by Holly Rayner
“She is.” In his pocket, his hands flexed and curled. He needed to get to Adison, before…
Before what? Before he lost her forever?
It seemed dramatic, but he worried that could be exactly the case. He’d never met a woman like Adison, and the chances of someone of her caliber walking into his life again were likely zero. Whatever he had done to anger her, he would fix it.
He would do whatever it took to make her happy.
“Anyway.” Thea fiddled with one of her hoop earrings. “I know that I said I don’t do business over the holidays, but…”
Could he even do whatever was necessary to make Adison happy? Was he capable of that?
A month ago, he would have said no without a moment’s hesitation, but he’d changed since then. At some point, without him even noticing it, his heart had opened up. He’d started to believe in possibilities again, in the inherent goodness in himself.
“Ken?”
“Hm?” He blinked Thea’s face back into focus. “Sorry. What was that?”
She wore an amused grin. “Are you feeling well?”
“Yes. I’m great.”
Her expression didn’t change. “Did you hear what I said?”
“Er, you don’t do business during the holidays.”
“Yes, but I do want to let you know that we’ve decided to go ahead and supply you with your full donation request.”
“Thea, that’s incredible! You and your company are very generous.”
A woman with light red hair moved behind Thea, and he stepped toward her. It wasn’t Adison, though.
Thea drummed her long nails against her hip. “If I might intrude…I saw you dancing with Adison, and now you seem pretty on edge. I know it’s none of my business, but if you’re having troubles I can listen, offer my female perspective…or say nothing at all.”
Ken sighed and combed his fingers through his hair. “It’s complicated.”
“Isn’t it always?”
That at least got a smirk out of him. “You’re good people, Thea. Thank you, but this is something I should deal with on my own. And thank you for the donation. You are going to help a lot of children and families with what you are providing.”
So why wasn’t he as happy as he’d expected? Sure, he’d gotten what he’d been chasing after, but without Adison to share the victory with, it wasn’t as sweet.
That’s when it hit him. He’d never even told Adison that Thea was a potential donor to the Montoya Foundation, had he? So of course she’d jumped to her own conclusions. When Simon came up and made a remark about the party making Thea happy, Adison had likely thought Ken was trying to impress the other woman—in anything but a professional way.
He was so dumb he wanted to face-palm himself.
“Enjoy the party,” he told Thea. “The Montoya Foundation sincerely appreciates you and your donation. Thank you again.”
He searched high and low for Adison, but she was nowhere to be found. Not at the bar. Not at the tree. Not in the kitchen, where the catering company was set up. It was as if she’d vanished into thin air.
She wouldn’t leave the party she’d worked so hard to bring to life, would she?
“Mr. Montoya, do you have a minute?”
It was Patrick Dodson, the man who owned several of the buildings surrounding the Montoya Foundation’s offices. He wanted to discuss a proposal to widen the main road closest to their buildings.
After Dodson, it was this person, then that person. It seemed everyone at the party wanted to talk to Ken. Everyone except the person he most needed to converse with.
It continued this way for the next two hours, until the guests began trickling out the front door. Despite keeping an eye out for Adison and sending her two texts asking to talk, he hadn’t seen or heard from her.
“Have you seen Adison?” he asked Jazzie as she passed by on her way out.
“I saw her in the kitchen not long ago.” She waved. “Merry Christmas, Mr. Montoya. Thank you for the party.”
He nodded absently. The kitchen.
Heart thudding, he made tracks for there. The catering staff had already packed everything up, and they were carting their serving platters and drink dispensers out through a side door that led to the driveway.
“Has anyone seen Adison?”
He received only head shakes.
He tried the den again. Knocked on the downstairs bathrooms. Even went upstairs and called her name. Nothing.
Then, through the library window, he caught sight of her on the porch down below. The driveway was empty, with no guests in sight.
Rushing downstairs, he burst through the front door and onto the porch…just in time to see her headlights glow at the end of his driveway.
Chapter 26
Adison
“Meeeow.” Little paws kneaded Adison’s head.
Tucked under the comforter, eyes still closed, Adison grinned. “Taffy, it’s so early.”
Really, she had no idea what time it was. All she knew was that she was bone tired and had no interest in getting out of bed. Not only had the party wiped her, but she’d had trouble sleeping once she got back.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Ken. Thoughts of him burned, making her shed quiet tears. Whenever she did manage to fall asleep, she’d have fitful dreams before waking up again and repeating the cycle.
But Taffy didn’t know that. All she understood was that it was morning, and that meant breakfast time.
The paws kneaded her again.
“Okay.” Adison threw off the covers and sat up.
For the first time in weeks, she had nothing to do. She could stay in bed all day if she felt like it.
But she wouldn’t. That would be a recipe for disaster. In order to fight the depression creeping over her, she needed to get up and moving.
Taffy ran circles around Adison as she walked for the kitchen, nearly tripping her a few times.
