Page 67 of Not Another Christmas Movie

“Nick?” Bailey asked. “Since we couldn’t chat earlier at the Annual Joyful Jovial Jingle Bell Ho-Ho-Hoedown of Yuletide Two-Stepping and Festive Fiddles Boogie Oogie Jig and Jangle—”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. Noelle wouldn’t let me stop dancing, and when I tried to find you, Chris said you had left—” Nick explained.

“I need to speak with you privately, right away; it can’t wait a moment longer,” Bailey said in a hushed tone, not looking at Annie. Bailey used her incredibly talented, little, nimble fingers to grip Nick’s arm.

“Oh, yeah, okay,” Nick said, his voice now holding the slightest edge of unease. Nick gave Annie a shrug before following Bailey to the Land of Sweets. Or wherever Bailey could have this heart-to-heart inside this old, mysterious inn.

“No, no, no,” Annie murmured, nervously scanning the crowd. She had no interest in talking to anyone other than Nick, but her eyes stopped on Chris. Her sweet and handsome made-for-TV Christmas movie hero. He clutched something in one hand and ran his other hand through his hair in a nervous gesture. Annie took a step, trying to get a better look at what he was holding, when she accidentally bumped into Felix.

“Good evening,” Felix chuckled.

“Oh! Sorry, Felix, did I hurt you?” Annie asked. She was so ready to leave this clumsy-girl habit in Christmas past.

“No, my dear, I’m made of some pretty strong stuff. When you’re in my line of work, you have to be,” Felix said, his eyes twinkling. “Have you finalized your Christmas wish yet? There’s still time,” Felix said. Annie was about to answer when she saw something in Chris’s hand. A red ring box. She gasped. Felix followed her stare.

“There’s still time,” Felix told her again, this time with more force. Annie shook her head in confusion. What was he talking about? That ring box couldn’t be for her, could it? Was she supposed to get engaged to Chris tonight? Was the only way out of here an engagement, or was that the only way to stay? No, she had to talk to Nick first. Annie couldn’t process the collision of thoughts coming in and out of her head to formulate any kind of rational response as the sound of someone tapping on glass pierced through the room and silenced everyone in it.

“Excuse me, excuse me!” A voice called out from the top of the staircase. It was Ferguson. He looked handsome but was definitely more bald Billy Zane than Leo. “I wanted to first congratulate my dearest new friend, Grant, on hosting his first Simsbury Christmas Ball at the inn. The decorations are gorgeous—and yes, the tinsel is straight Grant!” Ferguson joked, and the crowd laughed politely. “But there’s another person I need to thank,” Ferguson paused. “A woman who makes every day feel like Christmas. A soul who twinkles like the lights around us tonight. Someone I want to spend the rest of my life with … if she’ll let me,” Ferguson said as the crowd hushed in eager anticipation at his every word.

“Eve,” Ferguson began as he wiped a supposed tear from one eye. “The royal family legacy of Wintermore is in your hands, and I know you had intended to be with Nigel. But I hope you’ll take a different leap of faith with me and trust that our love will be the one written about in history books. You are the only one for me. Every moment with you is a song I wish would never end. It would be my great honor to live as your most loyal subject, your husband,” Ferguson finished grandly.

“Oh, Ferguson!” Eve beckoned from the other side of the staircase, a small crowd parting to let the lovers grasp each other’s hands. Ferguson dropped to one knee and opened his palm to reveal a red ring box of his own.

“Princess Eve, will you marry me?” Ferguson asked. Eve looked down at Ferguson, her eyes glittering.

“Before you answer, darling, I have something to say,” an older woman’s voice echoed throughout the room.

“Mama?” Eve gasped, leaping toward the woman dressed in a long-sleeved red velvet dress and wearing a huge crown covered in jewels.

“Whoa, are those real?” Annie whispered aloud. No one answered, of course, as everyone was captivated by the scene unfolding before them.

“Is it really you, Mama?” Eve asked.

“It is I, my child, the Queen of Wintermore,” the Queen of Wintermore said in a deep, full voice. The crowd murmured, and someone let out a loud gasp. Annie recognized the queen as her second mom, Marsha’s mother, June, and despite the absurdity of this whole thing, Annie was moved to watch her best friend get engaged with a treasured member of her family nearby.

“Is Nigel here?” Eve asked her mother in a somber whisper.

“Nigel ran off with the Countess of Aldovio; it’s all been a bit of a scandal. But good riddance, I say,” the queen quipped.

“Truly?” Eve asked, clearly unable to believe the amazing fortune of being off the hook from marrying that dweeb and instead getting to be with her true love. “But how did you get here? What about the snowstorm?”

“It cleared in time for me to fly here,” the queen said. Annie wanted to stop everything and check to see if that meant her phone was now finally working. “Eve, please know you have my sincere approval to marry Ferguson. Along with the dear citizens of Wintermore. And lastly, I know your dear Papa approves. He would be so proud of you.”

Ferguson, who was now at the queen’s side, deeply focused on her every blink, gave her gloved hand a squeeze of support.

“Oh, Mama,” Eve sobbed into her mother’s bedazzled chest.

“Before we catch up, I think you owe someone a formal answer,” the queen smiled, and those around gave a hearty laugh as if she had made the wittiest comment imaginable.

“Yes, you’re right!” Eve exclaimed, no mascara streaks or any sign of her tears apparent on her beautiful face, and turned toward Ferguson. “Ferguson, I do love and adore you so. I’m proud of the man you’ve grown into during these past few days and can’t imagine a life without your presence; it’s been a true Christmas present. Of course, I’ll marry you!” Eve cried, pulling Ferguson up and giving him a tight hug. Then, moving at a slower speed, Ferguson opened the box and took the ring out, fitting it seamlessly on Eve’s ring finger as she beamed down at it. Once the ring was on and admired, Eve and Ferguson looked into each other’s eyes and moved in slowly for a kiss.

The kiss was, in a word, basic. Annie squinted up at them, waiting for any sense of real passion to overtake them, but they appeared content with a very mediocre-looking, closed-mouth, dry, chaste smooch. Around them, people cheered. The trio retreated to a more private corner. Annie smiled, genuinely happy for Eve/Marsha.

“I don’t want to steal the focus from that incredibly romantic, storybook love story moment!” A man’s voice called, and it echoed across the room, once again silencing the crowd. Annie looked around and, to her horror, saw that Chris was now standing at the top of the stairs, taking Ferguson’s spotlight. “But I was so moved by that raw, heartfelt emotion that I had to act, right here, right now. Surrounded by all of my closest friends,” Chris stated before taking a dramatic pause. “As you all know, my heart has been absent since losing my beloved wife,” Chris said solemnly. Those near him nodded, and one man reached over to squeeze his shoulder while fighting tears of his own. Chris nodded at the man appreciatively before continuing, “I didn’t think I could ever love again. Even when Holly yearned for me to try, I never believed I could find someone to fit into our lives and approach this special holiday season with renewed hope.”

“No, no, no,” Annie whispered. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice Annie’s looks of panic as they were completely transfixed by Chris’s every word and thoughtful sigh. This can’t be happening, Annie thought, desperately seeking an exit. Nick, where are you? Annie wondered, feeling truly terrified.

“This woman has taught the teacher,” Chris chuckled softly. “Working alongside her these past few magical days has made them some of the best of my entire life. She’s talented, beautiful, and so funny!” The crowd laughed, and Annie groaned, cursing herself for her hilarious sense of humor. “And tonight, I would like to ask her a very important question …” Chris trailed off.