Page 335 of Screwged for Christmas

Twenty-four hours until Christmas Eve. It promised to be another day of endless snow. Ivy had not slept a wink all night. After everyone left and the entire household went to bed she used the time to do the last few jobs on her gran’s list.

She flicked a quick look at the clock on the coffee machine. Green numbers blinked the early morning hour. Fourteen hours until she was back in Anchorage and on a plane. With the plans already set in motion, it would be hard to stay. Even if what Aspen said made sense. A stir or anticipation sent a flush of goosebumps over her skin at remembering what he’d said. He’d find a way to convince her to stay.

But she had to keep her feet on the ground and right now she still had a few things to take care of. Like finding someone to take her place as hostess so she could leave.

Her heart raced even now as the sun burst across the morning sky to chase away the shadows. But she didn’t feel any of the brightness that came with the morning light.

Leaving hurt.

A small pang of guilt burst through the shadows of her thoughts. Grabbing her phone, Ivy read over her sister’s text that came in the previous night and she’d missed.

Hope you and Aspen are making out, having dirty raunchy under the Christmas tree sex.

Two strings of emojis followed.

“Love is for saps,” she said to Max as he rolled over to his back and whined for some attention. She slid from the stool, unable to refuse the big lug a belly rub. “I’ll miss you, buddy, but it’s for the best. You agree, don’t you?” She sighed, not really sure what kind of answer she intended to find. “What does a dog know?”

Max turned his head up. “You’re probably smarter than all of us dumb humans, aren’t you, boy.” She patted his head and stood when the house phone rang.

A strange number popped up. “Hello, Merry Christmas.” Though there was not a damn thing merry about it, she gave the spiel all the same.

“Ivy! Thank God I caught you!”

“Julie? Morning. Is everything okay?”

“Of course, I’m sorry. Did I wake you? I keep forgetting not everybody keeps my crazy hours.”

“You’re fine. I was up packing anyway.” Which wasn’t a lie. She just hadn’t started yet but had it in her planner, which made it practically truth.

“OH! You can’t leave. Not today. It’s the Dixcemberfest and you’ve missed so many. Come on, you’ll kick yourself if you miss it.”

Crap. She forgot. “I know, but when work calls…” Her poor excuse sounded lame even to her.

“Listen, what time is your flight?”

“Nine tonight. New York bound.” She would be a day early but she could use the time to collect her thoughts and do some needed research on the new job and get her gears changed from small town to big city. And cleanse her brain of Aspen, which would probably take a forklift for all the memories he drudged up, and a case of wine, some time with her battery boyfriend and probably a few crying sessions.

“Perfect.”

“It is?”

“Yep, I’ll be there at five. We can spend a little time together at the festivities and then if you still want to leave I’ll personally drive you to the airport in Anchorage myself.”

“There’s no if, Julie.”

“Pleeeease, Ivy. Will you do this for me?”

She nibbled at her lip and Max looked up at her with his big brown eyes.

“Okay. Fine, but—”

“Yes!” Julie cut in.

“But a couple of hours and that’s it.”

“You bet. See you at five. Oh, and Ivy. Wear something warm, okay?”

They disconnected and Ivy flipped her planner open and penned in the girl time and then closed the pages with a sigh.

---