Page 35 of Mishaps and Mistletoe

“I wouldn’t do well under interrogation, would I? Well, the damage is done now, so I might as well clear the air. Those couple-y vouchers were a little gift from my boss as an early retirement gift I could enjoy with my husband. When he gave them to me, the ideas just started flowing. I thought—hoped, rather—that you’d bring someone along. Now, before you get upset, the fine print at the bottom said you didn’t have to bring anyone to fulfill the qualifications of the deal. So, really… that’s on you. And, you could have brought a friend, so that’s also on you. But then you invited the hottest man in the tri-state area as your guest, and well, it was kind of hard to feel guilty about what I’d done after I saw that. Oh, and then I saw the two of you looking at each other like love-struck fools having dinner at the lodge after your massage, and I could see the heat in your red cheeks from a mile away.”

Josie’s mouth hung open like a malfunctioning obstacle at a mini golf course. “My cheeks were red because I was still embarrassed that I ran face-first into his pecs when he was half-naked. Wasthatpart of your plan?”

The two of them filled the office with so much laughter, skiers in the lodge on the other side of the resort probably heard them.

“Oh, sweet Josie—I didnotplan that. But, like I said, how much do we really have control of in life?”

Josie dabbed the remaining tears from her eyes. She felt something for Kevin. Whatever it was, she’d lost control over it long ago. After trying to contain herself for so many years, it was nice to just be. To let her hair down and stop trying to control her life, her feelings—even if they led to a few moreJojo Uh-Ohs. Kevin didn’t seem to mind one bit.

“I can’t decide if you’re my Yoda, my fairy godmother, or if you’re a pusher like Ms. Norbury fromMean Girls.”

“All of the above,” Nora answered. “Now, bippity, boppety, get yourself out of here before you’re late for your trolley ride with your beau.”

“How did you—you know what? On second thought, I think you’re actually my stalker.”

“Do you always feel like someone’s watching you, Jo?”

Josie stood from her seat. “I’m leaving before you burst into song.”

She walked down the hall as the faint sound of Rockwell’s biggest hit filled her ears and a smile pulled at her cheeks.

ChapterTwelve

Amagical experience you’ll treasure forever.

The brochure for the Oglebay Festival of Lights undersold the experience by a longshot.

To be fair, other patrons didn’t get to drive through the display with the most gorgeous woman on the planet sitting beside them, pressing her leg into theirs because she seemed to crave the contact as much as they did. And they probably didn’t have the luxury of having nearly the entire trolley to themselves. Well,almostto themselves. Because a large group canceled at the last minute, Kevin, Josie, a PDA-filled elderly couple, and the driver were the lone occupants.

As soon as Josie caught wind of the situation, she licked her full, plump lips and grabbed his hand. “Follow me.” And he did—right back to the last seat on the trolley. Suddenly, he was the coolest kid on the bus, sitting next to the prettiest girl in school.

She slid close to him on the bench seat, every point of contact a live wire that zinged with more electricity than it took to light one of the building-sized displays.

“This one has been here since I was a kid,” she’d said as she pointed to a lit wreath with candles taller than the trolley was long. Her unfocused gaze and lowered voice made him think of all the childhood memories she’d associated with this place. And then his thoughts took off. To a place he never allowed. To a vision of the two of them riding through this same tour, maybe with a kid or two of their own, in the back of a minivan. He’d never had childhood memories like this. They’d always seemed out of the realm of possibility for him. But he was realizing, more than anything, he wanted to create them with a family of his own. A family with her.

When the trolley came to a stop in front of the lodge, he grabbed Josie’s hand and helped her off the last step of the vehicle. “How about a hot chocolate?” he asked, not wanting the evening to end so soon. Plus, they had a voucher to burn.

“There’s a band playing at the hot chocolate bar tonight, if you’d like to check it out.”

“Sounds perfect.”

They walked up the stairs to an open area filled with small tables and large decorations. The feel of her small hand in his felt different from before. Maybe it was because he was rarely on the receiving end of this kind of physical contact. Or perhaps it had something to do with her holding his hand in public, showing everyone she didn’t mind being seen with him. She wasn’t embarrassed or disappointed by him. If the sparkle in her eyes was any indication, he might even guess she was falling for him.

“So, Santa sets up shop over there, but he goes back to the North Pole at eight.” She pointed to the giant tree next to a roaring fireplace, a chair fit for a king between the two. Josie looked down at her watch. “Looks like we just missed him.”

“Too bad. Guess you won’t get to tell him what you want for Christmas this year.”

A megawatt smile spread across her face, and her cheeks glowed. “I think I already have everything I need.” Lifting her heels off the ground, she pressed her lips softly to his cheek. He was falling for this woman. Hard. This was a feeling he’d been chasing his whole life, and he hadn’t even known it. But that revelation could wait. In a room of strangers, sipping hot chocolate wasn’t the place to tell a woman for the first time that he loved her.

They found a table next to the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked several of the light displays they’d seen earlier this evening, and sipped their hot chocolates.

“This view is breathtaking, isn’t it?” Josie asked as she looked out the window.

“It really is.”

She turned to face him. “You’re not even looking out the window.”

“I know.”

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