Marry Me at Christmas

He remembered the shock. How he’d been unable to process the information.

“I went back the next day and the next. She finally agreed to see me. We started dating. We had a year. I was there when she died.”

He remembered everything about those last weeks, that last day. How her parents had cried, how he’d held her hand and heard her take her last breath. He’d been devastated. Knowing what was going to happen and having it happen weren’t the same thing.

Madeline squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry. You’ve had a lot of loss in your life.”

“No more than most. Things happen.”

He thought she might say more, but instead she turned to the display and picked up a pair of earrings. There was a knot of gold with a drop pearl.

“Would Annelise like something like this?” she asked.

A graceful shift in subject. He recognized the ploy and was grateful. Once again Madeline had stepped in to save him. He was beginning to think that wasn’t just about him. That it was simply a part of who she was.

The man who generated that lightning strike she was waiting for sure was a lucky guy.

SEVEN

TWO DAYS LATER, Madeline’s head was still spinning. Her afternoon with Jonny had been like a roller-coaster ride. Just as soon as she caught her breath, they’d headed around another curve at sixty miles an hour.

The kiss had been wild enough. Just being close to him was enough to send her up in flames, but when he kissed her... She totally lost it. The man was sexy. But it wasn’t just because of how he looked—there was how he made her feel. All girlie and safe. When she was around him, she could be herself. Not that she couldn’t be around other people. It was just... Inexplicable, she thought. That described her feelings exactly.

She’d seen the panic in his eyes when the fudge girl had recognized him. Madeline had jumped in because she hadn’t known what else to do. She’d liked that she’d been able to be a distraction, but the taste of what his other life was like had also been a revelation. Then hearing about his first girlfriend and watching how much time and effort he’d put into buying a gift for his manager. Both had surprised her.

The more she knew, the more she liked him. But liking was dangerous and she seriously had to stop it immediately. Not that he was pursuing her. He’d made it clear that as far as he was concerned, it could never work between them.

To be honest, she didn’t know what she wanted. Mostly because she already had plenty on her plate and getting her heart broken would be a time suck she didn’t want to have to deal with.

She glanced at the clock. Ginger was due any second. She was curious about Jonny’s sister. Ginger was sweet in email and on the phone and Madeline was sure they would get along.

At exactly eleven, a petite curly haired brunette walked into Paper Moon. She was small boned, pretty and wearing glasses. She had on jeans and a sweatshirt and carried a simple navy backpack. Clipped to the zipper pull was a small gold star.

“Madeline? I’m Ginger.” Her voice was soft, her smile tentative. “Thanks for taking the time to see me today. I know you’re busy.”

Madeline shook her head. “You’re the one who drove all this way. Thank you for making the time. I know you’re overwhelmed with school. Jonny swears you’re going to save the world, or cure diseases or something. He’s never clear but it’s always good.”

Ginger laughed. “He’s very supportive, even though he has no idea what I’m studying. Which is okay. It’s kind of technical and not that interesting to other people.”

“Come on back to my office. I have lots to show you.”

Madeline led the way. She’d already gone by Plants for the Planet to pick up a few sample flowers. She had pictures for the bouquets, along with some ideas for table decorations. She also wanted Ginger to see the card stock for the invitations. Even though they were already ordered, if Ginger hated them, then they would have to start over.

She pulled her chair around to the front of her desk, so she and Ginger could sit next to each other.

“Here’s the card stock,” she said. “You’ve approved the design. If you want different paper, we still have time to make a change.”

The other woman fingered the heavy paper. “This is nice. It’s just an invitation. As long as everything is spelled right, I’m good.”

“I think we’re going to get along just fine.”

Ginger grinned. “Oliver and I don’t want anything fancy. We’re not those kind of people. We’re focused on our work and finishing school. But we do want to be married.”