Page 84 of Mail Order Christmas (Hawthorne Billionaire 5)

“You were both standing with that elf tonight and she looked like she was holding a familiar cell phone.” I looked from one to the other for any sign or reaction.

“Was there more to that?” Gunner asked.

“I don’t know, is there?” I never looked away, but he didn’t either.

“Wait, do you mean that girlie-looking phone? She found that phone on the buffet table,” Charlie smiled. “She gave it to the caterer.”

“It wasn’t her phone?” I asked.

“Not that I know of. She asked me if I knew whose it was.” Charlie yawned. “Did you know whose phone it was?”

“No, I was just curious.” I yawned from his yawn. “I thought I recognized it.”

“That’s because you know too many women, kid,” Gunner laughed. “You can’t keep them straight.”

“That’s pretty accurate. It gets exhausting.” I closed my eyes. “You should try being me some time.”

I must have dozed off on the ride because I woke to a voice in my hear.

“Hey, Romeo. Wake up, we’re here.” Charlie shook me. “Let’s go or we’re leaving you in the car.”

I slowly made my way to my room. I felt deflated knowing Apple thought I stood her up. Maybe the phone the elf found was mine and Apple left it there. She still hadn’t answered my text. I checked once more, then crawled under the covers and fell asleep.

“Go away,” I yelled to room service, “I don’t need anything.”

“Ash, it’s Sawyer. Let’s go. Get up, you’re late.”

I yanked my cell off the nightstand. Still no text from Apple. “I’m not going.”

“You have to go. You organized it,” Sawyer said, standing next to my bed and pulling my covers off. “I’ll take you in your boxers.”

“How did you get in my room?” I pulled the covers back on me.

“I don’t yell at room service to go away, so they like me,” Sawyer said. “I turned the shower on, you’re getting in it. What’s all this ‘I’m not going’ stuff?”

“I’m tired.” I covered my head. “You go.”

“Ash, I’m taking you dressed or not dressed. It’s Christmas Eve.” Sawyer pulled my feet. “Your decision how you go.”

“Fine, I’m getting up.”

I stomped to the shower and, ten minutes later, we were on our way to the limo. It wasn’t until we walked in and I saw all the families having fun on the motorized animals and seeing Santa that I remembered the elf would probably be there, too.

“Hey Apple, are you in the mall today?”

Nothing came back. I went the rest of the way into the mall. The workshop was packed with kids and elves, but none of them was the elf I was looking for.

Chapter 54

Paige

Victoria knocked on the office door while I was getting dressed. I opened the door to her smiling face.

“Paige, Gunner let me know this morning that you signed the contract. I wanted to be the first one to welcome you to the Hawthorne family and to fill you in on my ideas for this.” She gestured for me to sit down. “My son is just figuring out how much he wants a wife, like his siblings. I was going to wait but, when you came into the picture, I knew you were right for him.”

“Thank you, Victoria. I don’t think anyone has ever said that I was the right one for anyone.” I swiped at tears spilling over my cheeks. “If your son doesn’t know that he wants a wife, what happens to me?”

“You, my dear, will be his Christmas present.” She grinned ear to ear. “Well, his Christmas Eve present. I can’t keep you hidden under the bed ‘til Christmas morning.”

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