“You want me to do it now?” she asked, trying not to look as uncomfortable as she felt. Please say no, please say no, please say no, was all that kept going through her head.
“What do you think, guys?” Luke asked the crowd.
When everyone shouted yes and clapped, Riley had no choice but to laugh along with them.
“Okay,” she said. She knew this wasn’t the time to tell everyone she didn’t believe in Christmas wishes, so instead, she turned toward the fireplace and used the mantel as a flat place to write, quickly jotting down her wish.
To write a wonderful Christmas love story.
She turned back to face everyone. “Okay, done!”
“You have to put it in Santa’s bag,” Caylee said.
“But first tie the red ribbon around it,” Maryanne added.
“That is how it works,” Luke agreed.
Everyone laughed.
Riley laughed, too, as she tied the ribbon around it and headed over to the Santa. As she was putting her wish into his bag, she did another double take when it looked like Santa winked at her. She let out a sigh of relief when she realized it was just the reflection from the Christmas lights on the mantel.
She quickly returned to Luke’s side.
“Okay,” Luke said, “without further ado, let me officially introduce the host of our Christmas Camp, best-selling author Riley Reynolds!”
As everyone clapped, Luke stepped aside so all the focus was on Riley. Paul snapped several more pictures.
The flash was making her see stars. She blinked several times as she looked around trying to take everyone in for the first time.
Riley cleared her throat. “Thank you all for being here.” She motioned to Luke. “Can we please give Luke and his family and friends a huge round of applause for making this weekend possible? I think you’ll agree that Christmas Lake and the Christmas Lake Lodge is right out of a fairy tale. Thank you for having us, Luke.”
As everyone clapped, Riley gave Luke a grateful smile. He nodded and smiled back at her.
“Is this going to be the setting for your book?” a girl standing just a few feet from Riley eagerly asked.
It was the first time Riley made eye contact with one of the Christmas Campers. For a moment she thought she was seeing double, but it was actually two identical twin sisters in their early twenties. They were wearing matching gold sequin dresses and cute, fuzzy reindeer antler headbands.
The twins grinned back at her. “I’m Carrie,” the twin who had asked the question said.
“And I’m Terrie,” the other twin chimed in.
“We’re from Florida, and we love your books!” they said in perfect unison.
Riley laughed. “And I already love you both. Thank you!”
When there was more laugher from the group, Riley felt herself start to unwind. She smiled at the twins. “And about having Christmas Lake in my next book, that’s a really good question, one I’m hoping you’ll all can help me with as we go through the weekend. I can’t wait to hear what kind of Christmas story you want to read.”
“We love all your books, Riley,” a woman called out.
Riley smiled back at her.
The woman looked to be in her mid-sixties and was standing to the right of the twins. “My name’s Barbara, from Charlotte, North Carolina. I’m here with my husband, Larry. I love all your books, and I watch every Christmas movie every year. You can ask my husband. It drives him crazy.”
“She’s not kidding,” Larry said. “She watches every single one.”
“See, told you,” Barbara said. “And I love Christmas novels, too. I’m so glad you’re finally writing one. I’ve been hoping you would. Haven’t I, Larry?”
“Yup,” Larry said and nodded. “She has.”
“Anyway,” Barbara continued with even more enthusiasm, “I’ve been talking to everyone tonight—”
“Everyone,” Larry emphasized. “Trust me, everyone.”
People laughed.
Barbara kept going without missing a beat. “Anyway, as I was saying, I’ve been talking to everyone, and I think I can speak for all of us when I say a heartfelt thank-you to you for hosting this Christmas Camp, and to Luke and everyone and honoring this very special time of year.”
When there was more applause and cheers, Riley touched her heart. The energy in the room was already so welcoming. She felt very relieved and blessed.
She smiled back at the people who had gathered around her. “Well, I am truly looking forward to getting to know all of you this weekend.”
“Do you already know what kind of guy your heroine is going to fall in love with?” Terri asked.
“Is he going to be a Scrooge and she has to help him find his Christmas spirit?” Carrie jumped in.
Terrie waved her hands excitedly. “Or maybe she’s the Scrooge, and he has to help her embrace the magic of Christmas.”
Riley laughed, impressed the twins had thought this out more than she had. “Honestly,” she said, “I haven’t decided yet.”
“What about an old boyfriend who comes back into the picture to win her back?” a man asked from the very back of the room.
Riley shrugged and smiled, looking around for the man who’d spoken. “Anything’s possible.”
When Colin took a step forward out of the shadows, he smiled his most winning smile. “That’s good to know.”
Riley gasped and rubbed her eyes. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
“Colin?” she whispered. It couldn’t be, she thought, but this guy looked just like her college boyfriend.
Before Colin could answer, another guy from the back of the room spoke up. “That is good to know,” the guy said, also stepping into the light.
Riley’s jaw dropped. It was Brendan.
“Very good,” another guy added, as he too stepped into the light from the back of the room.
It was Tyler.
Riley covered her mouth with both hands. She couldn’t even begin to process what she was seeing.
The three men she had loved in her life—Colin, Brendan, and Tyler—where all there smiling back at her.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Surprise!” Colin said.
Brendan and Tyler quickly followed. “Surprise!” they said in unison.
The
