MISTLETOE EVER AFTER

  MISTLETOE SERIES

  BOOK 3

  NANA MALONE

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Jamie

  Chapter 2

  Jamie

  Chapter 3

  Cole

  Chapter 4

  Cole

  Chapter 5

  Cole

  Chapter 6

  Jamie

  Chapter 7

  Jamie

  Chapter 8

  Jamie

  Chapter 9

  Cole

  Chapter 10

  Cole

  Chapter 11

  Cole

  Chapter 12

  Jamie

  Chapter 13

  Jamie

  Chapter 14

  Cole

  Chapter 15

  Jamie

  Also from Nana Malone

  Nana Malone Reading List

  1

  JAMIE

  I loved everything about Christmas. From the decorations to the music to the food, and yes, even fruitcake. I loved it all. But now, as I watched my employees enjoy the Christmas party I'd had catered, a long shadow cast a damper on my holiday.

  How long would I be able to keep them employed? After the great screwup this past February, I still had fifty people I needed to take care of, and going into next year I had no idea how to do it. No, that wasn't true. I had a Hail Mary plan, but what would I do if it didn't work?

  My head of marketing, Becca Long, sidled up to me carrying two cups of eggnog. “Eggnog for your troubles?”

  I gave Becca a small smile. “Thanks. Are you having fun?”

  “Of course I am,” she said, tossing her glossy dark hair over her shoulder. “I love the annual Christmas party. I love seeing who's partying too much. I'm starting a pool on who's going to have the biggest hangover tomorrow. I'm also taking bets on who's going to lose their decorum first once the music gets started.” She shrugged. “There's at least one every year who forgets that this is a work party. But yeah, I'm having fun. Way more fun than you. You look worried, boss lady.”

  I sighed. That’s because I was worried. My small gaming company, Cyberpunked, had been having serious financial troubles. Our latest game had done extremely well, but not well enough to pull us out of the red. We had an investor in the wings willing to drop a ton of cash into the coffers, contingent on the potential of the next game. We’d evaluate everything based on the demo product.

  They were willing to take a gamble if Cyberpunked’s demo of the game garnered strong reviews and excitement. The only problem was that the demo was scheduled for a mid-January release, and there was still a lot of testing to be done.

  I forced a smile for Becca. “I'm good, I promise. Just a little worried.” Becca was more than a long-standing employee at the company. Over the years we’d become friends. So I tried to shield her from the worst of it. From my epic blunders.

  “If this is what good looks like, then I don't want any part of it. You look exhausted, girl. When was the last time you slept?” The petite brunette spread her arms open in front of the converted warehouse that served as Cyberpunked headquarters. The abundance of decorations made the space look like Santa had relocated the North Pole to our offices. “This is all great and everything, and I am so grateful that you did all this for us. I know you’ve been bending over backwards to take care of us, but you have to take care of yourself too. Don't think I missed how late you’ve been going home or all the late-night emails. Not to mention how early you get here in the morning. I know you're killing yourself, and it pisses me off when I think about why.”

  I shook my head. “No, Becca. Don't worry about me. Don't worry about anything. I promised to keep this place running, and I will. Besides, this is Christmas. And you seem to forget I believe in miracles.”

  “Come on, level with me. At least tell me how bad it is.”

  I sighed. The truth would have everyone running for the unemployment line. “It’s not good, but I don't want anyone to worry about it. When you guys all decided to stay, I can't even tell you what that meant to me. So I'm going to handle it. You just worry about enjoying your Christmas holiday. We still have a couple of days to get

  everything ready for the game release, but then I want everyone to go and enjoy their two-week holiday. I'll take it from here.”

  Becca pursed her lips. “You do too much. But I know you're not going to listen to me.” Becca crossed her arms. “At least do me a favor and promise me you're going to do your best to enjoy the holiday.”

  “I’ll work on it,” I lied smoothly. It would just be a working holiday.

  Becca didn’t look like she believed me, but she still gave me a bright smile. “If you say so. Now, you drink your eggnog. I’m going to see if I can find a single hot guy in this crowd and some mistletoe.”

  I had to laugh. With her gorgeous smile, Becca would have lots of takers.

  “Enjoy yourself.” If only the biggest thing I had to worry about was finding someone to kiss for Christmas, my life would be so uncomplicated. It was kissing that had gotten me into this mess in the first place. Matter of fact, mistletoe kissing had gotten me into a lot of trouble.

  I took a sip of eggnog, letting the cinnamon do its job to perk me up. Otherwise, I’d be groaning. I’d been an idiot, letting love enter into a business relationship. Brandon and I had started Cyberpunked four years ago before we graduated from college. By the time we did the cap and gown thing, we’d already put out a hugely successful game.

  I’d thought we were on top of the world. How wrong I was. The two of us had met at Carnegie Mellon University our freshman year. I’d been one of the few women in my engineering class, and he’d been one of the rare attractive, sociable guys. And that year we’d had nearly every class together. We’d gravitated toward each other and bonded over our love of gaming. He’d always called me his sexy-cute gaming girl. But that had only lasted for so long.

