Page 39 of Miss Christmas

He would never forgive himself if he didn’t at least try. There was no way he wanted to be one of those old bachelors who sat around and brooded over the one that got away.

He wanted to be like George and his father and his uncle. The kind of man who had the great privilege to go through life with a loving partner. The love of his life, the woman of his dreams.

The one he was not going to let go—not without a hell of a fight.

After all, what did he have to lose? He was already as miserable as he’d ever been. Since he’d lost Tyler, he never thought he’d be so low. But here he was. Drinking shots of Knob Creek to drown his sorrows.

He stood and marched to his private washroom to shave his sorry face and make himself presentable. For Scarlet.

* * *

The room was decked out as if for a gala event. There was a head table. Scarlet figured it was for the Regal corporate people, like Margo—and Will. Her stomach flipped just thinking his name. There were tables for the contestants and their guests, and more tables for all manner of business partners, advertisers, and fashion industry people. And the media. Of course, Scarlet brought Dee with her. She held her friend’s hand as she dragged her to their empty table while most of the guests were enjoying cocktail hour.

“Ouch. Geez, Scar. Let up on the grip,” Dee said as she tried pulling her hand away.

Scarlet wasn’t ready to let go. She wasn’t ready to see Will yet. But she would and she would force herself to apologize.

Who the hell was she kidding? She was going to throw herself at his mercy and beg him to forgive her and to take her back, to resume their affair. Because there was the slimmest possibility, a peephole of a chance, that she might be falling for him.

And she had to tell him.

Her heart rose in her throat like a shot, feeling as big as a throbbing cannonball lodged high and choking her.

“What’s the matter with you? I always thought you were the coolest, bravest woman alive, but this week? Well, you’ve turned into a complete wreck.”

“I know.” But was this really her? Was this the woman Will had fallen in love with? No. She could hear Tiffany telling her to buck up. She wouldn’t be losing her career if she made room for Will in her heart.

But would she be losing her sister? If she gave her heart to Will? Would Tiffany fade away?

Worse, what would happen if she lost Will?

It doesn’t matter, Scarlet. If you don’t try, you’ve already lost him. And I’m not going anywhere. Ever.

Tiffany’s voice was so real in her head that she went still. Everything in her stilled. Her heart settled back in her chest and her stomach stopped churning.

“Scarlet? Are you listening to me? Let’s get a drink. I bet you could use one.”

She turned to Dee and smiled, sure and calm. “No drinking on the job for us contestants. That was one of the tidbits passed on by Will at his so-called workshop.”

“Well, I’m going to get a drink. Are you coming with me?”

“No. You go ahead. I’m all right now.”

Dee gave her a once-over and considered. “I suppose you are.” She shrugged, then headed for the crowd at the bar. Looking around the room while people filtered in, she had no idea who they all were. This dinner was for media exposure again. There would be a presentation of the award for the most congenial contestant and a showing of a video featuring each of them. It had taken the better part of the week to shoot the videos. The only way Scarlet had been fit for a camera after all her crying was the expert makeup work of Dee and her enemy-turned-new-best-friend Heather.

Now she took one more big breath, smoothed the slinky black dress that had been provided by Regal’s, and surveyed the room, looking for Will. She walked out the side door because she couldn’t sit still and couldn’t bear to make small talk, and found herself in the corridor to the rest rooms. A tingling sensation went through her like a cool breeze, leaving her skin with goose bumps. She turned around and there he was.

Will Regal stood ten feet from her in a dark suit, looking like Prince Charming. And he was staring at her with deep, intense purpose. Her heart gave one small lurch, but then she calmed and walked to him.

“You look beautiful, Scarlet.” His voice was husky, and a pang of regret at the hurt she’d caused knifed through her, making her more determined that she would make it up to him. In spades.

She reached him and whispered, “So do you.” The small twitch at the corner of his mouth made her tipsy with pleasure and she pushed into his arms, wrapping herself around him, breathing in his heady scent.

He held her tight, his head buried in her hair, and spoke close to her ear in a quiet voice. “Does this mean I have you back?”

She sobbed the words, rushing them, kissing him in between.

“Yes, I’m back,” she sobbed, kissing him again. “We can resume our torrid affair and you can keep me as long as you want.” She sounded rash, crazy, like maybe she’d gone too far.