“Or me,” Brendan said.
“It’s me,” Tyler said with a self-assurance that made both Colin and Brendan frown.
Riley’s mom’s jaw dropped. “Colin? Brendan? Tyler?!” She looked over at Riley. “This is . . . unbelievable. All three of your ex-boyfriends are here at this Christmas Camp?”
Riley put her arm around her mom. “It’s a long story. I’ll explain everything, but right now, I really need to go upstairs and get ready for the dance. My photographer wants me ready for pictures in a half hour, and I’m already running late.” She gave her mom another hug. “Are you going to be okay down here, or do you want to come up with me?”
Riley’s mom smiled back at her. “I’m just fine. I need to go change, as well. You go get ready and do your job. I’ll be here after the dance, and we can catch up.” She kissed Riley on the cheek. “I’m so proud of you and so glad I’m here to see this.” She looked over at Luke. “Thank you again, Luke, for making this possible.”
Colin, Brendan, and Tyler all looked at Luke like they were seeing him in a new light—as their competition.
“Riley,” Caylee called from upstairs. “Are you coming up?”
“Coming,” Riley yelled back.
She gave her mom another quick hug. “I’ll see you later tonight.” Then she looked at Colin, Brendan, and Tyler. “And you guys, as well.” As she headed up the stairs, she looked back at one person, Luke. He was talking to her mom, and her mom was laughing.
Riley was still smiling when she walked into her room.
With the help of Caylee and Maryanne, Riley was able to get ready quickly. She had to laugh when she got to her room, and they had already picked out her dress. She had to admit they’d done a good job. It was her favorite dress, as well, out of the clothes Mike had sent her. It was another sparkling red gown, but it had a halter neckline covered with red sequins and a soft, shiny, satin skirt in a ballgown style that made her feel like a princess.
Riley had a great time as they helped one another do their hair and makeup, and she wondered if this was what it felt like to have sisters.
Caylee and Maryanne had been more than excited to wear something from Riley’s Christmas clothes stash again, with Caylee picking a fun and flirty, short, red sequin skirt paired it with one of the simple black sweaters Riley had brought from home. Maryanne chose another red dress, this one all lace, and it fit her as if it had been made just for her.
As they stood together, arm in arm, and looked into the mirror, they smiled.
“I think we’re ready,” Riley said.
“We are so ready,” Caylee agreed, and they all hugged.
“I’ll go find Paul,” Maryanne said. “He said he wanted to get some pictures of you before you went down.”
“Oh, wait,” Riley said, going over to her dresser and opening the top drawer. She took out the picture she’d had Paul print up of her with Santa when she was little. She handed it to Maryanne. “Could you add this to the Christmas Camp memory board for me? If there’s a spot for it.”
Maryanne held the picture to her heart. “Of course, there’s a spot for it. Everyone is going to love that you’re sharing this. Thank you. I’ll add it right now.”
Riley suddenly felt embarrassed. “There’s no rush. It’s no big deal.”
Maryanne smiled at her. “I’ll take good care of it.”
When Maryanne left, Caylee grabbed Riley’s hand. “So what are you going to do about Luke?”
“What do you mean?” Riley asked, confused.
Caylee laughed. “It’s so obvious that you two have a thing for each other.”
“Okay, I’ll play. What are you going to do about Paul?” Riley countered with a smug smile.
Caylee stepped back. “We’re not talking about Paul. We’re talking about Luke.”
Riley put her hands on her hips. “You go first. I talked to Paul, and it seems like he really cares for you. What happened?”
Caylee paced around the room.
“I mean, tell me he’s a bad guy and I’ll drop it,” Riley said.
“He’s not a bad guy,” Caylee said, defending him quickly. “He’s a good guy. Too good. That’s the problem. And he didn’t do anything. I did.”
Riley waited for Caylee to continue.
When she finally stopped pacing, she sat down on the bed, picked up the Santa pillow, and hugged it. Riley sat down next to her.
“Short version,” Caylee said, staring at the Santa. “We dated. It was great. I got deployed to Afghanistan. I didn’t want him waiting and worrying about me. I know how hard it can be so I broke if off with him. End of story.”
“But is it?” Riley asked. “The end of your story? Because the guy I talked to clearly still cares about you, and I think you care about him.”
Caylee jumped up and tossed the Santa pillow on the bed. “Your turn to answer my question. What are you going to do about Luke?”
“There’s nothing to do when it comes to Luke,” Riley said as she walked over to the window and stared out into the night. “There’s nothing going on between us. He’s only tolerating me this weekend because he has to. Before you got here, he tried to make me leave. Did you know that?”
Caylee locked eyes with her. “Riley, what I know is that I’ve known Luke almost my whole life. I know what I’m talking about. I see the way he looks at you, and the way you look at him. You don’t look at your exes like that. Can you honestly tell me that one of them is the one? If you can, then I’m wrong and I won’t say another word.”
Riley laughed. “Promise?”
“Yes,” Caylee said, completely seriously. “I promise.”
Riley walked over to her desk and picked up one of the Santa figurines. “Colin, Brendan, and Tyler are all great guys . . .”
