Her Christmas Prince (Love in the Keys) Read Online Free PDF Page A

agreement.

    Most
of her family was right here in the Keys within an hour's drive.
Sometimes it was a good thing, but sometimes not. Especially where
her mother was concerned. Milly meant well, and Callie knew at heart
she loved her. She just didn't seem to want Callie to make her own
decisions in life.

    “ I
totally get that. You met my mom. It isn't that I don't love her,
just sometimes she's smothering. And she doesn't get that I have to
make my own choices, and sometimes that leads to mistakes. And
heartbreak.”

    “ Ah,
heartbreak. Brian, I presume? I guess you should fill me in on
that whole thing so I am prepared. I think your mother has the idea
I broke you two up. Callie, I don't mean to pry into your business,
but your family will assume I know the details.” Henry leaned
forward and gave Callie's hand a little squeeze of encouragement. “It
doesn't have to be right now, but it should be sometime. If all this
is going to work.”

    Callie
nodded her head yes, and took a big sip of her chocolate milkshake.
She might as well get it over with. She owed him that much, an
explanation, after all he was doing. And she was never going to see
Henry again after Christmas, she might as well tell him everything.
Maybe finally opening up about it would make her feel better and help
her get over it all.

    “ Brian.
I don't know where to start. He's from Miami. Came down here
because of his work, he has a big job in project management for real
estate development. He wandered into my cafe and we got talking and
he just never left. Things seemed to be going OK, or so I thought.
Show s how much I know.”
Callie let out a sigh.

    “ Then
what happened?”

    “ I
don't really know. It would be easier if I did. Brian was starting
to talk about futures and stuff. He even spent Thanksgiving with my
family.”

    “ And
how did that go?”

    “ Not
so well. The meal itself was OK. It was after that didn't go so
hot.” Henry gave her a quizzical look. “Let's just say
that Brian isn't exactly a guy's guy. He's educated and kind of ...”

    “ Kind
of?”

    “ Prissy!
There, I said it. It you didn't know better, you might think he
batted for the other team. He just dresses too well and likes plays
and things and hates sports. Some of the men in my family had some
fun at his expense. And he didn't like it.”

    “ I
see. So then what happened?”

    Well,
right after Thanksgiving, he went to Miami and then to Key West on
business . And when he came back, things were just off kilter. It
wasn't anything specific, just not the same as before. He was really
attentive, calling a few times a day, stuff like that, and then, not
so much.”

    “ And
how did it all end eventually?”

    “ Badly.
He ended it. And he was mean about it, too.”

    “ Mean,
how?”

    “ Oh,
he said I wasn't very interesting and he didn't know if I ever was.
And he said he couldn't imagine spending his whole life with my
family or in the Keys. More stuff like that. It was pretty harsh.”

    Henry
looked angry. Admittedly, he didn't know Callie well yet, but how
could anyone be mean to her? It would be like kicking a puppy. She
had a gentle kindness about her, and it was clear that everyone liked
her. Even during dinner, every member of the Hamilton family came by
the table to say hello and have a chat. At some point, he'd love to
meet this Brian and see what kind of a man he was. He suspected not
much of one.

    “ And
then what?”

    “ Nothing.
He left town, no idea where he is. It was just over a week ago.
And I've been trying to muster the courage to tell my mother ever
since. And failing. That's basically where you came in. After
almost a week of avoiding her, she finally clapped eyes on me.”
Callie smiled at him half-heartedly. It was clear the whole
experience had left her emotionally bruised.

    “ Do
you really think your mother wouldn't understand?”

    “ It
was her fault I got my hopes up in the first place. Maybe if I
hadn't, I