Page 108 of All I Want For Christmas

She studied him. “Because you might like it out here. Outside of Autre once in awhile. Outside of what you know. And that would shatter your whole worldview.”

Then she pushed him back, yanked her car door open, and slid behind the wheel.

Theo watched her drive off in her little white Audi before he turned and stomped to his truck.

Savannah may think that she’d just gotten the last word and that this was over.

And it should be. He should let her go now. It would be less painful than letting her go later.

If he was a smart man, he would let it be.

But, as Zander never hesitated to remind him, he wasn’t always as smart as he liked to pretend he was.

He didn’t feel like this was over at all.

Chapter

Twelve

“Ican't believe he's making you work right before Christmas," Becca said as Ellie set drink refills down in front of her, Trudy, Rory, and Savannah.

The women were gathered for dinner as they tried to do once every couple of weeks.

Savannah shrugged. "Well, Christmas is the whole point of this one. And he hasn’tsaidthis is my last chance, but I’m starting to think it might be.”

“He’ll fire you if you don’t do this?” Trudy asked, reaching for her beer.

Trudy Sinclair was from Autre but had lived in Colorado for ten years before coming home. She was a teacher with Becca. Savannah felt like Trudy understood her a bit better sometimes than Becca did, because at least Trudy had gotten away from their charming, buttiny, hometown for a little while.

“Probably not,” Savannah said. “But he won’t put me in charge of big acquisitions. I’ll just be given a few properties to oversee.”

“Would that be so bad?” Becca picked up a fried pickle and popped it into her mouth.

Savannah smiled at her friend. Becca loved her life in Autre. She saw her family and most of her friends every day. She was marrying a guy who’d been her best friend since she’d moved in next door to him when they’d been ten. Okay, she and Beau might not haveknownthey were best friends right away, but they had been.

Becca’s life was simple and exactly what she wanted it to be.

Savannah’s life…wasn’t.

She hadn’t found a place that made her content like that yet. She was still searching forsomething.

Becca claimed she understood when Savannah explained that, but she didn’t. Notreally. Still, she was supportive.

“It wouldn’t bebad,” Savannah said. “It just wouldn’t be enough. I know all the properties. It wouldn’t be satisfying to just manage them. I want to find new ones in new places.”

“I know.” Becca gave her a smile. “You would be restless if you had to just keep doing the same thing over and over.”

Yeah, that’s what she was afraid of.

“You have to go to this one for Christmas though?” Rory asked.

Rory Robins was another woman Savannah was so glad she’d gotten to know. Rory was not from Autre. At least not originally. She’d moved to the tiny bayou town when she’d decided to makeover her life. And hide-out from her con man dad. Then she’d fallen for a guy who was also not an Autre native. That was almost unheard of in the not-so-little circle of people Savannah hung out with here. Drew had been in town for the holidays, and they’d fallen in love in Santa’s Village.

“Yes,” Savannah said, infusing her voice with enthusiasm. “It’s an actual inn. It’s got twelve rooms. But they also have a Christmas tree farm, and real reindeer. And have sleight rides, and ice skating on their pond, and they do this elaborate light display that people drive frommilesaway to see. Since this istheir busiest time of the year, they wanted me to come to see it all decked out and the kinds of crowds they attract.”

“We have real reindeer here,” Rory said, with a grin. “And tons of lights.”

“And people dressing up like elves,” Trudy teased.

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