Page 144 of There's Something about Merry

“I thinking my arm is going to fall off.”

“Use the sleigh edge to rest your arm on. That’s why it’s padded.”

Clark did what she said and the instant relief made him sigh. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I wanted to see how long you could keep it up.”

“There’s that little mean streak again.”

Her gaze softened and she leaned over, giving him a long, lingering kiss. “I promise to kiss all your aching muscles better.”

“Is that right,” he murmured against her lips.

“Hmmm mmmmm.” When Merry pulled away, she pointed to the front of the float. “We’re in so much trouble.”

Clark turned to find Holly glaring at them, smacking her candy cane against the palm of her hand angrily.

“She’s an angry elf,” he said and laughed.

“Did you mean to do that?” she asked.

“What?”

“That’s a line from the movie Elf. I thought you may have remembered it was my favorite from our messages.”

Clark smiled sheepishly. “I forgot. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, really. Funnily enough, I went onto the MeetMe app a few hours before our first date. I logged in to reread our emails and your profile was gone. I was wondering if you did it the first night we were supposed to meet.”

“No. I did it after.”

“When?”

“After our first kiss. When Jace was sick. I hadn’t been on since I read your final message anyway, but after we kissed, I knew I didn’t want anyone else.”

Merry smiled wide and cupped his face. “Aren’t you going to ask me something?”

He stared into her eyes tenderly. “Merry, will you please come home with me?”

“I’d love to.”

Chapter 31

Merry

When the blaring beep of an alarm clock went off Saturday morning, Merry groaned as she looked around Clark’s room blearily for the source of the obnoxious sound. She smacked the top of the clock on his nightstand and blinked a few times, trying to make out the red numbers. Nine thirty-one.

Merry sat straight up in bed, holding the sheet to her naked chest. It was Saturday. She needed to be at the community center to set up for the Festival of Trees in less than thirty minutes.

Jumping out of Clark’s bed, she started gathering her clothes off the floor. She borrowed a T-shirt from Clark’s drawer and got dressed in a hurry, throwing her hair up into a messy bun as she rushed out of his room with her boots and socks in her hands.

Sam and Jace were sitting at the kitchen table, a tray of giant cinnamon rolls in the center. Jace held one in his hand, his face a mess of frosting.

“Good morning, Merry,” Sam said, picking up his cup of coffee. “How did you sleep?”

Merry glared at him. “Bite me, Sam.”

“Is bite me a bad word?” Jace asked.

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