Page 36 of Mishaps and Mistletoe

Their eyes held each other’s for several seconds, a gentle, contactless caress that made his breath come slower and his heart beat fast. He ached to be closer to her; an hour smooshed together on a trolley bench simply wasn’t enough.

When the in-house band started playing a slow, acoustic Christmas song, he knew his prayer had been answered. “Will you dance with me?”

“I’d love to.”

There might have been other couples on the floor. There probably were. But the only person he saw was her. As they turned in slow circles, he debated whether he should hold her at a distance so he could watch the way the soft lights above sparkled in her eyes, or if he should hold her close so he could feel her body against him. When she drew him into her, he told his brain to shut up and enjoy the moment.

“Isn’t it a little frustrating?” Josie asked, breaking the spell he’d fallen under. Hadn’t the night been perfect? He sure thought so. “You know—isn’t it frustrating how long it took us to get here? How much time we wasted being apart from each other?”

Oh.

Kevin blew out a long breath as leaned back to look at her. “If I’d known this was the destination—believe me, Jojo—I would have sprinted to get here.”

And then her lips melted into his. Were people looking? Probably. Did he care? Not a chance.

The truth was, he hadn’t sprinted to get here. He’d run a marathon. Through heartbreak and disappointment. They both had. But the race was finally over. He was worn and winded, but she was his oxygen, his bandage, and all the things that made him feel better now that he’d reached the finish line.

They pulled away, chests heaving as they brushed against one another, and he watched her lick her swollen lips.

“Josie, I—”

“It’s time for the nightly Santa Square-dance!” the lead singer of the band Kevin now officially hated boomed over the sound system as a jigging Santa took the floor. Kevin didn’t care for square-dancing. Right now, he didn’t much care for Santa either.

“Ready to head out?” Josie asked as children scurried for a chance to cut a rug with the big guy.

“Sure. I’ll grab our coats.”

“I’m gonna head to the restroom first, so I’ll meet you downstairs in the lobby.”

Kevin walked down the staircase, his arms full of outerwear and his mouth filled with unsaid words. He loved her. Plain and simple. And while he always kept his feelings close to the vest, he wanted to—no,neededto—tell Josie what had been on his mind and in his heart for a while now. Because, if he knew nothing else, he knew how he felt about her. And the next chance he got, he was going to let her know.

* * *

Kevin walked down the stairs,his eyes catching on the glass case of the ground floor café. He remembered Josie’s penchant for a sweet treat with her morning coffee and snagged her one to enjoy tomorrow.

“Kevin, what a surprise!” a voice boomed while he dug for his wallet.

This certainly was a surprise, indeed.

“What are you doing here, Mr. Stevenson?” he asked as he handed his credit card to the cashier.

“Just enjoying an evening, soaking up some holiday cheer with the missus—who seems to be soaking up some holiday cheer in the gift shop—she’s been in there for over twenty minutes!” He chuckled softly. “What are you doing up here? Scoping out the place? Getting ideas for your big project? That’s a shrewd move to come up here and take in the place as a guest. It’ll give you an edge when it comes time to get to work. Might as well take advantage, right?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Kevin saw an auburn blob streaking from the staircase to the front door and into the parking lot. “Mr. Stevenson, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve gotta go.” He grabbed the muffin and ran, leaving his boss rubbing his chin as he watched his most promising employee dash away.

“Josie, wait!” Kevin yelled as he chased after her. The fresh dusting of snow on the blacktop caused his shoes to slide, but he caught his balance before his body met the ground. “What’s going on?”

“Don’t,” she responded with a voice like thunder, cracking and prompting fear to pulse through Kevin’s body. “Don’t ask what’s going on, don’t ask if I’m okay—just don’t.” She slashed her hand through the air, the gesture feeling like a knife tearing through Kevin’s stomach.

“I don’t understand.” Uncertainty filled in his voice, and his breath caught in his throat when he spoke.

“No.I’mthe one who doesn’t understand. You lied to me,Kevin the photographer.” Her protruding eyes burned holes in his skin as his emotions bled out onto the pure white parking lot. “You were using me, weren’t you? I overheard it all—the ‘big project’ you’re starting here, the way you’re ‘scouting out’ the resort. I was a ticket to all of that, wasn’t I? Your way to get ahead at work?” Her eyes easily blinked a hundred times. Kevin’s stomach rolled just as many.

“No. That’s not it. Iama photographer. I work for Stevenson Advertising as their photographer and, as of January first, I’ll be in charge of the photos for Oglebay’s ad campaigns.” This right here—this was why he should have told her the truth at the beginning. To avoid the look of her trembling bottom lip. To not have to see the shaking fists at her side that she clenched and unclenched with each rapid breath she took.

“All this time, you kept insisting on joining me on these holiday adventures, when really, it was for your gain.”

“That’s not true,” he said, with a little more volume in his voice than he would have liked.

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