Page 85 of The Jinglebell War
I push down the hurt and the sorrow and lead Mav into my office. “I’ve got an overnight snowmobiling tour starting at six. It would be a good way for you to get the lay of the land. Think you’re up for it?”
Mav drops his bag on the floor and Barry immediately hurries over to sniff it. “Want to talk about what happened with Blue first?”
“Nope. I just want to get to work. This business doesn’t run itself.”
Mav bends to pet Barry’s head. “Uh-huh. Just tell me where you need me. I’m here for you, brother.”
I give him the rundown and I pretend I’m happy. I pretend I haven’t just thrown away the one person who means more to me than anyone else. I pretend my heart isn’t shattering in my chest.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Blue
The plane lands and I turn my phone on to see fifteen new texts from Garrick. I delete them and block him.
I’m two steps from the entrance to the airport, bag in hand, when I hear two of my favorite people shouting my name.
I barely have time to spin around and look for them before I’m engulfed in a warm hug.
“How’s your heart, darling?” Marcus asks.
“It hurts.”
“He’s an asshole,” Francis says. “We’re going to make him pay for hurting you.”
“By putting on the best festival that town has ever seen.” Marcus pulls out of the hug and wraps an arm around me as we walk out of the terminal toward the parking garage.
Las Vegas, even in December, is hot. And it feels hotter after Yuletide. It’s a slap in the face I expected to enjoy, but it pushes down on me. The sun’s too bright, the air’s too dry, the terminal is too noisy.
When I got on the plane, I expected to be so happy to be back I could be okay with the possibility of losing my job as mayor and having to move back to Vegas, but this place doesn’t feel like home anymore.
It’ll be fine. I just need to get to the strip and settle in. Vegas is the most vibrant city I’ve ever lived in or visited. It’ll suck me back in like it always has before.
“And making sure everyone knows he had nothing to do with it,” I say. It probably won’t matter. The town hates me. But I’ve never backed out of a job I’ve promised to do, and I’m not about to start now.
“We’ll go back to our place, get gussied up, and head out,” Francis says.
That sounds like exactly what I need, but I’m a grown-up now and I need to be responsible. “I have to be back in the office on Monday. I need to spend every minute I’m here persuading the right people to help me out with this festival.”
Francis looks at me like I’m silly. “We can’t do that at home. We’re going to go out and find the right performers for your festival, baby doll.”
“Oh, okay. That makes sense.”
When we get to their truck, I’m shocked to see Peach and Cherry standing next to it.
“Um, guys, what are my sister and my cousin doing here?” Especially since Cherry’s supposed to be babysitting Lilith. That temperamental beast has actually dug her tiny claws into my heart. I don’t want her being left alone with a grumpy Xavier who barely tolerates her.
“They’re spending the weekend with us,” Marcus says, all innocence. “We called them right after you called us and they came a day early.”
“But I’m not going to have time to hang out. This is a working visit.”
“We know,” Marcus says. “Which is why you’re going to apologize to them for meddling and ask them for help.”
I stop in my tracks, about twenty feet from my sister and my cousin. “I can’t ask them for help. This is Cherry’s busiest season and Peach has a wedding to plan.” I’m not supposed to ask them for help. I’m supposed to help them.
Marcus spins me to face him. “If you want to mend your relationship with your sister, you need to show her you don’t see her as the helpless girl she used to be. You have to let her help you.”
I do not like this. I glance over at my sister, who’s smiling like she’s happy to see me. My stomach sinks. I want to run away and I’m not sure why. “She’s not supposed to help me.”
