Gabe’s eyes darted to Robyn. Her smile was frozen in place. Did her eye tick?
“Our next guest, Oliver, graduated top of his class and manages investment portfolios.”
Bachelor number two wore a light gray suit and a blue button-up. His hair was slicked back, and his skin was shiny.
Robyn lightly pressed her finger to the corner of her eye. It was ticking.
“Our final guest is Logan. He’s a wedding photographer. He’s on the lookout for his own special match.”
Robyn grimaced for a brief moment before righting her expression. Gabe watched her closer. She shifted around in her seat as if the chair were made of jacks. What was her deal? Was she nervous about being on the show, or was there more to her obvious discomfort? He wished he could tell her that he was there, that he wouldn’t let anyone hurt her.
Robyn’s eyes met his for a brief moment, and her cheeks flushed pink. She looked quickly away, focusing back on Brian.
“Gentleman, this is Robyn. She’s a world-class chocolatier and manager over a commercial kitchen. She listens to Christmas music all year long and enjoys long walks in the snow and kisses under the mistletoe.”
“All righty.” Brian twisted his body so his good side was to the camera while he talked to Robyn. “Let the questions begin. Who do you want to start with, Robyn?”
Robyn pressed her lips together as if she were debating within. A rapid movement to Gabe’s left grabbed his attention away from the stage. Stella waved her arms frantically, as if trying to ward off a swarm of bees. Odd.
He swiveled his head to see if Robyn noticed. If she did, she didn’t give an indication. Instead, she clasped her hands together and hooked them over her knee. “I’d like to start with Logan, if you don’t mind.”
“We don’t mind at all.” Brian winked at the camera. He did that a lot. From what Gabe had heard, the female viewers loved it.
“Hi, Logan,” she said in that sexy voice of hers.
“Hello there, beautiful,” he responded with confidence.
Gabe rolled his eyes.
Robyn smirked, telling everyone at home she wasn’t impressed with his flattery—especially since he hadn’t seen her yet. “Logan, exactly how many couples have you stood up on their wedding day?”
“I … what?” Logan’s confident demeanor slipped forty degrees. “What do you mean?”
Robyn tipped her head. “You took Mark and Terri’s deposit and then pull a no-show on their big day. Didn’t you?”
Gabe gapped. This was not how the game went normally. In fact, Robyn wasn’t at all like the normal, giggling contestant. She was calm and invested on a whole other level. The result was extremely attractive, making Gabe want to take a seat as bachelor number four. That was a ridiculous idea. He couldn’t woo a woman as sophisticated and put together as Robyn. She’d see right through his barely-keeping-it-together situation.
“Uh …” Beads of sweat began to form on Logan’s forehead. “Is this some kind of hidden camera show?”
Robyn’s eyes widened, and a light of understanding went on inside of her. Something in Gabe cheered her on as she geared up for another blow. “You’re supposed to be at a wedding right now!” She tsked and shook her head.
Chelsea stared in awe. It was like watching a train careen towards the end of the track and she had no idea how to stop the inevitable crash.
Logan looked right in the camera and then bolted from the stage. Gabe let him go. There was no reason to hold him there, and he was glad to have the creep as far away from Robyn as possible.
Brian looked at the director for help. Chelsea lifted her hands. This was out of the norm. If Robyn had come for a showdown with Logan, she was done and would walk away. But she didn’t. She sat there as if she was waiting to meet the next guy in line.
The assistant director stepped forward and signaled for them to keep rolling. The show was low budget, and it wasn’t often that they stopped the cameras.
“Well, I guess we can rule him out.” Brian chuckled good-naturedly. “Who’s next, Robyn?”
She cleared her throat. “Kylo, what do you really do for a living?”
Bachelor number one’s dark eyes went hard. Gabe’s instincts kicked in. This guy was off. His jittery hands did nothing to instill confidence, and the way he tensed said that he was ready for a fight.
