather than running to the store to grab a bottle of detergent whenever they ran out…but she had realized over the past couple of hours that she’d need to introduce that type of thing gradually. Mary was not good with change. That much was obvious.

Emerson had met with the rental agency that handled Cassie’s building. It didn’t bring in a ton of money, but enough to warrant leaving it all alone, at least for the time being. She chose that option, simply because she was operating at capacity. Between meeting with Brad Klein to decline Cross’s offer, going over things with the rental agency, sitting down with the accountant, and going over everything she needed to know about the inn with Mary and Jack, she was pretty sure she could fit no more information into her head without it exploding all over the counter in front of her.

Add to all of that, the subject of Cassie.

She was trying so hard, Emerson could see it. Cassie was a talker. She processed things verbally and Emerson could tell by looking in her eyes that she wanted to talk about them, the two of them, Emerson and Cassie and whether they had a future. It was such an important topic, it deserved all Emerson’s attention. And she just couldn’t give that right now. Every time she looked into Cassie’s brown eyes, saw the silent plea there, she wanted to punch herself in the face. Cassie was such a good soul, had such a kind heart. Emerson would do anything to keep her from being hurt…yet here she was, doing the hurting. And she knew it.

Emerson cradled her own head in her hands. It was all so much. Too much.

“Hi, there.”

The man’s voice startled Emerson enough to make her jump. Then she pressed a hand to her chest and laughed.

“Sorry about that,” the man said with a gentle chuckle. “Didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to check out.”

Mary took over as Emerson watched each computer keystroke she made, followed each step, but she got lost partway through, and pressed her fingertips into her eyelids instead.

I have to get back.

The thought had crossed her mind more than once over the past couple of days as new information was piled on top of old, things that needed to be tended to here in Lake Henry adding to the list of things in L.A. she needed to deal with. She’d already made her flight reservation for the next day, but if she could wave a magic wand, she’d go right now. She wasn’t unhappy with the decisions she’d made, but she was rapidly becoming overwhelmed by the scope of everything there was to deal with, and part of her wanted to go back to LA, crawl into her bed, pull the covers up over her head, and forget all of it.

“Here are the applications for housekeeping.” Mary’s voice snapped her out of her reverie, and she was surprised to see the man was gone. She took the stack of papers Mary handed her.

“This many?” She had to be holding twenty-five applications.

“Not a lot of jobs come available in a town this small.” Mary shrugged.

“Terrific.”

Mary patted her on the shoulder. “Ain’t easy being the boss lady, is it?” With a squeeze, she disappeared into the kitchen.

Emerson dropped her head into her hands.

***

The airport was surprisingly busy for a Wednesday morning, and Cassie wasn’t sure if she should be happy or disappointed. She had insisted on parking and walking Emerson into the building, wanting to milk every last second with her that she could, and she felt like a lovesick teenager. It was a little embarrassing.

They’d talked about stupid, mundane things during the three-hour car ride, mostly because Cassie was afraid to ask Emerson the one question that was really on her mind.

Are you coming back?

The past few days had been a whirlwind of activity for Emerson as she tried to meet with everybody necessary to settle her mother’s estate, and also learn about the new responsibilities she now had. The inn. The rental property. Emerson was now a business owner, and Cassie wasn’t terribly clear on how Emerson felt about that.

They’d had little time together after their night of bliss. It had actually been a morning of bliss as well, as they hadn’t been able to keep their hands off each other, and Cassie had stumbled down to work bleary-eyed and with sore thighs. Her mother had taken one look at her and had known exactly what she’d been up to; thankfully, she’d chosen not to discuss it. But since then, Emerson’s time had been filled with people, advice, direction, numbers, paperwork, and suggestions, and by the time each day had ended, she’d fallen into bed nearly comatose. Cassie suspected Emerson was actually looking forward to going back to L.A.

That’s what worried her.

Despite her breakdown, her pleas to not let Cassie become a regret, Cassie wasn’t completely convinced that Emerson wasn’t about to run again. When she put herself in Emerson’s place, it was painfully obvious how much easier it would be to simply stay in California and run things by phone and computer. Emerson would never have to return to Lake Henry again. She could do that. She had done it in the past. Hell, in her shoes, Cassie couldn’t say for certain that she wouldn’t do the exact same thing.

Emerson finished checking in at the airline counter. Returning to Cassie, she hefted her computer bag onto her shoulder, and they walked to the security line, which was shorter than expected (and shorter than Cassie had hoped) and seemed to be moving along quickly.

“Okay,” Emerson said, turning to her. “This is where I get off.” She gave a lopsided grin at her attempt at humor.

Cassie’s eyes welled up, much to her horror. She cleared her throat. “Okay. Travel safely. Text me when you land.” She looked off to her left, her own voice in her head shouting
please come back, please come back, please come back.

“I will.” Emerson reached for her then and wrapped her in a hug.

Cassie held on as tightly as she could for as long as she dared, three more words banging around in her head, trying to find a way out, but Cassie kept them locked in tight.

They parted, neither able to look the other in the eye. Emerson shifted her bag onto her other shoulder. Cassie saw her throat move as she swallowed. “Bye,” Emerson said hoarsely.

Cassie lifted a hand, moved her fingers, watched as Emerson entered the line and moved along quickly. She stood in the same spot as Emerson pulled her laptop from her bag, kicked off her shoes, and sent everything through the scanner. On the other side of the metal detector, she gathered her things, looked back one more time, waved to Cassie, and was gone.

Cassie stood still for long moments after that, aware that hot tears were coursing down her cheeks and not caring.

“Please come back,” she whispered desperately. “Please come back.”

