Page 89 of Mistletoe

“Good. I should be so lucky,” he said. “I waited a lifetime and more to find you. Now that I have you, I’m not going a day without you.”

“If we stay, you’ll have to work for Nina. She’ll have that over you. She’s too upright to abuse that power, but it’s power nonetheless.”

“I can work for your friend.”

“She’s not my friend,” Emma said.

“She rode out here on a hunch because she thought we’d need the help and spun a solution out of midair like a witch from a fairy tale to save us. Sheliedfor you. That’s a damn good friend.”

Emma remained silent for a moment, considering this revelation. “I can’t believe she lied for you.”

“Not for me. For you,” he corrected.

She made a muttering noise as she mulled it over. “Well, I’ll be.”

The sun finally rose over the horizon. Vivid reds and deep violets streaked across the sky.

“Let’s stay here and do all those things,” Emma said. “Raise goats. Shepherd sheep. Make cheese. Spin yarn. Weave blankets. I want to build a future with you, starting with a cottage with doors tall enough for you not to bump your head. Everything.”

Everything with her. It was all he wanted.

Epilogue

Hal

Sweetwater Point

Wychwood House

Midwinter Solstice- Christmas

“You may now kiss the bride.”

The crowd erupted into cheers. Hal ignored them. There was only Emma in this moment. She was radiant in a soft burgundy gown, liberally embroidered with mistletoe and holly at the bodice. The mistletoe crown held a piece of lace in place over her hair. Her eyes shone.

Somehow, miraculously, she agreed to marry him.

A Christmas wedding seemed appropriate, as that was when he stumbled his way into her barn. Something drew him to her, something bigger than himself that he didn’t understand, but he was grateful.

Emma thrust the bouquet into the air in triumph and gave a happy yell. Their guests responded in kind.

So grateful.

Music played. Emma grabbed his hand and pulled him into a dance. He was terrible, but the delight in her eyes was worth the effort of his shambling steps. The evening passed in a blur of dancing and well-wishes. Agatha would occasionally press a drink or plate of food into his and Emma’s hands, reminding them to eat.

The wedding was meant to be simple. Emma had her family and a few friends. Hal had no family but invited the sheriff and deputies, as he considered them more than coworkers now. They were friends. Despite the small guest list, it seemed the entire town showed up.

Sheriff Navarre hosted the ceremony and reception in her family’s house, a grand building in town with ceilings and doors tall enough that Hal did not have to constantly worry about hitting his head.

Pocket doors were opened between the parlor and the dining room to create a larger space. Tables and chairs had been pushed to the side to clear space for dancing. Despite the sheriff insisting that she went through no particular effort, the event went off without a hitch. The house was beautifully decorated and far grander than any place Hal would ever dare visit.

Having worked with the sheriff for nearly nine months, Hal had come to admire the woman’s forthrightness and utter commitment to doing the right thing. Both of which were the same qualities he loved in Emma, but he understood how the two women often butted heads for that very reason. Emma had no problem bending rules to do what was right. Sheriff Navarre would never bend a rule. Exploit a loophole? Yes, happily, but she would never stray into morally gray territory.

As for his work as a deputy, he hadn’t expected to enjoy it. He expected people with something to prove to pick fights with the orc, and there was some of that. On the worst days, Hal felt as if his entire purpose was to stand behind the sheriff and glower. On the good days, he spent time visiting with the town merchants and chatting with travelers. He learned a lot about this new world simply by being friendly and curious. Occasionally, there was a dustup at the coffee shop because things got inflamed between Oscar and the other old philosophers, and Hal would escort Oscar home. Emma gave her father a piece of her mind, which was harsher than any punishment the law could deliver.

It was a good life. Not what he had envisioned for himself all those years ago when he left Earth, but exactly what he wanted. Family, friends, and fresh air.

And her.

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