Page 166 of My Merry Mistake
I go up on my tiptoes and kiss him again, head a little dizzy as I try to get used to the fact that I’m doing this. I’m going to let myself fall. And I have a feeling Finn is going to make it fun.
“I was worried about showing up here,” I say. “Worried you’d maybe gotten tired of waiting for me to figure things out.”
“Hart, I would’ve waited for you till the day I die.”
I bite back a smile.
He pulls me into a tight hug, burrowing his face into my neck, and I let out a too-loud laugh. I clap my hand over my mouth and push him back. “Not right now—” I hiss. “We have to go eat.” I widen my eyes dramatically. “I’mstarving.”
“Okay, go wash your hands or whatever,” he says. “But just know that from now on, I’m going to kiss you every chance I get.”
I open the door of the bathroom and step inside, then glance back in his direction and grin. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Raya
The food, the family, the feelings—I can’t find the words to describe how each is more fulfilling than the next.
After we ate, Finn told his family he was taking me to town to “show me off.” In reality, he had to do almost all of his Christmas shopping, but the bonus was that I got to see the town he calls home. Silverwood is a lot like Loveland—quaint and charming, all decked out for Christmas—with one distinct difference.
The mountains.
Themountains.
They take my breath away. How anyone ever gets used to a view like that I’ll never understand.
Our first stop was to see an old friend of Finn’s dad, a guy who makes custom signs. Finn said he needed to call in a favor for a last-minute Christmas gift for his parents, and while they talked, I called home to check in with my sisters, who’ve been texting for updates ever since I landed.
They tell me that my family moved their Christmas celebration to the day after Christmas so I could be there. Even though I’d made my peace with missing it this year, the thought of showing up with a real, live, not-hired plus-one to spend theholiday with the people I love most in the world warms me from the inside out.
Finn held my hand as he led me from shop to shop, picking out gifts for his nieces, his parents, and his brother Hudson, whose name he drew for Secret Santa. Even though he was cramming all of this shopping into the span of a single day, he was thoughtful about what he bought for each person, which didn’t surprise me at all. Turns out he’s agreatgift giver.
Twice, he pulled me off the main sidewalk, stealing kisses.
As if I wouldn’t have given them freely.
We went back home and watchedHow the Grinch Stole Christmaswith his nieces while Finn ate a plateful of frosted sugar cookies. That night, we all went to the community center to help with the big Christmas party. When he showed me around the building and explained the plans to expand, he did it with so much excitement that I could see his purpose goes far beyond hockey.
And part of me wondered if he was starting to see it too.
It’s rare to find a person so intent on putting other people first, but Finn does this like it’s second nature. It’s inspiring me to do the same.
He told me about Eileen and how he was still wrestling with forgiving her. It’s obvious he’s beating himself up over that, but I agreed that his plan to tackle it in small bits at a time sounded smart. And maybe it was silly, but I told him I was proud of him. Because he did something hard that he really did not want to do.
I think the words landed.
After we leave the community center, his entire family piles into pickup trucks and takes me to my first torchlight parade, a Silverwood Christmas Eve tradition where skiers and snowboarders zigzag down the mountainside, carrying torches that paint swaths of light across the cool, dark air. I watch in complete silence, captivated by the beauty of the tradition andovercome with gratitude that I was finally able to let go of my own rules and allow myself to love, want, and need someone else.
As we watch, Finn wraps an arm around me and whispers, “I still can’t believe you’re here.”
I nestle in the space under his chin, leaning into him and thinking how thankful I am that none of my previous relationships ever worked out. Because I would’ve missed out on this. On Finn.
After the torchlight parade, we drive out to a big, open spot on the Holbrook land, right in the middle of the field, where Finn’s dad has built a huge bonfire. We sing Christmas carols, and the brothers take turns telling loud, rambunctious stories, mostly about Finn, which I love hearing. Later, they play a rousing game of hockey on the homemade ice rink I’d only seen in photos.
No one can agree on what counts as a penalty.
More than once, Hunter’s name comes up, and even though it’s clear that they all miss their brother, it’s also clear that they love telling stories about him, something I think Finn has avoided up until now. As they reminisce, he seems to get more comfortable with the idea of talking about him.
