“What?”

  “It’s a whole other level. Nother isn’t a word.”

  Olivia stared at him, not moving, and for a moment, he wondered if he’d said something wrong. Then she threw back her head and laughed. “That is so unlike you. We’re having fun, and you have to stop to tell me that the way I’m speaking isn’t correct? I thought you were the fun one and I was the serious one.”

  “I’m fun,” he argued, suddenly feeling small. “And you’re right. You are the immovable object that I had to spend thirteen hours convincing it would be fun to cliff dive with me.”

  “Yeah? Well, that’s changed. I’ll have you know that I live by a new set of rules.”

  “Really? Do tell. What kind of rules might that be?”

  She folded her arms and smirked at him. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

  “I don’t think you are telling the truth. I think this is just a ploy to make me feel bad about correcting your speech.”

  Olivia huffed, but the humor was clear from the way her eyes sparkled and her grin stretched even wider. “Oh, I’m definitely the fun one. If I told you to get on a horse and go for a night ride with me, would you do it?”

  “Of course I would.” He said it without hesitation—probably because he was caught up in the moment, but mostly because he wanted to call her bluff. The Olivia he knew would never have done something so spontaneous. That was why being a chef suited her. He could see the way she relished the control she had in the kitchen.

  If she went through with this ride, she’d be throwing caution to the wind in more than one way.

  Her confidence faltered. Even in the dim lighting, he could see her eye twitch again. She was losing her resolve.

  “If you’re not willing⁠—”

  “Oh, I’m willing.” Olivia marched over to the saddles that were displayed a few feet away. She hoisted one off of the rack and stumbled toward the horse stalls. When he offered to take it from her, she shook her head sharply. “What? You don’t think I can handle it?”

  No attempt to hide his grin would have done a lick of good. This was amazing—witnessing yet another side of the woman he’d loved do something so out of character out of pure stubbornness.

  In no time, she was up in the saddle and pointing toward the door. “Watch this.”

  Her heels dug into the animal, which lurched forward. Alex chased after her and stopped just outside of the barn as she rode her steed under the pale moonlight. There were bells on the reins, just like the garland, and if it weren’t for them, he might have lost track of her.

  She was a vision, chaos mingling with serenity.

  And it only lasted for about thirty seconds.

  Something rustled in a nearby bush, and Sugar reared up onto his hind legs. Olivia screamed as she tumbled backward.

  Alex didn’t have much time to think about what he was going to do before instinct kicked in and he darted toward her. By the time he got to her side, she was lying on her back, staring up at the sky and coughing.

  He knelt beside her, his hands hovering in the air. He wasn’t even sure if he should touch her in case she’d broken something. His heart thundered with a brand of fear he’d never experienced before. “Are you okay? Is anything broken?”

  She twisted her head around and gave him a flat look. “I fell from a horse,” she wheezed as she attempted to get into a seated position. “I’m fine.”

  “You’ve never read the statistics of injuries during the rodeo, and it shows.”

  Once again, she stared at him as if he’d grown a horn and told her he was part unicorn.

  Alex laughed uneasily. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel dumb.”

  “Well, I was dumb. I shouldn’t have picked Sugar.”

  “Yeah, he wasn’t very sweet, was he?”

  There was a brief moment of absolute silence before Olivia let out a raucous laugh. “That’s terrible.” Then she grimaced as she held her side.

  “Apparently, it’s not as bad as you say it is, or you wouldn’t be laughing.” He grinned, secretly loving just how easy it had been to make her laugh. Once upon a time, that had been one of the things he’d excelled at. It was nice he hadn’t lost his touch. “Here, let me help you up.” He held out his hand, and she took it.

  With one swift motion, he pulled her to her feet. Apparently, he’d used just a little too much strength, because the second she was upright, their bodies collided. Out of habit, his hands came around her waist.

  They stared at each other with surprise. For a brief moment, he lost all reason, and his thoughts went haywire. He could kiss her right now, get it out of the way and prove to them both that they weren’t meant for each other—that they could just remain friends.

  Or he could follow through with a kiss and realize that the reason he’d never clicked with anyone else was that he’d been one of the lucky ones to find his soulmate early on in life.

  Time slowed as his eyes dipped lower to her mouth. The moonlight reflected off her pale skin and the shine of her lips. He was already close. It would only take a few inches more, and then he could steal that which he’d dreamed about for what felt like an eternity.

  Just one. That was all he’d take.

  What could go wrong?

  Then out of nowhere, Sugar nudged his arm—hard. He blinked, losing his focus as he stumbled a step away from Olivia. When he glanced back in her direction, she was walking gingerly back to the barn. “Will you grab him for me?” she called. “We need to put him back in his stall.”

  Chapter Nine

  Not fair.

  This whole situation Olivia had found herself in wasn’t fair at all. She wasn’t supposed to be getting caught up in what might have been. She had a holiday and a wedding to prepare for. There wasn’t any time to let her heart take over.

  What had gotten into her?

  Alex, that was what.

