“I’m shocked. You didn’t have the decorators turn this room into a Christmas paradise. Why is that?”

“You know I don’t care about that kind of stuff for myself. It’s important to celebrate for Judy and Harrison.”

“You like it, too.”

“Not as much as they do.”

“The tree downstairs is beautiful. Magazine-worthy. But I’m going to guess the one you do with Judy and your son is more meaningful.”

“It is.”

She eyed him over her glass of wine. He looked like what he was—a successful and content man. His gold-blond hair was a little darker than it had been back in high school, and the shape of his face was sharper. His eyes were the same color blue. Sort of medium with a hint of gray.

He’d been good with the students today, helping them with their hats. Not that she should be surprised. He was a great dad. So, why wasn’t he married, and where was Harrison’s mother?

Although she wasn’t comfortable asking the question directly, she didn’t mind hinting at it.

“You were young when you had Harrison,” she said as casually as she could.

“Twenty-two.” He set down his glass. “When I left here my senior year of high school, I just wanted to get away. I ended up in Texas. I figured it was big, and there were plenty of spaces to get lost.”

“Your goal was to get lost?”

“I was all of eighteen. I might have been a bit dramatic in my thinking.”

“How did you support yourself?”

“I worked construction. I would hang out at sites, and if someone didn’t show up, I filled in.” He smiled. “Not with the big equipment. They didn’t let me do that, but there’s always plenty of grunt work that doesn’t require training. I became a regular, and the money was decent. I started in Lubbock, then went to Dallas. While I was there, I met a girl.”

“Just one?” she asked, careful to keep her voice light and teasing. She wanted him to keep talking.

“Okay, more than one, but this particular one was more significant. Her name is Anne, and she was...” He paused, then studied her. “A lot like you.”

“Everything you’ve ever wanted in a woman?” she joked.

The smile returned. “It was more a personality thing. Or maybe attitude is a better word. Anyway, we were a thing for six months, but then I wanted to move and she didn’t. The parting was amicable enough and I headed to Austin.”

He sipped his wine. “I liked it there. I got a steady job, still in construction, rented a decent apartment instead of some crappy room, and decided I would settle there.”

Interesting, considering he was now back in Wishing Tree. “And?”