Chapter 12 - Scarlett
TWELVE
SCARLETT
The Christmas market is exactly as I expect. It’s charming and feels like something out of a fairytale. In the middle of town square, there’s a twenty feet tall tree, with a crystal star sparkling at the top.
The market spreads out over several blocks, fairy lights strung over the top. The air is scented with nutmeg and cinnamon. And the crowd. There are so many people here and I feel overwhelmed. I’m not good with crowds.
“Ooh, hot chocolate,” Sadie says, pointing towards a stall. “Let’s go.”
My family heads in that direction and I fall behind. Connor stays by my side, his hand resting on the small of my back. He’s so tall, and he can be intimidating when he needs to be, so no one comes within five feet of us.
“What would you like, baby girl?” He asks. “Any preferences or do you want to be surprised?”
“I think I’ve had enough surprises on this trip,” I say, looking up at him. “But I guess a hot chocolate surprise can’t be that bad. Unless you poison it.”
Connor smiles at me. “Baby girl, you’re the only one in this relationship who wants to commit murder.”
Before I can tell him not to call me baby girl and remind him that we’re not in a relationship, he’s stepping up to the stall and ordering me a hot chocolate. Mom comes up to me, wrapping her arm around my waist as we watch Connor order hot chocolates and chocolate pistachio croissants.
“He’s so nice,” Mom whispers. “Not that I support him. I think that needs to be made very clear. I am on your side.”
“I know, mama.”
I never said Connor isn’t nice. His kindness and generosity are two of the things which attracted me to him. He always went out of his way to help people, and I saw that first hand.
Connor comes back to us with my sisters in tow, all of them carrying hot chocolates and baked goods. I take my drink out of Connor’s hand, our fingers brushing against each other.
I take a tentative sip of my hot chocolate and realize it tastes like hazelnut and cinnamon. It’s perfectly hot and it warms me from the inside. Connor watches me drink with satisfaction coloring his eyes. Ugh, I hate that he knows me so well.
“So, Connor,” mom says. “Do you miss hockey? I mean, you were such a big star.”
We continue walking, Dad and Mom holding hands, Sadie with her arm hooked through Sienna’s.
With everyone coupled off, it leaves me next to Connor.
I shove my free hand into the pocket of my coat so that it doesn’t brush against his.
If no one else is going to maintain the distance between us, then I’m going to do it myself.
“I do,” Connor says. “But there are people in New York I miss more.”
I feel everyone glance at me, but I keep my eyes forward. I don’t want to think about Connor missing me.
“Is it just you and Marion in the family?” Mom asks. I shoot her a look. She doesn’t need to go through this third degree with Connor.
“You don’t have to answer that,” I say, looking up at him. Connor’s eyes meet mine and, in their depths, I see his gratitude.
“I didn’t mean to pry,” Mom says. “Scarlett is right, you don’t have to answer.”
Pulling my hand out of my pocket, I brush my fingers against Connor’s hand.
“I don’t mind,” he says. “My parents died when I was young, my grandfather died two years ago. He raised me and my brothers. Now it’s just me, Marion, and my brothers left.”
“How many brothers do you have?” Sienna asks.
Two. Wyatt, the middle brother, and Finn, the youngest. I already know the answer because he’s mentioned them to me. I never met them, though I knew what they were like to some extent.
“Two brothers,” Connor says. “I’m the oldest.”
“Being the oldest child is not easy,” Sienna agrees. “Unless and especially if you have a Scarlett as your sister.”
“I’m delightful,” I say. “You’re grateful to have me and you know it.”
“You’re certainly a delight, angel,” dad says. “But you also got into a lot of fights in school, and you never listened to your teachers.”
“I was fighting bullies, and Miss Cartwright was having an affair with the principal, so I didn’t feel the need to listen to her.”
They laugh and I sip my hot chocolate. Connor and I are close enough that our hands keep brushing. I have this feeling like I’m playing with fire, but I can’t stop. When he wraps his pinky finger around mine, I don’t pull back.
“Oh, look at those pretty Christmas ornaments,” Sadie points out.
Just as we start to move toward a stall, someone calls out Connor’s name. We turn to see a middle-aged woman ambling towards us.
