Page 49 of The Mistletoe Makeover

For a split second, she looks confused. “Yeah?” Everything about her body language is closed off, guarded.

“I enjoyed our trip to Evergreen.”

She crinkles her nose. “You did?”

“Nobody is more surprised than me. And I wondered if...”

The pause hangs between us as something ripples behind the deep green pools of her eyes.

“Wondered what?” She swallows hard, and my gaze drops to her lips.

Then I realize my mistake. It’s one thing to pretend we’re dating. But she hasn’t given me any hint that she wants something more.

“If I could give you a hug?” I blurt instead. “As a way of saying thanks for making me go on this trip.”

“Oh, of course,” she says.

I step forward and slide my hands around her back as she leans her body into mine. It feels as wonderful as this morning when I woke up with her in my arms. My cheek brushes her hair, and I get the heady scent of warm vanilla, the same intoxicating fragrance I breathed in sleeping next to her.

She gives a small laugh as she pulls away. “For a minute, I thought you were...” She pauses and shakes her head.

“Thought what?” I frown.

“Never mind.” She waves her hand in the air, dismissing the idea.

I shove my hands in my pockets, suddenly aware of the heat flaming in my chest, the memory of her skin against mine, the first kiss that almost happened.

THIRTEEN

Mia

When I meet Jaz at the airport, she’s dressed to kill. Apparently, when I explained it was winter in Vermont, she thought that gave her an excuse to buy a pink faux-fur coat that’s ideal for an Instagram shoot, not for anactualwinter. Contrasted against her light brown skin, the color looks perfect.

“Jaz!” I wave, then run over to her. Hugging her in this coat is like hugging a bear, but I don’t care.

“I’ve missed you!” she squeals, her arms squeezing the breath from my lungs. “I brought you a surprise!”

“What’s going on?” I frown, pulling back. “What surprise?”

“I decided not to tell you before I arrived. Because I knew you’d say no.”

“Not tell me what?” I ask, suddenly concerned.

From around the corner, Ella jumps out.

“Surprise!” She runs toward me and falls into my arms. Her brown hair is pulled into a ponytail, and she’s dressed in a ski jacket.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, feeling like a sandwich between my two best friends.

“You asked me to help design the festival and I talked Ella into coming. Isn’t that wonderful?” Jaz pulls away so I can catch my breath before her fake fur suffocates me.

“But I can’t pay you both,” I say, looking between them. “I don’t have the budget for it. The committee only gave me permission for one person.”

Ella waves a hand in the air. “Don’t worry about paying me. I’m just here for a quick girls’ trip. Once we work out the design concept for the Mistletoe Festival, we can do fun stuff, like a spa day, before I head back to Grant. My husband won’t want me gone for long.”

Jaz and Ella look ecstatic, like they’re expecting me to drop everything and get a facial right now.

“But I have so much to do for the festival and the concert,” I moan. “I can’t possibly take time off for a spa day.”

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