Page 336 of Screwged for Christmas

She still needed to find someone to take her place. Maybe Julie would fill in for her. She could ask. Make it a dual-purpose kind of meeting. If not, she needed to put her epic last-minute backup planning skills into practice and pronto.

Ivy climbed the stairs to her room as she dialed Juniper. It could go either way since she would be busy with wedding details for clients. But she no doubt helped get Ivy into this mess. Now her sister could help get Ivy out of it.

By early evening, as all the guests prepared for the festivities, Ivy had a full plan worked out as she stared into the Christmas tree lights. The Wilbers and the Howards had opted to leave early for the festivities in town while she waited for Julie.

They would go to town, on the trip she would coax her into helping her until Juniper arrived in two days and in time for the additional guests to arrive. Her gran, well, she wasn’t here to protest so she didn’t get a say in the matter.

They would avoid Aspen at all cost while out and she would return to Anchorage the same way she came. By cab. No talking needed. Goodbye Dixen. And Aspen. She had to focus on herself now. Keep her mind where it needed to be instead of fantasy land.

A knock came at the door and she turned from the Christmas tree in the living room. Odd. There hadn’t been any motor. Night had fallen and all the twinkle of lights shone out across the snow like a thousand angel halos.

Were more guests arriving?

She swung the door open.

“Aspen!”

She froze to the spot.

“Milady, your carriage awaits.”

Her heart melted into a puddle despite the cold.

Aspen, dressed in black jeans, an equally black sweater and polished black boots looked the perfect part of a hero. The scarf she’d knitted him in high school knotted around his neck.

A fireman hero and just for her with how his eyes hadn’t left hers since she opened the door.

Her ridiculously good-looking fireman bowed at the waist with a flourish of his gloved hand and pointed to something behind him. Long strands of hair slipped over his forehead with his grand gesturing.

She stepped outside and into his arms as he turned them to face the drive.

Aspen beamed at her before bending and placing a tender kiss on her with a fierceness she couldn’t ever get enough of.

She moaned as his lips crashed into hers and he growled a heated response. His large hands drew her closer and when they both finally came up for air she took his hands in hers, pulling him inside. They were alone again and if this was her last few hours in Dixen, she wanted to spend it with him. Ok, so she changed her mind. So someone sue her.

He strangled a laugh, not moving. “Baby, I have a better idea.”

He moved to the side and guided her down the front stairs that led off the porch.

The snow had stopped at some point in the evening and moonbeams broke through the clouds to lend a dreamy glow to the night.

“Aspen, I’m speechless! It’s beautiful.”

She felt the second her brain shut off and her heart took over. It was beyond beautiful. Stunning and done all for her?

But the pesky question ofwhycrept in.

She knew why. He wanted her to stay and was pulling out all the stops.

She stepped from Aspen’s side, drinking everything in as fast as they could. Silver chrome decorated the sides of a white horse-drawn sleigh tethered to the most beautiful and majestic Clydesdale she’d ever seen. Not even the ones on those old beer commercials came close to what stood in front of her this very second. Hadn’t she dreamed of a fairytale romance? Then why did she feel so unworthy of Aspen’s wonderful gesture? Why was she so scared of what it meant? Shouldn’t she want this happiness?

It boiled down to trust. Eight years was a long time to lose contact with someone. Wasn’t it? She didn’t know anymore. Not with how fast her heart beat just standing next to Aspen.

Lewis had really fucked with her mind and heart.

She turned, tears glittering in her eyes. She probably looked like a sap but she didn’t care. Scared or not she loved it. Loved him. Whether she wanted to admit it aloud or not.

Take that, Lewis. The hurt and the pain of her broken trust faded the longer she stared into Aspen’s warm eyes.

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