Page 6 of The White Chocolate Christmas Wish

“I wish...” Hope began softly, “I wish I could see Christmas the way you do.”

Her words hit me right in the chest, and it look me a minute to recover before I could reply. “Well, I guess I’ll just have to make that happen, won’t I?”

She snorted delicately, almost like she didn’t believe I could.

Once again,challenge accepted.

CHAPTER THREE

HOPE

“Earth to Hope!” Dakota waved a hand in front of my face as Paisley laughed beside her. “You’ve been starin’ at your cauliflower pizza for five minutes straight. Spill it, girl. What’s goin’ on?”

I sighed, busted by my friends, as usual. “I’m just... overwhelmed, I guess. This whole Christmas list is intense. And then there’s Colton...” I trailed off, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. He was a whole different kind of intense.

Dakota’s grin widened. “He’s totally into you, you know.”

“Kota,” Paisley cut in. “Be easy. Hope, how do you feel about all this?”

“Honestly? Part of me is excited, but the other part is nervous I won’t be able to go from Christmas-adverse to holly jolly. Even for Colton. I don’t wanna disappoint him.”

And it wasn’t just the Christmas stuff that made my stomach churn. Getting closer to Colton, letting myself hope for something more with him after skirting around it since we met—it felt dangerous, like leaning too far out over a ledge.

“You won’t,” Dakota insisted. “Trust me. He’s Tuck’s bestie, and I can promise you there’s nothin’ you could do to disappoint Colton Hayes. He’s smitten.”

“It’s okay to take things slow,” Paisley said with a warning look at Dakota. “There’s no rush to complete the list or figure out your feelings for Colton. Take it one thing at a time, one day at a time.”

I took a deep breath. “I can’t tell if I’m more overwhelmed by the idea of celebratin’ Christmas or by runnin’ around town doin’ all this stuff withhim.”

Paisley nodded, her green eyes softening. “That’s okay. You’re allowed to feel both excited and scared.”

Dakota’s dark waves bounced as she nodded enthusiastically. “But let’s be real: if anyone can help you embrace the holiday spirit, it’s Colt. He’s the happiest guy I know. I’d stick with him and see if you can have some fun this time of year for a change, ya know? That man gives off Christmas cheer like a festive radiator.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the mental image. “A festive radiator? Really, Dakota?”

She grinned, unabashed. “You know what I mean. Just... give him a chance.”

“I’ll try,” I promised, then sighed with gratitude as the conversation shifted to a funny storyabout a case Colton and Tucker were working on regarding a missing blow-up Santa two streets over from the pizza place we currently sat in.

In the end, I thanked them again for their advice, standing to hug them both goodbye. Their warmth and support wrapped around me, but they didn’t entirely banish my fears of getting close to yet another person who wouldn’t be there when all was said and done. My whole family was gone, so Christmas was a downer. Did I really want to make it special again, only to have another reason to hate it when I inevitably lost Colton, too?

The crisp night air hit my face as I pushed open the heavy wooden door of The Brick Oven. And there, leaning against a streetlamp with a playful grin, was Colton. My breath caught in my throat as I took in the way the golden light cast a warm glow over his features, making him look even hotter than usual. And I went straight to him, like a moth to a flame. Or… a cold woman to a Christmas furnace. No, wait, wasn’t it a radiator?

I shook my head. Both were ridiculous.

“Hey, there,” he called out. “Fancy meeting you here.”

In one hand, he held several bags that looked ready to burst with… candy? Groceries? I wasn’t sure what, but I had a sneaking suspicion it had to do with that dang list.

I smiled and tipped my chin toward the bags. “Somethin’ tells me this was no accident.”

He grinned wider. “Guilty. Ready for some Christmas construction?”

“Construction? As in…? Wait. You wanna make gingerbread houses? Now?”

“No time like the present, right? I was thinking we could head over to the B&B and use the big table in the dining room.”

I bit my lip, my fingers fidgeting with the edge of my scarf. “If I say yes, don’t get your hopes up that I’m some kind of architectural genius.”

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