Page 56 of Mistletoe Kisses

A part of me wanted Arlo to fall in love with Oregon and choose to stay. It was a foolish, fanciful daydream, but I couldn’t stop wanting more time with Arlo. I feared I might never get my fill of him.

I hadn’t expected to meet someone I clicked so well with at work, and now that it had happened, I wasn’t ready to give it, or him, up.

Eager families filled in the booths around us. The kids were as visibly excited as Arlo. We shrugged off our coats and dropped them next to us on the bench seats.

“Where does the train go?”

“Rockaway.”

Arlo nodded like he knew where that was. “How long is the ride?”

“Website said an hour to an hour and a half.”

He looked out the window again and smiled. I’d found him attractive in every setting we’d been in, but something about the youthful excitement bubbling under his skin, his relaxed posture, and his bright smile wasreallyworking for me. A giddy, relaxed Arlo was a sight to behold.

“Does it turn around on the way back?”

I grinned and leaned forward. “Nope. I got us seats with an ocean view the entire way. We’ll become the front of the train for the ride back since it just basically goes backward.”

Arlo’s pleased expression made my chest warm.

“Welcome to the Candy Cane Express! We’ll take off momentarily. A cart will come through with treats shortly after we begin moving. Santa and Mrs. Claus will make their way through the cars as well.” Kids cheered at the announcement over the spotty sound system.

Arlo’s eyes widened as he grinned. “This is amazing. Thank you.”

I returned his smile. “You’re welcome.”

Soon, the train began hissing as wisps of steam blew in the wind, passing the windows. The hissing grew louder as mechanical grinding added to the sounds as the train began moving. It was bouncy but not obnoxiously slow. The ride was slow enough to get a good look at everything, and fortunately, there was enough daylight to see clearly.

I snuck a photo of Arlo’s rapt expression as he stared out the window. I could happily watch him enjoy the ride the entire time.

The clatter of a rolling cart approaching pulled our attention. A woman wearing a reindeer antler headband and a red sweater with a big Rudolph face smiled at us.

“Hot cocoa and cookies?” she asked.

I looked to Arlo, and he nodded. “Yes, please. Thanks so much.”

She placed a cocoa with mini marshmallows and a large sugar cookie covered in sprinkles in front of each of us. “We also have supplies to write a letter to Santa. You’re never too old to make a wish.”

I accepted the bundle of writing supplies. “That sounds great. Thanks.”

She left us with a smile before moving on to the family of four with two squirming kids at the table across from us.

Arlo wrapped his hands around the cup before lifting it to his mouth and taking a drink. “Nothing beats a good Swiss Miss mix.”

“Swiss Miss makes me think of my childhood. We used to get a big box of it every Christmas from our grandparents. It didn’t last long with the four of us kids.” My parents and extended family had always worked hard to ensure it was an amazing time of year for each of us.

“That’s adorable. I can imagine a young you and Warren drinking your weight in the stuff. Double packets were the way to go.”

I laughed. “Yes! The height of a culinary packaged hot cocoa experience.”

Arlo’s lips curved into a nostalgic smile as he stared at his cocoa. “Once in a while, my grandparents would take me to visit my mom at work during the holidays, and Mom always gave me the cocoa packets from the break room.”

“That’s really sweet.”

Our conversation easily shifted to sharing more about our Christmas traditions and memories. Most of Arlo’s stories had a heavier tone to them. His grandparents had tried to make things special for him while his mom worked, and his mom had always made a special day for them when she was off work and could celebrate Christmas. I couldn’t imagine Arlo as an eager kid who ripped open his presents and asked for more. He struck me as someone who opened packaging carefully so it could be reused and gave heartfelt thanks for the biggest gifts all the way down to something small, like a pair of socks.

“Do you have any memories where they seemed innocuous when they happened, but looking back as an adult, they have a whole new meaning?”

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