Page 65 of The Mistletoe Makeover

This morning’s text included a sleepy-face emoji with the words:How did you sleep?

Ever since a pipe burst over my room, I’ve been sleeping on the sofa, a sagging, thirty-year-old couch that should’ve been taken to the dump years ago.

Mia:Except for this crick in my neck, not bad!

I can’t tell Jace that I wake up in so much pain I wear a heating pad on my neck for the first hour of my day. Since Mom can’t afford to repair the ceiling, I probably won’t have an actual bed until I return to South Carolina.

Jace:I have three extra guest rooms. Allan uses one when he’s in town. But you’re welcome to one until your bedroom is fixed.

Mia:Blackie and Tabby would be so offended that you are not offering one to them.

Jace:The cats have a luxurious cat house outside that is probably nicer than your sofa.

Mia:I’m good! Mostly.

Jace:I’m serious about the offer.

I let out the haggard sigh of a woman who desperately wants a firm mattress. But there’s no way I can say yes to his offer. Not after what happened at the Pine Paradise. Even though we wouldn’t be in the same room, and Allan lives there sometimes, things feel different between us. In a matter of weeks, I’ve gone from arguing with him incessantly to thinking about him nonstop.

My phone rings.It’s Ella, probably with another question about the festival.

“Clear your afternoon schedule,” she demands. “We’re kidnapping you and taking you away to the spa, even if it means we drag you kicking and screaming.”

I have approximately a billion things on my to-do list. I do not need a spa day; I need a break from Jace. Because he’s getting under my skin in the worst way.

“So, I’m a hostage?” I ask. “What kind of friends are you?”

“The kind who make you have fun,” Ella says. “Isn’t that the agreement you made?”

Why does Jace’s happiness dare keep coming up?It’s like everyone thinks I’ve turned into a dull workaholic who needs to be forced into some holiday cheer.

Ella goes on,“Listen to the description of this place.A posh mid-century spa on a mountaintop, boasting sweeping views from the hot tub, guaranteed to take you away.”

Which is exactly what I need right now. To get away from these feelings for Jace.

“Can you be ready by two?” Ella asks.

“I guess,” I grumble, even though my to-do list can’t wait.

I’m good at working hard. I’m even better at running away from things that scare me.

And that’s almost impossible when Jace keeps invading my thoughts.

* * *

When we arrive at the dreamy Japanese spa tucked on the top of a hillside, it’s like someone has transported me to another world. Calming pan flute music plays through hidden speakers in the plants, while a stone waterfall in the entry gently bubbles.

The lady at the desk greets us with a serene smile. “Welcome to the Lotus Flower Day Spa,” she says in a hushed tone. “I’ll take you to your waiting room where you can prepare for your detoxifying bath.”

She waves us down a dark hall lined with closed doors, and I wonder what mysterious luxury treatment lies behind each door. It feels like a game show where everyone wins.

The doors are labeled with metal plates engraved with flowers and leaves, instead of numbers. She stops at a door with an orchid plate and shows us inside where fluffy white bathrobes await and an essential oil diffuser fills the air with calming lavender.

Our hostess leaves as Jaz touches the robe. “This place is amazing already. Aren’t you glad Jace gave you the day off?”

“Jace doesn’t know I’m here,” I admit sheepishly as I strip down to my underwear. “I told him I had some other things to do and wouldn’t be around. He also offered me a room at his place until mine is fixed.”

“He did? You’re going to take it, right?” Ella asks, slipping on her white robe.

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