15
Paige
Twenty minutes. Twenty minutes could feel like a lifetime when you were waiting to enter a possibly empty home. Truthfully, I wouldn’t even know until I got inside. We took my car to his dad’s house and his was still parked up at the inn’s parking lot. If it was missing—if he had already left, I’d have no way ofknowing.
I opened the front door and was met with utter silence. The house was dark except for one light left on in the kitchen. I let Maisey off her leash and walked toward the table where I had left his presents. They were gone and in their place was a framed 11x14 image of my mom, dancing inThe Nutcracker— the same image that was by my bedside all theseyears.
There wasn’t a gift more perfect thanthis.
Emotion clogged in my throat and I squeezed my eyes shut.I won’t cry.I won’t let him ruin my Christmas. And I wasn’t going to be alone tonight, that was for sure. Kyra or Scott or surely someone was up for asleepover.
From inside my living room, Maisey was making a ton of noise and I heard her jumping around. “Maisey, come here,” I shouted. The last thing I needed was an emergency trip to Steve’s veterinary clinic on Christmas Eve because my dumb dog didn’t know that eating pine needles was bad forher.
Music streamed on from that room and as I stepped inside, a light flicked on, Taylor’s hand at the switch, ready for me. In his other hand, he held his phone, playing music. No, not just any music…I’ve Never Been in Love BeforefromGuys andDolls.
My face split into a grin as my gaze traveled the length of his body. Gone was his button-down shirt and dress slacks from dinner. Now he was in the reindeer onesie I had given him. I covered my laugh with my hand as he started singing against the karaoke version of the song. He was still pretty good. “I thought you said you never wanted to sing that songagain?”
“There were a lot of things I said I’d never do again—until thisweekend.”
I crossed the length of my living room toward him, grabbing the back of his neck and kissing him. His arms encased my waist, lifting me off the ground as the music played quietly behindus.
After lowering me back to the floor, he dropped his forehead to mine, chuckling. “You’re ruining mysolo.”
“It’s a duet, dummy,” I said and pushed onto my toes again, pressing my lips to his. His hand wrapped into my hair, curling around my ponytail and he took my mouth, his tongue brushing along the seam of my lips. I moaned and he licked into mymouth.
With a gasp, our kiss ended. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “My dad got into my head. I want to try. I’m in, too. Allin.”
I smiled, nibbling my bottom lip. “See? Christmasmirac—”
“If you say Christmas miracles exist, I’m going to tickle you so hard until you can barely breathe.” He pointed a finger playfully in myface.
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. Then let’s just say, this is the best Christmas gift you could have givenme.”
“Same.”
I tapped the screen of his phone, starting the music over again. “Now, how about thatduet?”
His hand slid around my waist and he took my hand, leading me in a slow dance there in my living room to the song that started it all forus.
“Fine,” he said. “But this is the last time I ever sing that stupidsong.”
I winked. “We’llsee.”