Page 48 of Stuck in Christmas

Sherry shook her head, a smile on her lips. “Y’all were just too sweet for words.” She glanced at Bonnie’s, a cozy haven beckoning us. “Ah, warmth.”

As they headed inside, Eli gently pulled on my elbow, stopping me in my tracks. “Wait a second, I have something for you.”

My heart raced. “Is it a thoughtful gift like a leather journal?” I teased, my curiosity piqued.

“You already know about that one.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out mistletoe, holding it above us. “This one was more for the both of us.”

“You shouldn’t have,” I whispered, my face warming, but then I added, “Actually— you should have!”

We leaned in and kissed under the mistletoe as snowflakes began to fall like whispers from the sky. My heart fluttered wildly.

“Of course, it is snowing onChristmas Eve… in Christmas, Mississippi,” I said, looking up, filled with wonder.

But before I could savor the moment, Eli and I slipped on the icy sidewalk, laughing as we tumbled into a snowbank outside Bonnie’s.

“Someone really out to shovel that,” Eli said before he covered my face with kisses and sending me into gales of laughter. “Merry Christmas, my love.”

“Merry Christmas.” I kissed him, and snowflakes danced around us in an impossible place called Christmas, Mississippi, where the holiday spirit and magic lived every day of the year.

The End

If you’re ready for a steamy epilogue, turn the page.

If open-door love scenes aren’t your jam, you might want to call it quits here.

Epilogue

One year later

Eli

The town square in Christmas, Mississippi, wore its holiday finest with a little extra this year. Soft, white snow blanketed the ground, muffling the sounds of laughter and chatter that floated through the air, delicate as the falling snowflakes. Twinkling lights adorned the pavilion, casting a warm glow against the stark white backdrop, while pine trees, decked out in red and gold ornaments, stood as sentinels around the square.

I stood just outside the pavilion, my heart racing as I took in the magical scene. The crisp, cold air nipped at my cheeks, but I hardly noticed. None of that beauty compared to the woman I was about to marry.

I shuffled nervously in front of the gathering guests. I could already picture Renee walking towards me, her radiant smile warming me against the chill. Just imagining her in that moment, herwedding dress catching the glimmers of light, made my heart swell with love and anticipation.

“Easy there, son,” Joe whispered beside me. “It’s going to be a long day.”

“And an even longer night,” Bonnie added with a laugh.

She agreed to marry us, and after a quick visit to the online certification website, Bonnie became ordained to marry people anywhere in the country. It was Renee’s idea, not that I disagreed with her because whatever she wanted for this day, she would get it.

I’d see to it.

After what she went through last year.

What webothwent through.

Murmurs went up throughout the crowd, and I saw her.

Tears sprung to my eyes as I watched my future wife slowly walk down the aisle toward me. She chose a simple red gown trimmed in white fake fur as an homage to “Santa,” who worked some kind of impossible time magic to bring us together.

We hadn’t seen him since the time loop was broken, and even though Renee was glad it was over, she said it made her a little sad that he was gone.

And that’s why I agreed to wear a matching red suit.

For love.

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