Page 2 of Holiday Hitch

Reaching across the mattress, Jamie gave his soft tummy a rub as he stretched out and grumbled.

“Who’s a good boy?” Jamie mumbled. Throwing her legs over the side of the bed, Jamie hauled her body out of the bed. She had been off tour for a few months, but her body still ached as if she had put on a three hour show the night before.

And all the running around New Winford wasn’t helping. But Jamie couldn’t pretend like she didn’t love to see Dani so excited for their wedding.

She threw on an oversized t-shirt and her loose, distressed jeans. Walking toward Dani in the window, Jamie ran her hand over one of the pine fronds sticking out from their bedroom Christmas tree. Only a few needles fell off as Jamie peeked at the trunk to check for water in the basin.

Dani had insisted on getting their trees the day after Thanksgiving, which she argued was the earliest they could get a live tree that would survive through Christmas day. But Jamie was certain if there was a way for the tree to stay alive year round, Dani would leave it there.

Jamie wrapped her arms around Dani as she took a deep breath.

“Are you excited to be my wife in… 20 days?” Jamie asked as she rested her chin on Dani’s shoulder and watched the delicate snowflakes land on the windowsill.

Dani smiled and turned her head just enough to look into Jamie’s green eyes, “You have no idea.”

2

Zoey

Zoey tappedher finger along the bare, wood studs as she listened to the person on the other side of the phone.

“I do understand that. But my client is hoping to host two hundred people at the peak of Fox Mountain,” she argued.

After a moment of listening, Zoey continued, “Well the park toilets simply won’t do. These are celebrity clients.”

Robin poked her head in from what would eventually be a kitchen, prompting Zoey to glance up for just a moment before turning away. Unwilling to be ignored, Robin ducked her head into Zoey’s line of sight and gestured to the kitchen.

Zoey raised a finger and said into the receiver, “Price is not a concern.”

Finally winning out, Zoey raised her hands in praise as she replied, “Great, we’ll be in touch,” and hung up the phone.

“Again?” Robin questioned.

Zoey laughed, “Look, I want this cleared up before the wedding. Dani and Jamie are too high-profile to have a vendor not show.”

Robin nodded, “I know… it just seems like a lot going on.”

“But I’m so goddamn good under pressure,” Zoey said with a wink as she threw her hands around Robin’s neck.

Zoey loved that even after nearly two years together, Robin couldn’t resist her charm.

Wrapping her arms around Zoey’s waist, Robin said, “As true as that is, you’re supposed to be taking it easy.”

Zoey pulled away, “You’re just mad I’m not doing more on the house.”

“To be fair, I renovated Oak Lane for you, so it’s only right,” Robin joked.

Zoey pursed her lips. It was true, but fixing up the old house from their childhood was a choice Robin had made on her own, and Zoey wasn’t going to claim responsibility for it now.

“But you weresupposedlydoing that for yourself,” Zoey argued.

Robin laughed, “We all knew that was a lie.” She winked as her eyes drifted down Zoey’s body. Robin had definitely been deluding herself by saying she had bought Oak Lane for herself. Every day Robin had worked on it, she imagined a life with Zoey inside. It had always been both of their dreams to bring the house back to life.

Robin may have resurrected the house’s old bones, but Zoey had come home just in time to finish up the interior design and leave her mark on alongside Robin. As it turned out, Zoey could be averyopinionated designer; it seemed Sarah wasn’t the only Greenwood sister with a passion for critiquing all of Robin’s design choices.

Zoey brought Robin in for a hug, breathing in the scent of lumber and sweat on her skin. It smelled like home.

Most of their friends thought they were crazy moving in together so quickly, but they knew it was the right call. Plus, U-Hauling was a sapphic right of passage. Every day it felt like the right decision waking up next to Robin and starting to build their lives together. Quitting her job in the city hadn’t just allowed Zoey to rekindle her relationship with her first true love, it had also allowed her to become even closer with her niece and nephew, help her sister Sarah through her divorce, and finally help her parents settle into their retirement.

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