Page 14 of We Wish You a Happily Ever After

Before she could overthink it, Bella reached out and put her mittened hands on either side of his face before pressing her lips to his in a deeper kiss than before.

Vaguely, she registered a low moan. Was it her?

It didn’t matter.

She had no idea how long the kiss lasted, but as far as she was concerned, it wasn’t long enough before a gust of wind slapped their cheeks with fresh, arctic air.

“Oh, that’s cold.” A chill ran through her and she shivered.

Jeremy looked up, but didn’t take his hands off her arms, a small fact Bella appreciated. She liked his touch. Maybe more than she should. That kiss, and then the one after that, had sparked something inside her that had been dead for years.

Thirteen, to be exact.

“Could be a storm blowing in.” Jeremy rubbed her arms a little. “You think you’ll be warm enough for a few more minutes?”

There were a million flirty ways she could have answered that question, but they all eluded her at that moment. In fact, all words escaped her. She nodded in response.

“Okay.” If Jeremy noticed her sudden case of muteness, he didn’t say anything. “Let’s go get that tree. There are some good ones over there.” He started to walk in the direction he’d pointed to.

It took Bella a moment, but she soon followed after. She needed to remember why she was there. To get a tree. To have a memorable Christmas with Papa. To help him move into a new place.

And then she needed to get back to the city and pick up the pieces of whatever was left of her career.

She was not there for a relationship.

Who said anything about a relationship?

Bella watched Jeremy’s back, a few steps ahead of her, and a smile crossed her face.

Who was saying anything about a relationship?

No one.

“How about this one?” Jeremy called out.

She brushed off the idea before it could completely take root and hurried over to where Jeremy stood next to a tree.

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