The Christmas Boyfriend: A Return to Snow Valley Romance

by Taylor Hart

  Ellie let out a long breath. “I didn’t know it was this bad.”

  “I chose my dreams over him, but I miss him so much sometimes.” She blinked in shame and tried to hold back the waterworks.

  “Even if you feel that way, you need to do this,” Ellie said seriously. “We get you that Christmas boyfriend, you take him back to Snow Valley and use him to make Oliver jealous.”

  “You’re crazy.” Lacey pulled away, rubbing two fingers into her temple. “No. No. I can’t—”

  “Yes!” Ellie insisted. “If you go back there and he’s engaged and all happy and you’re miserable, he’s not going to look twice at you, but—” She nodded emphatically. “—if you go to Snow Valley with the hot Rhett, he’ll be jealous, and he’ll want you back.”

  The center of Lacey’s chest squeezed. She knew Ellie was right. Back in Snow Valley, Lacey would be jealous and sad and angry. Every time she looked at Oliver, she’d be desperate. It would push him away. On the other hand, if she had someone else, she could make him jealous. She remembered when, in the eleventh grade, Tommy Henley had asked her to the junior dance and how jealous Oliver had been, propelling him to ask her out in the first place a few days later. “Maybe,” she hedged.

  “Listen. I think I might know the perfect guy to pose as your boyfriend.”

  “Who?”

  Mischief glinted in Ellie’s eye. “Justin’s cousin, Dominick. He’s a hotshot Air Force pilot, he’s only twenty-six. I’ve seen pictures of him, and he’s gorgeous.” She winked. “Not as gorgeous as Justin, you know, but Justin told me he’s had a rough couple of years and hasn’t dated much.” She did a couple of hops and let out an excited squeal. “Yes! Then Justin can come home with me for Christmas.” Ellie rushed for the door.

  “But—Wait!” No, no, no. She couldn’t really do this. “I’m not the kind of person who hires a date.”

  “Yes!” Ellie flung the door open. She did little claps and turned to face her. “Remember, you’re not hiring a date. You’re hiring a boyfriend. Because you want to win your old boyfriend back.” She nodded solemnly, like the deal was decided. “Do you want to watch Oliver make out with his new fiancée all weekend? Or do you want him to be jealous of you and your new boyfriend?”

  Lacey fidgeted. “I don’t have any money,” she said, groping for a good reason to say no.

  Ellie held the door wide, scowling. “Yes, you do. That credit card you applied for last month.” More accurately, Ellie had led her along through the application process, telling her she needed to build credit and couldn’t rely on her parents her whole life. “There are two thousand dollars in cash you can pull out. You can use that.”

  “It’s, like, twenty percent interest!” Lacey protested.

  Ellie cocked an eyebrow. “Are you going to fight to get your boyfriend back or not? What do you want, Lacey?”

  Lacey exhaled slowly, pushing away her hesitation. “I want him back.”

  Ellie nodded, moving to the door. “Good. Get packed and be ready to meet your new boyfriend at the airport tomorrow.” She winked at her before shutting the door.

  Lacey stared after Ellie, speechless. The tiny brunette had always been a bundle of energy, unstoppable energy if the truth be told.

  A paid boyfriend. Could she really do this? Slumping to the ground next to Rhett, Lacey slid a hand over his soft fur. She thought of Oliver and how she’d always imagined they would get married in that little community church in Snow Valley with Pastor John officiating.

  Lacey considered Oliver and Linda. If she recalled correctly, Linda was a singer. She had been in a couple of high school musicals and had a beautiful voice. Lacey’s lips pursed at the thought. No, it was supposed to be her and Oliver raising dancing kids in Snow Valley, not him and Linda raising singing children.

  Straightening up, she marched to her computer. Well, if she did have a paid date named Rhett, she had to tell him all the lies she’d told her family about him. This would take some time.

  Chapter 2

  Dominick Carter stood in front of his cousin’s apartment and grappled with a foreboding sense of … something. After flying reconnaissance missions for the U.S. Air Force for the past four years, he’d learned to pay attention when he got these feelings. Hesitating briefly, he braced himself for whatever was coming and knocked three times.

