“Have you had contact with your dad over the years?” It was a personal question and one he might not want to answer. “I shouldn’t have asked that.”
Billy squeezed her fingers; Lindy doubted he was aware he had. It appeared to be a jerk reaction to her mentioning his father. “Dad remarried after he left us that Christmas and started a new family. It was like he wanted to start over. Mom, Dede, and I were part of a past he wiped from his memory. It was as if we no longer existed. Dede reached out to him a couple times, and he made sure she knew it wasn’t appreciated.”
Hearing this made Lindy want to cry. “What a snake,” she said, angry on Billy’s behalf.
“He’s gone as well. He died in a boating accident on the Columbia River. Another boat slammed into his and his boat sank. His body was recovered several days later. Mom heard about it on the news and told Dede and me.”
Lindy had little sympathy for the man who had wreaked havoc in young Billy’s life.
“The thing is,” Billy said, still looking down at her hand, which was swallowed up in his much larger one, “he did us a favor by leaving. It didn’t seem that way at the time. It felt as if our entire world imploded. We moved in with my grandparents for a while and then later into a tiny apartment while Mom worked two jobs. Both Dede and I had to grow up fast. We learned the value of hard work and a deep appreciation for what we had. We lived in terror of him and his dark moods when he was home. The truth is, we were better off without him.”
Lindy agreed and was forever grateful for the love and strong relationship her parents shared. This same tenderness and concern were what she hoped to find in her own life partner.
Lindy noticed that the bar was as busy as it had been earlier. Billy needed to get back to work.
“I’m headed home. What time should I stop by tomorrow?” she asked.
“Anytime. I’ll be around all day.”
“You aren’t closing for Christmas Eve?”
He shook his head. “We’re booked solid the entire day.”
She sensed he would have liked to close early, not only for himself but for his staff. Turning away business would be difficult, especially when he was still getting his feet under him financially.
“I’ll walk you to your car.”
“Billy, it’s okay. You’re busy.”
“Not too busy to see you safely to your car,” he insisted.
When they started outside, Lindy noticed a light snowfall. “I do so love it when it snows this close to Christmas,” she said, looking up at the sky and the flakes slowly drifting down to cover the landscape.
Billy opened her car door for her, and after she was safely tucked inside, he leaned down and kissed her. “Sleep well.”
“You, too,” she whispered.
Billy stood in the parking lot, snow gently swirling around him as she eased onto the street to drive back to her parents’ house.
As she pulled into the driveway of the family home, her phone rang. She reached for it and hesitated when she saw the name on the screen. It rang a second and a third time before she found the courage to answer.
“Hello, Celeste,” she said, keeping her voice cool and calm.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Merry Christmas,” Celeste greeted hesitantly.
She said it as if they were still the best of friends. As if when Lindy had learned the truth about her and Brian, it had been nothing more than a friendly exchange of insignificant differences. Billy had been with her when she’d run into them at Leavenworth. Having him at her side had given her confidence.
Lindy remained silent. She would have spoken, if she’d been able to find the words, but none came.
Pretending not to notice, Celeste continued, as if Lindy had welcomed the sound of her voice. “Are you with your family?”
“Yes,” she somehow managed…She remembered the pastor’s sermon from last Sunday. Forgiveness had been the theme. Lindy had walked out of the service and felt free, as though a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Now that she was speaking to the friend who had betrayed her, she wasn’t sure how she should react.
“Yeah, me, too,” Celeste continued. “Christmas is for families, right?”
“Right.” Lindy noticed she didn’t mention Brian. She wouldn’t ask, though.
“Brian is with his mother,” Celeste continued, as if she felt it was necessary to let Lindy know.
That made sense, since Brian’s parents had divorced when he was in high school and his mother lived alone. Brian chose to champion his mother and refused to reconcile with his father. From what he’d told her, he hadn’t had any contact with his dad in years.