Page 26 of A Mistletoe Mix Up
No sign of her yet. We’ll keep looking. You okay?
I stare at the message for a second.
Me
Far from it
I shove the phone back in my pocket. It buzzes again, but this time I ignore it.
“I’m a fool,” I say aloud. Why not chastise myself out loud? No one’s around to hear it. “How could I have been so blind to something so beautiful? And now…now she’s gone.”
I close my eyes, resting my forehead on my knees. Maybe she didn’t feel the same way, and she’s saving me from embarrassment. Maybe I should be thankful. She cared enough about me to leave before breaking my heart.
“You didn’t lose me, Gray.”
My heart skips a beat, and I whip my head around quickly. Tandy stands there at the edge of the clearing, her hair wild from the wind, tears glistening down her cheeks.
“Tandy,” I whisper, my voice barely audible.
She rushes toward me as I stand, collapsing into me. “I’m so sorry, Gray. I shouldn’t have gone like that. I shouldn’t have just left without saying a word.”
Relief washes over me. I pull her close, holding her tight as if she might disappear again. Her head tucks under my chin, and asoft whimper escapes her. Her body shudders against mine with each sob. I stroke her hair, murmuring reassurances, though I’m not sure if they’re meant more for her or me.
“I’ve been on the road for so long, Gray. I’ve never let anyone in.” She pulls back just enough to meet my eyes. “Not until you.”
She takes a deep breath, her eyes locked on mine. Her eyes, usually so full of life and laughter, are dulled with sadness and fear.
“Then we kissed…” Her voice catches. “I couldn’t bear losing my best friend. But the thought of loving you without being loved back was terrifying. So I ran, before either of us got hurt.”
She ran because she was scared. Scared of how much she felt for me.
“Tandy, you’re not the only one who’s scared.” My thumb traces along her cheek, brushing away a stray tear. “I was scared of what admitting my feelings would do to our friendship. But I was more scared of watching you leave without knowing how much I care about you.”
“I came back because I couldn’t keep running, especially from the best thing in my life.” Her voice breaks. “I owe you more than disappearing without a word. And Mrs. Claus told me to take a chance.”
“Mrs. Claus?”
“I’ll tell you that part later. But what I’m trying to say is…” Her voice trails off. She looks down then back up at me with a trembling smile. “All the traveling, all the wandering, I’ve been searching for something. Home. And it’s taken me too long to realize that you, Grayson Sanders, are my home. I am completely and hopelessly in love with you. And I hate that it took me so long to see it.”
Her words sink into me. To her, I’m home. The weight I’ve felt—the fear, the confusion—it’s all dissolving into pure warmth. The woman in my arms loves me back.
“Bookworm, I love you. More than you could ever imagine.”
“Gray?” She pulls away slightly and reaches into her dress pocket, pulling out a tiny sprig of mistletoe.
A surprised laugh escapes me. “Where’d you get this?”
She shrugs, grinning at me. “Just a little mistletoe magic.”
She holds it above our heads. I wrap my arms tighter around her waist, drawing her closer, until there’s no space left between us.
“Promise me one thing. That the only running you’ll do is straight into my arms.”
“I promise.”
I lean in, capturing her lips with mine. She’s all I’ve ever wanted. Everything I’ve been looking for. And she’s here now, in my arms, where she belongs.
Epilogue
