“Do you need some time? I can get Mason to run the front.”
“No, no. I’m fine. Really.”
“You sure?”
Beth nodded. “Sure.”
Christina checked her watch. “Okay, then. I’m out. See you later.”
Beth waived Christina off and made her way to the front desk. Her next appointment wasn’t until eleven thirty. She thought about calling her mom and telling her what had happened. Or even Ryan. Surely they’d want to know what happened to Renner.
The spa door opened and Layna walked through. She and Renner had the same dark golden skin and dark hair. Even their eyes were similar. Except Renner’s were a deeper blue.
Renner’s sister approached the counter, resting her elbows on the polished wood. She stared at Beth but didn’t speak.
“He told you.”
“Question is why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you your brother used to live with me when I was ten? And then what? Beg you not to tell him who I was? No thanks. I wanted to ignore that little confrontation as long as I could.” Beth busied herself shuffling papers and stacking them in the corner.
“So you’re quitting because Renner found out who you are?”
“Shh. I haven’t told Christina yet.”
“Yeah, well I had to hear it from Magic. So. You have some explaining to do.”
Beth sighed, staring at her friend. “It’s hard to explain, okay? We… he… there’s history between us.”
Layna crossed her arms, canting her head. “Oh, yes. I’m aware of that.”
“You are?”
“Of course. I know all about Bethy. Bethy this, Bethy that, Bethy hangs the fucking moon and shits stars. That’s you, right?” She gave an amused laugh.
“What are you talking about? Renner never thought anything like that about me. He…” Beth’s voice choked out the next words. “He actually hated me when we were kids.”
Layna shook her head sadly. “Oh, honey. It isn’t what you think.”
Beth frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I just mean…” Layna stared out the window at the overcast sky, tapping a finger along her bottom lip. “It’s been a lot of years since Renner was in foster care. What you think you know, and what actually is… might not be the same.”
Beth’s frown deepened. “Okay.”
Layna turned her gaze back on Beth. “Look, you should stay. We need you here, and I like having you around. Renner will leave you alone. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Did Magic send you in to tell me that?”
Layna pursed her lips. “Yes. But it’s still true. And I mean it, you don’t have to worry about Ren. I’ll tell him to back off. He’ll listen.”
What to do? The prospect of job hunting before Christmas was daunting. But staying? Staying could be catastrophic for her heart. Could she handle being around him again? It was different when he didn’t know who she was, when she could do her job and hide in her room avoiding him. Now everything had changed.
“I’ll think about it, okay?”
Layna sighed. “Yeah, okay. Think about it. I’ll see you at dinner?”
“Sure.”
Layna smiled. “Okay. Later then.”
As Beth watched her walk away, she tried to make sense of her friend’s words. But what she knew of her and Renner’s history clashed with the way he’d talked about her to Layna. And with what he said last night.
Beth had replayed his words over and over.
I missed you so much, Bethy.
The expression on his face when he’d uttered those words was one she recognized. She’d seen it on the sad nights when he couldn’t sleep. When he was vulnerable. When he let her in for just a little bit, and let her be his friend.
She shook her head, but it didn’t clear a bit. Nothing about Renner made any sense right now.
***
There were faucets to fix, a door frame to repair on the honeymoon cabin, the fireplace in the main lobby needed shoveling, and one of the lodge’s five generators needed work before ice storm season came. A handyman’s work was never done. Not to mention, the entire place needed to be prepped for the Christmas celebration the lodge held every year for the neighboring town of Weston. That meant hanging lights and programming the music show that would accompany them, setting up the space for the bonfire, decorating twelve million Christmas trees, and building the stable for the live nativity.
But even with a to-do list the size of Santa’s, his thoughts were on a ghost of Christmas past.
Layna told him to leave Bethany alone. They needed her to stay and the only hope of that happening was if he stayed away.