Mistletoe Match (No Match for Love)

by Lindzee Armstrong

  Michelle barked out a laugh. “That’s your defense? Just tell me the truth, Austin.”

  “That is the truth.”

  “Did you know about the affects of the seizure medication on the rabbits?”

  Austin opened his mouth, then closed it. He shoved his hands deep in his pocket, a furrow forming between his brow. “It was a recent discovery.”

  “And you still work for Wellsprings Pharmaceutical?”

  A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Yes.”

  “Even after an intern supposedly went over your head to the CEO? You really expect me to believe that the head of the company is the one making these decisions, despite the salary they’re paying you?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “Then explain it to me.” Her fingers dug into the metal of the door and she felt paint scuff under the pressure of her nails. Lola barked, scratching at Michelle’s arm. “I want to understand.”

  He ran a hand through his hair. “I want to explain, believe me. If you’ll just give me a week or two—”

  “I thought you were different.” Tears coated her voice, but she refused to let them free. “You helped me with Bella. You brought me Lola. But I can’t overlook your connection to Wellsprings anymore. Not after this.”

  “Wait.” Austin lunged, catching the door before she could close it. “Michelle, let me—”

  “No, Austin. I’ve given you the chance to explain. It’s obvious we have nothing more to say to each other.” She slammed the door in his face.

  A fist pounded against it almost instantly. “Don’t do this.”

  Lola let out a whine, and Michelle clutched her close. “Please just leave.”

  Silence. She pressed her eye against the peephole. Austin’s eyes were closed, his face scrunched with a pain that clawed at her heart. Slowly he turned and walked away.

  Lola nipped at Michelle’s finger and set let the dog down with a yelp. The puppy quickly scampered away. Michelle stared at her the Christmas tree decorated with doggy treats, unable to get the ad out of her mind. She’d thought Austin was so different. She held a hand over her heart, trying to contain the pain. Why had she thought this time would be any different?

  She fumbled for her phone, dialing Ruth’s number with trembling fingers.

  “Hello?” Ruth said.

  “Did you see it?” Michelle asked.

  “Yes. What do you think of Austin O’Neal’s character now?”

  Michelle closed her eyes, barely holding back a whimper. “We have to organize a protest. Capitalize on the media attention.”

  “I’m already on it. We’re meeting at Wellsprings Pharmaceutical at ten tomorrow morning. Can you be there?”

  “Yes,” Michelle said and hung up the phone.

  Lola nudged Michelle’s arm with her nose, and Michelle pulled the dog close, giving her a kiss on the top of her head. “I shouldn’t have lost sight of my goals because of a man,” she told her. Michelle wouldn’t make that same mistake twice.

  Austin stared at the closed door, his world shattering. He’d asked for time to explain. He wanted to explain—was desperate to explain—but the FBI had instructed him to not tell a soul until the raid was complete.

  Michelle had turned into a completely different person at the first sign of conflict, just like Victoria. Maybe it was for the best that this had happened. The children liked Michelle but weren’t overly attached to her—yet. This way, he was the only one who got hurt. He wanted a relationship with someone who trusted him. Apparently that woman wasn’t Michelle.

  Austin slowly walked to his car, hoping Michelle would open her door and beg him to stay. She didn’t.

  He’d gone over the paperwork for hours last night before making the call. In the end, he hadn’t been able to escape the truth—the lab reports he’d found in company archives didn’t match up with the altered copies submitted to the FDA. Wellsprings had knowingly lied to the Food and Drug Administration about the results of the anti-seizure medication lab tests. He’d had to turn them in. Austin had expected that to be the end of it, but someone from the FBI contacted him a mere hour later and asked to meet with him the next morning. Apparently this went deeper than FDA violations. When the news had broken that afternoon, an FBI agent had called Austin. Somehow wires got crossed at the two agencies, and the FDA announced their findings prematurely. The agent asked Austin to keep all information to himself until the FBI raid could be completed. Already the agency worried they’d lost the element of surprise and evidence would be destroyed as the company executives panicked.

