Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 29000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 145(@200wpm)___ 116(@250wpm)___ 97(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 145(@200wpm)___ 116(@250wpm)___ 97(@300wpm)
I laugh and call out, “Trust me, I know!”
Then I kiss Holly again, softly, cupping her cheeks, and ask, “Do you really have an appointment with a boxer at four or were you just trying to punish me?”
“I really have an appointment.” She flips the bells on my hideous reindeer sweater. “But you can help me. This particular dog responds to authority.”
“So, treat it like a business meeting and show no fear?”
“Exactly.”
“I can do that. I do have one thing to do, first, but I’ll be right back.” I kiss her again, hard, unable to keep my hands off of her. “I’m leaving now. But I’ll be back.” I kiss her again.
Holly giggles. “You don’t seem to be going anywhere.”
“It’s so hard to walk away from you.”
She snorts. “You had no problem walking away this morning.”
I wince. “Ouch. I deserve that. I guess I’ve handed you the perfect way to win every argument for the rest of our lives.”
“The rest of our lives?” Her eyes widen.
I nod, my stomach flipping as I hope for this harder than I’ve ever hoped for anything before. “The rest of our lives, if you can handle this grump.”
“Oh, I can handle you.” She winks. “And I promise to only throw your mistake in your face five times over the course of our relationship. This was one, right now. Number two will probably be during childbirth. Maybe two and three. Deal?”
I smile so hard my jaw starts to ache. “Deal. Now seriously, I have to go.”
“I’m not stopping you!” she says, laughing. She gives me a shove. “Bring me back some kettle corn while you’re tromping around in that amazing sweater.”
“Admit it, you think I’m sexy,” I tell her grinning, walking backwards down the gazebo steps so I can hold out the reindeer on the sweater for her to see in all its glory.
I weave my way through the now dispersed crowd and shake a few hands along the way as townspeople offer me congratulations on my relationship with Holly, and general holiday greetings. The difference between here and Manhattan is startling as usual but this time in the best way.
They care. They want to include me in the fun, want to include everyone. Why was I such a prick to all these people?
Never again.
And I know just how to prove it.
“Mrs. Mayor!” I call out to Misty Sykes, catching up to her at the hot chocolate stand.
Misty arches a brow. “Luke. What can I do for you?”
“I’d like to talk to you about sponsoring the lighting ceremony next year in my grandfather’s name.”
She pulls her glasses down and pins me with a stare. “How much?”
“Whatever you need.” Then realizing Misty is capable of fleecing me entirely, I add, “I’ll get you a number on Monday. A generous one. I just ask one small thing in return.”
I tell her what I have in mind and she looks momentarily put out. “I was going to do that this year.”
“Perhaps we could do it together?”
She begrudgingly agrees.
Which is how I wind up putting the dildo on top of the majestic Junction tree in the middle of the square with Misty while Holly cheers me on loudly from below. Then we cut the Christmas tree shaped cake my siblings were kind enough to bring down to the square, and Holly and I share the edible peg leg on top in between kisses.
The sugar leg tastes incredible. The other is hideous and I still find it ridiculous and disgusting.
But I’m willing to be open to what brings others joy.
Because Holly brings me joy.
After we’ve finished a slice of cake, Holly lays a hand on my chest, right over my fully-human-sized heart. “I’m so proud of you,” she says.
That lights me up brighter than the damn tree.
“I love you,” I murmur, confident in the truth of those words.
Her eyes shine. “I love you, too.”
When Gramps was proud of me, he would always say, “Well done, Luke, my boy.”
I swear I hear those words ringing in my ears right now, nearly as loud as the carols rising from the crowd.
Epilogue
ONE YEAR LATER
NANCY TUCKER
(A wedding guest about to make an indecent proposal…)
The only thing better than a wedding?
A December wedding in a snow-dusted pine grove, complete with flaming torches and fire pits to keep the guests warm and bright red poinsettia flowers hung in every tree like ornaments. Oh, and a chipmunk and big orange tabby in matching tuxedo coats, of course.
The bride is dressed in a faux fur-lined dress and the groom is in a wool tuxedo, beaming under their bower like he’s won the lottery, only better.
Luke’s a billionaire, after all. All the Ratcliffe boys are. He has more money than he knows what to do with and has been wealthy long enough to know that money can’t buy the things that really matter.