“I’m sorry if I said the wrong thing just now. My head seems to be all over the place the last few days, but I’m thinking about your offer and trying to figure out what to do.”

“I don’t want you to think I’m pressuring you to decide something if you’re not ready to, but I’d love to have you in Florida with me and at Evan’s wedding in Anguilla. We’d have so much fun.”

“I know we would, but I’m not ready to decide anything for sure yet. I thought my life was settled after I moved here, and then I met you and we’ve had this time together and now… Now I don’t know what’s what, and nothing feels settled anymore.”

Her distress moved him. It made him realize how fragile she was and that he needed to be extra careful with how he handled the next steps with her. “There’s no rush, sweetheart. I swear. I’m not going anywhere for another week, and we’ve got plenty of time to figure out what happens next.”

“Okay,” she said with a sigh of what sounded like relief.

“Don’t stress out about me. There’s no need for that. I promise.” He leaned over the center console to kiss her. “We good?”

“Yeah, we’re good.”

“Let’s go have some fun.”

Chapter 12

Inside, Alex poured drinks for Erin, Slim, David, Daisy, Paul and Hope while Jenny put the finishing touches on dinner.

“Alex, why don’t you show the guys what Santa brought you before dinner?” Jenny said.

“Is it something that’s going to add to my emotional scars where you two are concerned?” Paul asked.

“You’re going to love it, bro.” Alex led the men to the basement, where a brand-new pool table was the centerpiece of the family room. “Is my wife the best, or what?”

“She’s pretty damned awesome,” Paul said, running a hand over the rich green felt. “Let’s break this baby in!”

Alex called dibs on Slim for his team, which left David and Paul to play against them. “Jared and Quinn can play the winners,” Alex said as he racked the balls.

“How did Jenny get a pool table out here without you knowing about it?” David asked.

“She recruited Joe and Seamus to help her get it on the ferry and then have it delivered here while I was out plowing snow. Best Christmas ever.” As he said the words, Slim noted the hint of sadness in his friend’s eyes and realized this was also the brothers’ first Christmas without their mother, who was in a memory care facility on the mainland. He wanted to ask how she was doing but didn’t want to ruin the festive mood.

David saved him the trouble by asking if they’d heard from Marion’s caregivers.