Page 11 of Promise Yule Be Mine
This time, I didn’t mind the cold as much. Probably because I was surrounded by buildings but also because, how could I hate something so idyllic?
I looked around me, at a little cozy store called The Snowflake Shack next to a larger building, Ginger’s Breads, and a smile crept up on my face.
Something told me this town was a little treasure after all.
Jenna showed me inside The White Elephant. It was a large, open kind of bar with a tiled floor and furniture upholstered in dark greens and reds. People in uniforms walked back and forth between high tables, booths and the bar carrying all sorts of drinks and food that all looked very appetizing.
Jenna bypassed the host and led me to the back, to a smaller room with floor-to-ceiling bookcases and a lit fireplace that kept the area toasty and warm.
“Take a seat. I’ll go get him.” Jenna went back out of the room and I had the opportunity to look around a little more. There were framed black and white photos hanging on the wall behind me. They were young and gorgeous in a couple of photos, then there was a baby in their arms in another. As the frames progressed, the baby got bigger until he stood next to them and another baby joined them in their arms. All were taken outside The White Elephant. I assumed they were the owners.
A moment later, a waitress approached with a menu and I perused it while waiting for the groom-to-be, trying to decide on my meal when Jenna appeared and sang my name.
I put the menu down, stood up and looked at Kody.
I almost froze. I almost choked on my own words. I almost shivered. But I did none of those things. Instead, I raised my arm and shook the hand of the most beautiful man I’d ever laid eyes on.
He was tall and white, with curly dark brown hair and a thick, perfectly groomed mustache that made his smile super comforting and inviting. But his eyes? His eyes were a bright gray that reflected the light of the fire and burned holes in my own eyes.
“H-hi, I’m Nova. Nova Myers. It’s uhm…nice to meet you,” I said.
That was better than the jumble of words in my head but still not professional enough. So instead of gawking at my friend’s fiancé, I decided to peel my eyes off him and take my seat.
Jenna sat opposite me and Kody eventually sat down but all I could focus on was the fabric cover of the green menu. Because if I didn’t, I’d look back at the hunk across from me and God knew what would happen.
“So…Kody. Jenna. Let’s talk about your wedding!” I managed to say and walked them through the consultation brief I did with all my clients.
Kody remained quiet for most of it. He only seemed to speak up near the end and after being served a big glass of beer, along with our meal, but even then, he kept his words short and addressed to Jenna, which suited me just fine because I had a feeling if he looked at me, if he spoke to me, I’d just turn into a puddle of goo and who would save me from embarrassment then?
With all that wrapped up, Jenna and I left Kody behind to continue his shift at what I found out was his place, and showed me around town, including the venue they’d picked for the ceremony, the place we would order the cake from and other places that didn’t have anything to do with the wedding and everything to do with the charm of Christmas Falls.
Just before sunset, she drove me to her apartment and I stayed the night until early morning the following day when I caught my flight back home via Chicago.
Only when I stepped foot in New York did I feel like I could breathe again. Back at Christmas Falls I was afraid a gasp, let alone a full-blown inhalation, would give away how much I couldn’t stop thinking about the man with the mustache who had stolen my heart.
“I’ve gotto figure out how to do this wedding without lusting over him.”
“Why?” my brother said when we were alone in my room.
“What do you mean why? Because he’s the groom, Rhett! And to make matters worse, he’s Jenna’s fiancé!”
Rhett laughed.
“No one said you had to steal him from her. I’m sure you can lust after a guy and still plan his wedding.”
I cuddled my giant Stitch plushie harder and sighed.
“I don’t think you understand just how gorgeous this man is. It took me all day yesterday and all day today to get his image out of my head and you know what? I’m lying. He’s still in here.” I jabbed at my head.
“Jesus. Someone’s got it bad. How handsome can a guy be? He certainly isn’t more handsome than Keaton Sinclair.”
“Who?” I asked. The name sounded familiar but I was still so dazed I couldn’t place it.
“Seriously? Keaton Sinclair? Billionaire extraordinaire? Inventor of Cinderfella? The man who’s dating my best friend?”
“Oh.” I said and looked at the man on the screen. A handsome silver fox white man. “Meh. He’s not Kody Campbell.”
Rhett pulled his hand back and typed furiously before whistling.
