Page 10 of The White Chocolate Christmas Wish

I leaned in and claimed her mouth again, savoring the feeling of her lips on mine.

But as she pulled away, her lips curved into a wry smile. “You know, Colton, for someone who claims to be an expert in all things Christmas, I’m a little disappointed.”

“Disappointed? After that kiss? I find that hard to believe,” I teased, unable to keep the grin off my face.

She laughed. “The kiss was nice, but...” She pointed above our heads. “That’s holly, not mistletoe.”

I glanced up, feeling a flush creep up my neck. “No way.”

“Way. Red berries? Holly. Whiteberries? Mistletoe.”

She was right—I would have to Google it later for confirmation, of course, but I had no reason to doubt her. And as I looked up again, it was like the waxy green leaves and their bright red berries were mocking me. I ran my hand through my hair. “Huh. The more you know.”

Hope’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Sorry to disappoint.”

“Oh, I’m not disappointed at all,” I assured her, taking a step closer. “Holly, mistletoe, pine needles—I’d say any Christmas greenery is fair game.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure that’s in the official Christmas tradition rulebook.”

“It is. I’m on the committee. We had a meeting about it last week,” I said with mock seriousness.

Hope’s laughter rang out again, and I fought to memorize the sound so I could keep it forever. Just as I was about to suggest we conduct further “research” on kissing in the presence of various plants, Hope’s phone buzzed between us from the inside of her jacket pocket.

She stepped back and pulled it out, and I spotted Paisley’s name on the screen. As she answered it, I tried to focus on the beautiful scenery around us—the rows of trees, the winter air, the decorations around the tree lot. But my mind kept drifting back to the feel of Hope’s lips on mine, the way she’d melted into me like she was made to be mine.

“I see,” Hope was saying into the phone. “Actually, I’m here with Colton. Let me put you on speaker.” She glancedat me with a slightly devious smile as she spoke. “I’m sure he’dloveto help, too.”

I perked up, curiosity piqued. Whatever Paisley needed help with, I was more than happy to lend a hand—especially if it meant spending more time with Hope.

Paisley’s excited voice crackled through the speaker. “Oh, perfect! The more, the merrier. We’re in a bit of a pickle with the Christmas Eve parade preparations. We’re short-handed for the police float, so we could really use some extra elves.”

I felt a grin spreading across my face. “I make an excellent elf. Just ask Santa—we go way back.”

Hope rolled her eyes at me, a smile tugging at her lips.

“And before you try to get out of this,” I said as I nudged her gently, “it’s not on the list, but it’ll still be fun. I’ll make sure of it.”

“Hope, please?” Paisley chimed in. “We really need the help.”

I held my breath, watching Hope’s face.

“Fine,” she conceded with a laugh. “I’m in. What do you need us to do?”

As Paisley rattled off the details, I studied Hope’s profile. The way her eyes crinkled when she smiled, the little furrow between her brows as she concentrated on Paisley’s instructions. My chest tightened with a feeling I wasn’t quite ready to name.

“Got it,” Hope said. “I guess we’ll be there bright and early.”

After they hung up, Hope turnedto me with a mix of nervousness and anticipation. “I can’t believe I just agreed to that. Building a float is a way bigger deal than a gingerbread house.”

“Yeah, well, you knocked that outta the park, so it’ll be fine. Besides, I’ll be with you every step of the way. Now, let’s find a big tree and get it back to your place to decorate.”

We wandered through the rows, debating over the right tree. Hope wanted a tall, slender spruce, but I was drawn to a full, bushy fir.

“But this one’s so…majestic,” I teased, gesturing dramatically. “It practically screams ‘Christmas spirit!’ Definitely the biggest one on the lot.”

Hope laughed. “It also screams ‘Won’t fit through the front door.’”

We compromised on a blue spruce, just the right height and fullness. As we worked together to secure it to the roof of my truck, I loved that it felt just like the other decorating we’d done, and even the gingerbread construction. We were so in sync. We anticipated each other’s movements. We worked as a team.

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