Let It Snow(10)

But always one to look at the glass half full, she thought that at least the worst part of her visit was already behind her. She’d seen Jake and she was still standing. Albeit a little unsteady due to the fact that she hadn’t slept at all last night, and she was beyond exhausted from her trip, but she was upright and mobile.

Last night, every time she’d closed her eyes, she’d seen Jake, heard Jake, and smelled Jake. Well, the smelling was not just in her mind since she’d gone to bed wearing Jake’s jacket. Had that been the healthiest thing to do? Probably not. But she would be returning it today and she’d just missed him so much that she hadn’t been able to help herself.

Stepping out of the hallway and into the dining room, Tessa couldn’t believe how much this place still looked exactly how she remembered it. The tables all looked the same. Some square and some round, all covered by blue-and-white-checkered tablecloths, each one adorned with a vase of flowers in the middle. The walls were all painted muted shades of yellow with white accents.

Along the walls hung large framed pictures of the town. Her favorite was the one that had been taken in the 1920s. It was of Main Street, which, to this day, still had wooden sidewalks that, although she was sure they had been updated, looked exactly the same as the picture. Of course, there were more storefronts now. Sue Ann’s Café was featured in the picture, although in the ’20s it had not been a café. It had been the Horseshoe Saloon.

Tessa found a seat next to the large picture windows in the front of the café and sat, looking out of the glass, soaking it all in. When she’d arrived last night, Sue Ann had already closed up so Tessa had come in through the back entrance and gone straight upstairs—after spending about ten minutes convincing Sue Ann that it was just rain on her face and not tears.

Well, at least she had tried to convince her. Sue Ann had taken one look at the large, black North Face jacket she had been wearing and given her a questioning look that had made Tessa think she had known exactly who the owner of the coat was. But thankfully Sue Ann hadn’t pushed her any further.

Not that Tessa was under some delusion that the entire town wouldn’t find out about her mini-reunion   with Jake last night—if they didn’t already know. Even before social networking, gossip had spread around this town faster than the Road Runner ran away from Wile E. Coyote. She might not have been here for years but she doubted that factoid had changed.

Staring out the window, she did notice that the town looked to be a little livelier and more bustling than when she’d lived here before. She saw about a dozen people out and about on Main Street, none of whom she recognized, which was an odd feeling.

When she’d lived here her senior year of high school, within a week she’d known everyone. It was that small of a town. But all the faces she saw now as she looked out the window were all new to her. A little spark of hope lit inside of her.

Maybe her return wouldn’t be the talk of the town after all. Maybe she could slip in and out and not make even the tiniest ripple in the metaphorical water. Maybe she could meet with Henry, go over the paperwork, leave Jake’s jacket with Sue Ann, and quietly get back in her PT Cruiser and be on her way.

“Tessa Hayes!” a loud female voice shouted.

Or maybe not.

Tessa turned her head and was pleasantly surprised at who the voice belonged to. Nikki Maguire had just walked into the café and was headed Tessa’s way. Nikki was Jake’s youngest sister. The last time Tessa had seen her, Nikki was a cutie who had just turned thirteen, had a full mouth of braces, and was a few inches shorter than she stood now.

Nikki must have been at least five foot six now, and she had grown into a beautiful woman. Tessa might not have even recognized her except that a few months ago, Nikki’s picture had been splashed all over the news when she made headlines for dating a senator. There was some kind of brief scandal, but then the next thing Tessa read was that the two of them were engaged.

From the look on Nikki’s face and the rock she was currently sporting on her left hand, things were going well.

“Oh my God! It’s so good to see you!” Nikki exclaimed as she pulled Tessa into a tight bear hug. Stepping back, she asked with excitement, “What are you doing here?” Her eyes widened as she sucked in an audible breath. “Holy shit! Does Jake know you’re here?”

Tessa smiled the first true smile she had had in a long time. It was so good to see that Nikki’s lively spirit had not diminished in the last thirteen years—and neither had her colorful vocabulary. It made her chuckle a little. “Hi, it’s good to see you too. I’m here to meet Henry to go over my Grandma’s will.”