She looked incredible, but she felt like crap. How had she let herself develop such strong feelings for Archer? When had that happened? It wasn’t that she was anti-love or anything. She hadn’t had some excruciating breakup in her past to turn her sour on love and her parents were still (reasonably) happily married. She just hadn’t prioritised it. She had a good job, even if she was starting to think about her next career move, she had her close friends, she had a life. She didn’t need love.

But did she want it? And if she did, what would she need to give up to have it?

“Besides, who falls in love in less than a week?” she scoffed at herself.

It reminded her of those Christmassy romcoms that Lucy liked so much, where entire relationships unfolded in a matter of days. Truthfully, Chloe also liked The Holiday, but as sexy as Jude Law was, his character came as a package deal with two children and Amanda had to give up her mansion in Beverly Hills. Chloe had secretly crushed on Miles, Jack Black’s character. He seemed like a lot of fun and he was so thoughtful and romantic.

Romance! Ah-hah! A clue. Chloe’s thoughts rocketed back to the village Christmas Fair and the Capels. Every exchange she’d had with them, every time she’d thought of them since the day she and Archer had rescued Mrs Capel, she’d been practically obsessed with …

With what?

She lost the trajectory of her thought and, stumped, poked about in the corners of her mind.

With love, Chloe, you twit. Despite the unkind tone of her inner voice, she agreed with it. She’d been obsessed with love—the Capels’s love, for sure, but also her own. The love she felt for Archer, feeling protective of him, that she was completely herself when she was with him, that she had started imagining how their lives could fit together, that she felt loved by him.

When she heard the key card activate the door to the suite, she had one thought. I’ll know for sure when I see him.

He opened the door and looked straight at her, his eyes swarming with emotions—relief, resolve, joy and, yes, there it was, love. Well, that’s my answer. Chloe leapt up and threw her arms around his neck. He clasped her tightly to him and they held each other for what seemed like minutes. When she felt his arms ease, she stepped back a little and looked up at him.

A frown clouded his beautiful features. “I worried you,” he said softly.

“No.” She shook her head to reassure him, but her eyes welled up, betraying her innermost thoughts. Deep down, she must have worried that Archer would reconcile with Madison.

“I have. I’m so sorry, Chloe …” Her tears turned into sobs as relief coursed through her and in a heartbeat, she was in his arms again, his hands cradling her gently as he made soothing sounds.