Page 25 of Mistletoe Mistake
I snort and try to hide my amusement. Does he really think I haven’t already seen every Christmas movie ever made over the years?
But I love his determination, and I’m not about to be the one to dash his hopes.
“Okay, what’s on the agenda.” I glance up at the sign again and check out the listing.Home Alone, ElfandDie Hard.“Wait, Die Hard? Die Hard is not a Christmas movie.”
“Careful, Hols, this could very well be our first fight as a couple.” His hand falls to my lower back and he begins to guide me toward the theater. The combination of his touch and him calling us a couple has my brain going fuzzy for a second.
“I guess I wouldn’t want that. All right, you have sixty seconds to present your case. Go.” I shove a handful of popcorn into my mouth and wait.
“I don’t need sixty seconds, babe. Ignore the obvious reasons like it’s set on Christmas Eve, there’s Christmas music and a shitload of Christmas references. At its core, it’s a movie about family and how far a person will go, what they’ll risk, for the people they love.” He grins at me. “Also, Stephen de Souza said it is, so it’s really not even up for debate.”
“Who is… you know what? I don’t care. That was a very succinct, well-formed argument. I give it a B+. You’re still wrong, but I appreciate your effort.” I reach up on my tiptoes and place a kiss on his scruffy cheek.
“You know what? We’ll revisit this after because I think you’ll be convinced by the time we walk out of here.”
“If you say so.” I don’t bother to hide my disbelief.
“Are you hungry? I know you came straight from work, do you want me to grab some pizza from the concession stand now or later?”
I slip my arm around his waist and snuggle in, resting my head on his chest. “Later is good. Let’s get in there and snag a back-row seat so we can make out anytime the word Christmas is mentioned.”
His arm falls from my shoulders and he grabs my hand, immediately dragging me toward the theater. “Yeah, your plan is much better than mine.”
* * *
The cab flies through the deserted streets and I already know I’m going to be a wreck tomorrow—or should I say today—at work, but I can’t regret a moment of it. And, I’m not quite ready to admit it, but watching those movies beside a man who fills me with warmth and optimism, in a theater filled with laughter and happiness, it did move something in me. An emotion I can’t quite put words to. But I like it.
The slight jarring of motion has my eyes blinking sleepily until I can’t keep them open. Nick’s beside me, silently watching the world pass by in a blur of motion. He has me wrapped up tightly, pulled into his side, giving me the peace of mind that allows sleep to overtake me.
I am drifting along the edge of consciousness when I hear Nick’s whispered words, but I’m too far gone to pry my eyes open.
Later, I’ll wonder if I dreamed it. If it was a figment of my overactive imagination. But as I fall into slumber, I do so, safe in the knowledge that Nick loves me.
10
Nick
Itold her I love her.
She was unconscious at the time but, still.
Way to scare her off, O’Connor.
I clamp a beautiful piece of white oak to my workbench and try to get my head in the game. Being distracted while using power tools is a surefire way to lose a finger, and Holly seemed to rather enjoy my fingers the other day, so I would like to keep them all.
I grab the tape measure and a pencil, ready to start marking up measurements when there’s a loud knock on the open roller door.
Turning around, I spot Lincoln standing there, a bag of food in hand and an easy grin on his face.
Lincoln McCade and his brother, Harrison, rent the workspace next door to me. While mine is set up as a builder’s workshop, theirs is a tech-head’s delight, where they run their cybersecurity business.
We have become good friends over the last couple of years, and I’m ashamed to realize it’s been a week since I last saw him.
“Hey man, where have you been?”
“Denver, had to put together a presentation for a law firm over there.” He holds up the bag and my stomach rumbles in response. “Tacos from the food truck.”
“I could kiss you, I skipped breakfast.” I grab some sodas from the fridge and we sit on the deck chairs.