  One week, and he could’ve explained everything to Michelle. But apparently he wasn’t worth the wait.

  Austin stayed up well past midnight, submitting resumes to other companies and filling out online applications. Whatever happened with Wellsprings, he couldn’t stay at the company after this. If luck was on his side, Mark would never find out he’d been the leak. But his electronic time stamp was all over the documents and he knew it was only a matter of time.

  What a way to kick off Christmas break.

  A text came from Mark the next morning, demanding they meet at the office immediately. Austin crawled out of bed, dread curling in his stomach. Proof of infidelity meant Victoria hadn’t taken much in the divorce, but the move had made a decent dent in his savings account. Still, if they cut out the extras and laid off the housekeeper, they’d be fine as long as finding a new job didn’t take more than six months. He had the kids, and that was the most important thing. They’d been fine before they met Michelle, and they’d move on just fine without her. Had it really only been three weeks since she’d entered their lives? Losing her shouldn’t hurt so much.

  The park strip at the entrance to Wellsprings Pharmaceutical teamed with protesters hoisting picket signs. Austin drove slowly by the crowd, the dark tint of his car windows allowing him to search for Michelle without fear of being seen. She stood near the middle of the pack, her face drawn in an angry scowl. Her coat bulged in front, and he saw one chocolate-colored paw before driving past.

  He couldn’t blame Michelle for protesting Wellsprings. Part of Austin wanted to pick up a sign and join her. But she’d refused to trust him when he asked for time to explain, and that wasn’t something he could look past.

  Austin badged into the building, wondering if security would escort him out. The sounds of the protesters died as soon as the double-pane revolving door swung shut. The silence of the reception area crept over Austin and he fought the urge to shiver. He’d never been to the office on a Saturday. Apparently firing him was important enough that Mark was willing to interrupt his weekend.

  “Come in, please,” Mark said, his tone unusually formal. He shut the office door and motioned to the woman sitting next to the large black desk. “I’ve asked Jean from HR to be here for this meeting.”

  Austin sank into a chair, peace washing over him. He knew what was coming, and he wasn’t going to try and stop it. He’d made his choice last night. Given the opportunity, he’d make the same one again.

  “We know you tipped off the FDA,” Mark said.

  Austin kept quiet, neither confirming nor denying the accusation.

  “Why would you do that?” Mark continued, his voice raising. “After everything we’ve done for you, why would you turn on us? That’s so not cool, man.”

  Heat licked up Austin’s neck, but he tried to keep his tone even and steady. “If you choose not to follow the laws and guidelines set up by the FDA, that isn’t my fault.”

  Mark’s face turned purple with rage, but when he spoke, his voice was low and cool. “You have officially been terminated from Wellsprings Pharmaceutical, effective immediately.”

  “And what is the reason for termination?” Austin demanded. “Informing the FDA you’re breaking the law?”

  “Severely impaired judgment,” Mark bit out. “You should’ve approved that ad campaign, and you didn’t.”

  “That ad campaign is borderline suicidal,” Austin sa
id. “It’s not even accurate. The majority of pharmaceutical drugs are tested on mice and rats— and rabbits, sometimes—but rarely dogs. That’s cosmetic companies.”

  “The public doesn’t know that,” Mark said. “You’re done. Pack up your stuff and get out.”

  The door burst open, and Austin sprang to his feet, heart pounding. The woman from HR screamed.

  “Police!” A person in full body gear, an FBI logo stamped across his chest, pointed a gun in their direction. “Hands in the air!”

  Austin immediately raised his hands, and Mark reluctantly did the same. A moment later, a federal officer—the one Austin had given his statement to—walked up to him. “You can put your hands down and come with me,” the officer said quietly.

  Austin dropped his hands, relief pouring through him. Michelle hated him. He’d been fired. The FBI was investigating Wellsprings Pharmaceutical. His part was over.

