Mistletoe Mischief (Falling in Mistletoe #2)

Chapter Twenty-eight

P ike recognized Anthony’s familiar outline in the distance being trailed by Alia and Ryler. Pike’s jaw clenched in frustration when he realized that Ryler had contacted Anthony, knowing everything that happened, and asked his former friend to track him so that they could join Kit and Neil. Although it made perfect sense and under normal circumstances, he would have understood, all he felt now was intense betrayal.

“Hey,” Anthony called, stopping a few feet in front of him. Pike had taken Neil and Kit along Lamb Ridge, introducing them to the breathtaking views of the mountains and valleys around them, but they were heading back down through the trees when the trio caught up to them.

“Hi. Who is watching the store?” Pike asked.

“I put the sign on the door letting customers know we’d be right back.”

“Oh, that’s what we need right now—to lose business by not sticking to our original agreement. If I’m in the field, you’re at the store, and vice versa.”

Anthony’s eyes narrowed. “Look, your clients couldn’t get a hold of you, and I knew where you were, so I brought them out. Now that we’re all here, I will leave them in your capable hands.”

Anthony turned on his snowshoes and nodded at Alia and Ryler as he passed back by them on his way down the hill. “Ladies, have a great time.”

“Thanks,” Ryler said, meeting Pike’s gaze. He kept his expression neutral, even when she mouthed, I’m sorry .

“I thought you weren’t feeling well,” Neil said, addressing Alia .

“I was feeling better and didn’t want to miss out on another activity.”

“Why not? You hate outdoor activities,” Neil said, pointing at her face. “You said the sun gives you premature wrinkles.”

“What, you hate outdoor activities but started a travel podcast?” Pike asked.

Alia’s eyes widened, and she glanced at Ryler, who was glaring at Neil. Kit was the only one out of the lot with a decent poker face.

“Does someone want to explain exactly what’s going on here?” Pike asked.

“I, personally, would like to head back to the car and get some water,” Kit said, tilting his head. “Pike, you want to come join me and leave these people to figure out what kind of drama they need to work through?”

“There is no drama, Kit,” Ryler said, taking Kit’s arm. “How was the hike?”

Pike trailed behind them, glancing back at Alia and Neil, who seemed to be invested in a heated discussion.

“The hike was great. Beautiful views. I’ll show you the pictures when we get back to the car,” Kit said.

“I feel like I’m missing something,” Pike said to their backs, unsurprised when they ignored him.

“Are you serious?” Neil erupted behind them, and Pike stopped and turned, watching Alia reach for him.

Ryler was suddenly beside him with her hand on his arm. “They need a few minutes.”

Pike watched Alia wring her hands, speaking quietly to Neil. “I didn’t realize they were a couple,” Pike said.

“Neither did I,” Ryler said. “I don’t even know if that’s how to describe them.” Pike stared at her and she shrugged. “It’s complicated.”

“I’m getting a lot of that lately in all aspects of my life, and I’m getting a little tired of hearing it.”

“I’m sorry that I asked Anthony to bring us out here, but you weren’t picking up, and he offered to lead the way.”

“You could have declined,” he grumbled, brushing past her. “I would have taken you out to see the ridge free of charge.”

“Pike, come on, don’t be that way.”

Pike was aware that Kit was already standing by the cars, taking random pictures, and that Anthony’s truck was slowly backing up, as if hoping that if he lingered, Pike would want to talk to him, but he didn’t. It felt like the whole world was lying to him, and he was sick of it.

Suddenly, something struck him and he spun around. “You.”

“What?” Ryler said, taking a step back.

“You haven’t missed a single thing. You were excited to be here, to learn everything you could about Mistletoe. You wear proper hiking shoes and clothing. You’re level-headed, good to those around you, kind to the locals, and you are personable and funny and people naturally like you.”

“Thank you?” she said huskily.

Pike snapped his fingers. “Your voices. Alia can’t get hers quite as low as yours, but they sound similar.”

“Pike, what are you going on about?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“Why are you lying about Alia being the host of Excursions ?” he asked.

“I—” Ryler cleared her throat. “I don’t know what you mean.”

She started down the hill toward Kit, but Pike shook his head, reaching for her arms to spin her around. “Yes, you do. Why did you lie to me?”

