So they both went to the couch and she curled up next to him, the fire crackling in the fireplace, and he handed her a cup of hot chocolate. She wrapped her hands around the warm mug and inhaled. Her eyes went wide. “Is that cinnamon and ginger I smell? I can’t believe you remembered that!” It was what she had put in her hot chocolate in the Allreds’ yard, right before they got on the hay ride.
“Well, it was the day I fell in love with you, you know.” He winked, and it did something to her heart. She took a sip of it and savored the feel of the warm sweet chocolate and the taste of the spices on her tongue and knew that she would forever connect that taste with Nick falling in love with her.
Both dogs had followed them into the family room area and curled up just under the Christmas tree. The last time she’d been enjoying this fire with Nick, this house had been empty except for the fake fireplace that they had created. Now, the place was finished, furnished, and so inviting.
She snuggled into him even more, and he put an arm around her shoulders. Everything about this evening felt perfect. It was like all that had been missing this morning when it was just her and Aiden and cinnamon rolls was finally righted. It was all here.
Rachel placed her mug of hot chocolate on the coffee table and was resting her head against Nick’s shoulder, watching the fire, when Aiden came and stood just in front of Nick, his coat in one hand. “I brought something.” He reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled the object out. He let his coat drop to the floor and cradled it in both of his hands.
He stepped closer and showed them what he held. It was one of the doves from their tree. One of the ones that Aiden spent so much time running his fingers across every Christmas.
“It’s a dove. It’s got a little clip here instead of feet so you can clip it to a branch of your Christmas tree. Doves bring peace and happiness and they can even grant wishes!” Aiden shot a quick look at Rachel, almost like he was checking to see if she remembered that the wish he’d given to the dove in the park was for a new dad. “Can I put this one on your tree?”
Nick nodded. “I’d really like that.”
Aiden carefully clipped the dove onto a branch of Nick’s tree, then ran his finger along its back a couple of times, petting it. He turned and smiled at both of them before running back to the table to rejoin Holly in whatever game they were playing.
They both just looked at the bird for a long moment. Christmas really was about the people you spent it with and not about everything that was on—or not on—her planner. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t understood that before. She looked back at Nick. “For as long as I’ve gone without a man in my life, I now know that I never want to go without you again.”
Nick smiled. “I came to the same conclusion.”
“So what happens if one of us freaks out again and lets fear rule things a bit? I doubt we’ve gotten over the only hurdle we’ll face.”
“Well, we apparently know people we can go to for great advice.” He chuckled softly, and she felt the rumble of it in his chest. “But mostly, I think we should go to each other first. Because I don’t want this to ever end.”
“I don’t, either.”
Nick’s smile spread across his face gloriously, and he hadn’t fully stopped smiling when his lips met hers for a kiss. She got it—she could barely stop smiling long enough to kiss him, too.
epilogue
NICK
Nick strolled downMain Street with his gloved hand in Rachel’s as they took in both the new and repeating Christmas decorations and lights all the shops had set up in their windows and in front of their buildings. It was the one-year anniversary of their first date, and they decided to recreate their date from a year ago.
They’d gone to the same restaurant. Last year, he’d just moved to Mountain Springs and had gotten the recommendation from his in-laws. Mountain Springs didn’t have super fancy restaurants, but it was a nice one, the food was delicious, and the wait staff was so friendly. They’d gone several times since then, but tonight, they’d both ordered the same things they’d ordered on that first date.
Not only was it the anniversary of their first date, but it was their three-month wedding anniversary, so everything just felt extra great. This time, though, Jack and Noelle were the ones watching Holly and Aiden, and they were all at the home that Nick now shared with Rachel. He hadn’t guessed when he bought the house that he’d find love again and be married to herless than a year later—he’d only known that the house had felt perfect from the moment he’d first stepped inside.
He hadn’t known that it would be perfect beyond his imagination once Rachel became his wife and she and Aiden (and Bailey!) moved in. They had started the process for him to adopt Aiden and Rachel to adopt Holly the moment they got home from their honeymoon and it wouldn’t be long before everything was officially official.
“I’m pretty proud of us,” Rachel said.
“Oh, yeah?”
“We’ve done an excellent job making deliberate choices about Christmas activities this year.”
Nick nodded in agreement. “I take it you’ve felt good about our Monthly Plan?”
“I do. It hasn’t seemed like any of us have gotten overwhelmed and we’ve had tons of time to spend together as a family.”
“Just the way I like it.” He placed a kiss on Rachel’s temple.
Rachel leaned her head against his shoulder as they walked, looking up at the lights that were strung from one side of the street to the other, taking in how nice everything looked.
Rachel stopped, still looking up. “I just felt a snowflake. I think it’s starting to snow!” The look of joy on her face was something he would never tire of seeing in a million years.
They both stood still, watching as a meandering flake here and there made their way to the ground. And then a few more flakes started to fall. Before long, they were falling at a steady pace. Not that they didn’t already have plenty of snow in their mountain town, but it always felt magical when new snow fell.
