Page 20 of Never Sleigh Never

No, what Thomas and I shared wasn’t just a fling. And I should know. I’ve had flings. But the gruff man, with his flannel shirts and work boots, his integrity and his kindness, has somehow woven himself into the very fabric of my heart.

“No,” I admit quietly, my voice barely audible over the hum from the festive crowd. “Thomas wasn’t just a rebound.”

“I didn’t think so.”

I lean my head on Gabby’s shoulder, utterly dejected. “I’ve fallen for him, Gabby. Hard and way too fast, even though Thomas Crawford is the complete opposite of everything I thought I wanted in a man. How is that even possible?”

“I couldn’t tell you,” she says with a laugh. “But I know firsthand how it feels. I mean, Phillip is basically my complete opposite, but we work. And we fell hard and fast, too.”

“That you did.”

“If you feel this way, you need to tell him,” Gabby urges, laying a hand on my leg. “Let him know the truth.”

I shoot a glance in Thomas’s direction, but he’s gone, disappeared into the crowd. Resigned, I shake my head, my stomach churning. “It’s too late. He probably can’t wait for this festival to be over, so he never has to deal with me again.”

A skeptical hum vibrates through Gabby’s chest. I sit up and frown at her. “What?”

She lifts a shoulder. “I wouldn’t be so sure it’s too late. From what I hear, Thomas has been extra grouchy all week, and not just because it’s almost Christmas.” She pauses, fixing me with apointed look. “What’s worse, Cara? Sticking to your vow or not following your heart?”

I search the festival goers for Thomas again, wanting nothing more than to pick that backward baseball cap and flannel out of the crowd, but he’s nowhere to be found. The absence carves a void as vast as the starry night sky above, and I realize my feelings for the man aren’t something I can ignore or wish away. No matter my vow.

“You’re right,” I whisper, straightening my shoulders. “I have to apologize again. Tell Thomas the truth. The worst thing that can happen is he doesn’t feel the same way, but at least, I’d know. And based on how things stand now, I have nothing to lose.”

Gabby’s face splits into a wide grin. But my mind is already racing. “I need to get to the photo booth,” I tell her. It’s time to put my heart on the line and fight for what I truly want. A chance at love with Thomas Crawford.

Thomas

The twinkling lights strungcrisscross above Main Street blur as I force my way through the bustling crowd toward Phillip at the photo booth. My boots crunch on the light dusting of biodegradable fake snow Cara insisted we sprinkle along the sidewalks, but the sound does nothing to drown out the voice in my head telling me I’m a fool.

It’s been a week from hell ever since Monday morning when I discovered the truth and my heart was shattered. But it’s my own fault. I’m the one who didn’t pick up on the fact I was the rebound. I’m the clueless oaf who believed Cara’s interest in me—a man nothing like the guy that dumped her—was sincere when clearly it was a cut and dry case of getting over one man by getting under another.

The realization was like a sucker punch to the gut. But I deserved every ounce of pain it delivered. After all, I was the one who fell for the girl who’d never go for the likes of me. And so, here I am, sucking it up and putting on a good face to fulfill my vow to support the festival.

Thanks to the way so many folks from town have pitched in, the event is going smoothly. There aren’t any fires for me to put out, which I should be grateful for, I suppose, but the deluge of holiday cheer I deflect as I lurch down Main Street isn’t helping my mood one bit. In fact, my guys helping out at the craft booth tonight shooed away my grumpy ass, which isn’t surprising considering the way I’ve been stomping around the store all week.

I touched base with Cara earlier, and seeing her up close, rather than the glimpses I’ve caught through the blinds over the past few days, only made things worse. She looks flawless, her emerald eyes sparkling and her pale blue sweater hugging her curves in all the right places.

She tried to apologize again, to bring up what happened, but I cut her off. It’s too late. There’s no reason to rehash the conversation. We were both there the first time. We both heard exactly what she said. We both know she meant it.

The scent of peppermint lingered in the air long after she headed off, and the way she moved through the crowd, with such grace and confidence, only confirmed something I already knew deep in my bones. I’d served as a way for her to blow offsteam, nothing more, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat if it meant showing her how amazing of a woman she is.

I finally weave my way to the photo booth, my hands shoved deep in my pockets as I skirt the long line. Mia, Phillip’s daughter, is holding the Polaroid camera as a young couple poses in front of the snowy winter wonderland backdrop Cara and I painstakingly created together. The memory of working side by side with her, the easy banter and stolen glances, makes my chest ache.

“Hey there, Mia,” I say, forcing a smile. “Your dad around?”

She points toward the far side of the booth, and I nod my thanks, ruffling her hair as I pass. Sure enough, Phillip is there, organizing the props Cara insisted would make the photo booth a hit. Based on the line that winds down the street, I’d say she was right. Not that I’m surprised.

“Need a hand?” I ask, grateful for any distraction as he wrangles the table full of snowflake-shaped frames, fuzzy earmuffs and mittens, Naughty and Nice signs, and fill-in-the-blank whiteboards that say,All I want for Christmas is…into some semblance of organized chaos.

Phillip looks up, surprise flickering across his face. “Don’t you have other, more important, festival co-chair responsibilities to be taking care of?”

I grunt, leaning against the booth’s frame. “Co-chair my ass. I just provided the muscle.”

My friend studies me for a moment, his eyes narrowing. “Things still not fixed between you two?”

The knot in my stomach tightens. I’m not one for heart-to-hearts, especially with my longtime friend. When he fell for Gabby, the feeling between them was mutual. Nothing like the one-sided emotions I have for Cara. I take a deep breath, the cold air stinging my lungs, and blow it out slowly.

“What’s to fix?” I ask, the question feeling like gravel in my throat. “Things were over between us before they’d even begun.”

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