We dig through the bags of ornaments and start hanging them on the tree. “You know the smaller ornaments go toward the top, right?” I ask.
He smirks. “I don’t follow rules, remember?”
I blow out a long sigh. “I really regret saying that to you.”
He chuckles. “Too bad. You can’t take it back now.”
He focuses on decorating the tree while I take care of the fireplace mantel. I drape a thick garland across the top and place tall electric candles on one end and three nutcrackers on the other. I move on to the built-ins, placing Christmas-themed items on a few of the shelves. Just enough to make it festive without being overdone.
“You bought me some Patriots ornaments?” Jordan asks, wonder in his tone.
I spin around, smiling. “Yep.”
“You really are the best.”
“What kind of New England Christmas tree would it be without them?” I ask.
He shakes his head, pretending to be serious. “I don’t even want to think about it.”
By the time we’re done, the whole living room has a more holiday-ish feel. The fireplace is going and the overhead lights are off. The tree sparkles with colored lights, the bulbs in the garland on the mantel twinkle a soft white, and there are small touches of red and green I added to the built-ins.
Jordan steps back, hands on his hips, and whistles softly. “Everything looks great.” He glances down at me with a sincere look that melts me. “But you? You’re amazing.”
I smile up at him, heart fluttering. “I’m glad you think so.”
He reaches for my hand, pulling me gently against his chest. “I know so.” He leans down, brushing his lips over mine. “Thank you for thinking of me and going through all this effort.”
“I wanted to do something nice for you.”
“Well, you succeeded.” He presses a soft kiss to my lips. “Are you hungry?”
“For food or for you?” I tease.
“I’ll accommodate whichever,” he says with a wolfish grin.
I pat his chest. “I hate to disappoint you, but I’m starving for food.”
“Can’t blame a guy for trying.” He lets go of my hand. “Since I knew we were doing a movie night, I planned ahead.” He walks into the kitchen and returns a few seconds later, carrying a large wooden cutting board piled with food, and has two water bottles tucked under his arm. “This is a man’s version of a charcuterie board,” he declares, setting it down on the coffee table.
I look over the contents and find meat, cheese, crackers, grapes, and cashews. “This looks amazing and verymasculine.”
He grins good-naturedly at my teasing. “Thank you.” He places the water bottles down.
“I’m shocked you even know what a charcuterie board is.”
He chuckles. “I didn’t until today. I asked Google what would be a good meal to have while watching a movie, and this was its suggestion. But then I had to look up what one was.”
A giggle slips from me. “That’s classic Jordan.”
“Hey. I like to think I’m not alone in this.” He gestures for me to sit down, and as I do, he disappears into the kitchen again. When he comes back, he settles next to me and hands me a plate and a napkin. “Help yourself.”
I take some sliced cheddar and Colby-Jack cheeses, along with some grapes, to start.
He nudges my arm with his. “I even washed the grapes. How’s that for effort?”
“Don’t you usually wash them?” I ask.
He shrugs. “Sometimes.”
