Page 44 of The Clover Chapel (Jamison Valley 2)
“I was lonely,” I confessed. “I poured myself into work after Thanksgiving. There is this boy in my class that I’ve been trying to get to open up to me, so I spent a lot of extra time creating special activities he would like. But school is on break right now and I was sitting at home, alone, and needed to get out of there. The whole town of Prescott was decked out in Christmas. I didn’t even have a tree. It was depressing.”
“Sounds like you are running away to pout.”
“I am n—” I started but clamped my mouth shut. “I know,” I sighed.
“What do you want to do about Nick?”
“I don’t know. What would you do?”
“It’s not my decision, Emmeline. But in my opinion, there’s a reason why you didn’t get divorced. And it has nothing to do with your father’s absurd logic or pride. It’s the same reason why you turned Logan down when he asked you to marry him. The fact that you moved to the same town where Nick lived is . . . unbelievable. It’s fate. If it were me? I would see where it goes. You two might not make it. But at least you finally have that chance to try.”
“What if I can’t ever get over it, forgive him for leaving me?” I asked.
“Darling, your heart already has,” she said. “You just need to give your brain a chance to catch up.”
The society rags loved to portray my mother as snobbish and shallow. In many ways, she was. Her affairs had always made Page Six and she had never tried to hide her wealth.
But she had a softer side, one she mostly reserved for her children and loved ones. One she kept hidden from the public eye as a means to keep the vultures at bay.
Collette Austin was incredibly smart and kind. And when it came to me, she had the uncanny ability to read my suppressed emotions. Mom often knew how I was feeling even before I did. For a New York socialite turned permanent Italian tourist, she was incredibly wise.
“Thanks, Mom. And thanks for letting me barge in on your holiday plans. Is Alesso going to be put out?” I asked.
“I love to have you here any time. Pouting or not.” She smiled. “And Alesso’s fine. He loves you. I think he was relieved, actually, when I told him we were going to spend the whole day at the spa. His family is visiting, and whenever they’re around, he has to interpret for me. They talk too fast for me to keep up.”
“You know, you could learn his language.”
“Ridiculous.” She waved her hand in the air to dismiss the idea. “How long are you staying?”
“Through New Year’s. I need to get back a few days before school starts again to prepare.”
“Excellent! I want to go on a lake tour to see all of the Christmas lights but Alesso is scared of boats. You can go with me.”
“Sounds wonderful,” I said.
Cruising around the Lake Como coast would be frigid but taking in the gorgeous, snow-covered Italian buildings trimmed with sparkling Christmas lights was worth braving the cold.
“I’ve missed you, dear,” she said. “We’re going to plan a trip to Montana. I need to see what the fuss is all about.”
“I’ve missed you too. Visit anytime before summer.”
I didn’t expand on my timing request. Instead, I relaxed into my seat and closed my eyes. While one technician manicured my fingernails, another started a facial.
If I decided to move away from Prescott this summer, Lake Como, Italy, was quickly climbing up my list for potential new hometowns.
Nick
Fuck space.
I’d tried to respect Emmy’s wishes and give her time to herself, but that shit wasn’t working for me anymore. Now that she was back from wherever she’d gone for the holidays, her space was as good as gone.
It had been over a month since I’d seen her, and though I’d kept in touch, sending a text message every day wasn’t the same as looking at her beautiful face.
I needed to touch her. To smell the coconut in her hair. To look into her eyes.
So, fuck space. I was switching tactics.
I had pushed her hard in Vegas with my dares and challenges. And since I’d had much better results then, I would try that again now.
