Page 6 of His Christmas Promise

Chapter Three

Zoe

What’s going on? When I walked out of the hospital a few minutes ago and didn’t see my car, I started freaking out. Then I realized a car with a giant bow was parked in the same place I parked this morning. I step closer and realize my name is written on something in the front seat, so I walk around and set my flowers down before pulling open the door. For some reason, I expect it to be locked, so I’m surprised when it opens. I get the weird feeling that I’m on some hidden camera show or someone is about to jump out and yell something at me. No one does.

In the envelope are the bill of sale and the title with my name on both. There’s also a set of keys with a satin ribbon tied to the keychain. I get into the Jeep and sit behind the wheel, reading through the paperwork, realizing that according to the paperwork, this Jeep really belongs to me. As I’m shuffling through the paperwork, a red card falls into my lap.

Zoe Girl,

This Jeep is yours. I sold your car for you. The check is in here with the paperwork. You’ve worked so hard over the years, never asking for anything in return. You deserve this, and so more!

Alex

This is all too much. First, with the flowers and now with this. It’s a brand new Jeep. Lord, it must have cost close to forty thousand dollars. As much as I love it, I need to figure out a way to give it back to him. I grab my flowers and put them in the front seat, and drive home. I’ve never pushed him before, but it’s time he tells me how to contact him.

When I pull up to my apartment, I notice a carpet cleaning van pulled up to my sliding glass door. What the hell is going on now? Leaving the flowers in the Jeep, I get out and peek my head inside the apartment to see that it’s completely empty. It wasn’t the best apartment, but it was mine. Now everything I own is gone.

“Excuse me, Miss.” A man with coveralls on says, trying to get past me.

“Wait, why are you cleaning my apartment?” I ask him.

“Your apartment?” He asks, looking puzzled. “This unit is supposed to be empty.”

“No, you have to be mistaken.”

“There’s no mistake, Miss. When we pulled up an hour ago, there was nothing in there,” He says, nodding at the apartment.

I get back into the Jeep and immediately drive over to the office, storming in there to talk to the manager.

“Jen, what the hell is going on with my apartment? Why is there a carpet cleaning crew in my very empty apartment?”

Jen’s brows pull together. “What do you mean? I thought you were moving out today.”

“Why in the world would you think that?” I gasp.

Jen tilts her head to the side. Clearly, there are mixed messages going on. “Because your fiancé stopped by and told me you were moving. He gave me two months of rent and said you’d be out today. Is something wrong?”

“Yeah, I don’t have a fiancé.” I all but shout.

Jen’s eyes go wide. “Oh, shit. I’m so sorry, Zoe. He said he’d take care of everything.”

“What did he look like?”

Jen blushes. “Very handsome. Olive skin, over six feet tall, muscular, short black hair, thick brows and eyelashes, beautiful blue eyes.”

I haven’t seen him since he was eighteen, but that’s Alex to a T. “Was his name Alexander?”

“I’m not sure, maybe?” Jen says, looking worried. “I’m sorry I didn’t check with you.”

“It’s okay. I’ll figure it out,” I mumble, walking out of the office and back to the Jeep. When I get back in, I look through my paperwork again but don’t see anything saying I needed to go somewhere else, or when I got home, I’d be going home to nothing. I grab the card again to read over it. Thinking he might have said something more on the back, I turn it over. The only thing it says is PRESS HOME.

Press home? What the hell, Alex? I groan in frustration and look everywhere for a HOME button. Eventually, I press the GPS button, and a HOME button comes up on the screen. When I press it, the GPS starts giving me directions. Deciding I have nothing better to go on, I follow them. Fifteen minutes later, I’m pulling up to a picture-perfect home on the edge of Mistletoe.

The huge, one-story home is light blue and looks brand new. The huge front yard is covered in snow, and strings of Christmas lights adorn the roof with decorations in the yard and on the porch. It’s something I would have picked out for myself, but it looks as if someone is already living here.

I get out of the Jeep that I’m coming to love and walk up the shoveled sidewalk. There are lights on inside, but I don’t see anyone here. There’s a red envelope taped to the front door with my name on it. “Another note?” I grumble. Taking it off the door, I open it and pull out a white card.

Zoe Girl,

---