  Alex, plain and simple. He was still the same good guy she’d loved when they were younger. He was still the sweetest, funniest man she’d ever dated. There was a reason she’d broken up with him, and she still refused to regret that decision.

  Hadn’t he ended up with a great career? If they had stayed together, there was a strong chance neither one of them would have ended up where they had. She loved her job—her life. And he seemed to feel the same about his.

  She released a groan as she stomped into the barn and steeled herself for his arrival with the horse. All she needed was a few minutes to collect herself. No relationship. Alex would be leaving by the end of the month anyway.

  But then he sauntered into the barn with Sugar, and all her defenses slipped away like the lingering scent of peppermint tea in the evenings.

  He was the most rugged noncowboy she had ever seen. And every part of her body reacted when he was around.

  What she wouldn’t give for some mistletoe right about now.

  Her cheeks warmed at the thought. Thank goodness he would probably assume any coloring in her cheeks came from the bite in the air.

  His brows furrowed as he walked Sugar into his stall. Alex peered at her closer, and she thought for sure he’d see everything that was written plain as day on her face. There was no way he couldn’t see that her feelings for him had returned.

  Dang it all. She was supposed to be stronger than this. What had happened to her clearheaded nature?

  “Are you okay?”

  She brought her hands to her cheeks, turning them so the backs touched the warmth that emanated from her face. “You asked me that already.”

  “I know. But you look a little flushed.”

  She’d called that one.

  Olivia jerked her head toward Sugar. “You think you can handle getting the saddle? There’s a stitch in my side, and I’m not sure I can heft that thing up high enough.”

  “Sure, but⁠—”

  Her laugh not only felt forced but sounded that way too. “I’ll say it again, Alex. I’m fine.”

  Without considering the consequences of her actions, she moved into the stall with him, making it feel ten times smaller. He’d turned toward her for reasons she couldn’t quite figure out, and at that exact moment, Sugar sidestepped and bumped Alex into her.

  His hand shot out, slamming against the wall in their cramped space, directly above her shoulder. He stared down at her, and his lips quirked upward. “We have to stop meeting like this,” he whispered.

  Olivia’s eyes widened, and she sucked in a sharp gasp before she made the quick decision to duck beneath his arm. Her fingers shook as she undid the bridle she’d placed on Sugar’s head. Whether due to the cold or to the fact that she could smell Alex’s aftershave, she couldn’t say, but her fingers didn’t want to cooperate with her.

  He shifted, shuffling his feet behind her, and that was when he reached over her to assist in releasing the buckle.

  Alex’s fingers grazed hers, and once again, she found herself without her breath. If this had been any other guy, any other time of year, she might have turned to face him and just laid a kiss on those gorgeous lips.

  But this was Alex. And she desperately needed to find any reason why kissing him was a very, very bad idea.

  “Thanks,” she mumbled as she took the halter and lead rope into her hands. “Grab that saddle, would you? Then we can head inside. I’m going to need as much sleep as I can get after everything tonight.”

  This time, she avoided bumping into him as she escaped the stall to hang the halter on the wall. Alex did as he was asked, and she made sure to maintain a reasonable distance between them as he headed toward where she’d gotten the saddle earlier.

  After Sugar got a quick brushing, they made their way toward the resort. Christmas lights twinkled and flickered on the roof, guiding them through the darkness. Somewhere in the shrubs, a speaker softly played “Silent Night.” There were probably guests wandering the gardens. It didn’t get as cold here as it did other places, and evening strolls were more common than rides.

  Now that she’d experienced the mishap with Sugar, she understood why.

  They walked in silence, and the tension continued to grow. How many moments would she have to steal a kiss from her ex?

  Too many to count. There had to be an anonymous group for people who were allowing themselves to fall for their exes all over again. She could imagine the numbers a support group like that would bring.

  “You’re awful quiet,” Alex said quietly.

  She jumped and glanced at him. Somehow, a part of her had forgotten he was still walking with her. “I’m just thinking about tomorrow.” That was a big, fat lie, and he probably knew it. Oh well. He’d have a heck of a time trying to prove it.

  “What about tomorrow?”

  “I’m trying to figure out the best way to make frosting for the gingerbread-house competition they have going tomorrow. Are you going to do it?”

  His nose scrunched in the most adorable way. “Do you really think that’s the kind of thing I can do? Because I assure you, I don’t have a creative bone in my body.”

  She stopped and faced him. “You’re joking, right?”

  “What?” He chuckled. “I’ve tried doing stuff like that before, but I’m just not good at it.”

  This time, she placed her hands on her hips. “You realize that writing a book is about as creative as it gets, right? Don’t tell me you’re not creative. You literally have to pull a story out from between your ears without any context.”

  Alex shrugged. “I guess I don’t see writing as being creative.”

  She groaned and slapped her palm against her forehead. “Why do you think they called that college class Creative Writing?”

  “Because people make stuff up in there all the time. You know, aliens, vampires, fantasy stuff.”

  Olivia gaped at him. “You’re serious.”

  “Of course I am. What about you? I’d say baking is creative.”

