Page 21 of Meet Me on Christmas Eve

“I work in lowly retail, my lady. We don’t get long lunch breaks. So spit it out.” He wasn’t even looking at me, but I could hear his brisk tone clearly through the wind.

I inhaled deeply. The cold air was fortifying. “As I said in the shop, I need you to stop sabotaging me. With Jane.”

He actually turned to look at me then, but he didn’t slow his steps. “Oh, is that what I’m doing?”

“It would seem so. And I am pleading for you to stop. This business deal is important to me. Please don’t ruin it.” I hated begging but … if begging was required, begging is what I’d do.

We reached the sidewalk in front of the little cafe. He stopped and crossed his arms. “And why should I care?”

“Why should you …” I swallowed with some effort.

Don’t cry, don’t cry. Use your brain, not your emotions.

“I wouldn’t dream of asking you to care about me. I know that’s not in the cards.” I heard the bitterness in my voice, but I kept going. “But what about the people of Shipsvold … and the visitors? I can take what Jane’s built here and keep it alive, make it better, and by doing so, help this community by bringing in more tourist dollars and more festivities for the locals.” I offered a gracious smile. “Everyone wins.”

But he looked bored. “You meanyouwin. You haven’t asked thelocalswhat they want, have you?”

I opened my mouth to argue back, but I couldn’t. He was right, I hadn’t. But I could. “It’ll be a part of our process during and after the sale.Ifthere’s a sale.”

“And you think I’m standing in your way.” His lips twisted into a slight smile at that, but it wasn’t a friendly one.

My eyes narrowed to slits as I stepped a bit closer to him. “Oh, I know you are. And it needs to stop. Right now. Or I’ll—”

“Or what?” He licked his lips.

I scowled. Was this a game to him? Taunting me?

But before I could reply, I heard a feminine voice calling his name. We both turned to look, and a blonde woman was approaching.

He went to her immediately, throwing his arms around her.

Who was this woman? And why did her hair look perfect even in blowing snow? How did he know her? My stomach turned. It must have been the hangover nausea again. I stood there like an idiot, unsure whether our conversation was done—whether I wanted it to be.

Finally, she pulled away from him, laughing. “I’m starving, Terry,” she said, tugging on his arm.

He turned, looking at me briefly before turning back to her. “Well, I was—”

I spoke up, hoping my voice sounded polite and not the mushy pile of insecurity that I was experiencing right now. “I’ll leave you with your lunch date, Terry. Please consider my request.”

“Mari—”

The woman stepped closer, eyeing me with curiosity. “Terry, do you know her?” As she took in my undoubtedly disheveled appearance, her expression morphed into one of disdain.

And I realized who she was.

Blair.

The corners of his mouth turned down. “I … used to know her. So did you. This is Mariana. We … well, she worked at the resort that summer before Mom and Dad passed.”

Blair’s eyes widened, whether at the memory of her parents’ death or at the realization of who I was, I wasn’t sure. Then, with a shrug, she said, “I’m not sure I remember.”

“I remember you,” I said. Oh, did I remember her. She didn’t like me then, and it was clear she didn’t like me now. But she had her brother wrapped around her finger, and he hadn’t believed me back then when I’d told him she hated me. “She’s just a little reserved sometimes,” he had claimed. I'd given up trying to convince him. Instead of seeing her as the evil witch she was, he still looked up to his big sister. For whatever reason, she could do no wrong.

“How nice,” Blair said, her tone polite, her eyes anything but.

“Mariana actually owns the resort now,” he added. “Unlike us, she’s done quite well for herself in the last decade.” He said this with a slight laugh, but his sister didn’t join him.

“Indeed, I wouldn’t have thought …” I watched as her face changed again. She smiled brightly. “Well, we should have lunch sometime, Marian! Wouldn’t it be so fun to catch up?”

---