Page 66 of All I Want For Christmas Is You

“No, but you need a manager to run it.”

Blood pounded in his ears. “I don’t want her as an employee.” I want her as a wife.

Where the hell did that thought come from?

He barely knew her.

Marrying her—yes, that was ridiculous. But knowing himself well enough to know she was the right woman for him? Absolutely.

“Dad, seriously, now that you finally found her, are you really going to let her go?”

“No.” With his hand on the driver’s seat, he pulled himself forward. Make that a hell, no. He caught the driver’s eye in the mirror. “Turn the car around.”

The moment Beau entered the lobby, he spotted her in the coffee bar with her laptop, latte, and an untouched scone. Her wrists were perched on the edge of the table, but her fingers didn’t move on the keypad.

She looked unbearably sad.

I can fix that. He hadn’t moved that fast since high school football.

She glanced up as he approached. “Beau.” Her chair scraped back so quickly, it nearly tipped over. “Did something happen? Is Jessa all right?”

“No, she’s fine. But I want you to come with me.”

“Come with you where?”

“To Calamity.”

“What? You mean like on vacation?” She looked almost frantic with concern. “For New Year’s?”

“No. I mean move there.”

“You know I can’t do that.” But her voice wobbled, and she didn’t sound convinced.

He needed to calm down and make his pitch. “You can run your business anywhere, right?”

She barely nodded.

“Well, I have to hire someone to manage the mall. Why not you?”

“Because I don’t know the first thing about leasing?”

“The realtor will handle that. But you can come up with the concept and help us figure out what kinds of stores will work so far out of town. Look.” He reached for her hands and kissed her knuckles. “I just found you, Margot, and I’m not letting you go. And if that means I have to move into the lodge and run the mine from here, I’ll do that. All I know is I’m not getting on that plane without you. Do you feel the same way?”

“Yes.” The word came out in a whisper. “But—”

“There are no buts. We’re past the age of caring what anyone thinks. We’ve tried living by the rule book, and what did it get us? My wife walked out with my kids, and your husband left you penniless. It’s our turn now. We get to be happy.”

“Where will I live? I…” She glanced at the coffee bar where her aunt was talking to the barista. “I had a plan.”

“Are you willing to make a new one? To be with me?”

“You can’t pay me and be my boyfriend.”

“I’m not. I’m trading one of the spaces in the mall for a job as its manager. It can be your studio. And if you don’t want to live with me, you can have a room in the lodge. It’s nine minutes from my house, and that’s a hell of a lot closer than Merry Falls, North Carolina.” He studied her, needing to figure out if she would even consider his idea. “Do you want to do that?”

She was practically vibrating with energy. “But I live here.”

“Not anymore you don’t.” Her aunt slammed the laptop shut and thrust it at her. “I need your room back.” She gave her niece a meaningful look. “I’m kicking you out.”

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