Page 97 of All I Want For Christmas Is You

Oddly, Petra wasn’t sitting beside him. Had her ex decided it would be best for his daughter if his sidepiece didn’t come?

You know what? I don’t care. After the initial blow of seeing him, she realized she didn’t feel much of anything. She wouldn’t want him back. Not for anything.

The man was exhausting. And the passion? It was never there. And she only knew that now because she had Beau.

Did she have Beau?

God, he’d been so cold. She’d never forget that moment he’d stepped aside to let her out the door or the finality in his words. “Goodbye, Margot.” With a flick of a switch, he’d gone from panicked to stone cold.

She knew her daughter had entered when a gasp passed through the church and everyone got to their feet. Emerson hadn’t wanted her dad to walk her down the aisle—in fact, she’d preferred to have her mom do it, but she hadn’t wanted the fallout—so she walked alone.

Her gaze was fixed on her groom, her eyes lit with a lifetime of possibilities with this man who cared for her so deeply.

Her ex had tossed her aside, and Beau said I love you one day and Goodbye, Margot the next, so what were feelings anyway but a momentary response to a situation? Sure, Beau had massive stress. His entire livelihood plus that of his employees was threatened—and no, she didn’t take that lightly—but to shut down his emotions for her so completely? That was scary.

She hoped with all her heart Emerson didn’t experience the end of Noah’s love.

Oh, my God. Stop it.

It’s her wedding.

Her daughter was absolutely radiant, her whole being focused on her groom, and there was no room for negativity. Today was about joy and love, and she would put aside her own heartache to be fully here for her daughter.

A young woman sang “Simply The Best,” and the lyrics resonated with her deeply. She could relate to each and every sentiment.

My heart’s on fire.

Take my heart and make it strong.

She’d walked away from Beau and left behind her heart and soul.

What have I done?

How could I leave the only man who sees me, knows me, and truly loves me?

He hadn’t gone cold because he’d lost feelings, but because she’d hurt him. She’d given up. She saw him as this sturdy, powerful man, but he was broken, too. His wife had walked away, taking their children.

Well, there you go. We did it again. They’d let their past wounds kill their future together. Margot had assigned Beau with the same self-focus she’d experienced from her ex, but where Scott had taken everything she’d offered, Beau gave her the tools to succeed. He was helping her fulfill her dreams. He’d given her a studio—who else has ever done that? She hadn’t even done it for herself.

Awareness hit, arming her with certainty. Emerson was right. It was her nature to take care of people. It wasn’t a flaw. In any conversation, she went right to the heart of the matter. Some people liked it, while others found it off-putting. They thought she was nosy, but they misunderstood. She truly cared about their relationships, their hopes and dreams.

She wanted her life with Beau. Fiercely. Would he take her back? Or by pressing the bruise his ex had left, had she lost his trust for good?

Emerson reached the first pew. As she handed the bridal bouquet to her mom, her dad got up from his seat across the aisle to come and kiss her on the cheek. Her daughter stiffened—she’d made it clear she didn’t want her dad involved in any way—and Margot wouldn’t tolerate her sweet girl’s discomfort, so she took the bouquet and smiled, nodding for her to continue to the altar. Emerson turned away as though her dad was nothing but a ghost.

As Margot watched the couple exchange vows, the scent of the pale pink, orange, and yellow plumeria filled her senses, and the velvety petals of the bright pink stargazer stretched open as if it couldn’t contain its joy.

She thought about something her daughter had said right before they’d left the bridal suite.

“If a career was so important to you, you wouldn’t have been a stay-at-home mom. You want to know who you are? Look at your actions. Look at your choices. You love to take care of people, and that’s a beautiful thing.”

Her daughter was a smart woman.

She closed her eyes and breathed in the sweetly scented flowers.

How do I fix this? Beau lives three thousand miles away. I can’t fly all the way back, rent a car, show up on his doorstep, and beg him to take me back.

She’d start with a phone call. An apology. It was just his tone had been so final. So intimidating.

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