Read Online 4 Malice in Christmas River by Meg Muldoon - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Meg Muldoon
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counter.
“Sure,” I said, slightly disappointed.
“But you go ahead and have yours. Don’t let me ruin it for you.”
I shook my head.
“It’s not as fun being bad alone,” I said.
She smiled, but it faded quickly, and then an awkward silence settled over the conversation.
I took a deep breath, gathering up enough courage to address the elephant in the room.
“What’s going on, Kara?” I asked. “I mean, what’s really going on with you? It seems like more than just the weather.”
Her eyes dropped, and she pulled her finger out of the cup of water and stared at it.
She shrugged, then sighed.
“Do you ever stop and look at your life, Cin, and think that maybe you shortchanged yourself?”
I studied her face. Her eyes were still downcast, and the edges of her lips were turned downward into a depressed expression.
“Are you feeling that way?” I asked.
She bit her lip.
“I just wonder if staying here in Christmas River wasn’t a mistake all these years,” she said. “Like maybe I should have gone to college and given myself a chance at something bigger.”
“But, Kara, look at all you’ve done,” I said. “You’re a successful business woman. And you’re doing what you love, right? Your work is phenomenal. I mean it. I’ve never seen anything quite like your ornaments.”
“But that’s what I mean,” she said. “Why am I here in Christmas River if I’m so good at what I do?”
She sighed. Her eyes began to get glassy. I got up and grabbed a Kleenex from a box on one of the counters and handed it to her.
“Hon, you can do anything you put your mind to,” I said. “But when I look at your life, shortchange just isn’t a word that comes up. You work for yourself, you have a beautiful home, and you’ve got a guy who’s crazy about you.”
She made a strange little noise at that last part.
I raised an eyebrow.
I thought the storms between Kara and John had subsided for good last summer, but maybe I was wrong.
“Sometimes I think he might love his work more,” she said, dabbing at her eyes with the Kleenex.
I placed a hand on her shoulder again.
She let out a big old emotion-laden sigh.
“I guess it’s just that I’ve had this vision of myself,” she said. “When I got to this age, I just expected more, you know? I thought I might be more successful than I am. Like that I might work for some fancy New York house and home magazine. Or maybe I’d even have…”
Big fat tears came spilling out over the rims of her eyes.
“I just think sometimes, it’s not enough. You know, Cin? The way I’m going, the life I’m leading, it’s just not enough.”
I put my arm around her shoulder and hugged her.
I didn’t really know what to say.
Living in a small town like Christmas River for a while could make a person feel stir crazy. Warren had his own case of that last year and took off to Scotland.
Maybe Kara needed something big like that too.
Which, if I was being honest, scared me.
I knew it was selfish. But Kara was my best friend. And it would be tough not having both Warren and her around.
“It’s all okay, Kara,” I said. “I promise it’s all going to be okay.”
We sat there like that for a little bit while the ice in the mochas melted and the muffins stayed untouched. Me not knowing what else to say.
A moment later, there was a sharp dinging sound of a bell being rung out in the front.
“Excuse me? Anybody home?” an old lady’s voice echoed. “I have a question about one of these snow globe ornaments.”
Kara wiped away the tears.
“Sorry, Cin,” she said. “I’ve been a mess lately.”
“Don’t be,” I said. “As you know, I’ve had my share of mess in my time.”
She forced a little smile.
“How about a girls’ night one of these days?” I said. “Rom coms and ice cream – well, I guess rom coms and juice, since you’re on your cleanse.”
She nodded.
“Thursday?”
“Yeah,” I said.
Then I remembered
“Sure,” I said, slightly disappointed.
“But you go ahead and have yours. Don’t let me ruin it for you.”
I shook my head.
“It’s not as fun being bad alone,” I said.
She smiled, but it faded quickly, and then an awkward silence settled over the conversation.
I took a deep breath, gathering up enough courage to address the elephant in the room.
“What’s going on, Kara?” I asked. “I mean, what’s really going on with you? It seems like more than just the weather.”
Her eyes dropped, and she pulled her finger out of the cup of water and stared at it.
She shrugged, then sighed.
“Do you ever stop and look at your life, Cin, and think that maybe you shortchanged yourself?”
I studied her face. Her eyes were still downcast, and the edges of her lips were turned downward into a depressed expression.
“Are you feeling that way?” I asked.
She bit her lip.
“I just wonder if staying here in Christmas River wasn’t a mistake all these years,” she said. “Like maybe I should have gone to college and given myself a chance at something bigger.”
“But, Kara, look at all you’ve done,” I said. “You’re a successful business woman. And you’re doing what you love, right? Your work is phenomenal. I mean it. I’ve never seen anything quite like your ornaments.”
“But that’s what I mean,” she said. “Why am I here in Christmas River if I’m so good at what I do?”
She sighed. Her eyes began to get glassy. I got up and grabbed a Kleenex from a box on one of the counters and handed it to her.
“Hon, you can do anything you put your mind to,” I said. “But when I look at your life, shortchange just isn’t a word that comes up. You work for yourself, you have a beautiful home, and you’ve got a guy who’s crazy about you.”
She made a strange little noise at that last part.
I raised an eyebrow.
I thought the storms between Kara and John had subsided for good last summer, but maybe I was wrong.
“Sometimes I think he might love his work more,” she said, dabbing at her eyes with the Kleenex.
I placed a hand on her shoulder again.
She let out a big old emotion-laden sigh.
“I guess it’s just that I’ve had this vision of myself,” she said. “When I got to this age, I just expected more, you know? I thought I might be more successful than I am. Like that I might work for some fancy New York house and home magazine. Or maybe I’d even have…”
Big fat tears came spilling out over the rims of her eyes.
“I just think sometimes, it’s not enough. You know, Cin? The way I’m going, the life I’m leading, it’s just not enough.”
I put my arm around her shoulder and hugged her.
I didn’t really know what to say.
Living in a small town like Christmas River for a while could make a person feel stir crazy. Warren had his own case of that last year and took off to Scotland.
Maybe Kara needed something big like that too.
Which, if I was being honest, scared me.
I knew it was selfish. But Kara was my best friend. And it would be tough not having both Warren and her around.
“It’s all okay, Kara,” I said. “I promise it’s all going to be okay.”
We sat there like that for a little bit while the ice in the mochas melted and the muffins stayed untouched. Me not knowing what else to say.
A moment later, there was a sharp dinging sound of a bell being rung out in the front.
“Excuse me? Anybody home?” an old lady’s voice echoed. “I have a question about one of these snow globe ornaments.”
Kara wiped away the tears.
“Sorry, Cin,” she said. “I’ve been a mess lately.”
“Don’t be,” I said. “As you know, I’ve had my share of mess in my time.”
She forced a little smile.
“How about a girls’ night one of these days?” I said. “Rom coms and ice cream – well, I guess rom coms and juice, since you’re on your cleanse.”
She nodded.
“Thursday?”
“Yeah,” I said.
Then I remembered
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