  For the next hour, Austin sat in his office—former office he reminded himself—with an agent while federal officers swarmed the building, searching every nook and cranny. Austin knew he should feel devastated. He’d just been fired for the first time ever. But calm blanketed him. He didn’t regret turning Wellsprings in. He could at least thank Michelle for helping him see what an awful company he worked for. Hopefully, if the government hadn’t frozen the company accounts, he’d receive a severance package since he hadn’t quit.

  The door swung open and Austin looked up.

  “Suspects have been arrested and the building searched,” an officer said. “The media has already gathered and the press conference starts in five.”

  “Thank you,” the agent sitting across from Austin said. The officer nodded and left.

  “So that’s it?” Austin asked.

  The agent nodded. “For you, at least. Our part is just beginning. We can’t thank you enough for being so cooperative.” He held out a hand, and Austin shook it. “Care to listen to the press conference? This is your moment of glory.”

  “I’d prefer that you keep my name out of it,” Austin said.

  The agent raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? You deserve the credit.”

  “I’m sure,” Austin said. He didn’t want the glory, or the potential complications that might arise when searching for a new job if his name was in the press. Companies tended to frown on turncoats, even if Wellsprings had been in the wrong. Knowing he saved a lot of animals from harm was good enough.

  Outside, a podium had been brought in, with mics from three different news stations attached. Austin slipped into the crowd of picketers and reporters, keeping near the back. He scanned the crowd, searching for Michelle. She stood a mere two feet away from the podium. Her mocha-colored hair spilled down her back, a sign propped against one shoulder.

  She hadn’t even needed to wait a week for the truth—just a few hours. Now that the raid was over, he could’ve told her everything.

  Michelle glanced back as though sensing someone watched her. She found him quickly and her lips pursed into a thin line. Austin folded his arms, the anger on her face cutting him to the core. She spun back around, facing the front once more.

  An FBI agent stepped up to the podium and thanked the reporters for coming. He led with a prepared statement, then opened it up to questions.

  “Who tipped you off to the illegal practices?” one of the reporters asked.

  The FBI agent looked at Austin for a moment, then away. “A brave employee of Wellsprings Pharmaceutical contacted us only yesterday about the situation. He risked everything, not the least of which was his career, to bring justice to these animals. We owe our entire investigation to this whistle blower.”

  “Can you tell us his name?” someone else asked.

  “He’s asked to remain anonymous at this time,” the agent said. “Next question?”

  A head bobbed above the crowd—Michelle on tiptoes. She found him again and raised an eyebrow. Even across a crowd of people, he could see her pleading eyes. Was it you? she seemed to ask.

  He nodded.

  Whistle blower. Michelle held Austin’s gaze, but his face could’ve been carved from stone. He folded his arms, his expression revealing nothing.

  She’d made a horrible, awful mistake. Her mind replayed their conversation from last night, each word taking on new meaning. He’d asked her to trust him, and she’d flipped out.

  There had to be a way to fix this.

  The FBI agent ended the press conference. Reporters called after him, pressing forward as he disappeared inside Wellsprings Pharmaceutical. Michelle pushed her way through the crowd, a fish trying to swim upstream. Lola squirmed inside her coat, then settled back into sleep. Michelle had to get to Austin. She shoved between two burly men with cameras and finally broke free. Austin was already halfway across the parking lot.

  “Austin!” she yelled.

  He kept walking, hands deep in coat pockets. She quickened her pace, her long legs quickly covering ground. He pulled keys out of his pocket and the lights on his Land Rover flashed.

  “Please!” Michelle said, raising her voice even higher.

  He stopped, hand on the vehicle’s door. Then he turned around, his shoulders near his ears as tension rippled through his body. Hope flared in Michelle’s heart. At least he hadn’t climbed in his car and drove away. Yet.

  She skidded to a stop three feet away from him, arms still around a sleeping Lola. “I’m sorry. I should’ve trusted you. I should’ve let you explain.”

  His eyes were two dark ponds hiding emotions she was scared to read. “I told you the ad campaign wasn’t approved by me.”

