Publicist Lita Gregory has been running. Four years ago, she ran away from Eric Thomas, the love of her life, when she caught him in bed with another woman. Because of him, she left for New York and barely made trips back to her hometown in Georgia. A year ago, her beloved father passed, once again, prompting Lita to run from the pain in heart, the pain that told her that there was no longer a man on the planet that loved her. When Lita heads home for Christmas, she learns that some things changed while others remained the same: her mother has a new man in her life, and Eric is still around, wanting an explanation as to why Lita left him years ago. During her stay, Lita must confront her past, deal with her mother’s new love, and decide if her future is in New York – single, or in Georgia with Eric.

“Baby,” Lily Mae began, taking Lita’s hand and guiding her to the couch to sit down, “you remember when I told you how I had a friend?”

Lita closed her eyes for a brief moment. “Uh, yeah…barely. You didn’t tell me much.”

“Well, this is my friend, baby. Actually, more like my fiancé. He lives here now.” It was almost like Lita had been slapped across the face.

“Fiancé?” she asked, her voice strained.

“Yeah.” Lily Mae raised her left hand as Lita’s gaze fell upon a perfect two-carat marquise cut engagement ring.

“Wow!” was all that Lita could muster. Before she could say another word, tears slipped from her eyes.

Lily Mae reached for her. “Baby, don’t cry. I should have…”

“Mom, what about Daddy?” Lita questioned in an almost hysterical voice. “You forgot about him that fast?”

Lily Mae reached out to touch Lita, but she pulled away.

“No…no.” Lita jumped up and quickly walked out the front door.

She motioned herself down onto the porch swing and hugged her coat tightly around her. She didn’t want to be overly dramatic in there, but she felt as if her mother had totally done wrong by her father. Lita’s father, John, had passed away a little over a year ago from a heart attack. It had happened suddenly, taking him away at the young age of 49. Lily Mae was a widow at 45, and at the time, it had felt like life would just cease to exist.

For weeks, months, hell, even now, Lita went days at a time without eating, just crying and blubbering like her whole being had been stripped from her. Lita had a perfect home, with two people who loved each other more and more with each passing day. They made each other happy, and as a result, their love was that much more powerful toward Lita. She was blessed to have the love of her parents for 26 years. But she hated that the blessing was just ripped from her without warning. She had been struggling to go on, and it had appeared that her mother made that transition rather smoothly. She was shacking up—in her father’s home no less—with her soon-to-be husband while Lita cried and tried to pick up the pieces of her frail life.

“Are you okay?”

Lita slowly raised her eyes to meet up with the voice, but it was no need. Even after four years, she recognized it. All the praying she had done to have a peaceful trip with her mother was slowly being taken away from her. First, she was hit with her mother’s happy future, and now, she was being slapped by her painful past.

Lita’s eyes held contempt as she stared at the extraordinarily handsome creature before her. Even she had to admit that four years made Eric Thomas more sexy, appealing, and alluring.

She quickly put that attraction in check.

“I’m fine,” she answered, shortly. “What are you doing here?” Lita eyed Eric—his chocolate fine self encased in a pair of blue jeans and Timberlands, with a thick flannel jacket over a long-sleeved T-shirt. He sauntered up the steps and slowly took a seat beside her.

“What are you doing here?”

“Are you serious?” Lita asked, incredulously. “My mother lives here. It’s Christmas. What do you think?”

“Figured you would stay up in New York and spend the holidays with all of your friends.”