Snowy Encounters by Clarissa Yip Page B

warned.
    Her mother gave a nervous chuckle. “She’s
fine, really. I heard how that old fart lit in on you at the party.
The town has been buzzing about how he shouldn’t have made that
scene.”
    Maddy closed her eyes and
leaned her head back against the headrest. “It doesn’t matter. I
was the one who left first and wanted the divorce. I’m the one the
town hates, and Cole’s dad is probably right. We’re not good for
each other.” That’s not true!
    “Honey, don’t be so hard on yourself. The
town cares for Cole and is grateful for what he’s done, but they
want him to be happy.”
    Maddy scoffed. It wouldn’t be with me. His declaration after he’d fallen asleep came to mind. Her
heart ached. The best plan was to go back to her empty apartment
and live the life she’d chosen before she’d ruined everything.
“How’s daddy?”
    “He’s good. Did you spend Christmas with
Cole?”
    Pain expanded to her throat. “Somewhat.”
    “And you’re still leaving?”
    Tears clogged her throat and nose. “Mom, I
have to. I can’t stay here.”
    “Honey, he loves you.”
    Maddy let out a chuckle. Her mother was
always so intuitive about everything. She frowned. “Don’t tell me
you lied about Aunt Kate so you could leave me alone here with
Cole?” She met silence. “Mom?”
    “All right, I’m guilty. I wanted you guys
together to see that you both need each other. I want my daughter
and son back. I want grandkids!”
    She froze. Oh my God. I could be pregnant. She shook her head to herself, but her fingers
fluttered over her stomach. “Our marriage hadn’t worked before. I
can’t fight him or the town. And his father hates me.”
    “Who cares about what everyone else thinks?
Has Cole publically scorned you? Told everyone that he hates
you?”
    Maddy stayed silent, her mind raced for
excuses. “He has his work and his heroic good boy reputation to
uphold. I can’t fight with that.”
    “You know that’s a lie. If he didn’t still
love you, he would have married someone else by now. I know he
loves you. He has to.” The certainty in her mother’s voice opened
another wound around her heart.
    The memory of his exit last night stung. “No,
he loves the lodge, his work. He chose. I can’t compete with
that.”
    “You’re so stubborn.”
    She sighed, frustration withering through
her. She’d had this conversation so many times already. “Mom, you
know why.”
    “Yeah, yeah, yeah. He loves the lodge more
than you, the town hates you and Brad Sr. is a cynical drunk.”
    “Mom! He’s not drinking anymore.”
    “I don’t care. I’ve never liked that man
anyway. He’s always mean and opinionated.”
    “But he has reason to….” Maddy couldn’t
believe the anger in her mother’s tone. She had wanted to remind
her about Brad Sr.’s gold digging wife, but stopped herself. Why
bother? Cole’s father never approved of her from the very
beginning. What difference would it make now if she stayed?
    “Why are you defending him?”
    “Because….” She trailed off. Why was she
defending a man who hated her?”
    “Marriage is between two people. It doesn’t
involve the town or Cole’s father. It’s between you two.”
    Maddy didn’t know what to say. She didn’t
hate her ex-father-in-law, didn’t hate the town. More than
anything, the past few days had made her realize how much she’d
missed the place, missed the feeling of home. The time she’d spent
here, she’d never been happier—decorating the lodge, playing with
the tourist’s kids, Cole teasing her, Cole loving her.
    Hell, I belong here in Five Oaks.
    “Marriage is a compromise and you have to
stick around and work it out.”
    Maddy opened her mouth to
retort, but nothing came out. Compromise. She thought of the demand
she’d inflicted on him last night. If I
told you to choose, me or Five Oaks, what do you say? She groaned. No wonder the town and Brad Sr.
didn’t like her. Cole had his career and so did she, but he’d