She reluctantly stepped back from her embrace with Luke and turned around to find all three of her exes staring back at her.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Colin, Brendan, and Tyler all looked handsome dressed up for the dance.
“Riley, there you are,” Colin said. “You look beautiful.”
Riley smiled back at him. “Thanks.”
“Red always was your color,” Tyler added.
Tyler stepped forward. He walked over to Riley, leaned down, and kissed her before she even knew what was happening. “You look perfect,” he said.
Flustered, she quickly took a step back.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t kiss my girlfriend,” Brendan said as he gave Tyler a warning look.
Colin laughed. “Your girlfriend? I think you’re both confused. Riley, tell them. You’ve picked me.”
When they all looked at Riley, she glanced at Luke, but he was already walking away.
Upset and knowing what this must have looked like to Luke, Riley turned back to her exes. “Guys, I can’t do this right now. My photographer is waiting in the ballroom, and all the media is here. Let me get through this dance. This is our last Christmas Camp activity, and I’ll talk you later tonight. I promise.”
She hurried off before any of them could protest.
She didn’t get very far before she was surrounded by her Christmas Campers, all wanting pictures with her all dressed up for the dance.
Caylee had finally come to her rescue and escorted her to the ballroom, where Paul and the media were waiting to get interviews and pictures before the dance started.
As soon as she entered the ballroom, she felt like she was being transported into one of her dad’s Christmas fairy tales.
Luke and Mike had called in a favor and had a designer friend from Denver decorate, keeping it simple but magical. Bringing the beauty of the outside in, they added dozens of live Christmas trees covered with white twinkle lights. White lights also lined all the wooden beams across the vaulted ceiling like stars in the sky. Mike had even found a band to play classical Christmas songs everyone could dance to so the media outlets would have some great opportunities to get some festive shots.
As Riley made her way to the microphone they’d set up for her interview, she had to admit that Mike had done his job. Not only were there local TV stations from Denver present but he’d also scored some national media.
“Where’s Luke?” Riley asked Caylee as they approached the mic.
“I haven’t seen him,” Caylee said.
Riley quickly scanned the room but didn’t see Luke anywhere. She smiled at all the journalists, who were waiting for her to get started.
“We’re just waiting for one more person,” Riley told them. Then she whispered to Caylee, “Can you go find Luke? He needs to be here.”
“I’m on it,” Caylee said and hurried off.
But the media wasn’t waiting.
“Riley,” a reporter in the front row called out, “I’m Ray Davis with the Denver Tribune. Can you tell us about your three boyfriends who showed up here? Are they all going to be in this new Christmas novel of yours?”
“No!” Riley answered quickly, then softened her response with a laugh.
The reporter quickly followed up. “‘No’ to telling us about your boyfriends? Or ‘no’ to them being in the book?”
“Both,” Riley said, getting some laughs from the crowd. She smiled at everyone, trying to hide how uncomfortable this line of questioning was making her feel. “If we can just hold off with questions for a moment, I’d like to start by introducing Luke Larchmont. This amazing place is his family’s lodge, and he made this Christmas Camp happen. He should be joining me any moment.”
“We don’t need to wait,” a voice said from the back of the crowd. When the person stepped forward, Riley’s eyes widened. It was Mike, with Margo by his side.
Riley did a double take. None of the plans included them coming to Christmas Camp. Their surprise visit instantly made her nervous. What are they up to now? she wondered.
It didn’t take long for Mike to get through the crowd and claim the microphone. “Hello, everyone. I’m Mike Conneley, Riley’s publicist. Luke told us to go ahead and get started with the interviews because we have a dance to put on.”
Riley fought to keep smiling as everyone clapped. She didn’t understand why Luke wasn’t coming. This was his moment to get publicity for the lodge. This was why he did the Christmas Camp.
When she looked over at Margo, who was standing on the sidelines, she found Margo was focused on her phone.
Mike pointed at a female reporter in the first row. “Tammi, from National Lifestyles, go ahead with your question.”
Tammi smiled at Riley. “Riley, your boyfriends, they looked pretty handsome in the photos we all saw online. Two questions: Who is the one that got away? And are the other two still available? I’m asking for a friend.”
As everyone laughed, Riley smiled, but she wasn’t thinking about her exes. She was thinking about Luke.
A half hour of questions later, Riley was exhausted, not to mention thankful they were wrapping things up so they could start letting their guests into the ballroom for the dance.
As soon as they were done, she grabbed Mike’s arm and took him into the hallway and into a small storage room where they could talk in private. The room was filled with Christmas decorations. She shut the door behind them.
“I think that went well,” Mike said, clearly proud of himself.
Riley gave him a stunned look. “I don’t even know where to start. All those questions were about my personal life, my ex-boyfriends. We didn’t talk about Christmas Camp or the lodge or even my book. What were you doing? Why didn’t you change the line of questioning? And what are you even doing here?”
Mike laughed off her concern. “Riley, any media like this is great media
