He just wanted her to come back—into his arms and never leave again. But she made it pretty damn clear she wouldn’t. She was finished with him. Over him.

And he’d never be over her.

Paying off her parents’ debt like that had been a gamble. Going to see her had been an even bigger one. She didn’t like when he threw his money around, but they had been about to lose their farm, thanks to his mother. He couldn’t just do nothing. He’d done the right thing.

But she hated him. And he loved her.

Wasn’t that just fucking lovely?

Pushing the doors open, he stepped out into the cool night air, pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked for a reply from Maggie. A reply he wouldn’t get, but that didn’t stop him from hoping like a damn fool anyway. He’d sent her another text a couple of hours ago. She’d read it, but hadn’t replied.

The story of his life.

Dropping his phone back into his pocket, he sighed and leaned against the railing, staring out into the night. The snow fell from the sky in big flakes, and covered the streets below. Central park was lit up with Christmas lights, and that had always been his favorite part of the elaborate decorations, but he couldn’t enjoy it tonight. The city was picturesque at Christmas, but he didn’t even care.

He missed Maggie too damn much.

He hadn’t been lying when he told her he would wait forever if he had to…but he’d rather it not be that long. They’d already lost enough time together. “I’m coming back to you, and this time, I won’t leave until you love me, too,” he muttered under his breath. “And now I’m talking to myself, like you. Perfect.”

Taking his phone out, he called her. It, of course, went to voicemail. “I shouldn’t have left yesterday. I shouldn’t have listened to you. You might hate me, and you might never want to see me again, but I’m going to change that. Just watch me.”

He laughed and rubbed his jaw.

“I miss you so much that I’m talking to myself now. Yeah. You heard me right. So, guess what? Tomorrow, I’m getting back on a plane, and I’m coming out there. I’m going to find you, kiss you, and never let you go again. And I’m going to make you love me as much as I love you, one way or another, even if it takes a million years. So…there. See you soon. Merry Christmas, darling.”

He hung up, smiling for the first time in a week and a half. He was winning his Maggie back. One way or the other…she’d be his. For real, this time.

No make-believe. No pretend rings. Just them.

The door opened, and he stepped to the side to let whoever was exiting enjoy the balcony. When he smiled at them, ready to pass, he froze. “Andrew? What are you doing out here?”

“I wanted to talk to you.” Andrew shut the door and leaned against it, his gaze focused on Benjamin. “After what Mother pulled, I feel I owe you an explanation.”

Benjamin nodded. “Yeah. Okay.”

“I never wanted to take your job, and when Mother had that dinner, I had no idea what I was walking into until it was too late. Next thing I know, she’s talking about motions, and people were agreeing with her, and I froze.”

Benjamin tried to ignore the dull pain at the idea of his brother silently letting people plot his termination, but it was impossible. “It’s okay.”

“But I never would have done it. You have to believe me.” Andrew stepped forward. “I wouldn’t have taken your job. You blame yourself for what happened with Father, but I never did. It happened quickly. It wasn’t your fault you weren’t there.”

“I know. And I believe you.”

Andrew blinked. “You do?”

“Yeah.”

He sagged against the door again. “Oh, thank God.”

“All’s well that ends well, right?” Benjamin asked.

“Right.”

“Did she tell you her other secret?” he asked.

Andrew cocked his head. “No. What secret?”

“Turns out, I’m not hers.” He laughed. “I’m his secretary’s son. Dad had an affair, apparently, and got me out of it. Mother covered it up out of shame.”

Andrew’s jaw dropped. “I had no idea. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. If anything, I’m happy.” He shrugged. “It’s not as if she loved me. She didn’t.”

“That’s not true,” Andrew argued weakly.

He stared at his brother, not arguing. They both knew she hated him. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. I’m leaving soon, to find Maggie.”

Andrew perked up. “Speaking of which, she’s—”

“I’m going to get her back.” He stared at Central Park, smiling for the first time in a long time. “No matter how far I have to go, or what I have to do, I will get her back, and she’ll forgive me. I won’t live my life as miserable as our mother was.”

“I bet it won’t be as hard as you might think, brother.” Andrew opened the door, smiling. “Go get her.”

Dragging a hand through his hair, he went back inside, squeezing his brother’s shoulder as he passed. The second he stepped foot in the crowded ballroom, women his mother had “personally invited” converged on him, like ants fighting over the last crumb at a picnic. They were wasting their time. He wasn’t interested.

Not unless one of them was Maggie.

“I got you a whiskey,” a blonde said.

“Can we dance?” a brunette asked. “I love this song.”

He tugged on his bowtie and scanned the crowd, looking for the coat check area. “I’m sorry, but I—” He cut off mid-sentence, because he caught a flash of midnight blue. Midnight blue that looked an awful lot like… “Maggie.”

It was her. It had to be.

She had her back to him, but he’d recognize her anywhere. And she was wearing his dress. The one he’d bought for her to wear tonight. Her hair was swept up, and tendrils slipped out in artful disarray. She looked hauntingly beautiful.

And he missed her so damn much.

“Maggie,” he repeated, unable to believe she was here, in the same room as him. “Maggie.”

“No. My name’s Julia.” A woman reached up and rested her hand on his arm. “Julia Edgerton.”

“Let go of me.” He shrugged her off, his focus locked on to that flash of blue in the distance. “I have to go.”

Ignoring the horrified gasp behind him, he fought his way through the crowd as the clock struck twelve behind him. It was officially Christmas. He elbowed his way toward the vision in blue, his heart pounding so hard it was all he heard. Halfway across the floor, she turned.

He hadn’t imagined it. She was there. Standing across the room from him.

“My Maggie,” he breathed again, smiling.

As if by magnetism, her gaze latched on to his. Her lips quirked into a tiny smile, and she started across the floor, too. Benjamin sped up his steps, because now that she’d seen him, and he’d seen her, he knew what this meant.

She’d come home.

They met in the middle of the floor, and the crowd parted for them, like they sensed something huge was happening here. And it was. If she’d come back to him, he was never letting her go again. He caught her hands in his. “You’re here. You came home to me.”

She turned her face up to him, all bright smiles and shining gray eyes with blue specks. “Did you ever think I wouldn’t?”

“Well…yeah.” He let out a laugh. “After you sent me home alone, I kind of did.”

She laughed, too. “Fair enough. I shouldn’t have sent you away. I lied. I hadn’t listened to those messages.”

“Oh.” He paused, running his thumb over the back of her knuckles. It felt as if it had been years since he’d been able to touch her, and he’d been starving for it. Having her in his arms made the earth stop trembling, and it was as if he’d never let her go in the first place. All the fear, pain, and hurt faded away. “Are you still mad at me?”

She shook her head once. “Nope.”

“Good.” He stepped closer. “Can you forgive me for being an asshole that day? I’d just found out I lost everything—which was a lie, but I’ll get to that later. And you were leaving, and I thought it was because—”