Page 29 of A Cozy Kind of Christmas

TWENTY-SIX

JOHANNA

The mountain retreat was charming, quaint, homey, something out of a postcard, but the snowy bonfire and cozy couples huddled up under blankets only made her think of Connor.

Her rival.

Her adversary.

He wouldn’t stop.

What was the deal with never-ending texts?

Like blowing up her phone with apologies and crying emojis would make up for going behind her back and snatching a promotion right from her fingers.

He was acting like a lovesick teenager, not a grown-ass man who was trying to land a coveted role—her role—to take over ESPN’s new department.

He wasn’t serious anyway.

The flowers, the texts, they were just an attempt to make sure she remained in his clutches.

He didn’t love her. He loved himself and couldn’t handle the fact that a powerful woman like Johanna had turned him down.

They’d had some fun, but that was over.

“So, what do you think of Bend?” a voice asked. She turned to see Matt standing behind her chair. No wonder Meg had a thing for him. He gave off a certain all-American, wholesome vibe with a touch of Oregon hippie-mountain man mixed in.

Not Johanna’s type. But Meg’s? Oh, yeah—without a doubt.

“Is this seat open?” Matt pointed to the empty chair next to her. “I’ve been waiting for a chance to get to chat, but before I do, can I get you anything? A refill?” He nodded to her empty mug. “What are you drinking?”

“A mulled cider, but don’t go to any trouble.” She tried to stop him, but his reflexes were too quick.

“It’s no trouble.” Matt deftly swiped her glass and was back in a flash with a fresh drink and a plate of snacks before she could even blink. “Just in case we need sustenance. I have like a zillion questions for you.”

Johanna felt like she already knew Matt.

Meg had described him as a modern-day Boy Scout, which fit.

There was a certain earnestness about him that was a rarity in the guys she met in the city.

He was the kind of guy who would know how to change a tire or show up two hours early at the airport even though he’d checked in for the flight online and had TSA pre-check.

The guy definitely knew how to scrub a bathroom, make a mean omelet, and bring you homemade chicken soup in bed on a rainy Sunday.

“I never turn down sustenance, especially if it involves chocolate. And if you want the juicy inside scoop on ESPN and Meg Reed, then keep hooking me with chocolate, and you just might get in my good graces,” Johanna said, plucking a chocolate-covered strawberry from the plate and biting into the juicy fruit.

“Noted. Chocolate. Check and check.” Matt made a checkmark with his finger.

“Lucinda is the ultimate hostess,” Johanna said, savoring the rich chocolatey berry.

“Yeah, it’s kind of her thing.” Matt’s gaze drifted toward his girlfriend, whose lilting laugh filled the brisk night air.

“You’re lucky to have someone shower so much on you.” Johanna licked chocolate from her lip, gauging his reaction closely.

“That’s what the Hinton family does. They want everyone on staff at Blazen to feel like family.

It’s almost like once you start working for Blazen, you end up married to the company.

” Matt glanced toward Lucinda. “I appreciate the party, and Luce has put a ton of work into the weekend, but it’s a lot.

If it were up to me, we’d all just hang, grab some beers, maybe hit the snowshoe trails, but the company has other agendas. ”

The company?

That was an odd statement.

“Why isn’t it up to you?” Johanna pressed. “It’s your birthday. You should get to choose what you want to do.”

“Yeah.” Matt fiddled with the zipper on his jacket, zipping it up and down. “It’s not that I don’t want this. It’s great. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the effort but…” He trailed off like he was searching for the right answer. “It’s complicated.”

Johanna tilted her head. “How is a thirtieth birthday complicated?” She grabbed a handful of popcorn as a new log the size of a Christmas tree was added to the bonfire, sending embers scattering into the black sky like tiny fireflies.

Lucinda caught their eye from the food tent. She waved at Matt with three fingers and blew Johanna a kiss as she turned up the music and mouthed the words to “Deck the Halls,” swinging her arms like a conductor for everyone to join in.

“She’s a character,” Johanna said, feeling a twinge of discomfort. She and Meg made a pact to stand in solidarity against Matt’s girlfriend, but Lucinda’s effervescent energy was intoxicating. There was no denying that.

Matt returned his attention to Johanna, his boyish face twisted into an impish smile as he intentionally changed the subject. “So, you’re Meg’s editor. I hear from Jill that I owe you some of the credit for getting her to come. How did you do it? I never thought she’d show. Not for me.”

“Oh, I can’t take credit. Meg has agency in spades, as I’m sure you’re aware.

If she didn’t want to come, there’s nothing me or anyone could have said to sway her.

” Johanna saw a flicker of hope cross over his wind-kissed cheeks.

“I am her boss, though, and this assignment is important for both of our career trajectories.”

That was an understatement.

She didn’t even know if she had a job to go back to.

For the moment, she didn’t care.

“I’ve read everything she’s written,” Matt said.

“It’s funny because even though her writing has grown and changed just like her, I can still hear her voice like we were back in college.

I remember my creative writing professors talking about the importance of voice in storytelling, but I never got it.

Probably because I tend to be more analytical.

Tech writing doesn’t leave a lot of room for creativity. ”

“Ha.” Johanna let out a laugh. “You should meet our stats team. They track the minutiae—like the RBI percentage of left-hand hitters when it rains on a Friday and Mercury is in retrograde to how many times a goalie blinks during penalty kicks in sub-freezing temps, and my personal favorite—this is true—the average free-throw percentage of basketball players who eat gummy bears during warm-ups.”

“I picked the wrong career. That’s hilarious and about sums up the difference between creative and tech writing.

Everything comes down to a number,” Matt replied with a laugh.

“But going back to voice, I get it now. Meg’s voice comes through in every word.

You can’t take that out of her whether she’s writing about paragliding or pickleball. ”

“She’s a unique talent.” Johanna nodded in agreement, hoping he would keep talking. He didn’t sound like someone hopelessly in love with his colleague. His tone took on a dewy quality when he mentioned Meg. Was there still a spark?

For Johanna, actions spoke louder than words, and Matt admitted he’d read every word Meg had ever written. Yeah, there was still something there.

What did that mean for Lucinda? Johanna had met the woman for an hour or two, but there was nothing not to like about the heiress.

“I’m just glad she’s not actually attempting to try any of the extreme sports she covers these days. It makes me feel much better that she’s watching from the sidelines.” Matt pressed his palm to his cheek and inhaled deeply.

“What makes you think that?” Johana raised an eyebrow pointedly, giving him her most serious side-eye. “You didn’t hear? She’s competing tomorrow. I told her to pace herself because we have an early start to get her geared up and on a snowmobile.”

Matt’s face dropped briefly before he realized she was teasing. He threw his hand to his heart. “You got me for a minute.”

Johanna wiggled her eyebrows. “Meg could handle it, but nope, we’ll be safely in the press area. You should come if you’re free. Lucinda, too. I can get you both on the press list.”

“That would be so cool.” Matt’s boot bounced on the snow. “Count me in.”

“What about Lucinda? Should I put her on the list, too?” Johanna wanted to gauge his response.

“I mean, you can ask her, but I doubt she’d want to come. You heard her earlier. She’s not a snocross fan. She thinks the sport is pure evil, but I’ll pass along the invitation. You never know, maybe she’ll have a change of heart.”

Johanna’s curiosity was piqued. What exactly was their relationship? They were either very comfortable and casual about their connection, or there was something else going on, and she intended to get to the bottom of it. It was the perfect distraction from obsessing over Connor.