Chapter1
"Belle Jordan?"A young man's voice echoed with a crackinit.
Belle stood from her desk by the window, which overlooked the Capitol Building as the door opened. Perhaps it was orders from her old military base or she was still in this habit, but she straightenedher spine. "Yeah,who'sthis?"
Again a boy's voice squeaked. "I'm from FTL. I have a letter todeliver."
Civilians didn't stand at attention for delivery people. She forced herself to sit and fixed her long, brown braid behind her head. "Comein."
A boy, no more than eighteen years old in a bright yellow shirt appeared. The tension in her spine dissipated as the messengerheld out a package and an electronic box. "I need you tosignhere."
She scribbled her name and then stared at the letter. It was white, and the calligraphy was tasteful. The date December 23rd echoed in her brain. Someone knew she worked late. It might be some new lobbyist business party that doubled as training for the just-out-of-the-military group she was hired with. It was not likeshe had anymore friends who would send her wedding new invitations. She shook the letter. It certainly looked like aninvitation.
She glanced at her desk and pushed the contract with the US Marines and Century Arms to the side as she opened the white linen envelope. A moment later, white confetti in the shape of butterflies spilled onto her mahogany desk. She unfolded the crisp linen invitationfrom wrapping paper and read,Victoria Morgan and Colt Collins cordially invite you to their Christmas Eve wedding inMiami.
Again. This was the second invitation, not that she had responded to the first. Belle covered her lips and sat. She'd never go to this. Her heart beat a mile a minute. Her ex-fiancé and the mother of his child were not exactly her favoritepeople.
She droppedthe invitation but then noticed a second sheet of paper in the envelope. She tucked the paper in to hide it and picked up the contract. She needed to finish and get her work in the mail and over to the Pentagon. She picked up her pen, signed the last of the pages and, and dropped the papers in the 'to be copied' stack for her secretary in themorning.
She had earned another bonus. The nightsky still had the whiteness of this morning's snow flurry. The postcards of Washington, DC at Christmas could be snapped from her office, not that she'devercare.
It was time to go home. She sighed. No one else was still here on the floor. As she stood, she peeked at the second piece of paper that had come with the invitation. She blinked. It was Colt'shandwriting.
Her heart hada pang. Her father had loved the idea of her and Colt. So had her stepmother. They had said they finally had a daughter because she intended to get married and wear a whitedress.
Clothes did not make herfeminine.
She closed her eyes and hoped the zap in her heartbeat stopped. They had never been proud of her, ever, and they certainly weren't now. Her father had said he couldn'twait to dance with his daughter at her wedding. A piece of her hair fell in front of her eyes. As she gazed at the letter, she tucked the wayward strand behindherear.
Belle,
Please come to the wedding. We were always friends first. You saved my life in the desert and kept me alive. Victoria wants you here too. We both want you to be happy. We included an airplane ticket.Pleasecome.
Colt
She rubbed her throat and then dropped the letter. There was no way she'd go. This was insane. Ex fiancées did not go to the new fiancée's wedding. Victoria and she hardly even knew each other. All she knew about Colt's new bride was that Colt had thought the other woman dead the entire time he haddatedher.
She fumbled through her desk and found her pocketbook.At the door, she wrapped herself in her scarf, warm woolen jacket, and thick hat. Four years of dating one guy had left her utterly alone thiswinter.
She closed her office door, strode through the empty office with gray cubicles, and locked the department front door. She'd return in eight short hours. Christmas Eve was for other people whocared.
On the empty street, the brightestlight on the horizon was still the Capitol Building. She wrapped her scarf tighter and quickened her steps to get to her apartment faster. The cold air numbed her nose, but she trekked forward. She'd behomesoon.
People's cheers from the local bars she passed were loud with ‘Merry Christmas.' She hugged her waist and rushed. Then her new stepmother's smiling face flashed on hercallerID.
She answered, "Hello?"
"Darling, your father and I are heading out for the holidays on that Mediterranean cruise we told you about earlier this year. He's very sorry to miss you for the holidaysagain."
"I remember." Of course. Her stepmother had never asked, 'Why don't you drop everything and join us when we book the cruise?' Not that she'd go. She straightened her shoulders."Have fun withmydad."
Sophie's perky voice echoed through the phone. "What will you do thisholiday?"
Find a way to not think about Colt anymore. She would never say that, and instead she rolled her eyes. She was the one who'd paid her father's debts so her stepmother could spend his retirement earnings. "Work. It's what Ienjoy."
Her stepmother's voice, which had once soothedher said, "Baby, there is more to life than work. We hoped one day you'd learn to relax and enjoy the smallmoments."
Clearly they lived on another planet. Belle pressed her lips together. "It's okay, Sophie. Have funwithDad."