  She shook her head. “That’s totally different. I follow a recipe.”

  “So do I.”

  She glared at him. “What does that even mean?”

  He laughed. “Writing is like… fruitcake.”

  “What?” This time she laughed along with him.

  “Hear me out. There’s the foundation, the cake part. You have to have the right amount of flour, eggs, and stuff. All books will follow a foundation so they can reach the climax at the right time. But then you throw in a few twists and turns—that’d be the fruit. And there you have it. Fruitcake.”

  She couldn’t believe that what he’d said actually made sense. “You’re ridiculous—you know that?”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard that a time or two.”

  Chapter Ten

  Alex dropped his hands from the keyboard with a frustrated sigh. His plan was to write the next great cowboy mystery, but so far every thought that had popped into his head had more to do with romance.

  He wasn’t a romance author. Sure, some of his books had the occasional evening rendezvous between two attractive characters, but more often than not the female was working with the bad guy.

  Even as he stared at the screen, all he could see was Olivia’s face the other night when they’d been so close he could actually smell gingerbread on her. Even being shrouded in darkness, her eyes had been bright and clear. They were more beautiful than the Christmas lights that had been strung up everywhere on the premises.

  Alex had opted to do his work in his room. After last night, he wasn’t sure if spending so much time with Olivia was a good idea. As much as he wanted to be near her, to feel the way he had when they were in college, he was terrified of what might happen next. There were too many unknowns.

  She’d been the one to break things off with him. And he still didn’t know one hundred percent why that had happened. It had only been five years earlier. Why couldn’t he remember the reasons she gave him? Had he blocked them from his memory?

  None of that should matter. It was in the past. There were more important things to worry about, and they included getting his story written.

  He stared at the blank screen once more and came to a definite conclusion.

  There would be no working that day. He was too distracted by Olivia and what had happened between them. He was itching to do something—but whether that was reconciling or getting a better reason for their breakup, he refused to acknowledge.

  Spending time with her both thrilled and terrified him. But the only way to get over that would be to just jump in and do it.

  He sprang to his feet and was immediately stopped by a hard voice.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  Alex slowly turned to find Jocelyn standing with her arms crossed and her feet separated just enough to make him believe there would be no getting past her. Much like his babysitters when he was a kid, Jocelyn knew how to prevent him from taking off when he needed to stick around. He ran a ragged hand through his hair. “I’m hungry.”

  “I ordered room service. It should be here any moment.”

  “Okay. I need some air.”

  “There’s a balcony right there.” She nodded toward the door on the other side of the room. “I’ll even open it for you.”

  He searched for another excuse. He couldn’t exactly tell her he was avoiding his work because he wanted to see his ex. She wouldn’t allow him to do that. They had a deadline to meet. Alex sighed again. “I need to get out of this room. It’s suffocating.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t buy it. You’ve never liked being in crowds of people, and out there, it’s full of them. They’re all dressed in Christmas sweaters and singing along to the holiday music in the elevators. I don’t know what’s going on, but something is up. You haven’t even written one chapter yet, and we’ve been here for a few days.”

  “It’s a process,” he muttered. “And right now, I’m blocked. I’m supposed to be writing a cowboy story, right? Well, maybe I need a little more inspiration.”

  Jocelyn shook her head again. “I’m worried if you go out there, you’re going to get more Christmas than cowboy.”

  “Well, maybe this is a Christmas thriller. Maybe someone gets killed with an icicle and it melts because it’s warm.” He was grasping at straws—and all because he just wanted to see Olivia’s face again.

  “If it’s so warm, then how would there be icicles? Come on, Alex. What’s really going on?”

  “You’re my assistant, not my mother. I don’t have to tell you anything. I’ll come up with a different murder weapon. Just let me wander around for a couple more hours.”

  She groaned. “Your editor is going to be furious with you if you can’t get her the first ten chapters by the end of the week.”

  “Don’t you think I know that?” He moved forward, determined to head out the door and do whatever it took to get past her. Surprisingly, she moved to the side just as he got to her. Alex paused with his hand on the knob. “I’ll be back by lunchtime. I’m going to poke around a bit and come up with some options.”

  “If you’re not here by lunch, I’m coming looking for you. No more of this working in places where I can’t find you. Not like that other day.”

  He nodded, fighting the grin he wore. She’d hated the day he’d spent in the kitchen because he refused to tell her where he’d gone to work. But worse than that, she’d hated that he’d come back with nothing to show for it.

  Not nothing, he reminded himself. He’d come back feeling lighter for being able to spend some time with Olivia.

  Alex moved through the hallways of the resort, trying to figure out what his head and his heart were trying to tell him. They were arguing over what was a good idea and what was bad.

  He couldn’t decide whether to try things with Olivia again or let it go.

  And would it be so bad to have a little fun with no strings attached?

  He was contemplating this particular conundrum when the elevator doors opened, and he found the source of all this deliberation standing inside all by herself.

  Olivia lifted her head, and for a split second, he could see utter terror in her eyes. Then she relaxed and smiled at him. “Hello, Alex.”

 

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