“Marion told me you’ll be around,” she says, beaming up at him. “Can you do me a favor? I need help getting something from the back and I don’t know where Mike’s disappeared to.”
“No yeah, lead the way.” He stops and turns to me. “I’ll be right back.”
I nod and watch him walk off with the woman. He’s stopped two more times by people who recognize him and also somehow need his help.
“I just realized that you dated the popular jock,” Sienna says. “You hated jocks.”
We enter the store where the rest of our family disappears into. Sadie and mom are inspecting Christmas ornaments while dad stands by, listening to their conversation. Sienna and I stand back from them.
“I hate the stereotypical jock,” I point out. “The kind who’s too dumb to survive or who’s smart but thinks he can do no wrong because he can throw a ball around or hit a piece of rubber with a stick.”
Sienna looks at me with introspective hazel eyes. “You really liked him, didn’t you?”
“I loved him,” I admit. I’m sure they’ve already figured it out and since I’m spilling all my secrets today, I may as well tell her.
“I can’t imagine how I’ll react if Luke suddenly left without a word,” she says, frowning.
I can’t imagine it, either. Maybe because I can’t imagine Luke leaving her. The way he looks at Sienna, I don’t think it’s even occurred to him that he might find someone else. It’s Sienna or no one else.
“He’ll be here soon,” I say, pushing my shoulder against hers.
She grins at me, her whole face lighting up. “I can’t wait. You and Sadie will definitely need some noise cancelling headphones.”
“Gross!” I shove her away, laughing. She shoves me right back and I lose my balance on my delicate heels, reaching out my arm to grab something. Sienna reaches for me just as my hand is gripped in a warm, calloused one, and my back meets a solid wall of a body.
“Are you okay, baby girl?”
I look up at Connor and find him frowning at me in concern.
“I’m fine,” I say. “She’s been trying to get rid of me since we were kids.”
Sienna laughs. “If only it was that easy.”
Connor doesn’t release me that easily. His arm is still wrapped around my waist, hand still in mine. My eyes drop to his mouth, and I can’t help remembering the kiss from this afternoon.
It made me realize that I miss the feel of his body pressed against mine. It always made me feel safe and protected. I take Krav Maga classes, and I can defend myself if I need to, but it’s nice knowing that I don’t need to when he’s with me.
That’s the kind of thing I shouldn’t be thinking if I hope to survive this wedding with my heart intact.
I step away from him and next to Sienna, grabbing her hand. She squeezes it once, letting me know she’s on my side. No matter what my family says to me, or teases me about Connor, I know in the end, they will always be on my side.
“Everything go okay?” Sienna asks.
“Yeah, Cathy just needed help with a couple of boxes.”
“You should buy some Christmas decorations,” I tell him. “Since there are none in your house.”
“When were you in his house?” Sienna asks.
Connor and I exchange looks and he raises an eyebrow in challenge. I take a bracing breath and look at my sister.
“Don’t panic, but we kind of hit a snag with all our bookings.”
Sienna blinks in confusion. “I’m sorry, what does that mean? What kind of snag? Which bookings?”
“It’s my fault,” Connor says. “Apparently the town has decided that Scarlett is the villain in our break-up and they’ve cancelled your bookings.”
Sienna opens her mouth, closes it, opens it again. Turning to me, she places both hands on my arms and meets my eyes. “Is this true? Do these people hate us because of him?”
“I’m going to fix it, Si. No one is going to mess up this wedding,” I say with all the conviction I can muster.
“I’m not a bridezilla and I can’t care less about my wedding right now,” Sienna says. “Luke and I can get married in town hall for all I care. I don’t want to get married in a town where people villainized my sister over some man.”
Feeling a surge of gratitude, I hug her, and she clutches me to her with strong, protective arms. Having sisters is like having built in friends. As much as we fought growing up, we’re each other’s best friend and would kill for the other, no questions asked.
“Why am I not invited to the sister hug?” Sadie is suddenly next to us, and we open our arms, pulling her in.
“You’re going to have the wedding of your dreams,” I promise Sienna. “That’s why Connor is here.” I look at him over her shoulder. “If he messed it up, then he’s going to fix it. Even if he has to learn how to bake a cake and become a florist.”