Caylee followed her. “Agreed. But . . . ?”
Riley sighed and put down the Santa. “You’re right. None of them are the one. There’s no spark. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t base my decision on just a physical spark. I’ve always believed that kind of spark comes from something deeper than just chemistry. It comes from having the kind of connection, mentally and physically, that’s undeniable. All three of my exes are great, but I’m different now. I can’t go back. To grow, I need to move forward. That’s how I’m going to find the kind of love I want and need.”
Caylee shot both arms up in victory. “I knew it!”
“But that doesn’t mean I have a thing for Luke or that he has a thing for me,” Riley said. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s been great putting on this Christmas Camp—you all have been—and I know all the Christmas Campers love Luke and he brought my mom here, but we’re two totally different people. He’s moving back to Europe, I live in Arizona, and . . .”
Caylee stopped her by taking her hand and looking into her eyes. “Do you want some advice?”
Riley laughed a little. “I’m guessing you’re going to give it whether I want it or not.”
“True,” Caylee said. She took a deep breath before continuing, looking uncharacteristically serious. “Being in the military, being deployed in a war zone, I’ve learned you can only live for today. Tomorrow’s never guaranteed. I also learned that with my parents. So don’t waste the precious time you have making excuses for why you can’t be with someone or why you can’t be happy. Live in the moment. Grab all the happiness you can, while you can, and figure the rest out if you’re lucky enough to get a tomorrow. Does that make sense?”
Riley nodded slowly.
“If you think there might be something there with Luke, you gotta go for it,” Caylee said. “You’re a romance writer. Isn’t it time you wrote your own happily-ever-after?”
A knock on the door interrupted them. “It’s Paul,” he said through the closed door. “Maryanne said you’re ready. The rest of the media is also starting to show up.”
“Coming,” Riley called back to him.
Then she turned to Caylee. “And what about you taking your own advice with Paul? You’re right here, right now, and so is he. Make this trip count, Caylee. Do it for you. Do it for Paul. Do it for love.”
Riley picked up her purse, and when she opened the door, she found Comet waiting for her. This time Comet was wearing a black bow tie and looked very dapper. She smiled as she leaned down and adjust the tie so it was perfect. Tyler had let her borrow his bow tie from their date, although she hadn’t told him it was for Comet.
As she started walking down the hall, she saw her mom come out of one of the guest rooms. “Oh, good, I’m glad I caught you,” her mom said. “Can you come into my room for just a second? I have something I wanted to give you.”
“Sure,” Riley said, “but you didn’t need to get me anything. You know we don’t exchange Christmas presents . . .”
“I know,” Riley’s mom said. “It’s not from me.” She handed Riley a little white jewelry box.
When Riley opened it, she touched her hand to her heart. Inside was the silver charm bracelet her dad had given her their last Christmas together. It still had the one Santa charm on it.
“Do you recognize it?” her mom asked.
Riley nodded as she remembered her dad putting the bracelet on her wrist for the first time and how much she’d loved the Santa charm.
Her mom took the bracelet out of the box and held it up. “I had a few links added so it should fit you now. I thought you might want to wear it tonight.”
When Riley silently held up her wrist, her mom happily put the charm bracelet on her. It fit perfectly.
Tears pooled in Riley’s eyes, and she blinked them back. “Thank you, Mom,” she said, touching the Santa charm.
“Your dad would be so proud of you. I know I am,” Riley’s mom said as she gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I was hoping that this year we could spend Christmas together, but not in Hawaii. We could stay home and actually celebrate Christmas again, start some new traditions. What do you think?”
Riley hugged her mom tightly. “I think that would be great. I really do.”
“Wonderful,” Riley’s mom said. “But now you better get going. A lot of people are waiting for you.”
“You’re right,” Riley said. “I’ll see you soon.” As she hurried down the hall, she looked down at her Santa charm and smiled.
When she got to the stairs, her heart skipped a beat. Luke was waiting for her on the bottom step. He looked incredibly handsome in a black suit and white shirt with another red tie that matched her dress.
Caylee’s words were echoing in her head: Live in the moment. Grab all the happiness you can, while you can, and figure the rest out if you’re lucky enough to get a tomorrow.
There was so much she still needed to figure out, but one truth she knew was that she’d been falling for Luke from the start. She’d shut down her feelings because she’d thought he had a girlfriend, and then her three ex-boyfriends had arrived. It was complicated, and adding to that, it was Christmas, which brought so many feelings rushing to the surface.
When she got to the bottom of the stairs and Luke held out his hand, she smiled as she put her hand in his. When their fingers touched, something flashed in his sapphire-blue eyes and she felt it.
The spark.
When she laughed, much of her tension melted away. Here she had been looking for that spark with her exes, but now, when she wasn’t looking, that spark had found her.
“You look beautiful,” Luke said. “Like you belong in a Christmas fairy tale.”
Riley smiled and blushed. “Thank you. My dad would have loved hearing you say that. He used to make up Christmas fairy tales and tell them to me at bedtime when I was little. It was one of my favorite parts of Christmas.”
“Do you remember any of them?” Luke asked.
