Page 32 of Holiday Hitch

Dani

Jugglinggrocery bags and her backpack, Dani slammed her car door and walked toward her and Jamie’s house. The pathway was well-lit by the Christmas lights that lined it and the festive LED strips laid carefully along the roof of the A-frame house.

It felt odd to spend Christmas Eve not only working but also angry with the woman she loved so deeply.

Dani sighed with relief as she saw the windows were mostly dark. She knew she’d have to talk to Jamie eventually, but she wasn’t ready just yet, and some time to herself might help her re-center.

She walked up the front steps slowly, fumbling the bags around until she had a hand free to unlock the door. But when she put the key in, the door was already unlocked.

Weird… she thought.

Pushing open the unusually tall door, Dani poked her head inside and looked around the entryway.

It smelled incredible, like freshly baked cookies and Christmas trees. Dani walked in and peered back toward the living room, lit only by the glow of their Christmas tree.

“Hello?” Dani called out, swallowing a lump in her throat.

She was met with silence, so she let her shoulders drop. Maybe she was just tired. Before she could get much farther, Diesel ran up to greet her, tail wagging.

“Hi buddy,” Dani whispered, setting down the bags and kneeling to pet him. He spun around in circles, giving her access to every angle, before bolting toward the living room. The faint sound of Christmas music began to drift into the foyer.

Dani tilted her head as the dog retreated.Where was he trying to lead her?

“Jay, are you home?” she called out again.

A face appeared around the corner of the living room doorway, making Dani jump. “Hi, Merry Christmas Eve,” Jamie said softly.

“Jesus. I thought you weren’t home.”

Jamie giggled, “Sorry, I didn’t hear you call the first time.”

She walked out of the living room and approached Dani who stiffened, unsure what the interaction would be. Dani cleared her throat and avoided Jamie’s eyes.

But as Jamie got closer, she leaned down to intercept Dani’s gaze, “I thought you’d smell the Christmas spirits.”

It felt silly how easy it was for Jamie to make Dani blush. She still felt like the most beautiful woman in the world when Jamie looked at her.

Jamie took a deep breath as she stood in front of Dani and said, “Would you want to join me in the living room?”

Dani thought about it, afraid that they might fight again, “What if…”

“We won’t. I have something for you,” Jamie said as she lightly rubbed Dani’s arms.

Nodding, Dani let Jamie’s hand intertwine with hers and lead her to their cozy, sunken living room. It was an original feature of the house that Jamie had insisted they restore.

The room was dimly lit by the Christmas tree and dozens of candles. On the live-edge coffee table were a charcuterie board and two glasses of eggnog with a sprinkling of nutmeg across the top.

Dani shook her head, “Jamie Lawson, how many people did you have to hire to make this happen?”

Jamie lightly punched Dani’s arm, “It was all me, you Grinch.”

She led Dani toward the coffee table where a plush blanket and dozens of pillows were laid out on the floor in front of the stone fireplace.

Jamie began to sit and held her hands out to help Dani lower herself. She passed her fiancée a glass of the eggnog and held up her own, “Cheers to our Christmas wedding and many more busy, crazy years together.”

Blushing, Dani clinked her glass with Jamie’s and said, “Cheers.”

“So,” Jamie began as she set her glass down, “I owe you an apology. I haven’t been doing my part to make you feel secure in our relationship. I’m sorry for not making you feel like I was fully invested in our relationship and our wedding.”

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