“Colton?”
Fitz shook his head. “Colton is the shipping billionaire. The other billionaire. The people gathering billionaire.”
“Gio? You think he can do something?”
“If anyone can bring large groups of people together, it’s him.”
“Taking a Christmas vacation in a small mountain town isn’t exactly charity work.”
“I’ll talk to Gio about it tonight. Right now, I have a different challenge on my hands.” He sighed and took another sip of wine.
“Can I help?” Jack asked.
“Not unless you know how to get Merry in the same room as Noel without blowing a fuse.”
“Well, you may have noticed, but I know a thing or two about fuses.” Jack waggled his eyebrows, and Fitz laughed.
“The only time Merry didn’t run off or fall over was when he first moved in, and Noel was called in to fix his garbage disposal.”
Jack thanked the waiter for his food and popped a perfectly crisp french fry in his mouth. “I think I have an idea. But it’ll mean asking Ace for help.” He tried not to laugh when Fitz stilled, his glass halfway to his mouth.
“Is that really our only option?”
Jack shrugged. “How desperate are you?”
“Ugh, very.” Fitz swallowed the contents of his glass in three gulps. He put his glass down. “Okay. Do it.”
“Great. I’ll talk to him about it.”
They ate dinner, talking and laughing. Jack couldn’t remember the last time they’d gone out to dinner or had a date night. What did it say about how he’d been treating Fitz that he couldn’t remember them spending any time together?
When dessert came, Jack reached across the table and took Fitz’s hand. “Baby, I am so sorry.”
Fitz smiled warmly, love in his eyes. “You don’t need to keep apologizing, Jack.”
“But I do. I took what we had for granted. Tookyoufor granted.”
Fitz squeezed his hand. “You can make it up to me tonight with a hot cocoa.”
“Deal.” However, he intended to make it up to Fitz in more significant ways, like making good on his word about working fewer hours.
They finished dessert and were soon on their way to the market square. Jack had been so busy with the Ice Castle that this was the first he’d seen of it. He hadn’t even known the town had a town square or market. It was decently sized for a town as small as Winterhaven, with dozens of red-roofed wood stalls decorated beautifully.
Everyone gathered before the small stage at the base of the giant Christmas tree, waiting for the big event. Jack and Fitz joined their family, thanking Laz for bringing Duchess. She was so happy to see them it looked like her poufy tail might fly off her butt. While everyone waited, Jack tugged at Joker’s coat sleeve and pulled him to one side.
“I’m sorry I was such a dick,” Jack said. “You were right about everything, and I was an ass. I know you were worried.” He smiled wickedly. “Because you love me.”
Joker snorted. “I tolerate you at best.”
“I’ll apologize to Gio. He must think I’m such an asshole.” Jack knew his best friend. He would have talked to Gio about what happened, and Jack didn’t blame him.
“First of all, Gio knows us all very well by now. Secondly, you know he’s more worried about you than whatever you said in the heat of the moment. He’s been worried about you, too.”
That was true. Gio was such a genuine guy. Sweet, honest, and selfless. Even if, at times, he was about as great at taking care of himself as Jack. At least he had Joker to help him work on it.
Clara walked onto the stage, and everyone quieted down. “Thank you all so much for joining us tonight for the unveiling. Just a short time ago, our small town had been forced to cancel its most joyous celebration of the year. But thanks to our new friends and all of you, I’m proud to announce the commencement of this year’s Winterhaven holiday season!”
Everyone cheered and applauded. Clara pulled a two-way radio from her coat pocket and said something. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” burst from the speakers just as the lights turned on all around them. The crowd gasped and cheered. It was incredible.
