Decidedly With Mistletoe Read online

  “Life is full disappointments,” I said instead. “But if you don’t take a chance, you never know what you’re missing.”

  With a level of gracefulness that would make a flamingo groan—thanks to the snowshoes on my feet—I turned and ran away from Liam, toward the inn.

  By running, think shuffling. And not even fast shuffling. More like the speed a granny would go while pushing her walker. Heck, who was I kidding? She would go faster than me.

  What did this mean? Liam, with his legs worthy of a six-foot man, easily caught up with me.

  “I guess you’ve never been on a snowmobile if this is the first time you’ve seen snow,” he said, oblivious to my inner turmoil. The inner turmoil that involved my past feelings for him, which were starting to stir awake. No, feelings. Go back into hibernation, please.

  “That’s right.”

  “Ever been on a motorcycle?”

  I gave him a What-do-you-think? look.

  “That’s what I thought. You want to give it a try? Since you’re all about being adventurous.” Challenge sparkled in his light blue eyes at the last part.

  Challenge accepted.

  “I would love that.”

  Truth? The idea of riding one scared the bejesus out of me. Same deal with a motorcycle. That’s why neither had ever been on my bucket list.

  But you know who else’s bucket list they wouldn’t have been on?

  That’s right—Chris’s.

  Which meant one thing…I had to try it out. Even at the risk of flying off the snowmobile and slamming into a tree.

  “Let’s see if I can fix the one in the shed,” he said as we continued waddling toward the inn, “then we can hit the trails.”

  “You know how to fix snowmobiles?” He used to play around under the hood of his car when we were engaged, but that was about it. The man I remembered wasn’t a mechanic.

  “I tinkered around with motorcycles and trucks while with the SEALs. It was a good skill to have in case you were ever stuck behind enemy lines and needed an escape vehicle. One of my friends taught me everything I needed to know.” He grinned at me. “I just can’t make a spare tire appear out of thin air.”

  My mouth tilted to one side. “So I gathered when you rescued me.”

  Liam and I entered the shed. He got to work on the snowmobile.

  And my thoughts went to the mistletoe in my suitcase. Because once Liam and I were finished snowmobiling, I needed to make sure my mistletoe was still okay. It would soon be a very busy piece of foliage—once I arrived at the resort.

  That was assuming kissing under the mistletoe after Christmas was still acceptable. Maybe it was against the rules.

  Were there even rules for kissing under the mistletoe?

  Rules I didn’t know about?

  I pulled out my phone, ignoring my heart’s sudden plea for me to give Liam a chance.

  Don’t be ridiculous, I told it.

  He’s happy to settle down and have a family, my heart pointed out, clearly eager to discuss the topic. Clearly suffering from amnesia when it came to what happened ten years ago.

  But not with me. He had proven that when he walked away from me a hundred thousand dollars richer, thanks to dear old Granny.

  And yes, my grandmother had enjoyed sharing that tasty morsel while we bonded over my favorite dessert. She always had been the party pooper.

  I sent Zoe a text. Happy Christmas Eve Day! I have a question for you regarding the mistletoe…

  A minute later she replied: Have you kissed anyone under it yet?

  I’m still not at the resort. Hopefully the road will be cleared later today so I can head out.

  I don’t think you have to be at the resort for the magic to happen. Maybe you’re supposed to find your Forever Love at your current location.

  No, that’s definitely not it. No one here except for married men.

  And Liam.

  Now that would be a problem. So what’s your mistletoe question?

  Is there a mistletoe expiry date? Like after tomorrow, the mistletoe’s power will be null and void?

  Is this your way of getting out of your promise?

  No, it was my way of proving that Liam wasn’t my forever.

  Hey, wait! Does this mean you actually believe me now?

  Oh, God. Do I?

  No. Because if Zoe’s family legend really had merit, then the mistletoe I kissed Liam under had to be faulty. That was the only explanation I had for my body’s reaction when we had kissed under the one at the inn.

