Sweet Joymaker (Indigo Bay Christmas Romances #3) - Jean Oram Page 0,1

on your enemy, so it was best not to have any.

“Good for you, getting into the spirit of things,” Garfield said. “Only took you about ninety years.”

“I’m only sixty-nine,” Henry grumbled. “You’re welcome to attend,” he said to Maria, his tone still gruff.

She shifted uncomfortably on her stool. “Thank you.”

She’d heard he was planning a party, and had hoped to avoid receiving an invitation, since she was fairly certain Roy would be there. Along with his new wife, Sophia.

“It’s this Saturday.”

“Day after the semifinals game. Go Torpedoes!” Garfield said, and nearby diners let out a whoop for her boys’ football team.

“I invited Roy, too.” Henry continued as though he hadn’t been interrupted.

“That’s nice,” she said mildly. She caught Fiona’s eye and pushed her empty coffee cup away so she could collect it. “Can I get a peppermint tea, please?”

Her friend frowned, but went to fetch her hot water.

“So?” Henry asked. “Are you coming?”

“I’m not sure.”

“What aren’t you sure about?”

Maria had nothing against Sophia, but she wasn’t prepared to go to Henry’s party and pretend to be happy about it. Especially with her ex-husband and his new wife kissing in the corner. It just felt… wrong. Too soon. She’d spent far too many years being the one Roy kissed at parties, and to see him kiss someone else still took her breath away, the feeling of betrayal too far ingrained to shrug off even though he was within his rights.

It was probably time for her to get used to the idea, since the divorce had been finalized last February and Roy had remarried in June. He’d stayed on the ranch until the wedding, then moved into Sweetheart Creek, population 4,123.

As far as she was concerned, that was too small for the two of them. It felt as though Roy and Sophia had taken over every corner of town. Back when Maria was still living in an apartment a few blocks from their new home and not having sunrise chores, it had all been too much. Luckily, the boys had welcomed her back on the ranch even though it had sent Roy into a tizzy he still hadn’t quite gotten over.

“Well?” Henry demanded, waiting for her decision.

If she went to his party, she’d be alone. Awkwardly alone.

But she didn’t want someone new. It took too much energy to face men coming and going, and ultimately leaving. And Henry’s Christmas party invitation wasn’t the only one coming up in the following week. There were several. And Roy would be at all of them, since his retired butt had nothing better to do.

“I was thinking I might visit a friend,” Maria said, hoping the fib wasn’t too obvious.

“I invited the boys,” Henry said, referring to her sons. “But Levi said he’s going to be out of town with that model of his.”

Darn her firstborn and his quick thinking. She’d bet he hadn’t had plans before the invitation.

“Her name is Laura,” Maria said, referring to Levi’s girlfriend. Her boys were getting to the age where, as her father-in-law had said, they were pairing up like there was an ark parked on Main Street and the rain had started. Levi and Myles were both in new, committed relationships, and she had a feeling that Ryan, her youngest, was getting pretty cozy with the ranch’s new neighbor, Carly Clarke.

She hoped her boys stayed the course and didn’t break any hearts, like men on both sides of the family had a tendency to do. Both Roy and her father had been heartbreakers, and she hoped that wherever her second-born son, Cole, was at the moment, he was being good to women’s hearts.

Maria shook her head, trying to find a happier mood. This would be the first Christmas where she’d be sharing her boys not only with their girlfriends and their families, but with Sophia, too.

How was any of that supposed to work?

“So? Are you coming?” Henry demanded. “I need to know how many people to expect and I don’t have time for wishy-washy replies. The party’s in three days.”

“No, I’m not, thank you,” Maria said, her tone more brusque than she’d intended.

Henry stilled, then turned to face her. “After all I’ve done for your library, and you can’t even come to my Christmas party?”

Maria inhaled slowly, struggling for calm. Henry hadn’t done much for the town library last month. It had been her son Myles and his girlfriend, Karen, who had done the heavy lifting to save the building. Meanwhile, Henry had practically thrown a barricade in front