Riley nodded. “I do. There was ChristmasElla, about how Cinderella spent her Christmas, and Snow White and the Seven Christmas Eves, and The Little Mermaid’s Christmas Wish, and lots more.”
“That’s really creative,” Luke said. “Sounds like you come by your storytelling ability naturally.”
Riley smiled. “I guess I do.”
“Have you ever thought about writing your dad’s fairy tales down as a children’s book?” Luke asked. “I bet kids would really love it.”
Riley felt a bolt of inspiration jolt through her. “Luke, that’s a great idea! I have a friend who is an amazing illustrator, and there are so many stories I remember. I wonder if I could really do this . . .”
“Of course, you can,” Luke said. “Remember, it’s Christmas. Anything is possible.”
Riley was growing more and more excited. “And for my romance novel, I could make my heroine a children’s book author who is writing a book of Christmas fairy tales, but she’s lost her Christmas spirit and needs to find her own happily-ever-after for inspiration.”
“Maybe with the illustrator?” Luke offered.
Riley laughed. “Great idea. I love this. I think it could really work. Everyone has been wanting me to write a Christmas story that I have a connection with, and it has been impossible to come up with anything.”
“Why has it been so hard this time?” Luke asked.
“It’s Christmas,” Riley said. “We have a complicated history.” She took a deep breath. “I lost my dad at Christmas.”
“I’m so sorry,” Luke said.
As Riley looked up into his eyes and saw the empathy there, she realized she’d never told that to anyone before. She never talked about her dad or Christmas, but she was glad she told Luke.
“Thank you,” she said. “And thank you for this idea. I think this might be a great way to honor his memory.” Before she knew what she was doing, she gave Luke a hug. It just felt right. It all felt right. She could hear his heart beating in his chest, and her own heart matched its rhythm. She was blissfully lost in the moment until she heard someone clearing their throat.
She reluctantly stepped back from her embrace with Luke and turned around to find all three of her exes staring back at her.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Colin, Brendan, and Tyler all looked handsome dressed up for the dance.
“Riley, there you are,” Colin said. “You look beautiful.”
Riley smiled back at him. “Thanks.”
“Red always was your color,” Tyler added.
Tyler stepped forward. He walked over to Riley, leaned down, and kissed her before she even knew what was happening. “You look perfect,” he said.
Flustered, she quickly took a step back.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t kiss my girlfriend,” Brendan said as he gave Tyler a warning look.
Colin laughed. “Your girlfriend? I think you’re both confused. Riley, tell them. You’ve picked me.”
When they all looked at Riley, she glanced at Luke, but he was already walking away.
Upset and knowing what this must have looked like to Luke, Riley turned back to her exes. “Guys, I can’t do this right now. My photographer is waiting in the ballroom, and all the media is here. Let me get through this dance. This is our last Christmas Camp activity, and I’ll talk you later tonight. I promise.”
She hurried off before any of them could protest.
She didn’t get very far before she was surrounded by her Christmas Campers, all wanting pictures with her all dressed up for the dance.
Caylee had finally come to her rescue and escorted her to the ballroom, where Paul and the media were waiting to get interviews and pictures before the dance started.
As soon as she entered the ballroom, she felt like she was being transported into one of her dad’s Christmas fairy tales.
Luke and Mike had called in a favor and had a designer friend from Denver decorate, keeping it si
mple but magical. Bringing the beauty of the outside in, they added dozens of live Christmas trees covered with white twinkle lights. White lights also lined all the wooden beams across the vaulted ceiling like stars in the sky. Mike had even found a band to play classical Christmas songs everyone could dance to so the media outlets would have some great opportunities to get some festive shots.
As Riley made her way to the microphone they’d set up for her interview, she had to admit that Mike had done his job. Not only were there local TV stations from Denver present but he’d also scored some national media.
“Where’s Luke?” Riley asked Caylee as they approached the mic.
“I haven’t seen him,” Caylee said.
Riley quickly scanned the room but didn’t see Luke anywhere. She smiled at all the journalists, who were waiting for her to get started.
“We’re just waiting for one more person,” Riley told them. Then she whispered to Caylee, “Can you go find Luke? He needs to be here.”
“I’m on it,” Caylee said and hurried off.
But the media wasn’t waiting.
“Riley,” a reporter in the front row called out, “I’m Ray Davis with the Denver Tribune. Can you tell us about your three boyfriends who showed up here? Are they all going to be in this new Christmas novel of yours?”
“No!” Riley answered quickly, then softened her response with a laugh.
The reporter quickly followed up. “‘No’ to telling us about your boyfriends? Or ‘no’ to them being in the book?”
“Both,” Riley said, getting some laughs from the crowd. She smiled at everyone, trying to hide how uncomfortable this line of questioning was making her feel. “If we can just hold off with questions for a moment, I’d like to start by introducing Luke Larchmont. This amazing place is his family’s lodge, and he made this Christmas Camp happen. He should be joining me any moment.”
“We don’t need to wait,” a voice said from the back of the crowd. When the person stepped forward, Riley’s eyes widened. It was Mike, with Margo by his side.
Christmas Ever After Page 31
