Page 64 of All I Want For Christmas Is You

He weighed his selfish desire for more time with her against the eight months of pain she’d just endured and realized she was right. The more time they spent together, the deeper the bond would grow.

With a hitch in her breath, she put her hand on his arm. “Goodbye, Beau. I’ve loved every minute with you.” And then, she turned and disappeared into the crowded, festive lobby.

Beau had never felt more lost.

At his core, he had a reliable compass that had never failed him. So, it made sense, when he headed up the stairs, that it went haywire. Because everything was wrong. His gut pulled tight with the knowledge he was moving in the wrong direction.

Turn around. Go to her.

Except…the last thing he wanted to do was make things harder for her.

And so, he had to go. He had no choice.

Once in the car, Beau called his daughter. Even though the heat was blasting, he felt a chill deep in his bones. Tires shushed on the slushy road.

“Merry Christmas, Dad.”

“Merry Christmas. Did the power come back on?”

“Finally. For real, I was frozen like a popsicle. I had on my parka, my robe, my blanket, and my roommate’s quilt. But the power kicked in around six in the morning.”

“Good, good.” What was Margot doing now? He tried to picture her at a table, digging into a freshly made waffle, chatting up the others at her table as she always did, but he couldn’t.

If she felt anything like he did, she’d gone back to her room. She was hurting. Missing him.

Fuck.

“You all right?” His daughter’s voice broke through his thoughts.

“Yeah, sure. Why?”

“You don’t sound good. You know Colt’s only two, right? He doesn’t know what day it is.”

“No, I know. I’m all right. I’m headed to the airport.”

“Wait, what?” He could hear her throwing the covers back and scrambling out of bed. “Dad. It’s a winter wonderland out there. How are you driving?”

“I’m not. My assistant booked me a ride and got me on a private jet.”

“It doesn’t look safe out there at all.”

“The lodge cleared their driveway first thing this morning, and the main roads look good.”

“Oh, okay. Are you stopping here first?”

“Yeah, of course. If the campus is cleared.”

“It’s not.” Her voice fell. “I’m looking out the window right now.”

That made sense. The university was closed for the holiday break, so plowing wouldn’t be a priority.

“How far away are you?” she asked. “I’ll get dressed and walk out to see you.”

“Jessa, no. Don’t do that. Hang on.” He lowered his phone to speak to the driver. “Change of plans. We can head straight to the airport.”

The man nodded in the rearview mirror.

“Wait, Dad. Are you sure? I want to hug you goodbye.”

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