Gabe reached for his Taser and moved into position next to the stage. Kylo looked Gabe over, locking eyes in a battle of who’s tougher. There was something deviant in Kylo that would have Gabe backing away from an altercation. If he saw this guy on the street, he’d cross to the other side. But with Robyn sitting less than ten feet away, he couldn’t back down.
“I don’t have to take this.” Kylo slowly got up. He walked across the stage, making eye contact with Robyn as he did. “Who do you know?” he growled.
“Hey!” Gabe barked, drawing Kylo’s attention. “If you’re going, go. Otherwise, I’ll have to ask you to leave.”
Kylo pointed at Robyn. “You keep your mouth shut.”
Robyn gasped.
Gabe stepped forward, his Taser in his hand.
Kylo glared at him and moseyed off the stage. Gabe followed him out the door and made sure it was shut behind him. As soon as he was gone, a sense of lightness returned to the room. He hadn’t noticed the darkness until it disappeared. Robyn fairly glowed with the light, whatever it was. An inner sense of joy? Happiness? Christmas cheer?
Brian shook his head and then perked up. “Well, I guess we know who you’re going out with tonight.”
Robyn shook her head. “Sorry. I’m pretty sure Oliver has something he’d like to get off his chest.”
Gabe swung his attention to the remaining contestant. He had sweat marks on his shirt. Where Kylo had been all threats, this guy was a cornered rabbit. He had to know Robyn was going to talk to him next.
“Okay! Okay! I barely graduated from a certificate program and lost all my money in a pyramid scheme two months ago. This suit is the only thing I have left.”
Robyn planted her feet and leaned forward on her elbows, putting off the vibe of a good therapist. “Why’d you come here today?” Her soothing voice invited confidence, like a spell cast over the entire studio.
Oliver swallowed. “I wanted someone to look at me like I meant something.”
A soft smile played on Robyn’s full lips. Even though Oliver had been talking, Gabe couldn’t take his eyes off of her. “That’s what we all want, Oliver. There’s nothing wrong with that. I think you have a lot of love in your heart, and you want to share it. Is there someone special in your life?”
Oliver ducked his head. “I met someone online. She doesn’t know the real me.”
“Why don’t you ask her out?” Robyn prodded.
“Because I don’t want her to find out I’m a failure.”
Gabe’s shirt felt too tight. Oliver’s raw honesty was hard to watch, and he wasn’t used to discussing feelings with anyone. A wave of embarrassment for this poor guy washed over him.
“Here’s the thing about us ladies, Oliver.”
The whole crew leaned forward to listen as if Robyn were about to hand out the secrets to the universe.
“As long as you don’t fail us, we think you’re Superman. Do you think you can protect her heart?”
Gabe blinked, letting the words sink in. Was that true? A guy could be as much of a screw-up as Oliver, and a woman could think he was golden as long as he was good at loving her? He wanted to believe that. Not for Oliver’s sake, but for his own. Because if that was true, then even a guy like him had a shot with a woman like Robyn.
Oliver nodded slowly. “I think I’d be really good at loving her.”
Robyn sat up. “Then go for it. Just don’t let her down. And if you do …” Her eyes twinkled. “Then you’d better make it right, right quick.”
“I will.” Oliver beamed.
Robyn settled in, the matter at hand taken care of. She seemed to come to herself and real
ize she was on a dating game show and didn’t have a guy left. “Oh!” Her hands flew to her mouth. “I’ve ruined your show! I’m so sorry,” she apologized to Brian.
Stella huffed loudly, but she smiled as if she was proud of her sister for calling the guys on their crap.
Brian nodded slowly. He was off script now. “Let me ask you, Robyn: why’d you come on our show?”
She fidgeted with a ring on her right hand. “Truthfully, I wanted to find a husband.” Her fidgeting stopped.
Gabe spent a lot of time learning to read people. She wasn’t lying. In fact, he wondered if she even could. The more he watched her, the more he liked her. Which was dangerous ground to be on, but also … exciting.
