Page 27 of The Mountain Man's Fake Christmas Bride
Her smile is worth any amount of uncomfortable small talk.
The Whisper Vale Christmas Festival transforms the town square into a winter wonderland. Twinkling lights hang from every surface. Vendors sell everything from handcrafted ornaments to hot chocolate. Children dart between stalls, their excitement palpable in the crisp evening air.
Jennifer holds my hand as we navigate the crowd, stopping to examine trinkets and chat with locals. Everyone knows her name now, offers congratulations on our marriage, asks how we kept it secret for so long.
She handles each interaction with grace and humor, spinning our fictional relationship into something that sounds perfectly plausible. I mostly stand beside her, allowing her social butterfly nature to carry us through.
"Jared!" Dr. Matthews waves from the hot chocolate stand. "And the lovely Jennifer. Come, join us."
Jennifer squeezes my hand encouragingly. We make our way to the small gathering of town elders, all of whom seem delighted by my unexpected appearance.
"Never thought I'd see the day," Mrs. Peterson says. "Jared Calloway at the Christmas festival, with a wife no less."
"Miracles happen," Jennifer says with a grin. "Especially at Christmas."
"How did you manage to tame our resident mountain man?" Mayor Wilson asks her. "We've been trying to get him involved in town events for years."
"She didn't tame me," I interject before Jennifer can respond. "She just made me want to be part of something larger than myself again."
The simple truth silences the group momentarily. Jennifer's eyes shine as she looks up at me.
"Well said, young man," Dr. Matthews finally responds. "And we're glad to have you both here."
The conversation flows to other topics, and eventually we extract ourselves with promises to return for the tree lighting later.
"You surprised me back there," Jennifer says as we wander toward the game booths. "That was almost poetic."
"Just the truth."
Her smile warms me more than the hot chocolate in my hands. "Keep saying things like that and I might have to drag you home early."
"Promises, promises." I pull her closer, unconcerned with who might see. "But first, I believe I was challenged to win a stuffed animal."
"Indeed you were, Mountain Man." She points to the ring toss booth. "I want the purple unicorn."
I win her the unicorn and a small plush wolf from the baseball throw. She clutches them both, beaming like a child, as we make our way through the festival. At the food stalls, she insists we try everything from roasted chestnuts to gingerbreadcookies. Cotton candy sticks to her fingers, and when she kisses me, she tastes sweet and sugary.
We find Ridge and Stella near the carousel, little Chellie perched on Ridge's shoulders to watch the colorful horses.
"Aunt Jen!" Chellie squeals, reaching for Jennifer.
"Hey munchkin." Jennifer takes the little girl, settling her on her hip with practiced ease. "Are you having fun?"
"Daddy says I can ride the horses!" Chellie points excitedly at the carousel.
"Daddy, huh?" Jennifer raises an eyebrow at Ridge, who looks both embarrassed and pleased.
"It's new," he admits. "Started a few days ago."
"It suits you." I clap him on the shoulder, recognizing the mixture of terror and joy in his eyes. The same feeling I have whenever I think about my future with Jennifer.
Stella smiles up at me. "Jen was just telling me about your aunt's visit tomorrow. We'd love to help if you need anything."
"Thanks." I'm still getting used to this. Having people. A community. "I think we're set, but I appreciate the offer."
"At least let me bring by some of my apple pie," she insists. "Chellie and I made them yesterday."
"I helped!" Chellie announces proudly from Jennifer's arms.
