Page 40 of Yours to Ho Ho Hold
“No creepier than your dad acting one out in a family game of charades,” I tease.
“Touché,” he says as he kisses me on the head.
“You ready to get up there and do your thing?”
I bite my lip and nod. I used to get nervous being the emcee all night at these events but I’ve gotten used to it, and I actually really enjoy thinking on my feet.
Drew pulls his phone from his pocket and his face breaks out into a mischievous smile.
“What?” I try to see his screen. “What are you looking at?”
He moves the phone away holding it above my head. “You’ll see. It’s just a little surprise.” He holds his hand out for the mic and I cautiously pass it over. It’s not the first time he’s helped me kick off the party.
“Good evening, ladies, and welcome to the grand opening of Ho’s Books. How’s everyone enjoying their night so far?”
The women in the crowd scream and clap so loud I have to cover my ears.
“That’s what I hoped you’d say,” Drew croons all sexy and playful. “Now listen, as you all know this is a very special grand opening, and because of that we have a special guest joining us tonight.” The crowd goes silent as they wait for Drew to announce the secret special guest. I furrow my brows looking at him with confusion. We’ve already announced the special guests, so I don’t know who he’s talking about.
“Before I tell you who it is, I’d like to tell you a little story.” He grabs my hand and pulls me to stand next to him. “Most of you may know by now that this lovely lady, the woman responsible for creating everything you see here, loves Christmas. And three years ago–yesterday technically, but go with me here–she walked onto a plane and sat beside me reading a certain Santa-smut book that I think we all know and love.”
The women go wild, fanning themselves and cheer.
“And would you believe that she had the audacity to lie about it when I asked her about her little book?” He pulls the mic away looking shocked, as he cuts his eyes at me. I roll mine teasingly and smile.
“But what our little Holly here didn’t know, was that I was the cover model for the ten-year special edition covers.” The women lose their shit, screaming wildly and cheering.
“I know, I know, it’s impressive.” Drew shrugs. “But I’m just the pretty face. What you should really be excited about is that…” He turns to face me. “Kandy Kane just so happens to be a dear friend of mine. So I reached out to her and asked her if she’d make my girl’s whole year by popping in for a little signing, and you know what? She said yes!”
My mouth falls open and my whole body goes rigid as I stare up at Drew. The women around me scream and jump, some actually start crying. I blink several times and shake my head. “How?”
“I was just brave enough to ask.” He whispers sending a chill down my spine.
“Now please help me in welcoming everyone’s favorite smutty Santa enthusiast, Kandy Kane!”
The doors open and I nearly fall out of my seat when my favorite author waltzes through the doors of my very own bookstore, waving and smiling as she poses for pictures with excited fans.
“Oh my God, Drew. How did you manage to pull this off without me knowing?”
He shrugs. “If I told you then it wouldn’t be magic.”
I roll my eyes at his cheesy line, but my mouth goes dry when he pulls something out of his pocket and moves to one knee.
“I’ve wanted to ask you this from the moment I met you… and no, that’s not an exaggeration. I knew I’d met my soulmate the moment you rolled those big, brown eyes at me.”
I cover my mouth realizing the crowd’s gone quiet as everyone stands completely still watching us.
“I’ve been carrying this ring around with me for the last six months, waiting on the perfect moment to ask you.
I can’t really think of a better moment than right now, at the grand opening of your fifth bookstore in the little Christmas town where it all started, surrounded by our family and all these incredible women–not to mention your favorite author.”
The women all scream again, chanting, “Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!”
Drew’s eyes flicker and I realize he’s holding back tears. “You are the love of my life, Holly Shepherd, and I want to spend the rest of my Christmases–and every other day–by your side, chasing dreams with you, and having a blast while doing it.”
“Will you marry me and make me the luckiest man in the whole fucking world?”
“Yes!” I nod with tears rolling down my cheeks. I’m jumping into Drew’s arms before he’s even all the way to his feet.