  After school, we moved to Austin, where the start-up community was huge and funding was everywhere. And we had a good run, but things eventually fell apart, and Brandon found another sexy-cute gaming girl, leaving me for one of our interns. I came home from the South by Southwest Festival to find him gone. He’d managed to make all our biggest clients believe that he was the brains behind the shop. Because who would believe a Black female game developer was the brains? There was still a lot of sexism and racism in the gaming community.

  And to add salt to the wound, instead of just letting me buy him out, there’d been a fight over our clients. His leaving hadn’t been my fault. I was self-possessed enough to know that. But him taking half my company? That was my fault. I hadn’t made him sign a freaking non-compete agreement. And I’d paid dearly for it.

  Not only had he taken our biggest clients, but he’d also taken a good chunk of our employees. While I’d been building the business, he’d been polluting the well. When I fell in love with him, I didn't see him for the master manipulator he was. And it had cost me too much.

  I took the high road, refusing to address the negative comments swirling on social media. Since I wouldn’t respond, many people, investors and employees alike, thought I wasn’t in it to win it. And they’d worked with Brandon directly, so why wouldn’t they believe what he said? The doubters eventually left with him.

  With the team I had left, we’d managed to survive for the last year on the residuals for the old games and revenue from some new ones. But we were struggling, and everybody knew it. Especially Teched. The tech giant was breathing down our necks, poising themselves for a takeover. They’d offered me a buyout, but I knew they would dismantle my company and fire half my employees. That was the general strategy of takeovers. I’d made my team a promise to keep the company going, and I intended to keep it.

  I wasn’t ready to give up yet. Our last game had been hotly anticipated, and the critics had loved it. It was doing well and had stemmed the bleeding, but I needed a major infusion of cash, pronto, or there was no way I could keep the doors open.

  I’d vowed that I would go hungry before I would cut my team, but that was looking like a mistake. It had gotten so bad I’d eventually moved into the room in the back of the office to save on rent.

  How did I let this happen?

  Stop it. You can do this. You can do anything. Besides, it’s Christmas and you believe in miracles, so all you need is a miracle at Cyberpunked.

  I cracked my neck. In two days, I was leaving for my hometown in Upstate New York. Since my family was away in France for my cousin’s wedding, I planned to hole up at Mountain Villas Lodge and work. I’d always wanted to stay there when I was a kid.

  I’d concentrate on the new game and enjoy myself as much as I could. A miracle was waiting for me; I just knew it. It had to be. Because I wasn’t going to give up on my team or myself.

  2

  JAMIE

  The sun was setting over Austin, casting a golden glow through the windows of the back room I was using as an apartment. Today, it was a battlefield of winter clothes and half-packed suitcases.

  I was debating between a practical parka and a stylish coat when my phone rang. Matt's name flashed on the screen, bringing an involuntary grin to my face.

  "Hey, Matt," I said, shoving the parka into the suitcase. Function over fashion for
snowy Mill Springs, New York.

  "Jamie, are you actually doing this? Christmas back in Hope? At the resort? It’s in the middle of nowhere. What will you do without DoorDash?" His voice was laced with disbelief.

  "Hope is not the middle of nowhere. It's... home. And I’m actually going to Mill Springs. Thirty miles away. Completely different. And I think it’s quaint. We loved growing up there. And I will survive, thank you very much."

  I glanced around my room, where my love for Christmas was evident. There was a miniature tree on the coffee table, adorned with twinkling lights and colorful ornaments. Stockings hung from the makeshift mantle, and a collection of snow globes from my travels lined the bookshelf.

  Even with no time to breathe or even shower some days with the hellish deadline I was on, I’d made time to decorate a little.

  "Your place looks like Santa's workshop exploded in there, and you're uprooting yourself and spending Christmas alone in Snowy Sleepyville?" Matt's teasing tone was unmistakable.

  "First, it's Hope, not Sleepyville. Second, I have a ton of work to do, and Hope is the perfect quiet place for it. I need to get away to clear my head. I need peace and quiet."

  "Come on, you're the queen of Christmas. Don't you want to spend it with people who... I don't know, who love you? Come spend it with me and Mom and Dad."

  I chuckled, folding a scarf around a pair of boots. "The residents of Hope exist, thank you very much. Besides, I've got the biggest project of my career to save. No time for mistletoe and wine."

  "Sounds like a sad Christmas song waiting to happen. ‘Alone in Hope,' topping the charts."

  "Ha-ha, very funny. Look, I'll have my laptop, my code, and maybe some eggnog. I'll be fine."

  I could almost hear Matt's skeptical eyebrow raise. "Eggnog? Since when do you⁠—"

  "Since it's Christmas, and I intend to enjoy it, even if it's with a computer as my date.”

  There was a pause, and I knew Matt was mulling over his next line of brotherly concern.

  "I just don't like the idea of you being alone, especially over Christmas," he finally said, his voice softening.

  "Matt, I appreciate it, really. But this is something I need to do. For me and for the company."

  I zipped up the suitcase, feeling a sense of accomplishment. One battle won.

  "Just promise me you'll try to have some fun, okay? Go out, see the town. It can't be all work and no play."

