Page 20 of Winning Back His Wife
“We’re coming into Hood Hamlet,” he said.
He flicked on the left-hand blinker. The traffic heading west slowed. He turned onto a wide street. A gas station and convenience store sat on one corner, and trees lined the left side of the road, the treetops glistening in the sun. A short distance away she saw the peaks of roofs.
She didn’t believe in magic, but anticipation built over seeing this town Cullen called home.
The truck rounded a curve. Hood Hamlet came into view. Surprise washed over her. It was lovely. Picture-book perfect. Sarah could almost imagine herself in the Swiss Alps, not the Cascades, due to the architecture of the buildings.
“Welcome to Hood Hamlet.” Cullen’s voice held a note of reverence she understood now. No wonder he wanted to live here.
An Alpine-looking inn resembled a life-size four-story gingerbread house. A vacancy sign out front swayed from a wood post. Flowers bloomed in planters hung beneath each of the wood-framed windows and from baskets fastened on wood rafters. “It’s so quaint.”
They approached a busier part of the street. He slowed down. “This is Main Street.”
A row of shops and restaurants had a covered wooden sidewalk. People popped in and out of stores. A woman with three children waved at Cullen.
He returned the gesture with a smile. “That’s Hannah Willingham with her kids, Kendall, Austin and Tyler. Her husband, Garrett, is a CPA and OMSAR’s treasurer.”
A feeling of warmth settled at the center of Sarah’s chest. “Charming is the perfect way to describe Hood Hamlet.”
“You should see the place at Christmastime. The town goes all out.”
Hood Hamlet was made for Christmas, with its mountain setting, ample snow and pine trees. She would love to see it in person. Too bad she would be long gone by then. “It must be wonderful.”
“A winter wonderland.” His eyes brightened. “There’s an annual tree-lighting ceremony after Thanksgiving. The entire town turns out no matter the weather. Wreaths and garland are hung across Main Street. Every streetlight is strung with red and white lights to look like candy canes.”
It sounded so inviting and special. Her Christmases had never been like that. No holiday had been. “Is Easter a big deal in Hood Hamlet, too?”
“The town holds an annual egg hunt. It’s pretty low-key. Nothing like the shindig my mom and sisters put on. They could teach the Easter Bunny a thing or two,” he joked.
She’d found nothing humorous about it. Her hands balled. “Easter at your parents’ house was like stepping into the middle of a magazine spread or home-decorating show.”
“Holidays are big deals to my family.”
No kidding. “Your mom and sisters put Martha Stewart to shame. It was exhausting watching them do so much.” Easter with Cullen and his family had shown Sarah how different their childhoods and lives had been. Her parents didn’t do much for the holidays. Meals, special occasion or not, were eaten in front of the television or in the car, or they were skipped. She’d planned a wedding that had never happened, but she didn’t know how to cook for a huge crowd or be a proper hostess. No way could she be the kind of wife Cullen and his family expected. “I tried to help, but I only slowed them down.”
“Yeah, they go all out,” he agreed. “I love it.”
Cullen’s words confirmed what Sarah had realized back then. She would never be able to pass muster with the Grays. Her shoulders sagged. The pain shooting down her right arm matched the hurt in her heart. She forced herself to sit straight.
“Holidays are more down-to-earth in Hood Hamlet, but nice, too. Lots of town traditions,” he continued. “Santa and the Easter Bunny have been known to show up on Main Street to have their picture taken with kids and pets.”
Pets? He’d never talked about animals before. “Do you have a pet?”
“No, but if I wasn’t gone for so long when I work, I might consider getting one.”
“I thought you didn’t like dogs and cats.”
“I like them, but my mom’s allergic,” he said. “One of the guys on the rescue unit has a Siberian husky named Denali. She’s a cool dog.”
“Get a cat. They’re independent. A good pet for someone who is away a lot. Especially if you have two. That’s what my boss Tucker says.”
“I don’t know if I’m a cat person. I’d like to know a pet cares if I’m around or not.”
She knew the feeling. “Cats care, but they don’t show it.”
“Then what’s the use of having one?”
Sarah could have asked him the same question about having a husband. His serious nature and stability had appealed to her when they’d first met. He’d been the exact opposite of the other men in her life, the same men who had disappointed and hurt her. But after they’d married she realized the traits that initially appealed to her kept him from being spontaneous or showing a lot of emotion, leaving her feeling isolated and alone, like when she’d been a kid.
