“I guess I can’t.”

  The second he grasped her hand, the group in the ballroom cheered. Olivia flushed, allowing Alex to drag her down the hall through the resort and out the front door. In no time, they found themselves standing in front of a counter at the ice-skating rink.

  He’d stopped holding her hand the moment they got in the car, but as she stood beside him, she craved that touch again. His pinky brushed against hers, and she sucked in a sharp breath.

  There was no way he felt the same as she did. How could he? Alex likely harbored a great deal more baggage from their relationship than she did. Any pain he had gone through had been caused by her decisions.

  Yet he was standing here, renting her a pair of skates so they could play hooky from their jobs.

  Olivia released a laugh, causing him to glance toward her.

  She shook her head, not sure she’d be able to explain why this situation made her laugh. It wasn’t inherently funny—it was just absurd and exactly what she needed.

  By the time they made it onto the ice, they were chatting like no time had passed since their college romance.

  “And after culinary school…? You ended up here?”

  “Nope. I got hired at a fast-paced restaurant back east. I helped it earn their five Michelin stars.”

  Alex whistled. “Why didn’t you stay?”

  She shrugged. “I think I just realized I’d prefer something a little slower. You can’t be cutthroat all the time, you know?”

  Their hands bumped against one another again, and tingles shot up her arm. Then unexpectedly, he slipped his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together. “It’s funny,” he murmured as he stared at their interlocking hands, “how this still feels so right.”

  “I know what you mean,” she whispered. “Do you get this feeling like our lives were put on pause then sped up to put us here?”

  He smirked. “I wouldn’t go so far as to say that… but it’d be a good anecdote to put in my book.”

  Olivia nudged him with her elbow as she rolled her eyes. “I know better than to believe that. You don’t write romance.”

  “Hey,” he scoffed, “every story has a little bit of romance in it. How do you get a guy and his girlfriend to enjoy the same content?”

  “Books are different,” she insisted. “You don’t enjoy them together. That’s the kind of stuff for movies.”

  “I beg to differ. What do you think book clubs are for?”

  This was the kind of banter she used to live for. And she finally had it again. “Okay, fine. You win.”

  “Not yet.” There was a weight to his words—the way his inflection hit each syllable—that had her heart leaping into her throat. She could believe he was talking about her. Or in a more likely reality, he was talking about his career.

  But just for this moment, she would allow herself to pretend he wanted to win her back as much as she wanted to win him.

  “I can’t remember the last time I came here—or went ice skating in general.” She peeked at him. “I suppose I should thank you.”

  “It’s my pleasure, Olivia. Truly.”

  And he kept doing it. Everything he said was perfect. It made her feel like there was a possibility of a happily ever after when all was said and done.

  “I don’t suppose you would like to spend more time together while you’re in town…” She glanced at him once more to gauge his reaction. “Maybe we could see where this could go.”

  Alex skated to a stop and came around to face her. They both wavered until they caught their balance, then his gaze pierced into hers. “I only said ‘one day at a time’ to get you to agree to come out with me. I fully intended to see you as much as possible.” He ducked his head, and a small smile touched his lips. “If that’s okay with you.”

  “I’d like that very much.” She could feel the heat seep into her face once more. As much as she hated wearing her emotions on her sleeve, this time, she didn’t mind so much.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Over the next week, Alex made it a point to visit with Olivia after every one of her shifts. Unfortunately, those shifts got longer and longer. Toward the end of the week, he was lucky if he got to see her for more than ten minutes.

  Between her regular work, preparing for Christmas, and the impending wedding, he was probably lucky to get even five minutes alone with her before she needed to head off to bed.

  He just had to keep telling himself that they would find time together and he just had to be patient. It wouldn’t be wise to let this affect the reawakening of their relationship.

  There was a bright side to all of this.

  While Olivia worked, he was able to do the same. Simply knowing he’d be able to see her again in the evening helped him to actually get some words on paper.

  Alex disappeared into his story. By doing so, not only did he make his editor happy, but Jocelyn seemed to be in a better mood as well. They were back to their regular routine. By the end of Friday, he’d gotten fifteen thousand words out.

  “Nice.” Jocelyn’s voice came over his shoulder as she stared at his screen. “You’re making good time. How far do you think you’re going to get this weekend?”

  “Not sure. I want to see if Olivia is going to be available.”

  His assistant lifted a manicured brow.

  “What?” he asked.

  “I didn’t say anything.”

  “It’s what you didn’t say that matters,” he grumbled as he turned to face her. “What was that look for?”

  She shrugged. “Nothing. I wasn’t thinking anything.”

  Alex sighed. “You know better than to think that I can’t read you. We’ve been together how long? We even dated a few years ago.”

  “We went on one date,” she corrected, spinning to walk away from him.

  He got to his feet and followed her. “It was more than that, and you know it. You’re not jealous, are you?”

