Page 27 of A Mistletoe Mix Up
Tandy
Thirty days have transformed us. What was friendship has bloomed into something deeper—his fingers laced through mine as we wander through town, whispered confessions under stars on our hill, and dreams shared over peppermint hot cocoa.
As friends, we would spend a lot of time together, but now? I crave to be around him every day. Our actions are deliberate. We are no longer just hanging out. We’re dating. Actually dating. I can’t help but swoon every time he leans down, his lips meeting mine in the sweetest of kisses, making me feel like the most loved girl in the world.
There are moments when I glance at him and find him already looking at me, like he won the lottery. Or more accurately, like he’s just found a rare edition of a book he’s been searching for forever. A look of pure admiration, adoration, and love that I never thought I’d be lucky enough to see directed at me. It still takes my breath away, each time. I have to pinch myself to ensure this isn’t a dream, that this is my new reality. To love and be loved.
He’s always holding my hand, leading the way. Each day, each hour, each second, I fall a little bit more for him. And the best part? He catches me every single time. Love has turned me into a cheesy romantic.
We’ve had disagreements and misunderstandings, too. He’s been so incredibly patient with me as we navigate our relationship. And Gray has this incredible ability to diffuse any tension with the right choice of words or a well-timed joke that leaves me clutching my stomach in fits of laughter.
Slowly, I’m realizing that love is about staying and fighting, holding on, and letting go. It’s about trust, about vulnerability, about sharing your heart with another and hoping they’ll keep it safe.
Our friends have been thrilled for us, heaping well-wishes and congratulations. Jane keeps mentioning something about wedding bells and baby names, which only makes Andrew blush. But I think Andrew’s already working on that.
The other day, he waited for Jane to walk out of the room before asking me for help. He wanted me to illustrate some scenes for him.
“Top secret, Tandy. James Bond level stuff, you know?” he said, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
Then he told me what he wanted, it was moments of him and Jane together, their story. I’ve had to keep it to myself for weeks, but I’m so excited for them.
And, if I’m honest with myself, I keep imagining what my future with Grayson would look like. Weddings and babies. The more Jane mentions them, the more captivated I become by the idea. It’s no longer something that only belonged to other people. It’s something I can see for myself, something that doesn’t seem that far-fetched anymore, now that I’m with Grayson.
It’s Christmas Eve, and the smell of pine, cinnamon, and sugar cookies wafts through the air. The Christmas tree glows brightly in Gramps’s living room, thanks to my colorful decorating skills. Our matching stockings hang from the mantle, and yes, I did get matching ones for all four of us, including Jet.
It’s the first Christmas that truly feels special. Not only do I have Grayson, but I’m celebrating with friends and family and this town that I call home. Prepping the illustrations for Andrew has something to do with it. Being a part of what I’m pretty sure is a soon-to-be-proposal has me feeling extra sentimental and grateful for everything that’s transpired over the last month. If I had left, I would have missed out on a type of love I never knew existed nor thought I would partake in, and I would miss my friendships with Jane and Andrew and growing closer to other people here, like Dee and Erin.
But most of all, I’m thankful for Gramps and Gray. Gramps, with his sage advice as I learn to ask for help, wild, I know. And Gray, well, he’s a natural at being a boyfriend. Not that I’ve hada plethora to compare him to, but he just gets it. And I’m not surprised—he was an amazing best friend. Now we just get to add the kissing…lots of kissing.
Grayson peeks his head out of the kitchen with a mischievous look in his eyes, one that tells me he’s up to something.
“I have something for you.” He sits next to me with his hands behind his back.
“We aren’t waiting until tomorrow?” I ask, my eyebrows raised.
He shakes his head. “I can’t wait any longer. Just this one present today and the rest tomorrow.”
“Okay, I have the perfect one for you today!” I hop up and grab one of the presents from under the tree before sitting next to him again.
“Yours first.”
I hand him the gift box wrapped with dogs wearing Christmas sweaters. “This is just something small. I’ll save the other one for tomorrow.”
He chuckles at the wrapping paper and tugs the bow. When he opens the box, he starts laughing. He pulls out the tackiest Christmas sweater I could find, but it fits him so well. It’s navy blue with an officer and a pup in a sleigh with sirens of flashing Christmas lights, and it says “Stop! In the name of Paws.”
“Stop! In the name of Paws!” he repeats between fits of laughter. “Where did you find this?”
“The magic of the internet,” I say, grinning.
He pulls it over his shirt and stands up to model it. “Well, what do you think?”
Somehow, he manages to make the ridiculous sweater look good.
“You look wonderful.” I stand up, giggling. “Look, the sirens even turn on.” I press the little switch at the bottom of the sweater.
“I love it, Tandy. Thank you.” He kisses me on the top of my head. “Now, it’s my turn,” he says, reaching into his back pocket to bring out a small square box. His blue eyes twinkle with excitement and anticipation.
My heart pounds. Could it be?