“That’s a bold declaration,” observed Brian. “You’re not just looking for a night out on us?” The show paid for a date in exchange for the couple doing after interviews.
She shook her head. “I want a man to share Christmas with—forever. I want mistletoe kisses and magic sleigh rides and cozying in front of the fire and all the holiday trimmings shared with family.”
That sounded good to Gabe. He found himself stepping forward, raising his hand to volunteer. An intern grabbed him before he entered the lights and tugged him backward. The jerk away from the stage also jerked him out of his head. “Thanks,” he whispered. The kid had saved him from humiliation. He shook his head, trying to shake off the beautiful dream Robyn had created in his mind. It felt so close—like he could reach out and grab it.
He shrank back into the shadows. Brian and Robyn talked a few more minutes, and then Chelsea yelled, “Cut!” Chatter erupted, and Stella rushed forward to grab Robyn in a whispered conference.
“We’ve got to find this girl a husband,” said Chelsea. Heads bobbed all around.
Gabe gripped his hands into fists. The dream Robyn wove into his head with her interview was alive in him, and he hated the idea of another man in his spot.
Chapter 6
Robyn
Robyn paced the flower room, her phone pressed to her ear. The news from the North Pole wasn’t good. She shouldn’t be down here when everything at home was falling apart—er, melting. She’d adjusted several recipes for humidity, but chocolate was going to be a real issue. Tempering required temperature control, and at this point, they had none.
Roxy, the head candy elf, was efficient and capable—but also frazzled and upset that her world was melting away. Robyn didn’t even want to think about what would happen if she didn’t get married. Some of her closest friends would turn to elfin dust. Why had she let her Santa senses take over and grill those guys on camera?
“I think running the ovens is making stuff melt faster.” Roxy’s voice went up in pitch.
Robyn frowned. “I arranged for a kitchen in Alaska with 24 ovens. Lux should have it wired and ready to go in three hours. Can you sneak some elves down there?”
“We’ll have to store things on-site.”
“That’s fine. There’s a warehouse. They’ll freeze, so don’t do candies or chocolates. Gummies are out too.”
“Pastries will do fine,” Roxy replied.
“Okay, then. Start with the panettone, then move on to the Christmas pudding. I’ll be home tonight.” She hung up just as Stella stormed through the door like a flurry.
“You ruined everything.” Her words were coated in a need for acknowledgment and understanding.
Robyn was quick to answer the unspoken first. “You have done an amazing job getting this all set up. I wouldn’t have been here without you.”
Stella sank into a chair. “I’m not sure what other avenue to explore. We’re running out of husband opportunities.”
Robyn patted her hand.
“I asked for another crop of men. We’ll see if they’ll be up for trying again or if they’re going to send us packing.” She dropped her forehead into her hands.
Robyn rubbed her back. Even though she was the one who had missed out on finding love today, she offered comfort to her sister. Still, there was a part of her that needed to point out the obvious. “Besides, you were the one who hacked into the system and ran background checks on the guys. If I didn’t know those things about them, I wouldn’t have called them out.”
Stella flapped her hand over like uncooked dough. “Your Santa senses would have picked up on something.”
“True,” Robyn acknowledged. She was about to ask why Stella was so emotionally invested in Robyn getting married when there was a light tap on the door.
The director, the producer, and an intern filed in. Chelsea, the director, spoke first. “We’ve reviewed the footage and—” She lifted a shoulder. “—we like what we see. It deviated heavily from our regular programming, but we’re going to air it tonight and gauge viewers’ response.”
“Basically, we have nothing to lose,” said the producer, Jerry. “Our rankings have tanked over the last year, and the network is talking of cutting us loose. We’re hoping this will shake things up—especially if we can get a love match on the show.”
“The key to it working will be Robyn,” added Chelsea, turning all of her attention on Robyn—and all of her internal voices. Her need for this job was wrapped up in her daughter, perhaps something about paying for college. She continued, “You’re genuine. Even when you’re accusing a man of fraud, you’re real. How did you know about that, anyway?” She scratched the back of her neck, trying to appear casual, but Robyn picked up on her anxiety that they had a leak in the studio.