  As soon as his cousin Justin opened the door and seized him in a bear hug, he felt one hundred and fifty percent better. His cousin had been his best friend since he was little. They’d pretty much been raised like brothers.

  “Bro, what’s up?” Justin clapped him firmly on the back and laughed. “I seriously think you’ve gotten taller since the last time I saw you.”

  At twenty-six years old, that should be impossible. Dom was six foot three and towered over Justin’s five-foot-eleven frame. At least, Justin always said it felt that way to him.

  Dom stared at the stupid grin on his face and couldn’t help smiling in return. He was glad he’d come. It’d been a process to work out taking his leave over Christmas. Everyone and their dog wanted the holidays off. For the past two years, he hadn’t cared to take time off during Christmas. It wasn’t a holiday he looked forward to, not since his parents’ accident. This year, Justin’s parents were going on a cruise they’d won, so the cousins had decided to spend the holiday together. Dom had fought for the days off, knowing it had been too long since they’d spent time together.

  Justin’s grin widened as big as the Grand Canyon, and tears misted his eyes. “Dude, you look dang good.”

  Dom let himself be hugged, knowing his cousin had been freaking out since he’d told him he was shot down behind enemy lines four months ago. Even though he’d gotten out two days later, his cousin had hovered around him like a soccer mom. “Dude, I hate to say it, but you look like crap.” It was his role, to be a half jerk. Justin teased him about it constantly.

  Justin punched him in the shoulder and swore. “Shut up.”

  Dom laughed. “Actually, you look good.” It was true—Justin had an especially happy glow to him.

  Justin moved back, and they both went into the apartment. Justin had been going to CSU for six years and would earn his master’s degree in business this coming May. He was pretty amazing at entrepreneurship, and Dom knew he had an online business that was pulling in some good money.

  Where Dom had chosen the military, Justin had chosen business. Dom was proud of him. Justin had always had an entrepreneur’s mind. He’d been the one to help Dom grudgingly accept the money from his parents’ life insurance. It hadn’t been obvious to Dom it was what his parents would have wanted, but Justin helped him see it.

  Dom looked around at the blatant bachelor pad—old couches and mismatched furniture. It wasn’t bad. At least it didn’t stink. Sure, it was a far cry from the tidy military standards Dom was used to. Strike that—Dom’s standards. After so long in the military, he’d adopted them. Some called him a neat freak.

  “Stop evaluating how clean it is.” Justin sauntered to the fridge and opened it, pulling out two bottles of water and tossing one to Dom.

  Dom smiled and caught the water. It was kind of nice to have someone around who knew what he was thinking. He liked military life, but he’d been transferred to four different bases on four different assignments in the last two years. Even though he made friends easily enough, he didn’t get close to anyone.

  Spinning the bottle in his hand, Dom wandered to the windows that faced the street. The apartment was two floors up, smack dab in the middle of Fort Collins. The trees around them were huge. He missed that about Colorado. The outdoorsiness. The mountains. Hiking. It was something he knew Justin was passionate about. The sun was setting, and there were pinks and oranges in the sky above the mountains.

  “Beautiful day out there.” Justin stood next to him, staring out the window with him.

  “Yeah. I miss Colorado,” Dom agreed. They’d both been raised on the outskirts of Denver, and Dom had gone to the A
ir Force Academy in Colorado Springs, so Colorado was truly home.

  Except his parents weren’t here anymore.

  Justin searched his face, then sighed. “How’s Florida? The beach? The sun? Are you still taking surf lessons?”

  Dom glanced at his cousin. Of course that’s what Justin would think about—the fun of it. Honestly, that had barely occurred to Dom. He was there for a job. Sure, he had days on and days off. He went to the ocean, had even bought a surfboard, but he couldn’t really unwind from the responsibilities of his job. “Florida’s good.”

  Justin met his eye. “Let me guess: you bought a surfboard and only went out once. Been there four months and have already decided it isn’t really for you. You need to focus on being in shape, on the drills, and on flying.”

  Dom grunted, amused that Justin was mostly right. “So what?”