  Jocelyn whipped around so fast he thought her head might resemble that of an owl if she wasn’t careful. “Of course I’m not jealous. Do I have to remind you that I have a boyfriend? A very patient boyfriend who, while definitely not approving of me staying out here for the holidays, is being very supportive of my career choices.”

  Alex folded his arms, undeterred. “Well, there was a look, and I want to know what it was about.”

  She didn’t meet his gaze. Instead, she busied herself with stacking paperwork and organizing something she had on the desk in the room.

  “Jocelyn…” he drawled. “You know you’re going to tell me, so you might as well do it sooner rather than later.”

  Her movements slowed until they stopped entirely. She peeked at him over her shoulder before heaving an exaggerated sigh. “This is Olivia, right?”

  “Right.”

  “The same Olivia you told me about when we pulled that all-nighter?”

  “Yes…”

  “The Olivia who you wrote into one of your stories as the heroine who ends up with the hero.”

  “Will you get to the point already? Yes, Olivia made an impact on my life, and it shows.”

  Jocelyn finally turned to face him, placing her hands on her hips and giving him that look he was so familiar with. It was the look that told him she thought he was being reckless and that he needed to think things through a bit more before he jumped in without a life preserver.

  Alex looked away and muttered, “I know what you’re going to say.”

  “Really? Because you were demanding to know what that look was for just a moment ago.”

  “I know what you’re going to say, and you’re wrong.”

  She huffed.

  “Olivia isn’t the same person she was five years ago. And neither am I. We’ve grown.”

  “I don’t think that’s the problem here.”

  He frowned.

  “Don’t give me that look. You know as well as I do that this isn’t going to work.”

  “I know no such thing. You can’t say for certain something will or won’t work just by observing what has taken place over the last few days.”

  She pressed her lips together, that look still all over her face.

  “Just because she’s busy doesn’t mean⁠—”

  Jocelyn threw her hands into the air. “Fine, you’re clearly not seeing it. You don’t live here, Alex. Or have you forgotten that? She does. What do you think is going to happen in a couple weeks when you’re done with your trip and have to head back home?”

  Her words were like a punch in the gut. While Alex would have loved to spit out the first thing that came to mind, he knew better than to do that. To tell her that he could always move out here would get his trip canceled right away. It wouldn’t be the first impulsive thing he would have done.

  All he could think about was that this was Olivia he was talking about. He hadn’t spent the last five years miserable without her just to allow himself to lose her again. They had found each other again. And his work could go anywhere.

  Rather than voice those thoughts, he clamped his mouth closed until his jaw ached. “I don’t know what will happen. We haven’t discussed that yet.”

  “Already, you’re not seeing enough of each other. Do you honestly think you’ll be in the right frame of mind when the holidays are over?”

  “I get it, Jocelyn. You don’t approve of my relationship with her.”

  “Olivia doesn’t have anything to do with it. This is about how you act when you’re around her. I hate to remind you of this, but long distance rarely works even when the relationship is strong. There’s just too much baggage when it comes to you two.”

  “Are you sure you’re not jealous?”

  She shot him a flat look. “I’m just trying to look out for you. I care about you—even if we never worked out, I still want to see you succeed. I don’t think Olivia is capable of dedicating herself to what it would take to get you where you want to be with your career.”

  Her words hung in the air around them like the lingering hollow sound of a gong. There was a sort of finality to what she’d said, and as much as he hated it, he couldn’t deny that she might be right.

  Fortunately, he was also somewhat of a romantic, and he believed that love could find a way if two people wanted it badly enough.

  Alex turned from his assistant and settled back into his seat to continue writing.

  “I’m sorry, Alex.”

  He shook his head. “It’s fine.”

  “But—”

  “I can appreciate that you want to look out for me, but this is my life. I need to make choices based on what I think is important.”

  “I agree, but⁠—”

  “And right now, Olivia is important to me.”

  She was quiet then. There were no more arguments, no more pointing out where things might go wrong. Jocelyn could take control of a lot of things when it came to his life, but at least she knew when she needed to let him take the lead.

  This was one of those times.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Olivia arrived at Alex’s room, breathless but full of excitement. She had to bend over to let her lungs catch up with the demand of running up the three flights of stairs to get here. When she felt she was prepared to speak clearly, she knocked on the door.

  There was a quiet thud then shuffling sounds. She glanced at her phone for the time and grimaced. She was supposed to have been here an hour ago. Tonight was supposed to be the night when they got more than just a few minutes together, and she’d failed miserably.

  She could use one of a thousand excuses regarding why she was late, but she wouldn’t. Alex deserved more than an excuse. He deserved an apology.

  Lifting her hand again, she rapped her knuckles three times on the wood, but before she got to the fourth knock, the door swung open just wide enough for Alex to show his face.

  He peered out the door at her, his brows creased. “I thought you canceled on me.”

  “Canceled? What? No. I wouldn’t cancel on you. I was just going to be late.” She moved forward, intending to come into his room, but he didn’t budge. “In your texts, you sounded so upset about me being late that I thought I’d come as soon as I was done.”

