Page 99 of Five Days of Christmas Spice

I shrug. “I have a client who eats smoked salmon for breakfast every day and another who won’t work unless there is a box of Kraft Dinner in their dressing room. So you never know.”

Noel opens the wheel of brie. “I do not eat this every day. You’ll laugh, but I like pop tarts for breakfast.”

“Strawberry or raspberry?” I try to hide my smile and can’t.

Noel reaches for one of the jars of jam. “I like the variety pack. It also comes with blueberry.”

“I don’t have pop tarts. Coffee?”

“Yes, please.”

I spoon coffee into the filter, humming as I do, and I can’t help but smile. Noel sets the crackers on the board, opening more jars of jam. This feels so domestic I stop with my finger on the start button of the coffee maker.

“Holly?” Noel’s tone is that sugary one that makes me look at him instantly.

“Yeah?”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m just thinking how amazingly normal and lovely this feels.”

“And it scares you.” Noel takes my finger and presses the button, making my old coffee machine whirl to life.

“And it scares me,” I echo.

Noel wraps his arms around me. “I love you, Holly. We don’t have to get married tomorrow. We can have a long engagement.”

“How long?” My heart is fluttering widely.

“Spring?” Noel raises his eyebrows. His expression is so hopeful and kind of boyish that I laugh.

“Okay, spring.”

Did I just agree to marry the stranger I met on the plane? I think I did.

Noel smiles huge, picks me up in his arms and spins me around.

“My mother is going to be thrilled,” I say against his neck.

“Good. I can’t wait to meet her and Stella, too. When can you take time off work next?”

“I don’t know,” I mutter.

“We’ll figure it out. We can do weekend trips. You have to meet my brothers.” He takes my hand and kisses the top of it.

“Am I going to like them?”

Noel shrugs. “I like them. Evan’s birthday is next month. They’re probably pissed at me for missing our New Year’s Eve bash.”

“I don’t want to start off like that,” I say. I pour the coffee into the mugs. Noel passes me the cream from the fridge, and I take down the sugar.

“They’ll be happy for me. You take the coffee. I’ll grab the cheese board.”

“I follow him into my living room, and we settle on the couch.

“You know,” Noel says, spreading brie on a cracker with a little pear jam. “There’s an old wives tale that says however you spend New Year’s Day is what you’ll be doing the rest of the year.”

“I could get used to it.” I open my mouth, and he feeds me the cracker. I chew. It’s slightly tangy from the cheese and sweet from the jam.

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