Chapter Fourteen #2
“My friend’s group is performing at seven. Want to eat first?” Audrey asked.
“Yes. Let’s do that,” Ryan said.
“The food court is over there.” Holly pointed to an area in the center of the cavernous convention hall set up with food booths and picnic tables. Even from here, she could pick out various delicious scents from the offerings there.
She always forgot how much she enjoyed the holiday market. Yes, it was crowded and chaotic and loud but it was also undeniably festive and exciting.
They headed together toward the food court area. As they made their way through the crowd, she said hello to several people she knew, both booth vendors and customers. That was another thing she loved: connecting with neighbors and friends here.
She introduced Ryan to a few people and couldn’t help noticing that their group received more than a few speculative looks. She tried to ignore them, though she was fully aware the whole town had to be curious about the gorgeous stranger who was currently holding the hand Lydia had thrust into his.
So what? She would much rather have them look at her with speculation about a possible new love interest than with pity.
“What kind of food sounds good to you guys?” Ryan asked as they approached the food court. “Looks like our options are unlimited. Everything from pitas to curry to tacos.”
“I love tacos,” Lydia announced.
Holly knew that was absolutely true, though there were very few foods Lydia didn’t love.
“Sounds good to me,” Audrey said. “What about you, Uncle Ry?”
“I’m a big fan. Some of my favorite places to eat are the taco trucks in San Diego.”
“We have some good ones here too and a couple of them have stalls here at the market. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in any of them.”
She was starving suddenly, Holly realized. That protein drink hadn’t been nearly enough to sustain her through a long day.
She led the way to the line for a stall operated by a family she knew and liked. “I think you’ll like this one. They make a fantastic carne asada.”
“Works for me,” Ryan said.
The line moved quickly and soon it was their turn.
“It’s my treat,” she said firmly as Ryan was about to order.
He frowned. “That’s not necessary.”
“Are you kidding? You rescued me today and Audrey has been a lifesaver for the past two weeks. The very least I can do is buy you both a taco.”
While he looked like he wanted to protest, she was glad he didn’t.
Their food was ready quickly and Ryan and Audrey carried their trays to an empty table.
The meal was delicious, as usual, and the conversation even more enjoyable. She was laughing at a story from Audrey about a mix-up in one of her classes when Lydia suddenly jumped up from the table.
“Daddy!” she shrieked, racing toward something behind Holly.
She whirled around to find Troy looking shocked as their daughter hurtled toward him. He managed to transfer the shopping bags he held in both hands to one so he could give Lydia an awkward hug with the other.
“There’s my girl. Hi, Lydia.”
“I missed you, Daddy.”
“I missed you, too.”
He kissed the top of her head then looked up. A weird expression crossed his handsome features as he took in their little group.
“Hi, Holly. How are you?”
“I’m good.”
And wondering why you didn’t bother to reach out to your child the moment you came back to town instead of waiting twenty-four hours then accidentally bumping into her.
“How was your drive from Portland?”
“We hit some snow in eastern Oregon but it wasn’t too bad.”
She was suddenly very conscious of Ryan watching this rather stilted interchange with interest. Troy appeared conscious of Ryan as well.
“Hi. Have we met?” Troy asked.
“Don’t think so.” Ryan’s voice was laconic, slow and very sexy. “Ryan Caldwell. This is my niece, Audrey.”
“And my friend,” Lydia chirped.
Audrey gave her a warm smile. “Yep. We’re best buds.”
Troy had left town before Kim and Audrey moved to Shelter Springs, she remembered. He wouldn’t have met either one of them.
“Are Brittany and Hudson with you?”
His features softened. “Yes. She has the baby with her. They’re with her mom. I left them looking in Amanda Taylor’s lotion shop when I came over in search of a Diet Coke.”
Apparently his drink of choice hadn’t changed.
“Daddy, guess what? I want to see Santa Claus.”
Lydia’s speech was always a little harder to understand when she was excited—or when someone wasn’t accustomed to her cadence or patterns.
“You want what?” Troy asked, brows knit in confusion.
“She said she wants to see Santa Claus,” Ryan said. “We’re going to head over there as soon as we finish eating and watch one of the youth groups perform on the stage.”
Holly did not miss his use of the inclusive we . She knew it was deliberate, connecting them all together in an exclusive club where Troy wasn’t a member. She wanted to kiss him, right there in the middle of the crowded food court.
“Oh, that sounds fun. Maybe we’ll find you and tag along. I’m sure Brittany would love to have a picture with Hudson and Lyd together on Santa’s lap.”
She instinctively wanted to protest that Lydia was more than a photo prop but she forced down the words.
“Great. I believe Amanda told me they were moving Santa’s workshop back inside this year.”
“We saw it when we came in. You can’t miss it, with the flashing lights and the long line of kids.”
“Okay. We’ll find you after Audrey’s friend performs.”
He frowned. “Can’t I just take her now, after I grab my Diet Coke?”
Lydia skipped back to their table and picked up her quesadilla again. “I want to see the singers, too. They might sing ‘Jingle Bells.’ I love ‘Jingle Bells.’”
Troy looked as if he wanted to argue but he seemed to reconsider when Ryan gave him a cool look.
“Give us maybe forty-five minutes,” Holly said. “We can meet you over by the Santa line.”
He gave a reluctant nod, waved to Lydia again and then picked the shortest queue to grab his drink.
Suddenly her flavorful carne asada tasted like floral foam but she made herself nibble another bite.
“So. That’s your ex.” Ryan’s tone was bland but she didn’t miss the unimpressed look in his eyes.
After she made sure Audrey and Lydia were not paying them any attention, engaged in a discussion about whether green or red salsa tasted better, she turned back to Ryan.
“Yes. That’s why my sister stopped at the store earlier, to let me know Troy was back in town.”
“Lydia seems happy to see him.”
“She loves her dad. I try not to do anything to stand in the way of that.”
“Even when it’s hard?”
“ Especially when it’s hard.”
After a moment, he gave her a smile that made her feel like all the sparkly lights of the Christmas market were glowing inside her and they returned to their meal, which suddenly tasted much better.