Page 45 of A Cozy Kind of Christmas
How ironic. She didn’t even want this assignment.
And now the dazzling Connor Howard was coming for her job.
Well, fine, come for it. She was ready to fight.
TWENTY-EIGHT
JOHANNA
Johanna awoke to moonlight creeping in through the slats in her wooden shutters. It was way too early, but there was no chance she could go back to sleep, so she tugged on her winter gear and trudged to the lodge.
It was blissfully peaceful at this early hour.
Brunch was set up in the lobby, and a fire blazed, casting a golden glow on the delicious array of breakfast treats. The smell of strong coffee and bacon roused her senses.
She poured herself a cup of freshly brewed coffee, added a splash of cream, and slathered butter on a slice of warm cinnamon bread. She found a table near the fire and waited for Meg. They’d agreed to meet in the lodge last night. The first snocross race was slotted for 9:00 a.m., but according to maps, it would take forty minutes to get to the track, and they needed to check in at the press tent.
Connor must have finally gotten the message because there were no new texts or missed calls.
Good.
It was about time.
But why did she feel the tiniest hint of disappointment?
This was how sick and twisted their situationship had become.
She needed a cleanse. Maybe a long weekend in the snowy Oregon mountains wasn’t long enough. Maybe it was time for her to walk away. Forget about the job. Forget about Connor.
She could extend her stay—take a long sabbatical, think about her next move, plot her revenge.
Let’s see them try to run the station without her.
Good luck.
Maybe she just wouldn’t show on Monday morning and let them sweat.
No, she wouldn’t give Connor the satisfaction.
She nursed the coffee, enjoying the touch of holiday notes—sweet spices and cinnamon. The lodge was decked out with fresh garlands, twinkle lights, bundles of Christmas roses, and buffalo plaid pillows—rustic meets elegant.
She made the mistake of opening her email just to check and double-check the race schedule.
Big mistake.
The subject line stopped her cold:Hiring announcement! Connor Howard to lead new division.
What?
That was it?
No heads-up?
No second round of interviews?
Not the courtesy of a conversation after everything she’d given them?
They’d made their decision.
