Read Beach Blanket Santa for Free Online Page A

all this time I thought…” She heaved a sigh of relief. “But, no?”
    “Is that why you told me to leave?” he asked, his voice growing husky with the truth. “Because you thought I’d taken advantage of you?”
    “I never blamed you. I thought it was both of us.”
    “Oh, it was both of us, all right. Just not in the way that you imagined.”
    She stared at him deeply, apology in her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
    “I had no idea either,” he said softly. “No clue why you gave me the boot. While you’d told me to go throughout the night, I’d taken that to be the liquor—and possibly embarrassment—talking. I thought for sure once you woke up and saw things straight, we’d talk things out, maybe even laugh about them. But instead, you just handed me my coat and said—”
    “I think you should go.” She hung her head, seeming to relive the moment.
    “The truth is, I thought that we’d been getting along. Maybe had started something.”
    She raised her eyes to his. In the ensuing quiet, Matt thought he could hear every drop of rain pinging on the tin roof. When she finally spoke, her lips trembled, and it was all Matt could do not to lean forward and kiss them. “I thought we’d started something too. But sometimes life has other plans, you know?”
    He nodded like he understood, but the truth of the matter was he didn’t. “Was there somebody else at the time?”
    She shook her head. “How about you?”
    “Not then, for me either.” He studied her for a long beat. “And now?”
    “I’m not seeing anyone, if that’s what you mean.”
    He captured her in his gaze, wondering if there was a way they could start over. There had clearly been an attraction between them in the beginning. “Me either.”
    “Matt,” she said sincerely, “I really apologize for what happened that night, and also for the way I judged you afterward. It wasn’t fair. None of it was fair. I see that now.”
    “We all make mistakes.”
    One of the biggest he’d made was failing to pursue things with Sarah. He might have called the next day. Attempted to see her. Instead, he’d just up and walked away from what could have been the best thing in his life. Then, within the next few weeks, he’d met Katya.
    “Thank you for saying that. That’s really gracious, considering the trouble I put you through.”
    “No trouble. I’m sure you would have done the same,” he said, knowing that would have proved logistically difficult. Matt tried to imagine the petite Sarah hoisting his large frame across the room and depositing it in bed, and chuckled out loud.
    “I know,” she said, smiling softly. “Pretty hard to imagine, huh?”
    “Yeah.”
    “How do you think the roads will look tomorrow?”
    “I’ll check at first light.”

Chapter Four

    The next morning, Matt bent toward the washed-out road, wearing his rain slicker. Water streamed from the front of his hood, cascading down his nose. It was still pouring. Somehow it seemed twice as hard as yesterday. Nobody could get traction on this stretch of beach now. Not even a ranger’s four-wheel drive could do it. He was here for the duration. Another day or two at least. He supposed he’d have to break the news to Sarah but hoped she wouldn’t take it badly. She’d seemed more at ease in his company this morning, after they’d cleared the air about Elaine’s wedding last night. Perhaps her appearing on edge before had to do with her misunderstanding what had really happened. Matt felt a whole lot better fully knowing what had happened as well.
    He glanced back toward the house through a curtain of rain as thunder rumbled above. Bright light burned through each window, like warming lanterns speckling the storm. If things looked this bad here, they could be even worse down at the docks. He’d need to call and check on the status of the ferry. He figured Sarah would want to make it home for Christmas Day with her family, and he’d more or less