“It’s coming, it’s coming.” She yawned into her hand and poured some dry cat food into Taffy’s bowl before slumping onto the couch.
The living room had improved little since she’d moved into the apartment, although there was now a place to sit and a stand for the TV. An artificial Christmas tree stood in the corner, completely barren.
Usually, she’d go to a tree lot with Corinne and get a live tree. One time they even drove to a farm outside of the city, selected one themselves, and chopped it down. There hadn’t been time for either of those options this year.
Curled up on the couch, Adison unplugged her phone from the charger. She’d neglected to check it the night before and was shocked to see multiple notifications.
Corinne had texted several pictures of a newborn baby girl that Maggie had named Ruby. Adison texted back a flurry of heart-based emojis and well-wishes for the family.
And then…there were texts from Ken, as well as a missed phone call from the night before.
She couldn’t read those right away. She needed to take a deep breath and steel herself first.
It hadn’t been easy making herself scarce at the party. She’d caught sight of Ken a few times, and each time she ducked behind a decoration or into a bathroom. She’d been too scattered and worn to talk to him; it didn’t matter what he had to say.
She couldn’t ignore him forever, though. Opening up her phone again, she read through his texts.
“I need to talk to you. Please,” said the first one from last night.
“Where are you?” he asked an hour later.
And then, from an hour ago: “Please call me, Adison. I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”
Right. The only misunderstanding had been between her and reality. She’d refused to see the truth even when it was right in front of her.
Okay, so she couldn’t ignore Ken forever, but another day wouldn’t end the world. This was Christmas Eve, one of her favorite days of the year. She refused to kick it off by calling Ken and having some runaround conversation that would
lead nowhere.
Which is why he could make up every excuse in the book and it wouldn’t matter. He’d played her just like Danny had, and she wouldn’t take that nonsense. Putting her phone on silent, she set it on the couch and got up to trim the tree.
Chapter 27
Ken
The Christmas tree that Adison had decorated twinkled in Ken’s den, while he sat in an armchair and gazed at it.
The furniture that had been removed from the room for the party had been returned and the cocktail tables taken out, but the house was still in general disarray. Red and green confetti covered the floors, while here and there sat an overlooked champagne flute. There was also an empty, destitute feeling in the air, but he didn’t know if that was due to the party being over or Adison’s absence.
Pulling his phone from his pocket, he checked it for responses. Nothing.
He was considering getting in his car and driving to Adison’s apartment when his front doorbell rang. Ken’s heart leapt. Could that be her?
Pushing up from the armchair, he hurried through the house and flung open the door without asking who was there.
“Oh.” He frowned at Simon.
“Really?” Simon invited himself inside. “Merry Christmas Eve to you, too.”
Ken shut the door. “Sorry. I thought you might be someone else.”
“A cleaning crew?” Simon nodded at napkins and puddles of melted snow on the floor.
“That’s coming later.”
Because of course Adison had thought of arranging a team to come in and deep-clean the day after the party. Adison thought of everything.
She’d even been one step ahead of him, catching on to his ridiculous blunder before he did. If only he’d told her the party was intended to impress a client…if only he’d told her that client was Thea.
He’d never been an open book. It was his way of protecting himself. This time, it had been his way of shooting himself in the foot.
“Coffee?” Ken led the way to the kitchen. “To what do I owe such an early visit?”
“We agreed on breakfast this morning. Remember?”
Ken stopped in front of the coffee pot. That’s right. They’d made plans a week ago to hit up one of the best diners in the area.
“Sorry.” Ken poured them both coffees. “Right. Breakfast.”
Simon leaned against the island and cocked an eyebrow. “You never forget plans. You never forget anything. Something’s definitely wrong, and I’m going to take a stab in the dark and guess it has to do with…Adison.”
“Am I really that transparent?”
Simon remained serious. “Despite your best efforts to act like she means nothing to you, yes.”
Ken chewed that over. If the last couple of days had been any indicator, he could get himself in real trouble by oversharing. Simon, however, was one of the few people he could trust.
Heck, he was probably the only person Ken could trust.
“I thought I should throw caution to the wind,” he explained, “and see if there was something real between Adison and me.”
“Instead of running off to Miami?”
Ken thought about biting back against that comment, but it was a fair one.
“And,” Simon pressed, “was there?”
Ken suddenly felt weak. “There might have been, but I screwed it up. I didn’t tell her about Thea Sorentis.”
Simon’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean? Have you been seeing Thea?”
“No, no.” He grabbed his hair at the roots. “Our relationship is strictly professional, but it looks like Adison thinks it’s otherwise.”
“Oh. Okay.” Simon shrugged. “And you told her, right? You told her that Thea is only a donor?”
“I haven’t told her anything. I think that after you came up to me last night and made that remark about Thea being pleased, Adison drew her own conclusions. I don’t know for sure, though, because I haven’t talked to her since. I couldn’t catch her for the rest of the night, and she hasn’t answered the phone today.”