  Maybe it had to be a specific type of mistletoe for it to work. Like the mistletoe Zoe had given me.

  That sound? Ignore it. It was only my body cracking up, reminding me that it had responded the same way even without the mistletoe.

  Which just went to prove…I needed to try again but with Zoe’s mistletoe.

  Maybe that would reverse whatever spell my body was under when it came to Liam.

  I didn’t answer Zoe’s question. I didn’t know how to answer it.

  I returned the phone to my pocket and walked over to Liam. “How’s it going?”

  “I think I might have figured out the problem. Just give me a minute.”

  A muffled ping came from my coat pocket. Zoe, no doubt. Since I had a feeling I knew why she was texting me, I made no move to check it.

  Another ping.

  Liam glanced at the pocket the sound came from. “Did you need to check that?”

  “No, I’m good.”

  A minute later my phone rang. Only it wasn’t the song I had programmed for Zoe. It’s was “The Imperial March” (aka Darth Vader’s theme music).

  Liam’s mouth twitched to one side. “Interesting choice of music.”

  “It’s my grandmother’s.” I set the ringtone for her yesterday before heading to Lake Tahoe.

  He laughed as I pulled my phone from my coat pocket. “Very appropriate.”

  I giggled. “Isn’t it?” And then I let out a hard breath. “Guess I should get this over with. She’ll just keep phoning me if I don’t answer.” She never bothered with voice messages. She knew I could always ignore them.

  “You had better be at the airport, young lady,” she immediately said once I accepted the call, her tone as warm as the snow outside the shed.

  “I already told you I’m not going to the wedding.” My voice wasn’t meek like it would have been ten years ago. The pride on Liam’s face at hearing it made my insides go unexpectedly warm.

  I smiled back at him.

  “This isn’t just about the wedding.” Her voice remained cool and ridged. “Your parents are disappointed that you aren’t here to spend Christmas with them. It looks bad that you cannot even be here for your own parents.”

  “They understand why I can’t be there.”

  “Well, they’re the only ones. You’re still part of this family, Ava. And as part of this family, there are duties you are expected to uphold. Duties that generations of women in our family have respected.”

  “Was it expected for them to convince their granddaughters to marry a man who the grandmother knew was having an affair? A man you knew was still having an affair long after he and I exchanged vows?” Damn. Why did my voice have to crack? It couldn’t have just pulled up its big girl panties?

  I peered over at Liam, half hoping to see him gesture with his thumb that I was doing awesome. Instead, he was frowning. I guess I hadn’t mentioned the part about how I’d had my reservations about marrying Chris.

  I mean, seriously, what guy doesn’t want to have sex before the wedding? It wasn’t like he was religious. He believed in God as much as he believed in the Tooth Fairy.

  I wasn’t a guy but I had certainly wanted sex back then.

  “You didn’t have to divorce him,” she pointed out.

  “Yes. I. Did. He got to be happy with his mistress. Why wasn’t I allowed to be happy?” And because I felt like shocking my grandmother, I went in for the kill. “I had a healthy sexual appetite, but I
didn’t get to have sex. He got to have all the fun…with Gloria. But since I’m not attending the wedding, how about I send the happy couple a wedding gift? I happen to know firsthand that they’re into whips and leather. Or maybe I can spice up their sex life a little more and throw in a studded leather collar for good measure.

  “Oh, wait. They already have one. That’s right, the day I accidentally walked in on them in our bedroom, the only thing Chris was wearing was his collar. And you really don’t want to know what Gloria was doing to his bare ass.”

  My grandmother gasped—but I had no idea if that was because of my visual description of what I had witnessed that day or because I dared to be disrespectful to her.

  Either way, she’d have quite the image in her mind when she watched the happy couple walk down the aisle.

  A laugh bubbled deep inside me. I squished my lips together to keep it hidden from her. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m about to go snowmobiling with Liam. You remember Liam, right? My ex-fiancé?” I didn’t wait for a reply. I hung up…and burst out laughing.

