Page 53 of The Mistletoe Makeover

Excitement zips down my spine. Of course I’m free. Especially when Jace calls.

“Sure. When will you be here?”

“How about now?”

I spin around. Jace is standing in the door, wearing a henley shirt with an open flannel shirt, looking as dreamy as always. “Hey, Mia,” he says with an easy smile.

My heart leaps as I try to tamp down my excitement. “Oh, hey,” I mumble.

“You roped Nolan into helping?” Jace waves at the older man across the room.

“He’s volunteered for years. You know him?” I assumed Jace didn’t know many people in Maplewood.

“Nolan is the guy I call when things break at home,” he says. “Since I know nothing about fixing things.”

Jaz and Ella shoot me a look, begging to be introduced.

“These are my friends Ella and Jaz. They’re helping with the festival design.”

“Nice to meet you,” Jace says, shaking their hands and showing off his dimple.

For once, they’re both speechless. I’ve never seen Jace have this effect on people.

“Could you help Mia have some fun so she doesn’t work too much?” he asks with a grin.

“I am having fun,” I insist.

“We’ll force her to take some time off at the spa,” Jaz volunteers.

“Do you mind if I steal her from you?” Jace asks.

“Go right ahead,” Jaz says, giving me a look.

“Are you sure?” I ask them. “You don’t know where anything is.”

“Nolan will help us find things,” Ella insists, nudging me toward Jace. “You two have fun!”

They both wave as we walk outside.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“It’s a surprise.”

I stop on the sidewalk. “I thought after the Pine Paradise Motel, we don’t do surprises.”

He grins. “I promise, this is better.”

Jace starts up his car and heads out of town, speeding across country roads surrounded by pine trees.

“Do I get any clues about our destination?”

“Ever since we went to Evergreen, I can’t get that violin tune out of my head. When I got home that night, I wrote a new song based on a few chords and sent a rough version to my band. They loved it and said we should release the single as quickly as possible.” He looks over at me. “And I wanted to play it for you... as a test.”

I shake my head, unsure why he invited me. “Why me?”

“I need your honest opinion.”

“But this isn’t the way to your house.”

---