He hung his head, reality’s weight heavy on both his conscience and heart.
“Wow.” Simon whistled. “You’re telling me that you neglected to let your party planner know the intentions behind the party? Your goal was to impress Thea and you didn’t even tell Adison that? She could have helped. She could have found out what Thea liked and catered to that.”
Ken cringed. “I realize that now.”
When Simon put it that way, it made Ken sound like an idiot. Like a poor businessman. He was a lot of things, but he certainly wasn’t the latter.
So then why had he fumbled so badly here?
The only answer he could come up with was that in his effort to keep Adison at a distance, he’d neglected the simple, important things. He’d used her to bolster everything but their relationship.
“And what does Thea think?”
Ken stared at the steam coming off his coffee. “That Adison is my girlfriend.”
Simon chuckled before abruptly stopping the laugh. “Sorry, it’s just too crazy. First you’re her fake boyfriend, then you need her to be your fake girlfriend. All the while, the truth is never really out there.”
“It was for a minute.”
One brief, magical night.
Simon sipped his coffee and made a face. “Do you have any creamer?”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s really strong.” He went to Ken’s fridge and helped himself.
“Sorry. I must have miscounted the scoops.” With a sigh, he looked out the window. It had snowed a bit more during the night, leaving a pristine white coating that sparkled under the morning sun.
Christmas Eve.
Most years, he spent the whole day doing whatever he could to forget about the holiday. Sometimes that meant throwing himself into a work project. Sometimes it meant going on a solo trip somewhere warm. This year, he had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to forget the date.
“When are you going over there?” Simon asked.
“Hm?” Ken tore his gaze away from the window. “Where?”
“To Adison’s.” He finished topping off his coffee and set the creamer on the counter.
“I’m not going there. She hates me.”
Simon shook his head, and Ken couldn’t figure out if that was pity or disappointment in his eyes.
“What?” Ken couldn’t keep back the bark in his voice.
“I say this in the most loving way I can…but you can be a real idiot sometimes.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“You can’t just assume Adison hates you and never wants to hear from you again.” Simon pointed a spoon at him.
“It’s pretty obvious, Simon. She’s not responding to my calls or texts. I wouldn’t be surprised if she quits the Montoya Foundation before we’re even back for the New Year.”
“You haven’t done enough yet.”
Ken frowned. “I don’t follow.”
“I believe that. You’re used to not doing much to get girls, because you only pursue them for short periods. You’ve never had to really work.”
“Okay.” None of this was something he could argue.
“Go over there and show her you care. Don’t stop until she really gets it.”
Ken chewed on his bottom lip.
“What?” Simon asked.
“You’re talking about a grand gesture. I’ve never done something like that.”
“I know.” Simon grinned. “This’ll be awesome to watch.”
“Because I’ll embarrass myself?”
“Man, you’re putting yourself out there, getting honest. There’s nothing embarrassing about that. It’s something to be proud of.”
“Yes. Yes, you’re right.” Ken straightened up and inhaled deep, as if the oxygen in the surrounding air contained the courage he needed.
“I can come with, if you want. Wait in the car.”
“That’s nice of you, but—”
“I’m gonna need breakfast anyway.” Simon winked.
Ken chuckled and shook his head. “How about this? You stay here and let the cleaners in, and I’ll call in that brunch order. Have them deliver it to the house.”
“I like how you think.”
Ken chugged some coffee. Simon was right: it was crazy strong. He put the mug down. He was revved up enough as it was and didn’t need any extra caffeine in his system.
“All right. Here I go.”
“What’s your plan?”
“I don’t know yet,” Ken admitted. “I’m counting on figuring that out by the time I get to Adison’s.”
“You will.”
Ken clapped Simon on the shoulder as he passed him by. “Thanks, man.”
Ken left the house, nervous and thrilled. Historically, Christmas was the hardest time of the year for him. If he played his cards right, today would be the day that changed forever.
Chapter 28
Adison
There was only one way to get through a day such as this, Adison decided, and that was to celebrate it to the max.
After decorating the tree, she rearranged the presents that were under it—mostly from Corinne and her family—and then wrapped the presents she’d neglected. Usually, she’d be opening everything up with Corinne on Christmas morning, but that tradition would have to be paused.
There were other traditions, however, that she could stick to. And so she went about baking Christmas cookies, making eggnog, playing holiday jams at full blast while she danced around the kitchen, dressing Taffy up in a mini Santa hat, and doing everything and anything else that she could think of that might bring her joy.
By the afternoon, she was half convinced that spending Christmas alone might not actually be so bad. She was doing everything her way, basking in her independence and free time.
“Come on, Taffy. Right here.” Adison crouched down in front of the tree and tried to get a picture of the cat, who was nosing the bottom branches of the tree.
Being a cat, Taffy turned around the moment she was spoken to, giving Adison her tail.