A Fool's Gold Christmas (Fool's Gold #9.5)

Chapter Twenty

Dante stood at the window of his suite, looking out at the mountains. The room was large and well-furnished, the view amazing. Logs crackled in the fireplace. New snow beckoned, and room service had just delivered breakfast. Everything was perfect, and he should be one happy guy. Only he wasn’t. He’d been through some crappy holidays since his mother’s death, but he had to admit this was the worst.

He wasn’t anywhere he wanted to be, and he sure as hell wasn’t with anyone who interested him. He was alone, on a mountain, on Christmas Eve, and for the life of him he couldn’t figure out why he’d thought this was a good idea.

When he’d realized he’d gone too far with Evie, leaving had seemed like the only option. It would make the break quick and clean. He’d thought that would be easiest for her. He’d made up a story about a former girlfriend so Evie wouldn’t think they’d get back together when he returned. Then he’d taken off. He’d assumed that by the time the plane landed in Colorado, he would have forgotten all about her.

Only he hadn’t. He thought about her constantly. There were plenty of single women at the resort, and more than one of them had made it clear she was interested. He couldn’t have been less so. He didn’t want just some woman—he wanted Evie. He missed her. He missed talking to her at the end of the day and thinking about her when he should be working. He missed their dinners, their nights, their mornings. He missed everything about her.

Worse, he missed Fool’s Gold. He missed the stupid decorations and the idiotic people greeting him every other second when he walked down the street. He missed his friends, and he missed Evie more than he’d thought possible.

Right now she was getting ready for the Live Nativity, which this year would feature an elephant. Where else but Fool’s Gold? And was he there, secretly having the time of his life? No. He was stuck in some damn suite in Aspen.

He stalked across the room and told himself he had to get over this. Over her. He had to figure out a way to stop caring about her. Because if he didn’t, he would be in real danger. He would start imagining being with her for a long time. Months even. He would start to imagine that it was okay for him to have feelings and then he would… He would…

Dante stopped in the middle of the room. He turned in a slow circle, as if not sure where he was or what to do next. He needed to get home, he realized. Not just to Fool’s Gold, but to Evie. Because… Well, hell, he was just going to say it.

“I love her.”

That’s what his heart had been trying to tell him. He needed her and wanted to be with her. He wanted to give her everything he had and know that she felt the same. He wanted to hold her and protect her and maybe even, someday, have children with her.

He’d only risked his heart once before, and that had cost him everything. So he’d vowed never to take that chance again. But this time he couldn’t help himself. Sometime when he hadn’t been paying attention, Evie had stolen his heart. The killer was, he didn’t want it back. She could have it. If she wanted it.

He ran to the phone and punched in the number for the concierge.

“This is Dante Jefferson, in suite 587. I need to book a flight out of here today.”

There was a moment of silence. “Um, sir, you do realize it’s Christmas Eve? There aren’t going to be any flights. It’s going to take a miracle for you to find a seat.”

“I’m thinking that maybe miracles do happen, so let’s give it a try.” He grinned. “Actually don’t bother looking for a commercial flight. Find me a private plane. Money is no object.”

“All right. Where are you flying to?”

“Fool’s Gold, California.”

* * *

“MOMMY, WHY DOES Baby Jesus have an elephant?”

Evie smiled at the question. The little boy stared up at Priscilla, his expression one of awe.

“Baby Jesus loves all the animals,” the boy’s mom said.

“Can I have an elephant?”

“Not this year.”

“Can I have a puppy?”

“We’ll talk about it with your dad.”

May linked her arm with Evie’s and sighed. “I do love a good nativity.”

“This one is very special.”

It was midday on Christmas Eve, and the Live Nativity had drawn a huge crowd. Most of the animals had come from the Castle Ranch. The sheep, a couple of goats, Reno the pony and Wilbur the pig. Along with Priscilla, of course.

There were people playing the main roles, although a doll stood in for Baby Jesus. There had been talk of a live infant, but when the temperatures had dropped below freezing, the substitution had been made.

“Are you nervous?” May asked in a whisper.

Evie touched her stomach where butterflies had taken up residence.

“More than I would have thought possible,” she admitted. “I haven’t danced on a stage in a long time.”