Page 93 of Mistletoe Misses
“We’d love to, but are you sure you want us to crash your date?”
“I am.”
“Alright.” He concedes. “What time?”
“Seven o’clock at Frankie’s. I have a table reserved.” Emotion jams in my throat as I gear up for the second reason I stopped by.
“Is there something else?” he asks after we sit in silence a suspiciously long time.
“Yeah. I’ve never stopped loving Carmen, and Sadie now means so much to me. I want to be a part of their lives forever.”
His lips tip into a slow crooked grin. “Are you asking what I think you’re asking?”
“I plan to ask Carmen to marry me.”
“Hallelujah.” His hands fly into the air as he lets out his spontaneous joy. “I always believed you two would find your way.”
“Thank you. Should have happened long before now.”
“Maybe, but that’s irrelevant. Love each other and never stop fighting. Nothing in this world can compete with what you are together. It’s special.”
I don’t have the words to express how much his support means to me, so I reach out to shake his hand, only to find myself hauled to my feet with it and trapped in a fatherly embrace. Little else beats the love of family, real or found.
“Does this mean I have your blessing?”
“Son, you’ve had my blessing since you were twelve years old.”
Thinking back, I chuckle. “That’s when I fell in love with her.”
“I know. You’re an open book, Maddox. The whole town knows how you feel with one look at you.”
“Not sure how to take that.”
“It’s a good and beautiful thing. Don’t ever hold it back, son.”
???
Carmen
“Wear something comfortable,” Maddox yells from the kitchen table where he’s coloring with Sadie.
Sighing, I kick off the three-inch heels I’d just slipped on.
It’s our first date since we pledged ourselves to each other. Not to mention this day holds a lot of dead weight in our relationship. I hope to shed and replace it tonight with a memory we’ll want to cherish.
“It would help me get dressed if I knew what we were doing,” I call back.
“Lots of walking. Plan for that.”
Ugh. How can I knock him speechless with snow boots and a warm sweater? Winter gear doesn’t exactly scream seduction. Oh well. There will be time for that after our date.
“Ready yet?” he asks three outfits later. “You’re—”
Maybe Icanrattle him speechless with no skin showing. “Is this okay?” I’d settled on a pastel pink, fitted sweater, jeans, and ankle boots shortly before he appeared in the doorway.
“You could wear a garbage bag and still be the most stunning woman in the world to me.” His hands slide to cup my waist and hold me close. “Happy birthday.”
A response gathers in my head, but it’s wiped away with the first touch of his lips. He takes his time, loving me with his whole body, and it’s all I can do to keep from throwing him on my bed nearby.
