Page 46 of One Little Chance
I lifted my left hand and wiggled my ring finger. Lucy’s jaw dropped. We both started to squeal. “He asked last night!”
Suddenly, Jordan and I were wrapped up in the arms of all three Rhodes sisters.
“Ahappy couple looking for a Christmas tree!” A cheerful man with a long silvery beard found us amongst the rows of fir trees later. “My name’s Richard and I’m happy to assist you. What size are you thinking?”
“The tree is for Sophie here. All she’s given me is she wants it tall, green, and smelling like Christmas.” Jordan shook the guy’s hand.
“The smelling like Christmas is the real non-negotiable,” I explained.
Richard nodded seriously. “Let’s talk the dimensions of your living room,” Richard said, eyeing the trees around us. “You might like a tall tree, but what’s your ceiling height?”
Jordan started answering with information about the living room in my rental… but all I could imagine was our new home. The one we were going to fix up together. The one we’d always dreamed about.
I imagined the two of us wrapping a tree in golden lights in the living room where he proposed.
But I didn’t want it to live only in my imagination.
“I’ve got a popular one this way.” We followed Richard down a grassy path. Jordan excitedly grabbed my hand.
I was so much more than ready for our future together. I wanted it to startright now.
I didn’t want to spend the holidays as anything but his wife. I was ready for Christmas mornings in our dream home and Valentine’s Day mornings whisperinghusbandin his ear.
We’d waited long enough to find our way back to each other. Why spend any more of our time together waiting?
I was having this epiphany as Richard chatted tree dimensions with Jordan. I swallowed.
“Actually, could we have a few minutes to talk it over?” I interrupted the two of them.
“Sure, sure. Come find me when you’re ready,” Richard said before walking off in the shadow of plush pines.
I turned to Jordan, fixing my eyes on his and hoping he was feeling what I was feeling. “I was just thinking…doesn’t it feel silly to buy a Christmas tree for anywhere other than our dream home?”
He jutted out his chin in consideration. “I’m listening.”
“I know the place is a fixer-upper, but it’s definitely livable.” I put my hands in my coat pockets.
“You want to move into the new house before Christmas?”
“It’s more than that, honestly. I want to wake up Christmas morning with my husband.”
Jordan’s brows shot up. “Rogers, I’m your husband whenever you want me to be your husband.”
“Should we call over Richard? See if he’s ordained?” I stood on my tiptoes, pretending to look around for him.
“So you’re saying you don’t want to wait until spring?”
“I’m saying I don’t want to wait until the New Year.” I felt excitement bubbling up from my toes to my ears.
Sweet River was having its grand Christmas tree lighting downtown in front of city hall. Coffees and Commas was open late for the occasion so people could have warm cinnamonscones and gingerbread hot chocolate as they waited for the ceremony. Sweet River Orchestra was playing Christmas music on the city hall lawn under a sky of winter stars.
Like two giddy kids in love, Jordan and I raced down the sidewalks, trying to find our families. City Hall had thick garland sloped across the front windows.
Everyone had arrived earlier than us. We’d gotten distracted gleefully planning our wedding. We’d agreed on the location in seconds, so I’d made a few calls to secure it while Jordan and Richard strapped the tree to the top of our truck. Then when we went to drop off the tree at our new house, we got caught up in figuring out all the details.
Jordan spun me around in the living room ofourhouse, his big hands under my fluffy coat. “We’re really doing this.”
My mom spotted me in the bustling downtown crowd waving her hand in the air. “Sophie!” she called out.
