Page 101 of The Mistletoe Makeover

I should know. Because that’s what happened to me.

TWENTY-FOUR

Jace

They say when it rains, it pours. But tonight’s forecast isn’t rain. It’s snow. Twelve inches of it.

But that won’t stop my concert.

I hold up the phone to make sure everything is in place for tonight. “Can you get here early? Your ticket will be at the will call desk,” I say, confirming one last detail.

Allan enters my dressing room, red-cheeked and snow-covered. “Who’s that?” he mouths as I hang up.

“A surprise for tonight.”

He nods, but doesn’t press me for details. “Despite the snow, folks are lined up outside the barn,” he says with a smile. After months of declining sales, he’s more than eager to share good news.

“How are people going to get home if the roads are bad?” I ask, thinking of the time Mia and I slid off the road. If it hadn’t been for that freak snowstorm, we wouldn’t have ended up in our motel room. I can’t say I’m sorry. That night changed everything for me.

Allan shrugs. “Beats me. Says a lot that they’re willing to risk their lives for you.”

“I don’t want anyone risking their life for me.”

“You can’t stop them,” he says, grabbing a water bottle from the mini-fridge. “Your super fans would show up in snow, sleet, or hail. The rest will stream it. This might be the biggest event on YouTube.”

“I don’t care if it’s the biggest,” I say, taking a sip of water. “I want it to be good.”

A knock at the door cuts me off. I glance over my manager’s shoulder as Mia walks in, still dressed in her jeans and sweatshirt. Did she forget there’s a concert in an hour? Why hasn’t she changed yet?

She looks at me uneasily. “I finished everything for the concert tonight.”

“Thanks.” I pause, unsure what else to say. Things have been so awkward ever since Ava arrived in Maplewood.

“Good luck tonight,” she says before leaving.

“Wait.” I step toward the door to stop her.

She pauses, her eyes flicking from my manager to me.

“Can I talk to you out in the hall?”

She nods and follows me to a vacant corner where no one will bother us. “You’re coming tonight, right?”

For a moment, she hesitates. She shakes her head, her strawberry waves falling down her shoulders. “I can’t.”

“What about your tickets?”

Her eyes drop to the ground. “Give them to someone else. Now that Jaz flew back, I don’t really have anyone to hang out with.”

I need her at the concert, but I can’t explain why or I’ll ruin the surprise. “Mia, I arranged for someone to take the extra ticket.”

A look of hurt flashes across her eyes. “You mean Ava?”

That’s why she doesn’t want to come. She thinks I gave Ava the extra ticket.

“Not Ava.”

“Then who?” She crosses her arms. “I’m not looking for a date.”

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