Marry Me at Christmas

They placed their orders, and by the time her salad came, she’d relaxed enough to enjoy the company of her friends. But as she walked back to the store, her tension returned.

She was in love with Jonny. What on earth was she supposed to do with that information? He wasn’t going to love her back. He couldn’t. He’d told her a thousand times.

She should have protected her heart more carefully. She should have listened to her mother. Now she was trapped and she didn’t know what to do to make it better. And she was going to have to do something. Or she would be facing something ten times bigger than the Ted debacle. And then where would she be?

* * *

Jonny spent the day with his sister. When Ginger left to drive back to San Francisco, he went home and got Raven. The two of them hung around town until it was time for Paper Moon to close. Somewhere around five, it started to snow. A white Christmas, he thought. The kids would be happy. Plus, it would be a beautiful backdrop for Ginger’s wedding.

He walked by the park and then up toward Madeline’s store. He stopped to buy her fudge and then did a quick detour through Jenel’s Gems, looking at different pieces. Because he wanted to get Madeline something for Christmas. Something personal and meaningful.

When he left the jewelry store—still without the right present—he made sure Raven’s jacket was snug and protecting her from the cold. The dog waited patiently while he did his check, then gave his hand a quick lick. He rubbed her ears.

“Let’s go see Madeline,” he told the dog.

They walked to Paper Moon and went inside. Madeline was finishing up with a bride. The other woman was wiping away tears.

“It’s perfect,” she said. “I love everything about it. Thank you for being so patient.”

“I was happy to help. You’re going to be a beautiful bride.”

Two dresses on the same day, he thought. She would be happy about that. Because, as he’d thought before, they both made magic with their work. Only hers lasted a lifetime. Hers was filled with memories that were treasured.

She’d been sweet with his sister. Ginger hadn’t stopped talking about how Madeline had handled everything. He appreciated that when the dress he’d ordered had arrived, she hadn’t simply called him an idiot. She’d gone to the trouble of pressing it and putting his sister in it so he could see he was an idiot.

She was sweet and funny and easy to be with. She got his sense of humor and made him laugh in return. They were good together. They belonged together.

The last thought surprised him. He turned it over in his mind a few times and realized the truth had been staring at him all along.

Madeline was the one. He cared about her. No, he loved her.

Instinctively, he took a step back. No way. He couldn’t. Loving her meant... Okay, he didn’t know what it meant, but it was bad. Because loving someone was dangerous. He could lose her. An argument that usually worked for him, but not now. Not with Madeline. For the first time, the risk was worth the reward. He loved her.

He waited impatiently for the client to leave. When she did, he walked over to Madeline, prepared to tell her the good news.

Before he could figure out how to confess his feelings, she spoke first.

“I can’t do this. I can’t be with you. It’s never going to work and you’re not what I want. I’ve already talked to Dellina and she’ll finish up the details for the wedding. I gave her your phone number. I’m sorry to be so abrupt, but I thought it best to tell you now. I hope...” She turned away, then looked back at him. “Goodbye.”

He couldn’t believe it. He had to not be hearing her right. None of this made sense. He was still trying to make sense of it all when he realized she was pushing him out the front door of her store and locking it behind him.

Just like that.

He didn’t know why. Had she realized he wasn’t a good bet? Had he convinced her being with him was going to be too hard? Or was it simply that life had a sense of humor—he’d finally managed to fall in love with someone, only to have her reject him two days before Christmas.

SIXTEEN

TWO HOURS LATER Jonny realized how hard it would be without Madeline. He missed her. His house was empty and cold. Sure the temperature was fine—he didn’t want Raven shivering—but still, it felt cold.

He wandered from room to room, not sure what to do with himself. He didn’t know what had happened. Had she guessed he wasn’t worth the trouble? Was she afraid? She’d never bought into the hype of him being a star. Did she see the man behind the mask and think there wasn’t enough there? Or was it simply that she didn’t care about him? That their time together had been fun, but nothing more?