Page 41 of A Cozy Kind of Christmas
He tipped his head to the side, considering his words. “Yeah, I know, sometimes it’s a lot to be working together. It gets hard not to let work seep into everything else.”
“It’s like with me and Owen,” she said, trying to keep her emotions in check. “When you spend nearly every waking minute with each other, it’s important to carve out space for yourself.” She glanced in his direction, where he was teaching a group of Matt’s Bend friends an Irish drinking song. Their arms were locked together as they swayed side to side with their pint glasses.
“Yeah, I guess I’m trying to figure that part out.” Matt exhaled slowly. “Lucinda and I have spent a lot of time together lately, and I don’t know… I’m not sure. Maybe it’s too much.” He took a long, slow drink of his beer and leaned closer. “But hey, is everything cool with you and Owen? I love the guy, but it sounds like van life might be getting a little claustrophobic?”
“Something like that.” She caught Meg’s eye and waved. “It’s weird, the three of us being together again. I guess it kind of has me questioning what’s next.” That much was true, but she was leaving out the important part. “You know, it’s like almost a decade has gone by in the blink of an eye, and now, suddenly, we’re all thirty. To tell you the truth, I thought we might be married and having babies by now, but I’m still figuring it out. I keep waiting for the moment where I finally feel like an adult, but it hasn’t come.” She wanted to say more, but this was Matt’s birthday weekend. It wasn’t fair to dump her problems on him.
“Yeah, tell me about it.” Matt didn’t tear his gaze away from Meg. “We’re all back together for less than a few hours, and I’m questioning everything. Like everything. My life choices. My future. Everything.”
TWENTY-SIX
JOHANNA
The mountain retreat was charming, quaint, homey, something out of a postcard, but the snowy bonfire and cozy couples huddled up under blankets only made her think of Connor.
Her rival.
Her adversary.
He wouldn’t stop.
What was the deal with never-ending texts?
Like blowing up her phone with apologies and crying emojis would make up for going behind her back and snatching a promotion right from her fingers.
He was acting like a lovesick teenager, not a grown-ass man who was trying to land a coveted role—her role—to take over ESPN’s new department.
He wasn’t serious anyway.
The flowers, the texts, they were just an attempt to make sure she remained in his clutches.
He didn’t love her. He loved himself and couldn’t handle the fact that a powerful woman like Johanna had turned him down.
They’d had some fun, but that was over.
“So, what do you think of Bend?” a voice asked. She turned to see Matt standing behind her chair. No wonder Meg had a thingfor him. He gave off a certain all-American, wholesome vibe with a touch of Oregon hippie-mountain man mixed in.
Not Johanna’s type. But Meg’s? Oh, yeah—without a doubt.
“Is this seat open?” Matt pointed to the empty chair next to her. “I’ve been waiting for a chance to get to chat, but before I do, can I get you anything? A refill?” He nodded to her empty mug. “What are you drinking?”
“A mulled cider, but don’t go to any trouble.” She tried to stop him, but his reflexes were too quick.
“It’s no trouble.” Matt deftly swiped her glass and was back in a flash with a fresh drink and a plate of snacks before she could even blink. “Just in case we need sustenance. I have like a zillion questions for you.”
Johanna felt like she already knew Matt. Meg had described him as a modern-day Boy Scout, which fit. There was a certain earnestness about him that was a rarity in the guys she met in the city. He was the kind of guy who would know how to change a tire or show up two hours early at the airport even though he’d checked in for the flight online and had TSA pre-check. The guy definitely knew how to scrub a bathroom, make a mean omelet, and bring you homemade chicken soup in bed on a rainy Sunday.
“I never turn down sustenance, especially if it involves chocolate. And if you want the juicy inside scoop on ESPN and Meg Reed, then keep hooking me with chocolate, and you just might get in my good graces,” Johanna said, plucking a chocolate-covered strawberry from the plate and biting into the juicy fruit.
“Noted. Chocolate. Check and check.” Matt made a checkmark with his finger.
“Lucinda is the ultimate hostess,” Johanna said, savoring the rich chocolatey berry.
“Yeah, it’s kind of her thing.” Matt’s gaze drifted toward his girlfriend, whose lilting laugh filled the brisk night air.
“You’re lucky to have someone shower so much on you.” Johanna licked chocolate from her lip, gauging his reaction closely.
“That’s what the Hinton family does. They want everyone on staff at Blazen to feel like family. It’s almost like once you start working for Blazen, you end up married to the company.” Matt glanced toward Lucinda. “I appreciate the party, and Luce has put a ton of work into the weekend, but it’s a lot. If it were up to me, we’d all just hang, grab some beers, maybe hit the snowshoe trails, but the company has other agendas.”
