Holiday for HIre(24)

Silly thing was, she didn’t care about winning anyone’s favor anymore except Ian’s. If she tried hard enough to make amends, maybe she could have him back. And, oh, wouldn’t that make a wonderful life ?

Suddenly, she wanted that life more than anything. Wanted it now. She had to see him .

She bolted off the sofa and was halfway up the stairs to change her clothes when she realized the fatal flaw in her plan—in both her plans: she didn’t have his address .

Okay. That was fine. It probably was best she didn’t show up out of the blue anyway. He most likely would be hesitant to see her, and a face-to-face encounter, in front of his family, no less, could be really awkward .

She could call him .

But again, she wasn’t sure he’d even pick up, and she’d be beyond devastated if he sent her directly to voicemail .

So, still in her PJs, she sat at her computer and opened up her email. She clicked Compose , and, after filling in his address on the recipient’s line, she typed a message comprised of the three hardest words to say: I was wrong .



*

B y the following afternoon, Jane still had no response from Ian. Not a call, not a text, not a simple reply to her email to say he’d received it .

The pain in her chest had moved to a pain all over .

No question about it—she was heartbroken. She missed the man. Terribly. She ached with how much she wanted to see him .

But she ached even more for the way she’d treated him. She must have hurt him even more than she’d realized. Otherwise he wouldn’t have disregarded her so easily .

Outside, the snow fell softly. She’d always loved it when it snowed on Christmas Eve. It made the magic of the day feel even more real. Later tonight, when it got dark, she’d light the candles and read The Night Before Christmas like she always did, but for the first time in her life, she wasn’t looking forward to it. It sounded like the loneliest way to spend an evening. How had she never noticed this before ?

She should have just gone to Andy and Blake’s wedding .

She still could .

Now that was an idea .

She hadn’t mailed the gift like she’d intended, deciding the post office would be too crazy before the holiday. Now it sat wrapped by the door, beckoning her. And she had a dress—she’d settled on the red with the white fur wrap. She was the first to admit it looked exceptionally good with her coloring. There was no reason it should go to waste .

Besides, what was she going to do if she stayed home? Mope ?

Probably. Unless Mr. Jacobson convinced her to go to the Hallelujah Chorus singalong at his church, though then she’d still be moping, just with a choir behind her .

So. . .should she ?

Going to the wedding alone would be awkward and humiliating .

Yes, she’d recognized that she put too much importance on social acceptance, but that realization hadn’t changed her overnight. She still cared what people thought and people might judge her if she went alone. Even if they weren’t judging her, she’d assume they were. She probably deserved that. Deserved to feel not good enough. Deserved to feel the way she’d made Ian feel all those weeks that she poked at him about this or that .

So she’d go. She’d hold her head high, and she’d accept her punishment .

She took her time getting ready, perfecting her makeup, curling her hair. When she was done, she stood in front of her full-length mirror and wished Ian could see her. Her outfit would have paired so perfectly with his, and they would have been the best-looking couple at the wedding .

What she wouldn’t do to be with him right now .

She thought about how she’d first met him, how he’d told her that Christmas magic was real. It was so silly, and she still didn’t believe in it. But, out of missing him, she closed her eyes and wished for him. Wished for him with all her might .

When she opened her eyes, she was still alone. As she’d expected. Just in case, though, she opened her phone and checked for a message from him .

There was nothing .

The doorbell rang. Jane looked at her watch. Her car was early. She scurried to get her clutch and rush downstairs, calling out as she did, “I’ll be right there !”

In the foyer, she pulled her fur wrap tighter around her, and with the wedding gift tucked under her arm, she opened the door .

Then, for the first time in days, she smiled. Because, it wasn’t her driver standing on her stoop, but Ian .





10





“I an!” Jane barely had his name out before she rushed to embrace him, wedding gift and all .

He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her. “And hello to you, too.” He spoke in his normal dialect, and she sighed into the sound, loving it. Loving him .

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she choked into his double-breasted overcoat she’d purchased for him. Her eyes were teary. She needed to stop the waterworks or her mascara was going to be ruined .

“Sure, I’m here. We have a wedding to go to .”

Jane pulled back to look at him. “You still want to go? After last Saturday, I’d figured you’d quit.” Her intention with that email she’d sent wasn’t to get him to change his mind about going tonight. But sure enough, she could see a hint of the suit she’d purchased underneath the collar of his coat .