Olivia’s hand went to her stomach. “Yes.”
“I bet Scott was upset to hear that news,” Lorianna said with a laugh. “I don’t know him well. Jeff had a different agent when he was skiing. But any sports agent who repped an athlete like Brandon wouldn’t want him to quit too soon.”
“Scott was definitely disappointed.”
“But Brandon didn’t change his mind.”
“No.”
Lorianna pushed her cup toward the center of the table. “How did you feel about his decision?”
“Torn. If he was going to give up skiing, I didn’t want him to regret it, or blame me later. But I also didn’t want him to take the same risks he’d been taking.”
Lorianna bit her lip. “And? Has he missed it?”
Olivia went over the past three years in her mind, examining those days, as she often did, for any dissatisfaction on his part. “I’m sure he has. But he’s never focused on that loss. He got involved in opening the store and giving ski lessons. He even started his own winter camps for kids, instead of just helping out with other people’s, and he still skis for fun. He seems to be...content.” And that made her content, as well.
After that, they both seemed to get lost in their thoughts, and the silence stretched out.
Several minutes later, Lorianna spoke again. “So that man who came to the door—your ex-boyfriend—he’s also your brother-in-law?”
“Can you believe that?”
“I guess stranger things have happened. But it can’t be comfortable to see him at family gatherings.”
“It’s getting easier. I believe he’s glad I’m happy.”
“Is he happy?”
“I think he’d like to find someone and settle down.”
“He’s a handsome man. I can’t imagine that’ll pose a problem—once he gets over you.”
“I hope you’re right. I’d like him to have what I have.”
Lorianna pulled the top of her robe more tightly closed. “So what are you going to do?”
Olivia got up to set their cups in the sink. “About what?”
“Noelle. Isn’t that the person you need to forgive? Because it sounds like you’ve forgiven Kyle.”
“I’m not quite sure how to handle my sister,” she admitted. “What would you do if you were me? Should I let the past go? I mean...really let it go?”
Lorianna toyed with her belt. “That’s hard to say. She doesn’t deserve it.”
“Same thing Kyle said. But your husband probably doesn’t deserve it, either,” Olivia pointed out.
“At least he claims he’s sorry,” she responded.
“Claims? You don’t believe it?”
She stared down at her hands. “Actually, I do. He was in tears when he told me what he’d done. I’ve never seen him cry like that.”
Olivia leaned against the counter. “So...what does that mean?”
“It means, once I recover from the disappointment, I’ll try to rebuild, give him another chance.”
After what she’d been through herself, Olivia had a small inkling of what Lorianna must be feeling. “That won’t be easy,” she said as she rinsed the cups and put them in the dishwasher.
“No. But your story about Kyle made me realize that I don’t want to throw away what we have over one mistake.”
After wiping off the counter, Olivia went over and plugged in the Christmas-tree lights. She couldn’t say if Lorianna was doing the right thing. Only time would tell whether Jeff was capable of appreciating her forgiveness for the gift it was. But as Olivia stood back and looked at all the twinkling lights, her heart lifted as if it had suddenly divested itself of a huge burden.
She was confident she’d arrived at her decision, too.
“You’re sure we have to do this?” Brandon raised one eyebrow as they stood on the doorstep of her mother’s house. Olivia was holding a casserole dish, while he was loaded down with the presents she’d purchased and wrapped.
“Not entirely,” she replied. “But it’s Christmas, right? I want to give a more meaningful gift than a new purse or...or a shirt.”
That didn’t seem to change his mind. “This is more of a sacrifice than I think you should be required to make.”
“Anything that doesn’t require a sacrifice isn’t much of a gift. Remember that O. Henry story?”
“Sure. But when has Noelle ever sacrificed for anyone?”
“Don’t confuse me,” she said. “My decision can’t be contingent on that.”
He winked at her. “Okay. I won’t argue. I’m just happy you’re the kind of person you are.”
“We’re going to have a baby. We want to have good relations with both our families, don’t we?”
“Personally? I like things the way they are, but you mean enough to me that I’m willing to do anything—even if it involves your sister.”
Her mother opened the door before she could respond. “Olivia! Brandon! What are you two doing here?”
“We came over to surprise you,” Olivia said.
Her mother smoothed the apron covering her black polyester slacks and red sweater. She wore Christmas-tree earrings that blinked, with a matching brooch. “I was just doing some holiday baking. Smells like you’ve been doing the same.”
“I made some hot crab dip for your dinner tonight.”
“That cheesy one?” she asked with apparent enthusiasm.
Olivia nodded.
“I love that!”
“I know.” She smiled, but she’d already warmed the dip and the heat was beginning to seep through her hot-pad holders. “Are you going to let us in?”
“Of course. I just—” Nancy lowered her voice “—Noelle’s home tonight.”
For a moment, Olivia’s customary reaction to the prospect of seeing her sister nearly got the better of her, but she quickly beat back those negative feelings. “That’s okay. We thought maybe we could all have dinner together for a change.”
Her mother’s gaze shifted disbelievingly from her to Brandon and back again.
“It’s true,” he said. “But she gets all the credit. I tried to talk her out of it.”
He was teasing, trying to lighten the mood, but they all understood that it was basically true.
“Has Kyle talked to you?” her mother asked.
“He came by, yes,” Olivia replied.
“Then I wish I’d gone to him sooner.”
Olivia wasn’t sure she would’ve been ready before now. But there was no time to respond. Her father spoke up from where he sat on the couch, watching TV. “Well, are