Ryler paled. “It’s not about you. After we started the Instagram, people wanted to know what I looked like. They were calling me out online, and I didn’t want to expose myself to it. I just wanted to talk about the amazing places I’d been and show everyone why they should visit them. Then Alia lost her modeling contract, and I offered her a chance to do what she loved, to be in front of the camera, and it gave me the freedom to continue as I had been. The world got a beautiful podcast host to enjoy. No one knows I’m the voice of Excursions except Kit, Alia, Neil, and now you.”

“But you would have let me keep believing that she was the host if I hadn’t figured it out, right?”

“Why not?” Ryler asked. “I’ll be flying out of here on Christmas Day to regroup at my condo in California before I take off for my next destination. If I told one person in every place I visited, it wouldn’t be much of a secret.”

“I guess it would have been nice to know exactly who I was fucking.”

Ryler sucked in a breath, and Pike knew he’d crossed the line, that he was being a dick, but between the appearance of Anthony and finding out that Ryler had been hiding this from him? He’d made such an idiot of himself, fawning over Alia and her podcast, meanwhile it was Ryler all along. Was she laughing at him? Mocking him for being a fanboy?

“I am exactly who you see. I love traveling. I just also happen to talk about it on a show I’m passionate about. Do you know how Excursions started? It was me and Neil in a van, driving around the U.S., visiting places that no one else was talking about. Then we got some national sponsors, but they didn’t want to know about smalltown America. They wanted bigger destinations that would really get people talking. Suddenly, we were hitting all the same places as everyone else, but I still wanted to be different. I pushed the boundaries, find the local hole-in-the-wall place no one talked about. Discover the secret swimming hole where the water was cerulean and sparkled in the sunshine. Still, I got bored, jetting off to the next destination filled with sand and light.

“When I put that post up on Instagram, I wanted something different because I’d already sensed a change these last few months, and I knew Excursions needed to go back to what it was before in order to survive. I came to Mistletoe not just to find that passion to explore again but also to remember who I was before I lost my parents. After I lost them, I changed and adapted to my new way of life, to the opportunities I was afforded, and I had the positive feedback from my therapist that I should show the world that I had gone through all the grief steps and come out on top.

“The only things that have been mine were Alia and knowing I created Excursions . So, I’m sorry that we slept together a couple times and I didn’t divulge my whole life story to you, but I’m not an open book. I like my privacy, and if that bothers you, then maybe we should rethink our little arrangement.”

Pike’s mind whirled, her monologue replaying in his head.

“What arrangement?” Neil asked, joining them. Alia kept walking, tears streaming down her face, and Ryler glared at her producer.

“The one where I paid him to take us out and show us what Mistletoe has to offer,” she snapped, rushing after her cousin.

Pike watched her, his mouth pressed in a thin line.

“Are you trying to make a move on Ryler?” Neil asked, his voice laced with warning.

Pike turned to face the bigger man, smirking. “If I was?”

“Don’t. ”

Pike studied Neil’s pinched expression, surprised by the other man’s interest. “I thought the two of you were just friends?”

“As a friend, you’re not what she needs,” Neil said.

“And you know what that is? Because a few minutes ago, you were fighting with her cousin at the top of the hill, and that sure looked like something.” Pike crossed his arms over his chest. “Based on the look she just gave you, I suspect she knows what it was about, too.”

Neil glanced down the hill, pain etched on his face. “Fuck me.”

“Let me guess …” Pike shook his head. “You’ve landed yourself in a river of excrement without a paddle. So, maybe worry less about me and Ryler and more about yourself.”

He only managed to make it a few feet before he heard Neil mutter, “Prick.”

Pike could live with Neil thinking that about him, but Ryler’s dark glances were another matter. He’d let his anger at Anthony bleed over into his relationship with her. While he didn’t like that he’d been unknowingly fanboying over her for the better part of a week and she hadn’t put him out of his misery, she was right. Ryler didn’t owe him that part of her. He hadn’t earned it, especially if they were just two people having sex without any strings attached.

Pike watched Ryler, Alia, and Kit get into the blue SUV and take off, leaving the silver SUV for Neil and Pike’s red Charger.

Pike saluted Neil as he took off his snowshoes and climbed inside. He still had three appointments left with Excursions and plenty of time to figure out how to make things right with Ryler.