Stella piped up. “Google search.” She lifted her phone.
Robyn lifted an eyebrow, but she didn’t sense a lie coming from Stella. Maybe it was as easy as googling the men.
Chelsea seemed to buy the explanation. The intern took notes on everything, his head bent. He handed Jerry a paper.
“One other thing.” Jerry scanned the sheet. “Kylo made several threats on the way out of the building—besides the one we got on film that was directed at Robyn.”
“What?” Robyn squeaked. Her hand flew to her throat. She’d never been threatened before. She wasn’t the type of person who made waves or confronted bad guys. She worked with elves, for the love of peanut butter fudge.
Jerry nodded. “We think it would be a good idea to have someone escort you home tonight.”
“We don’t exactly live close,” Robyn hedged, looking for a way out. She couldn’t very well tell them that she lived at the North Pole and planned to fly home in a magical sleigh.
“Fine, we’ll get a hotel room for you,” offered Jerry.
The intern wrote furiously. His stress level soared.
“We can pay for our own lodgings.” Stella threw in exchanging a look with Robyn. It wasn’t like they could leave Starling on the roof for long. The reindeer needed to eat, and someone would see her eventually. Most adults would see a helicopter or small plane, their brains filling in what they didn’t understand. But a child would be enthralled with a live, flying reindeer.
The intern scratched off the note to get them a hotel, and his blood pressure decreased.
“Is Stella a target too?” Robyn asked, worried for her sister. The last thing she wanted to do was put her family in danger—well, more danger. Having their home melt out from under them was dangerous enough for one Christmas.
“No, his main issue was with you,” replied Jerry.
Well, that was great!
The door opened again, and in walked Gabe in all his uniformed handsomeness. Sugarplum fairies filled her stomach and danced, leaping and twirling in their tutus. She was starting to think there was something more to her attraction than just his good looks and the fact that he thought she was sketchy.
He folded his arms and stood like a fortress.
“Good.” Jerry headed for the door, and the others followed. “Gabe will take you wherever you need to go. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
Chelsea waved happily before ducking out, and the intern followed with his head down. He had a lot of work ahead of him before he
could go home.
Robyn darted forward, her hand in her purse. “Wait.”
He stopped, his shoulders up around his ears, warding off one more task to complete. “Yes?”
“I brought you these.” She pulled out a white box filled with pumpkin cookies. “I thought you might need a snack.”
His shoulders dropped. “Oh my gosh, thank you so much.” His heart lifted—she could feel it, and it made her smile.
“You’re so welcome.” She patted his arm. He just wanted someone to notice how hard he worked. “You deserve them after all you do around here to keep this place running.”
He flooded with joyful relief.
“Are you ready to go?” asked Gabe, before the intern could say anything else. He grinned before slipping out the door.
There was a sense of urgency about Gabe that spurred Robyn to move faster. “Anytime you are.”
“Where’s your hotel?” he asked.
“Um … the Day-Night Inn?” Robyn offered up as a question. She had no idea what was in town or where to go. They would need roof access for Starling. Stella cleared her throat and shook her head. “The Holiday Inn?” she tried again.
Gabe scowled. “You don’t remember your hotel?”
Robyn flushed. There was no way to truthfully answer that question. They didn’t have reservations anywhere, and she didn’t know this town. Her throat tightened.
“I’ll text you the address.” Stella threw over her shoulder as she rushed out the door. Robyn relaxed. She’d meet Stella on the roof of whatever hotel had the best landing spot, and they’d be on their way home within a half hour. Her sister was much better at this “avoiding lies” thing than she was—maybe she should take lessons.
Gabe held the door for her, and they made their way through the lobby. Sarah had strung a garland of palm trees with Christmas lights across the front of her desk. They were the perfect decoration to celebrate her upcoming cruise. She was on the phone but waved as they walked by. Robyn waved back.
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