  “I know. I’m so sorry. I kept thinking about Bella, and those poor rabbits, and I lost it.”

  “I’ve been in that relationship, Michelle—the one where I can’t trust my partner and she doesn’t trust me. I won’t put my kids through that again. I won’t put myself through that.”

  A tear slipped down her cheek, and Michelle quickly swiped it away. “I should’ve never questioned you. I know who you are, Austin. I know your character. I let my emotions cloud my reasoning.” Her voice caught. “You’re the guy who goes into work late so he can walk his daughter to class on her first day because she’s scared. The guy who helps someone in need, then—when she goes crazy and yells at you—sends her flowers because you know she’s having a hard day. You’re the guy that buys her a puppy so she isn’t lonely. And I’m falling for that guy, Austin. Hard.”

  He folded his arms, eyes hooded and unsure. “I can’t be with someone who doesn’t trust me. It isn’t healthy for anyone involved. Constantly questioning your partner’s motives destroys a relationship. I should know.”

  “Please,” Michelle whispered. “Give me another chance. I’m so sorry.”

  “I asked for one week, and you slammed the door in my face.”

  “I know.”

  He reached out, his hand dropping just short of caressing her cheek. She wanted to grab that hand and never let go. “I’m not sure I can recover from this. I was ready to pursue a relationship with you, but now I’m questioning everything. I have three other people to think about when making these decisions. Right now, I’m not sure what the best choice is. I need time.”

  He’d asked her for it last night, and refusing had potentially ruined everything. Michelle nodded, struggling not to cry, and took a step back. She wanted to ask how much time, but didn’t want to push him.

  “Give me a few days,” Austin said, as though reading her thoughts. “I promise we’ll talk then.”

  “Okay,” Michelle whispered.

  Austin gave her a sad smile, then climbed into his car. They had a real, tangible connection—more real than anything she’d ever experienced. She watched Austin’s taillights disappear around the corner, her insides shredded at the thought of losing him forever. Had she just said goodbye to the only man she’d ever really fallen for?

  Michelle stumbled to her car and slipped inside. Her phone was in her hand, Austin’s number on t
he caller ID before she realized what she was doing. She quickly erased his number and input Hudson’s instead. She couldn’t ignore Austin’s request for time again.

  “Hello?”

  “Hudson,” Michelle choked out. “I need you.”

  “Chelle, what’s wrong?”

  “Austin,” she said, her entire body shuddering with repressed tears. “I’ve ruined everything.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Wellsprings Pharmaceutical, but I’m heading home.”

  “Meet you there,” Hudson said, and the phone clicked dead.

  Michelle arrived home to Hudson standing in her driveway. She cut the car engine and he threw open her door.

  “What happened?” he demanded.

  She collapsed into his arms, tears burning her eyes. “I’ve finally found the guy I want to have a relationship with, and I’ve ruined everything.”

  “Shhh,” Hudson said, stroking her hair. “Geez, you’re shivering. Let’s go inside. I want to hear the whole story.”

  “I’m such an idiot.” Michelle unlocked the back door and unlatched the seat belt from Lola’s harness. This puppy was proof that Austin cared. That kind of emotion didn’t disappear in a single conversation.

  “Who’s this?” Hudson asked.

  “Meet Lola.” Michelle raised one of the dog’s paws in a wave.

  “You got a new dog and didn’t tell me?”

  Michelle frowned. Had she really not told Hudson? She unlocked the front door as she thought back over the last week. When had they last spoken? “I guess I did. Austin gave her to me.”

  “Whoa. Back up and tell me everything. I’m making hot cocoa.”

  An hour later, Michelle had caught Hudson up on the entire story. She stared into her now empty mug, feeling the weight of Hudson’s gaze.

  “I ruined everything, didn’t I?” she asked.

  Hudson blew out a breath. “You kind of overreacted, yeah. But I bet Austin would’ve too if the situation was reversed.”

  “I’ll bet Austin never overreacts.” She pushed the mug away, letting out a shaky sigh. “I don’t think we’ll be able to get past this.”