An Ex for Christmas (Love Unexpectedly 5)
“I’m just saying, what if? I mean, what if he’s miserably unhappy because you’re his destiny but he didn’t know it? Maybe you just have to wait for him to get divorced—”
I hold up a hand. “Nope. The love of my life is not a married man. He’s just not.”
She lifts a suspicious finger at me, jabbing a hot pink nail my way. “You know who it is.”
I sip my drink. “If I did, I wouldn’t have to have the list, now would I?”
“Top contender,” she says without mercy. “Lay it on me.”
I look away, and Ivy grunts. “Knew it. You’re still hung up on Colin.”
“I’m not,” I say automatically. “I’m really not.”
“Okay, but of everyone on your list, he’s got to be the longest relationship, right? Four years?”
“Three.”
“And he broke up with you, which means you must have been happy in the relationship, right?”
She keeps her voice gentle, but the memory still stings. “Yeah, I thought he was the one back then, but like you said, he broke up with me, so obviously he wasn’t feeling it.”
“Maybe it just wasn’t time,” Ivy points out. “You guys were kids in your twenties.”
“Says the girl married at nineteen.”
She waves a hand. “Jim and I are weird. And don’t wriggle away from the point—you know it’s true. I bet it just wasn’t your and Colin’s time yet.”
“I can’t just assume it’s Colin,” I point out.
“Fine, fine. What do we need to do to rule out the others?”
“Well, Doug and Chad are both in town—”
I’m interrupted by her laugh. “Oh gawd, I’d forgotten you’d dated them.”
“They’re nice guys!” I say defensively.
“I’ll give you that Chad’s decent, if not boring as heck,” she says, lowering her voice in case anyone nearby knows the men in question. “But Doug?”
“Admittedly a rebound,” I say, holding up a finger. “But even with that playboy reputation, he was very sweet.”
“And he cheated on you.”
“Allegedly.”
She rolls her eyes. “If I didn’t know all that positive thinking was based on a good heart instead of naiveté, I’d give you an oh-so-gentle slap. Okay, fine. How do we get Doug and Chad in your orbit?”
“Not just that. I need them to be around me and mistletoe.”
She blinks. “What?”
Right, I forgot to tell her that bit. “I’m calling it my mistletoe test. I mean, all of this is happening at Christmas for a reason, right? Might it be because there’s mistletoe all over this town?”
“Haven is kind of weird with the stuff, but what’s it have to do with your plan? Did the fortune-teller tell you to kiss the guys?”
“No, but it’s a brilliant shortcut,” I point out. “Think about it. What better way to determine if you have chemistry with someone than a kiss? And what better excuse to kiss a guy you haven’t seen in a long time than a harmless, friendly peck beneath the mistletoe?”
“So gross. Tell me you didn’t kiss Joey Russo. I remind you—”