  God, that felt good. Better than good.

  “Well, it’s official,” I said to Liam once I got my laughter somewhat under control. “I think I’ve just killed my grandmother. Although I’m not sure which part will do her in first. A new appreciation of what Chris and Gloria’s wedding night will be like…or that I’m with you.”

  I giggled, drunk on an adrenaline high from embracing my inner lioness.

  Hear me roar!

  I peered into the engine. “Have you fixed this yet? I’m in the mood for speed and danger.” I was in the mood for a greater adrenaline high.

  “I’ve almost got it.” Liam fiddled with something under the hood. Whatever it was must have been important, because a minute later, he climbed onto the snowmobile and started the engine. It purred like a content mountain kitty.

  “So, about that need for speed and danger…” he said, removing his phone from his coat pocket. He texted someone. A moment later, he must have received the reply he was hoping for. He nodded at the screen, typed something else, then put his phone away. “We just need to swing by the inn to sign the waiver and rental agreement, and then we’re good to go. And by the time we get back, the road out of here should be cleared. Harold has already contacted his friend who has a tow truck. You might have to wait until December twenty-sixth to get a new tire, but he can drop you off at the resort so at least you’ll be there for tonight.”

  I should’ve been doing cartwheels at the news. I should’ve been hugging him and thanking him for getting me back on track with my plans for the holidays. I should’ve been doing all of that…but instead, my stomach plummeted ten stories.

  Wow. That was unexpected.

  It’s for the best, I reminded my stomach, my heart, my anything-else-that-would-listen. I was supposed to be going to the resort and kissing men under the mistletoe to find my Forever Love.

  But what if Liam is the one? my heart asked.

  So what? I argued. I made the mistake of falling for him once before. Money was more important to him than I was.

  Which was funny when I thought about it. Not the ha-ha kind of funny. The kind of funny where something didn’t quite add up. In all the time I’d known Liam prior to us getting engaged, he hadn’t come off as the type of guy who cared all that much about money.

  Don’t get me wrong—it was important to him like it was for most people when it came to providing food and shelter and the ability to pay your bills. But it wasn’t important like it was to my family. Their lives revolved around money.

  Liam was watching me expectantly. I smiled as if I couldn’t be happier. “That’s great news. And you’ll be able to spend Christmas with your family.”

  Was it my imagination, or did my voice sound a little off? And from the way Liam was looking at me, I couldn’t help but wonder if my smile appeared as fake as it felt.

  Yep, acting was definitely not my new superpower.

  10

  LIAM

  WAS IT JUST ME—OR did Ava look as excited at the prospect of getting on with her vacation as I felt about going home?

  And just so there’s no confusion, I was as thrilled about us going our separate ways as I was having bullets rain on me from out of nowhere.

  I grabbed the two helmets from the shelf and handed her one. “You ready for this?”

  She gave me a dazzling I’m-ready-to-take-on-the-world smile. “Absolutely.” Then she looked at the snowmobile. “So how do we do this?”

  “I climb on first. You then join me. You’ll need to hold on tight around my waist.” I popped my helmet on and swung my leg over the snowmobile seat.

  Ava sat behind me, her arms wrapped around my waist, her thighs hugging my hips. If it weren’t for our coats, I would’ve felt her breasts pressed against my back.

  I gunned the motor…and we were off.

  I drove us to the inn, keeping to a slow speed for now. After we signed the waivers and the rental agreement, I headed in the direction we had been earlier.

  It was only a few minutes before we were out in the open. Snowy pine trees towered on either side of us. I slowly accelerated but still kept the speed well below an adrenaline-inducing level. I wanted Ava to be able to appreciate the beauty around us—the stillness that came from the undisturbed, newly fallen snow. She wouldn’t get this at the resort where she was staying.