December had not arrived
quietly. Not this year. It had ripped into Lake Henry like an angry banshee, all howling winds and blustering snow. Vanessa stomped her boots on the floor to knock off any slush, then held onto Brian as she unzipped them and left them in the foyer of Jonathan and Patrick’s gorgeous home.

“Oh, my god, look at you two!” Jonathan had his arms out and stood still, taking in the sight before him. He wore black dress pants, a very tight red sweater that made it clear how often he worked out, and a Santa hat. “You look fantastic. That dress looks like it was made for you.” He kissed Vanessa on the cheek and gave Brian’s hand a hearty shake. “Come in, come in. Merry Christmas. Drinks are over there. Hors d’oevres are everywhere. Make yourselves comfortable and be merry!”

Vanessa looked up at her husband, who grinned, then shrugged. “Shall we find a drink?” he asked her.

“Absolutely.”

He held out his hand and she clasped it, using him for balance as she put on her shoes. His skin was smooth, his hand warm and strong.

Jonathan and Patrick had one of the most gorgeous homes Vanessa had ever seen. It was large and elegant without being ostentatious. In fact, it was inviting…something she found lacking in many large, expensive homes. The walls in the two-story entryway were cream, and the curving railing and bannister were a tasteful pairing of cream risers and railings with dark wood steps and spindles. A stunning crystal chandelier hung suspended from the high ceilings, and strings of lights, garland, and red velvet decorations gave the entire place the look of a Christmas movie set, twinkling and festive.

The crowd was already large, as Brian had a Friday afternoon meeting that had run late. Vanessa did not mind waiting for him, and that surprised her.

A lot of things surprised her lately.

Who knew that finding a therapist she could talk to openly would change her life? Who knew that talking to her husband with honesty and sincerity would change her life even more?

It hadn’t been easy. She’d held out hope that she and Cassie would maybe resume what they’d had. She’d held onto that for what felt like ages, but in reality had only amounted to a few weeks. Because when she really thought about it, what was it that she and Cassie had? An affair. Plain and simple. Cassie wanted a commitment from Vanessa, and Vanessa knew she couldn’t do that for reasons that confused her at the time. Still, she’d thought maybe someday…

Then Emerson Rosberg had entered the picture, and Vanessa watched her someday slowly evaporate before her eyes, like the lake mist on a summer morning. Anybody watching Emerson with Cassie knew there was something there, even if the two of them hadn’t realized it.

Vanessa thought she would go mad from the giant mix of emotions that had her screaming at her kids for no reason and shutting her husband out completely. She had to do something before she imploded.

After spending a night online while Brian was away on business, she finally took the advice Cassie had given her more than once over the past year or two. She went online and got a real, educated handle on the fact that she was bisexual, that it was a real thing, not a cop-out, that she wasn’t a person who couldn’t make up her mind. The liberation was palpable, and she’d actually sat at the computer and cried. Big, wracking sobs of relief. After she pulled herself together, she read until her eyes felt like they were about to melt into her head. She did a little more research, found a reputable therapist two towns over, and booked herself an appointment immediately. She attended three sessions before she knew she needed to talk with Brian. She sat him down and told him everything, including about her affair with Cassie. Needless to say, he wasn’t happy about what he’d learned, and his first question was, “Are you leaving me?” The beauty of therapy was that it had helped Vanessa understand two truly important factors: she loved her husband, and she wanted to make her marriage work.

It had been tenuous at first, and some days, it still was. He’d tiptoed around her like she might shatter into pieces, uncertain what to say or how to act, hesitant to touch her in any way, see-sawing between being concerned and being angry. They were still working on things, but after three weeks, they were doing better. Now he held her or touched her nearly all the time. A hand on the small of her back. A finger toying with a lock of her hair. It was nice. And it was sweet. And she loved him more now than when they’d first fallen for each other.

They moved through the crowd of people slowly, sharing greetings and Christmas wishes. Brian laughed with a golf buddy as he handed a flute of champagne to Vanessa. She sipped and scanned the guests.

Anybody who was anybody came to Jonathan’s and Patrick’s Christmas party, and some people who were just people. It was the most talked-about event in Lake Henry, both before and after. Vanessa noted several skiers, the hockey coach, the mayor, three attorneys, a judge, and several business owners, plus many friends she knew from PTA meetings and Jeremy’s hockey games. Barry Manilow and K.T. Oslin were singing
Baby, It’s Cold Outside
on the stereo, and a warm fire crackled in the fireplace across the room. Vanessa sipped her champagne and smiled, her heart filling with contentment. Love for her town, love for her family and friends, love for the holiday.

The opening and closing of the door was near constant as guests continued to arrive, icy blasts of air pushing through the room, only to be disseminated by the warmth of the fire. Brian had tugged Vanessa closer to the fireplace and was deep in conversation with a guy who coached hockey when Vanessa looked toward the door and saw Cassie walk in.

Jonathan mock-squealed and threw his arms around her, shouting, “I thought you’d never get here!” Behind Cassie, Frannie from the store came in, said hello to Jonathan, then waved across the room to somebody and was gone. Cassie stayed in the entryway, laughing with Jonathan, and unbuttoned her long wool coat to reveal a stunning black dress that hugged her body like a lover. She, too, had worn boots like Vanessa, but shucked them in favor of a pair of low red pumps she pulled from a tote bag. They matched the red Bolero jacket and red Christmas earrings she wore. Cassie did not dress up often. She didn’t enjoy the fuss it took, and she disliked wearing anything on her feet but sport shoes, but on those rare occasions when she made that effort, she looked gorgeous. Jonathan grabbed her hand and was tugging her toward the kitchen when Cassie met Vanessa’s eyes. Cassie gave her a quick smile and a little wave, and then was out of sight.