Chapter 52

A few minutes later, he turned left down the long road headed toward the resort. The same snow-covered evergreens sprang from the white blanket of snow, along with bare maple and oak trees, among other species. If he was with Jocelyn, he would have appreciated it much more. But now, he was in a hurry to get his life back on track. He just hoped that he succeeded.
When he pulled in, Mallory was already there, sitting in her car, waiting.
"I'm surprised you got here so quickly," Caden said to her as he closed his car door and she did the same.
Mallory smiled as she tucked her arm into his. "It's not every day that I get to go to The North Pole Resort. Besides, I was eager to see you again." She was dressed in a short skirt, even though it was freezing outside.
"Are you warm enough in that?" He helped her up the stairs and opened the door for her.
She shrugged. "Warm enough." She released his arm and walked inside as every man within the vicinity stared and he followed.
In the past, there was a time that he would have loved being with her, walking beside her as other men stared, but not anymore. In a way, he felt sorry for her.
They walked through the spacious foyer, not stopping to admire the Christmas tree, now filled with gifts. They walked straight past it and into the restaurant, then stepped straight up to the ma?tre d, standing behind the hostess stand.
He looked up at Caden. "Joining us for brunch?"
Caden nodded. "Yes, please."
"Right this way." The ma?tre d smiled and walked away, expecting them to follow. A moment later, he paused at a table and laid down the menus. Caden and Mallory sat down across from one another. "Your waiter will be right with you."
"Thank you," Caden replied. When he looked up at Mallory, she was already perusing her menu. But he didn't touch his. "Mallory, I really need to talk to you."
"Oh?" she asked, not looking up from her menu. "What about?"
Caden sighed. "Could you close your menu, please?"
Mallory didn't lift her eyes from the menu. "When would you like to leave? I spent half of the night packing. Maybe we could go for New Year's!"
Caden placed his hand over her menu, claiming her attention. "Mallory, please."
She let out a deep breath as she closed her menu. Then she folded her arms at the edge of the table, giving him her undivided attention. "What would you like to talk to me about?"
Caden let out a deep breath. This was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do. But too much time had passed, and they were no longer the starry-eyed teenagers that they once were. Over the years, they had grown apart and they had become different people. Or, maybe they always had been, and he just never saw it.
"Mallory, I can't go to California with you." He felt much better now that it was out in the open, but he braced himself for the aftermath.
"May I ask why not?" She waited attentively, reasonably calm.
The waiter approached their table. "Good morning. May I--"
"Go away- now," Mallory growled.
The waiter's eyes grew wide. "As you wish."
After he walked away, Mallory turned back to Caden. "Why not?"
"Because I don't love you, Mallory." Caden sat up straighter and squared his shoulders.
"Is that all?"
Caden's eyebrows pulled together in concern. "Isn't that enough?"
Mallory was reasonably calm, calmer than he thought she'd be. "Is it because of Jocelyn?"
"No, she has nothing to do with it," Caden replied. "I'm sorry, but since I left, I had this image of you built up in my mind. But now that I'm back, too much time has come between us. I'm not the same person I was, and neither are you." Or maybe she was, but he didn't want to say it aloud.
"I know," she replied.
"What?"
She looked up at him and smiled. "Caden, I'm not in love with you, either. I just thought--"
"That I'd take you to California with me," he finished.
She nodded. "Are you angry with me?"
"No, not at all." He chuckled. "I'm just glad that we had this conversation now, before we left."
Mallory nodded. "May I ask you a question?"
Caden nodded, waiting.
"I know this has nothing to do with what happened between us, but- do you really love Jocelyn?" Mallory looked at him expectantly.
"Yes, I do," Caden replied, "but I stand by what I said. She has nothing to do with what happened between you and me."
Mallory smiled. "I know." She thought for a moment, and then asked, "Have you told her yet?"
Caden shook his head. "No, not yet."
Mallory leaned onto the table. "Well, I'll tell you what. I'll get her to go to the Christmas parade tonight after the pageant and you can tell her then."
One corner of his lips curled into a smile. "You're not mad?"
Mallory laughed. "Oh, heaven's no!"
Caden let out a deep breath and leaned back against his seat as sudden relief washed over him. "Mallory, is there someone else- for you, too?"
Mallory laughed, looking at him with a puzzled look on her face. "Don't be ridiculous! No, there's no one else, but I'd like to fall in love one day." She let out a deep breath. "I no longer want to settle."
Caden reached across the table and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "And you shouldn't. Someday--"
She held her hand up to stop him. "Please don't say that someday I'll meet someone and fall in love." She shrugged. "I know it'll happen one day." She thought for a moment. "You know what?"
Caden shook his head. "No, what?"
Mallory's eyes widened with excitement. "I think I might go to California, anyway."
"Good for you!"
Mallory sighed, smiling. "I should have gone years ago. I just couldn't bring myself to go." She squeezed his hand and then released it. "Caden, I'm so sorry that I--"
"Don't say it," Caden cut her off. "Let's just agree to be friends- no matter what happens."
Mallory nodded. "I'd like that." Then she looked around the restaurant. "Now, where do you think the waiter went off to?"
Caden laughed. "I think you scared the tar out of him." Then he held up his hand and motioned toward the waiter. "Thanks, Mallory."
She nodded.
"You know what?"
"No, what?"
A smile lit his lips. "I'm glad to have you as a friend."
She smiled when the same waiter cautiously approached. "Me, too."
Then Caden and Mallory ate brunch together, reminiscing about the past. Relief washed over him, glad that he and Mallory would be friends. In fact, they laughed through brunch like they did when they were teenagers. He just hoped it went as well with Jocelyn.