Page 81 of Christmas with the Elkin Billionaires

Anna thought of all the times there’d been sticky problems dealing with clients, negotiations with vendors, that one time she’d managed to turn a client’s viral avalanche into sales. Over the years, she’d come to think of those things as part of the job and not anything to be especially shaken by. What would she say to a client who’d had a curveball thrown at them?Things happen. We’ll get through this.Well, things had happened. And she would get through it. But the next thing she did after reassuring her clients was to take action.

“You’re right,” she said softly. “I can at least try to fix this.”

“In the meantime, are you going to come over on Tuesday?”

Anna blinked at her. “Come over for what? And when’s Tuesday?”

Elena sighed. “You’ve really been out of it, haven’t you? It’s Sunday now. Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve. You’re invited to my family’s Christmas dinner, just like you always are.”

The dinner at Elena’s house would be a family affair, and a crumbling feeling in her chest told her she’d never get through it. Not unless—and until—things with Gabe were all patched up. Everything felt too sensitive and raw. Showering for a burger was one thing; getting dressed up for a Christmas dinner while she was supposed to be at Elk Lodge was quite another.Not this year.

“I—I don’t think so,” she admitted. “You know I love you and your family. I just don’t think—”

“It’s okay,” Elena said quickly. “There’s always next year, or really any year. I just need you to know that you’re welcome. No matter what happened in your past.”

Anna reached out and hugged her.

“I know you’ll figure things out,” Elena said into her hair. “You always do.”

“I think that’s what I’ll do on Christmas,” she said, letting a small smile escape. “Figure things out.”

“A gift to yourself.”

“Yes.” Anna laughed. “You didn’t just come for burgers, did you?”

“No way.” Elena released her and tucked her feet up under her on the sofa. “I came for movies, too. As long as you didn’t watch everything available on Netflix already.”

“Not everything,” Anna said. It would work out, she told herself as Elena browsed through Netflix, finally choosing a sci-fi movie with lots of aliens and no romance.

Before she hit play, she tilted her head to look at Elena. “You should know that your chocolate cake is way better than Chef Chris’s.”

“Wait. What? Does he have a restaurant there?”

Anna shook her head, feeling the tension in her shoulders lighten. “No, he’s good friends with Gabe’s younger brother and helped design their menus.” Elena seemed to glow at the compliment. “Oh, and did I mention that Gabe’s younger brother is Ace Elkin?”

Elena’s head whipped around so hard, Anna heard her neck crack. “Ace Elkin.TheAce Elkin?” Reaching for her wine glass, she took a sip, hiding her smirk behind the rim as her friend started and stopped multiple sentences before she finally shouted, “Oh my god, why didn’t you tell me this sooner? Please tell me you took pictures.”

Hitting play, Anna sat back to watch the movie while Elena continued to sputter.

Yes, it would all work out.

20

GABE

The cake looked ridiculous.

After his first attempt, he’d given up and called Chris Denton, asking him for help. After Chris finished laughing, he texted him a link to one of his videos that provides step-by-step instructions for making his chocolate cake. This was Gabe’s third version, and it still looked lopsided and fallen in.

He could still hear Chris’s voice talking about the different reasons why a cake might sink in the middle. Too much baking powder or baking soda? He had no idea. The oven was too hot? Possibly. Undermixing the cake batter? That couldn’t be it. If anything, he might have overmixed it. Throwing up his hands, he gave in. It wasn’t going to get better than this. At least, not in his current headspace.

This was the first one he’d bothered to frost, and the frosting wasn’t anywhere near perfect. His hands itched to make it exactly right—with perfectly straight edges and a flat top and impeccable piping on the sides, but perfection wasn’t what mattered. What mattered was showing that he’d listened. It was about showing Anna that he didn’t have to live within the old constraints of his family. Constraints that had fallen away after his grandmother’s conversation with him.

He turned the cake around on the makeshift stand one more time. “If you wait until it’s perfect, you’ll never leave,” he told himself aloud, feeling more than a little silly. But it was true. If he waited until he became a master baker to fly to Vegas, then he wouldn’t make it, and Anna would think she didn’t mean the world to him.

Gabe took his phone out of his pocket and dialed a familiar number. “Ready the plane.” It was Christmas Eve, and there wasn’t much time left before all the family traditions began. He hated activating the crew on Christmas Eve, but it couldn’t be helped. Hopefully, what he had to do wouldn’t take long, and they could be back with their families soon. He didn’t want Anna to miss the lodge’s festivities if he could help it.Hewouldn’t miss them if he could help it. But he would if that was what it took to get Anna back.

The cake felt like the most precious object he’d ever carried out of Elk Lodge. His one concession had been to borrow a cardboard box from the kitchen—they had lots of them for sending leftovers home from lodge weddings, and the bright red box was perfect for this time of year. Gabe held it on his lap all the way to the airport, where his private jet waited for him. The driver got out and opened the door, reaching for the box, but Gabe put his hands over it. “I’ve got it,” he said, not wanting anyone to take it.

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