  He glanced over his shoulder then inched out the door fully. “Oh, if I had known, I would have met you at your room.”

  She made a face. “You don’t want to do that. Zoe’s got the whole place covered in wedding stuff, and it’s a complete mess.” Olivia gestured toward his now-closed door behind him. “But we could hang out at your place. I wouldn’t even mind if you want to write while I tell you about what happened today.”

  Alex didn’t move. He didn’t even glance toward the door. “Actually, it’s a mess in there. I’d rather we find somewhere else to hang out.”

  “But your writing⁠—”

  “I got a lot done today. I might even be a little bit ahead of where I need to be.”

  “That’s great.” The words she spoke were light and excited, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she had started to wonder why Alex didn’t want her in his room. He was acting strange.

  “What did you want to tell me about today?” He motioned down the hallway, indicating they could talk while they took a walk. She fell into step beside him, and he grabbed her hand in the way he usually did.

  Only mildly distracted, she glanced from their hands to his face and pushed aside those concerns. Alex had never lied to her about anything that she could think of. He’d always been up-front about what he wanted and how he felt. If he didn’t want her in his hotel room, there had to be a good reason.

  She stopped in the middle of the hall and faced him, her heart pounding harder now that she would get to relive what had happened that day. “You’re never going to believe who visited the resort today.”

  “Who?”

  “George Harris.”

  His blank expression made her laugh.

  “He’s a famous food critic.”

  Alex’s brows shot up. “That’s cool.”

  “More than cool. He came here specifically because he knew this was where I ended up after leaving that restaurant in the city.”

  The shock on his face intensified. “He followed your career?”

  She nodded. “Can you believe it? He wanted to see if I was capable of creating the same kind of atmosphere here even though we’re not exactly a restaurant. He told Eve he thinks we should create an addition to include one.”

  Alex continued to stare at her, stunned.

  “I know, right? Here, in our little town. He thinks that it would be incredibly exclusive and that it would draw all kinds of celebrities.”

  That was when Alex’s features smoothed out. “You don’t want that.”

  “No, I don’t.” She laughed. “But it was nice to know someone out there thinks I could do something that amazing.”

  Alex placed both of his hands on her shoulders and peered at her with such intensity a shiver crawled down her spine. “I knew you could do something that amazing.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “I mean it. If you wanted to, you could turn this place into a destination resort simply by drawing people in with the food.”

  Olivia blushed at the compliment but still shook her head. “That’s not fair to Eve and Gabriel. This is their vision. They never wanted this to be some fancy resort that only the wealthy could afford. They want to maintain the magic of the place they used to work at in the mountains.”

  “That doesn’t change the fact that they knew exactly who to hire to give this place that extra bit of oomph.” He chucked her beneath the chin, his grin sending fresh goose bumps along her arms. “I hope you know just how amazing you are.”

  “Thanks,” she murmured.

  They wandered toward the elevator, both lost in thought. She had no idea what he might have been thinking about until he finally mumbled, “You really like it here, don’t you? In Texas, I mean.”

  “Yeah, I do.” She glanced up at him. “Why?”

  “No reason. I can’t remember the last time something like this made you so excited. It was probably when you got accepted to culinary school.” His voice dipped, laced with something she could only describe as disappointment.

  Shoot. He was thinking about their breakup—all those years ago when she’d used the culinary school as an excuse to break it off. And when he’d told her it was a stupid reason because they could still be together even if it was long distance for a little while.

  She peeked at him, finding him staring off into the distance. The set of his jaw was different. His eyes didn’t hold the happiness she’d seen in them when they’d first started seeing each other again. Something was dragging him down.

  It was probably her.

  Olivia turned to face him, holding both of his hands in hers. “Hey, I’m not tired at all. What do you say we sneak into the kitchen and you taste test everything I want to serve at that wedding?”

  One side of his mouth quirked upward. “I think I could go for some cake.”

  She tugged on his hand harder, pulling him faster. “It’s not just cake. They want the whole spread. Savory snacks and small sweets. It’s going to have a lot of Christmas elements to it. This couple really loves the holidays. I’ve never seen anyone so obsessed with snow and gingerbread in my entire life.”

  He chuckled, easing the tension that had been building since she’d told him about the critic. Just before they hit the elevator, he tugged on her hand much like a ballroom dancer might. She shuffled toward him in a very unladylike fashion and laughed when she collided with him.

  “I love you,” he murmured.

  “I love you too.”

  “And I don’t want anything to come between us.”

  This time, her laugh was a little strained. “Okay.”

  “I mean it. I need you to be open about everything you’re feeling if we want this to work.”

  Alarm bells sounded in her head. She didn’t know why, but something about the tone of his voice or the insistence behind his words seemed to demand she be careful. Olivia nodded. “Of course.”

  He smiled, but the expression didn’t reach his eyes. Before she could ask him what was clearly bothering him, he kissed the crown of her head. “Now, show me where I can find all of these delectable desserts.”

 

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