But for a split second last night, he’d wished he was someone she’d see as successful. Important.

Jesus.

Losing count of the bottles, he started over and forced himself to concentrate. He had to quit allowing this woman from his past to mess with his head.

* * *

“CASSIE, WHERE ARE your wineglasses?” Erika called from her friend’s kitchen as she continued to search through the cupboards. The only thing she could find to hold liquid were cereal bowls and an eclectic collection of beer mugs that ranged from hilarious to NSFW.

Her friend hadn’t changed a bit. She’d always had an uninhibited, unapologetic sense of humor. Her set of shot glasses featuring the entire tantric library of impossible poses was a testament to that. Where did she even find this stuff? Most likely on her travels around the globe.

Cassie appeared in the kitchen behind her, her poop-emoji slippers scuffling on the tiled kitchen floor.

“Those are the worst slippers ever.”

“Funny though, right?” Opening a drawer, Cassie took out a package of multicolored extra-long straws. “No glasses. Just straws.” She selected a pink one and put it into her bottle of pinot grigio. “What color do you want?”

Erika laughed. Her friend was crazy. “I’ll take a blue one.” She wasn’t planning on consuming an entire bottle of merlot herself, but she wasn’t about to critique her friend’s hospitality. Especially after the rough start to their reunion.

This girls’ night was long overdue and Erika was curious to get to the bottom of the Tank situation. As well as other questions burning in her mind that she wasn’t sure how to bring up.

Cassie slid the blue straw into the bottle and carried them both into the living room, as Erika grabbed the popcorn and the peppermint-flavored fudge she’d bought earlier that day at the Chocolate Shoppe. With Cassie working all day, she’d had plenty of time to explore the village. So much had changed in ten years, with a lot of chain stores moving onto Main Street, including name-brand snow gear and clothing companies. She’d been tempted to buy herself a new ski suit, but remembering the look in Reed’s eyes when she’d worn Cassie’s, she’d saved her money and splurged on the expensive, handmade, hip-widening fudge instead.

And it was definitely the better choice. Popping a piece into her mouth, she closed her eyes and savored the perfect balance of cocoa, mint and sugar on her tongue. The taste immediately brought back a memory of her childhood Christmases before her mom’s death. They’d always buy peppermint fudge weeks before and would have to buy more closer to Christmas Day. There was no such thing as willpower where peppermint fudge was concerned. Even her father had once been weak against the temptation.

Maybe she should bring him back some. Maybe a reminder of happier holidays might have an effect on him. Though what Erika expected, she wasn’t sure. She’d yet to find a way to get close to him since her mother’s death, and it would take more than peppermint fudge to piece her father’s shattered heart back together.