  Justin pushed him in the shoulder again. “So what, compadre, you don’t know how to have fun.”

  Dom pushed him back, using equal pressure. Justin staggered backward like he’d been hit by a car, stumbling until he hit the couch and toppling over it dramatically.

  “Crap.” Dom chuckled.

  Justin laughed too, but his face grew serious. “Are you going to give me more details about when your plane got shot down a couple of months ago? We didn’t even know about it until you were back, but we worried.” He looked at Dom accusingly.

  Dom shrugged, not feeling much at the moment. “It’s part of the job, Justin. That’s just how it is.”

  Justin stood and let out a slow breath. “Dang it, Dom. You haven’t been back since the funeral, and you hardly keep us updated.”

  How was Dom supposed to respond to that? His parents’ funeral was something he tried not to think about. “I’m here now. Can we focus on that?” Yes, controlled focus was all Dom had in life. It kept him steady.

  A slow smile filled Justin’s face. “Okay, I do have some news.”

  “Really?” He distracted himself by dumping his flight bag on the floor and opening his bottle.

  Justin let out a nervous laugh. “I’m engaged.”

  Dom jerked back to face Justin, spilling water down his chest. “What?

  “I did it today. This afternoon. At Estes Park.”

  Dom tried to smile. It felt rubbery and strange, but his training had forced him to adapt to any situation, and it kicked into place. “That’s great, man.” Had this been the gut feeling he’d sensed earlier?

  “It’s fine. You’re gonna love her. She’s just amazing and beautiful and fun and kind.” A love-swept look washed over his face.

  Even though that look had whipped guy written all over it, part of Dom, the part that would never fess up, was jealous. Just a bit. Jealousy had never been a thing for him. Ever. After all, he was usually spades ahead of anybody his age: accepted into the Air Force Academy immediately, top of his class in flight school, handpicked to be trained for special ops missions because of certain above-average aptitudes he had …

  “Hey, we’re still doing this extreme Christmas, right? Skiing, snowshoeing, polar bear swim on Christmas Eve tomorrow?” Justin moved around the couch. “I’m still planning on it. Mom and Dad left yesterday for their cruise, so they don’t even know about me and Ellie yet.”

  Dom took his cousin into a quick hug. That would have been awkward with anybody else, but this was Justin. “I’m happy for you.”

  Justin laughed and returned the hug, then stepped back. “Ellie is going back East for the next five days anyway. So it’s cool. You and I are going to have a blast.”

  The center of his chest relaxed. Okay, at least there was still that, but his gut told him there was still something amiss.

  Justin frowned. “I know it’s hard for you this time of year.”

  Dom’s expression hardened. “I’m fine.”

  “I—” Justin put his hands up. “I just meant—”

  “I know what you meant,” Dom said, cutting him off. “It’s fine. I’m fine.” Even to him, the words sounded defensive.

  A knock disrupted the growing tension. “Justin!” called a girl’s shrill voice. “Open the door! I have a plan to get you to come home with me for Christmas.”

  Justin gave Dom a look and ran to the door, flinging it open.

  Without preamble, the girl flung herself into his arms, and Justin readily caught her. She was petite and brunette, but Dom couldn’t see her face while she was kissing his cousin.

  After a few seconds, Justin broke off, laughing and looking happier than Dom had ever seen him. “Ellie, this is Dom, my cousin.”

  Startled, Ellie quit trying to maul him and pulled back. “Oh.” A smile stretched her lips. “Oh my gosh, you’re here!” She took off, running toward him.

  Dom wasn’t the “open your arms to catch a girl” type, but since she was charging at him fast enough to bowl him over, he grabbed her before she could knock the wind out of him. To his relief, she hugged him, then let him go.

  Tears were in her eyes, and she frantically wiped them. “Oh my gosh, it’s so fun to meet you. I …” She turned back to Justin, who, clasped her hand. “Justin just raves about you, his cousin who was first in his flight school class, the youngest kid to get an appointment by the governor, and is so dedicated to our country.” She beamed a warm, fuzzy, sincere smile at him. “I already admire you,” she said as she snuggled into Justin.

