Free Be Mine at Christmas by Brenda Novak

her. When had she gotten so gaunt and haggard? So old? And what had happened to her hair? Had someone set fire to it? Or had she set fire to it herself?
    “I need some sleep,” she insisted. “I—I’ll get a haircut. I’m not as bad as you make me sound.”
    “Do you want to live? ” the woman asked.
    Stephanie blinked at her in surprise. “ What? ”
    “If you want to make it another year, give me the number of someone I can call.”
    Stephanie took a second look at the stranger in the mirror. Who was that person? Where was she going? What had she done?
    She had no answers. She had nothing.
    “Who can I call?” the woman repeated, more forcefully.
    Stephanie didn’t have Angela’s cell-phone number. Their relationship had become so rocky Angela had changed the number and wouldn’t give it to her. But Stephanie did remember the name of the place where Angela worked.
     
    “W HAT’S WRONG ?” Lewis asked, poking his head inside Matt’s office.
    Matt yanked himself out of the lethargic stupor that seemed to swallow him whole every time he stopped moving, and shuffled some papers around. “Nothing, why?”
    “You’re not yourself today.”
    Angela hadn’t called him last night. She hadn’t even squeezed his hand or thrown him a quick smile when they’d parted. She’d made passionate love to him for about ten minutes, then…no real interaction at all. “Thanks,” she’d said as he’d dropped them off. “For everything.” And then she’d gone and he hadn’t heard from her since.
    He shouldn’t have taken her into that bedroom. She probably thought he didn’t respect her. Or that he was only interested in what he could get from her while she was in town. Or…
    Hell, he didn’t know. He’d never gotten so many mixed signals in his life. He was thoroughly confused.
    “So how was the big gift exchange?”
    Lewis was still standing in the doorway of his office.
    Matt tried to rouse himself again. “Great. Fun. Grandma didn’t get her special eggnog, for which she’ll never forgive me. But other than that…” Other than that, it had definitely had its high points. Like the moment Angela had frantically stripped off his pants and greedily touched him everywhere, arching into him when he’d first covered her body with his.
    She’d wanted to make love, too, hadn’t she? Because if that was no, how would he ever know yes?
    “I ran into Ray a few minutes ago,” Lewis said.
    “Oh, really? Where?” Matt could hear the flatness in his own voice, but Lewis didn’t comment on his lack of enthusiasm.
    “At your parents’ store. I stopped by to pick up the necklace I bought for Peggy.”
    “Peg’s going to have a nice Christmas.”
    “Yeah.”
    “That’s good.”
    Lewis stepped into the room and leaned on the back of one of the chairs. “Anyway, Peg and I plan to invite Kayla to come to Reno with us tonight.”
    The mention of Kayla instantly raised Matt’s level of interest. “What for?”
    “We’re going to Circus Circus, you know, for the kids. Then we’ll be staying over to have a buffet breakfast and do a little shopping. Christmas Eve is the day after tomorrow, so it’s pretty much our last chance. I thought I’d let you know in case you wanted to take the opportunity to be alone with Angela.”
    Matt felt a sudden flicker of hope. Last night, he’d handled her the way he would a house fire—urgently and without finesse. She must’ve been disappointed. So…what if he brought her some flowers, took her out for a romantic dinner, spent the evening just getting to know her? If she didn’t touch him, he wouldn’t touch her. Then maybe she’d forgive him, let him start over… This time, he’d take it slower.
    But she hadn’t called him even after he’d asked her to.
    It was too late.
    He shook his head. “Thanks, but I’m not going to bother her again. I don’t think she wants to see me anymore.”
     
    “C AN WE GET IT FOR HIM ? Please?” Kayla begged.
    Angela