Blame It On The Carols (Sugarplum Falls #6)

Two | Makayla

Two

Makayla

I cried on the short drive from Sugar Faced Bar to my mom’s house, trying to get myself together before she saw me. I hadn’t told her about my little detour because I wanted to be the one to tell Aiden I was back in town. The last thing I wanted was for him to find out about it through the local gossip mill. I had been gone from Sugarplum Falls long enough not to miss that anymore, but I still knew it was important to keep my head down and stay out of it if possible.

I pulled into the driveway and wiped my eyes one final time. It was pointless to act like nothing was wrong because my mom always had a way of seeing right through me. She would know that I had been crying, and she would likely guess it was because I had gone to see Aiden. She wasn’t stupid, and if anything, she was the only person who knew how devastated and heartbroken I was when I left six years ago.

After I grabbed my suitcase from the trunk, I made my way to the door, not at all surprised that she was standing there waiting for me. Her arms were open as I fell into them, allowing her to hug and comfort me the way I needed.

“Give him time to come around,” she said gently while rubbing my back. “I’m sure he was a little blindsided by everything, and you know how that can make people defensive.”

I nodded and pulled away, wiping my eyes again.

“Welcome home, sugar. Come on inside before you catch a cold.”

She stepped to the side and grabbed my suitcase before closing the door.

Everything in the house was the same way it had been when I lived here. Not much had changed other than a few new pictures that were added to the mantle of my mom and her new boyfriend. They had been dating for a little over a year, but this was the first time I was going to meet him.

Life had been busy and nonstop, which meant I didn’t get to come home as often as I wanted. That also meant that my mom moved on with her life while I was out living mine. She and my dad got a divorce when I was in middle school, but she never allowed herself to date anyone until after I left home.

“How was your flight?” she asked, tucking my suitcase beneath the island in the kitchen as she put the kettle on the stove and turned it on. It didn’t matter how late it was; there was always time for tea, according to my mom.

“It was good. Long. But thankfully not too full since it was such a late flight.”

“That’s good. Brock checked the road conditions several times before you landed. He was ready to get the truck loaded so he could go get you. We didn’t know what kind of rental car they were going to give you, and he didn’t trust it would be good enough to get you here safely.”

I smiled, loving the way her eyes lit up as she talked about him.

“That was very sweet of him,” I said, sitting on one of the barstools while she grabbed the tea packets. “Where is he?”

“He had to go to work for a few hours. They had a doctor call in sick, so he’s covering in the ER tonight. I thought maybe we could all do lunch together this weekend?”

“Sure, that sounds wonderful.”

My mom smiled and squeezed my hand, something I hadn’t realized how much I missed until now.