Free Christmas at The Heartbreak Cafe (Lakeview Christmas Novel) (Lakeview Contemporary Romance Book 7) by Melissa Hill

anyone out of her café before, and now with her final weeks upon her, she had made the place inhospitable. But while she wanted to feel ashamed at how childishly she handled the situation, she couldn’t help but give herself a pat on the back for standing up to the bullish women. After all, what harm could they do to her now?
    She began to circle throughout the café. At each table, she greeted those she had yet to say hello to and listened respectfully as each gave their regards about her retirement. Instead of impatiently answering, she instead chose to give hugs, free coffee, and kind smiles to those who seemed genuinely shaken by the loss of her business. This was the side of the village that she had loved and adored all these years.
    As she reached the end of the tables, she could not help but notice that Heidi remained at the counter. One of the waiting staff had served her a cup of tea and a ham sandwich. Yet, she had barely touched her food or her drink. Instead, she kept her eyes towards the back of the room, away from the rest of the prying town that had overheard what the others had said about her and her husband.
    Ella took a deep breath. While the last thing she wanted to do was chat with Heidi, she knew that she couldn’t just ignore her for any longer. She could not avoid the situation.
    Circling the counter, she placed herself directly in front of Heidi’s stony gaze. She could instantly tell that the younger woman had been crying. Her eyes were muddy and her face had streaks from where the tears had flowed. Ella handed her several napkins to which she silently dabbed at her cheeks.
    “Heidi, I think it’s about time you and I talked about what’s going on with our party.”

13
    H eidi had heard almost every word uttered by her ‘friends’, but it was nothing compared to what she had been through.
    For several days, talk had spread like wildfire throughout the village of her husband’s job loss and their bankruptcy. Vultures had practically lined up to take shots at the formerly affluent family that was now reduced to pieces.
    While Heidi had done her best to avoid the crowds, the gazers, and the gossip (and even her own family) it followed her everywhere. Whether she was dropping her daughter off at creche or picking up detergent from the local corner shop, there was always someone whispering in a corner about what had happened to them.
    Even poor Amelia wasn’t immune. Just yesterday, she had asked Heidi why daddy was at home in the afternoon. When Heidi explained that Paul was trying to get a new job and that this was a little ‘holiday’ for the three of them, Heidi’s two year old began to use the word fired as if it was just something she knew had happened. Nothing was more heartbreaking than realising your toddler had to be a witness to other’s insensitivities. Heidi couldn’t take it anymore, so she took Amelia out, away from prying eyes and cruel mouths. Amelia’s new childminder was Paul, who looked after her as he sent out CVs and made phone calls to old business associates.
    Meanwhile, Heidi had taken it upon herself to handle everything else in order to shield Paul from some of the village talk. She picked up boxes from the hardware shop, sold her beloved clothes and shoes at a designer exchange in Dublin, and occasionally stopped in for groceries at Tesco. She listened to the rumours, the backhanded comments, and the laughs just so she could try and protect the two people she loved from being exposed.
    But what had happened at Ella’s just now was beyond compare. While most locals attempted to hide their contempt for Heidi and her family’s situation, these women, including Paul’s own sister, seemed to be openly rejoicing at their terrible situation. It made Heidi sick to think that just a week or two ago, she was sitting in their homes, playing with their children, feeding them snacks and goodies. Heidi was once apart of that group of women, and now she was abandoned and