  Dom could already see Justin had been won over, and he could understand the appeal. “Well, I hear congratulations are in order,” he said. “So congratulations, Ellie. Welcome to the family.”

  “Thank you.” She still looked a bit weepy. She and Justin locked eyes again, and Dom discreetly stepped away as they kissed. He picked up his bag and moved to the extra room in Justin’s apartment, which had been vacated last summer by an old roommate.

  Dom pulled the door almost shut and tried to stay out of Justin’s way, letting them have a moment. He pulled out his clothes and put them into the drawers. He was used to packing and unpacking. It was what he did. Different assignments called for different amounts of time in each place. He’d known that when he’d decided on the Air Force all those years ago. That part actually appealed to him. The world seemed like an adventure.

  Recently, it had started to feel different, though. Less exciting. He scowled. The therapist would probably be interested in why he was feeling that way. She was in charge of the mandatory weekly evaluations the military was making him go through since he’d been shot down.

  The therapist said he clearly had a form of abandonment issues, given that his parents were gone, and his fiancée had left three days after they died. Thank you, Captain Obvious, he’d wanted to say to her. How much was the government paying for this therapy?

  He didn’t need or want a therapist. He especially didn’t need to waste an hour of his time once a week for six months. Though he did wonder what his therapist would say about the jealousy he was feeling at the moment. Irritation pricked at his skin. He’d been looking forward to relaxing with his cousin, talking and having time together, and now this self-reflection was already souring it.

  He overheard Justin say, “No, I’m not asking him that, and I’m not leaving him.”

  His gut tightened.

  “C’mon, Lacey is beautiful, and Snow Valley is awesome,” he heard Ellie implore.

  “No!” his cousin all but barked. “You don’t understand Dom.”

  There was a significant pause in the conversation, and Dom realized something else was going on. Sighing, he thought of Justin and how happy he was. He was pretty sure Ellie was trying to talk him into going home with her for Christmas. Isn’t that you did when you got engaged—meet the family?

  An emptiness filled him as he thought of all the things he could do by himself if Justin went. Snowshoeing. Ice fishing. He could go spend a couple of days in Estes Park. As much as he liked those things, thinking about doing them alone made him feel hollow. Really, though, what did it matter? He was always alone, and
the rationalizing wasn’t helping.

  Closing his eyes, he wondered if the Academy in Colorado Springs would let him get in some airtime. Yes, he could reach out to them. They were probably slow during the Christmas weekend; surely he could work out some time.

  “Snow Valley is magical,” he heard Ellie say softly. “I’ve been there once, and Lacey’s house is huge. Acres of property. They have horses, and she has this cute little pink tree house her father built for her and put on their land before the house was even built. Isn’t that so sweet? They also have snowmobiles.”

  “No,” Justin said softly. “You don’t understand what he’s been through. I’m not asking him to be a paid boyfriend for your roommate.”

  Shock hit the center of Dom’s chest. A paid boyfriend? Heck no. No, no, no. Dang straight his cousin wouldn’t ask him that.

  “Snow Valley is like one of those towns that is in every Hallmark movie. Where the town is like a character itself. The people are so warm and friendly. They go crazy about every holiday and do so many fun things. It’s surrounded by mountains that take your breath away, and there’s always a fresh snowfall. Lacey’s parents snowmobile all over their property. They even have a cabin in the mountains. When I went last year, we roasted s’mores. Isn’t that so cool?”

  Despite himself, Dom found himself getting lost in her description. He imagined flying over that little town, gazing at the snowcapped mountains and the chimney smoke that would plume into the sky on cold days.

  “I can’t leave him.” There was pity in Justin’s voice.

  Dom’s hackles rose. He wasn’t a pity case.

  “She can pay. Two thousand dollars. She needs someone,” Ellie said sternly. “So fine, if not your cousin, do you know someone who needs the money?”

  “Hmm …”

  Dom thought about his cousin, willing to sacrifice being with his fiancée for him. He thought about the little town with the plumes of smoke softly weaving through the air on a cold day. He made a quick decision, pulling the door back and stepping through. “I need the money.”