  "Who says I can't mix a little bit of fun with work? Maybe I'll write a program about building snowmen. Interactive and festive."

  Matt laughed, and the sound was a balm to my pre-travel nerves. "Just take care of yourself, J. You haven’t been the same since the breakup, and I worry about you."

  "I always do. And hey, maybe Hope will surprise me. It could be just what I need."

  I hung up, looking around my Christmas-decorated room one last time. Tomorrow I'd be in Hope, tackling the biggest challenge of my career. But for tonight, it was just me, my festive little tree, and the promise of new beginnings.

  Cole

  I paced my Austin apartment, phone pressed to my ear, frustration mounting with each step. "What do you mean they declined the offer again?" I snapped at my acquisitions manager, Jake, on the other end. "Do they not realize what we bring to the table?"

  There was a pause, a hesitant breath. "They're adamant about not selling, Cole. The owner won't even agree to a meeting. I think what they said was they had to respectfully deny any and all offers. Felt like a big fuck you."

  I raked a hand through my hair, glancing at the packed suitcase by the door. My flight to Hope was in a few hours, and here I was, still wrestling with this acquisition. Teched was expanding and growing. Cyberpunked was the perfect addition, and from what I knew, they were in trouble. They definitely wouldn’t be able to climb out of their pit of debt.

  "Fine," I said curtly. "Set up another offer. Increase it by 15%. I want that gaming company, and I'll get it one way or another."

  As I ended the call, my phone buzzed again. Matt's name on the screen was a surprise, like a sudden breeze from a long-closed window. We hadn't spoken in years. I hesitated, then answered.

  "Cole Nichols speaking."

  "Cole? It's Matt. Matt Reed."

  I paused, a mix of surprise and nostalgia washing over me. "Matt, man, how long's it been? Six, seven years?"

  "Something like that." Matt's voice was a mix of warmth and awkwardness. "Listen, I know it's out of the blue, but I need a favor."

  I moved to the window, looking out at the city lights. "I'm all ears."

  "It's about Jamie, my sister. Remember her? She's heading to Hope for the holidays. Staying at your family's resort."

  A wave of heat permeated my bones.

  Jamie.

  The name hit me like a flashback. The high school valedictorian, the girl with a smile that could light up a room, and that one unforgettable kiss.

  I cleared my throat. "Jamie's coming to Hope? That's... unexpected. But sure, I'll be there too. What do you need?"

  Matt's relief was palpable over the phone. "Just keep an eye on her, will you? She's been working non-stop, and she’s had a rough six months or so. I just don't want her spending the Christmas holiday alone and buried in work."

  I nodded, even though he couldn't see. "Of course. I'll make sure she's taken care of. Get her to decorate or something."

  I could have sworn he mumbled, “Oh, you won’t have to worry about that.”

  “What was that?”

  “Nothing.” There was another brief silence, filled with unspoken memories. "Thanks, Cole. It means a lot. I owe you a drink next time I see you."

  “Not necessary, man. Besides, if I remember Jamie, she’ll have her head buried in a book.” This would be easy. We chatted a bit more, carefully steering clear of anything too personal.

  When I mentioned my trip to San Francisco next month, he said, "Let's catch up properly when you're here. It's been too long."

  "Definitely. It'll be good to see you.” There was a lot I wanted to ask. Like how was Jamie? Was she married? Taken? And what the hell did he mean by she’d had a rough go?

  After hanging up, I glanced at my watch. Time was ticking away. I needed to get to the airport, but my mind was stuck on Jamie Reed and the gaming company I was trying to acquire. Two very different challenges, both demanding my attention.

  As I grabbed my suitcase, I couldn't help but wonder about the upcoming days in Hope. Jamie's arrival, the memories it would dredge up, and the business deal hanging over my head.

  It’ll be easy. Focus on work. And absolutely, positively, do not kiss Jamie again.

  3

  COLE

  I pulled my Range Rover into the paved driveway of Mountain Villas Lodge.

  The outer log facade gave the lodge a country effect, but I knew better. Inside, every room was state-of-the-art with the most modern of amenities. The main building housed two restaurants, a bar, and a giant fireplace surrounded by seating areas.

  The lodge was nestled at the base of the mountain, and when the snow fell thick, guests were immediately transported to a winter wonderland beautiful enough to rival any Disney could create.

  A good portion of Upstate New York had already seen its first snow. My family had bought into the lodge when I was a kid, so we always stayed in the deluxe suite. I’d grown up just thirty miles from here, but this tiny town seemed like a lifetime away from the suburban hub I’d known growing up or the bustling metro area of Austin I’d moved to. Out here in Mills Spring, it was miles to the nearest neighbor. And deer, foxes, and rabbits often made an appearance on the premises.

  This year though, I’d be without my family or my previously prospective fiancée. And I preferred it that way. Alone time with my laptop and the finest Scotch on earth was all I needed.

  The biting winter air snaked its way into my peacoat and caused me to shiver. I’d left my damn scarf on the flight from Austin. But I’d survive. It wasn’t like I was going to be leaving the property much. I was taking a break from people. I needed solitude from everything. My Thanksgiving proposal hadn’t quite gone according to plan, so I was still smarting from that.