  I eventually picked up speed. Ava’s arms tightened around my waist. Could I get used to this—the way it felt like we belonged together? Hell, yes. Which meant I needed to talk to her. I wasn’t ready to walk away from her once the roads were cleared.

  I wanted to find out if she was willing to give us a chance.

  I steered down a narrow path. The snow-covered pine trees were now only a few yards from us on either side. We kept going until I eventually pulled over to the side and parked the snowmobile in a spot overlooking the valley. A pine tree next to us had sheltered the ground from the falling snow, keeping it from getting too deep.

  I removed my helmet. Ava did the same and climbed off the seat. I joined her next to the tree.

  “It’s gorgeous,” she said, taking in the valley in front of us. Her voice was soft and filled with awe. She smiled at me. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

  I leaned down and kissed her. It was so easy to get lost in her kisses—which was exactly what happened.

  When we finally pulled apart, our breaths were ragged puffs of white air. We turned around to face the view again.

  “What are your plans once you return home?” I asked.

  “Get ready to go back to school. What about you? Any big missions planned?”

  “I have some jobs lined up. I was able to put them aside for a short time while I was helping to find the missing girl, but they still need my attention when I return.” A couple of my team members had dealt with the most pressing cases while I was away.

  We were quiet for a few more minutes. I opened my mouth several times to bring up us. Each time I changed my mind. I thought talking to her about us would be easy. I was wrong. Sneaking into an enemy camp in the dead of night without being detected was a breeze in comparison.

  I wasn’t sure how to go about it. If there was an instruction manual on getting back together with your ex-fiancée after you broke up with her ten years ago, I’d yet to find it.

  Right—I was a guy. When was the last time I’d read an instruction manual?

  “What about a boyfriend?” I eventually asked. “Is there someone in San Francisco you’re interested in?”

  Lame, Quaid. Very lame.

  I could practically hear Trent laughing his head off at my lack of finesse when it came to finding out if she and I had a chance for a future together.

  “Not really.” She released a long, frustrated breath. “Which is probably why my best friend is determined that I’ll find my Forever Love while I’m at the resort.”

  “Forever love?”

  “The guy I�
��m supposed to fall in love with. Due to her family’s history when it comes to kissing a man under the mistletoe, she believes I’m going to find this magical person at the resort when I kiss him under the mistletoe there. Her grandmother, her mother, her sister, and my best friend all ended up marrying the men they kissed under the mistletoe. It’s like some sort of family legend.”

  In college, I was a starting quarterback. Which meant the opposition’s goal was to knock me down before I had a chance to pass to my teammate. If their defense was successful, I’d get a shoulder to the gut, land on my ass, and have the air ripped from my lungs.

  Which was exactly how I felt after Ava’s confession.

  Did I believe the family legend was true when it came to finding love under the mistletoe?

  Fuck, no!

  But what did matter was if she believed in that crap.

  “Is that why you’re so eager to get there?” I asked. “You believe you’re going to fall in love with some guy under the mistletoe?”

  Her hesitation? Not a good thing.

  Because if she believed in it, then it meant she didn’t feel the same way about me as I felt about her. If she felt the same way about me, the fucked-up legend wouldn’t make a difference.

  Another long sigh. “Do I want to fall in love with a man who loves me with all his heart? A man who loves me so much that he’s willing to stay by my side no matter what?”

  I finally looked at her. She was staring at the scenery, but I had a feeling she wasn’t really seeing it.

  “Yes, I’m hoping for all of that,” she said. “So yes, as crazy as it might sound, there is a part of me that hopes Zoe is correct. But I’ll never know unless I go to the resort and kiss some potential prospects under the mistletoe she gave me.”

  Despite everything, my mouth twitched up. “That’s why you have the mistletoe in your suitcase?”

  She nodded. “I didn’t tell you before when you asked because I knew you’d think I’m crazy.”

  I hooked my gloved finger under her chin and turned her face toward me. “Ava, I think you’re sexy, smart, adorable, and incredible”—perfect—“but I’ll never believe that you’re crazy.”