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She gracefully stepped down from the sleigh, and I tucked her fingers into my elbow. Butch smiled politely as I hesitantly walked toward him. It was silent as our feet padded against freshly fallen snow.
The moment we approached him, he grabbed the silver doorknob and swung it open—with a slight grunt, this was a barn door after all. Once it snapped off of the lip of the frame, he brushed off his hand and gestured inside.
I paused, staring at the black interior. Tenley leaned over to my ear and whispered, “What’s going on, Weston?”
Shrugging my shoulders, I took a small step forward. “I have no idea,” I replied quietly, and led her into the pitch black barn.
Butch slammed the door closed behind us, the thump echoing around the hollow space. She jumped beside me and latched her other hand around my arm. I could feel her trembling figure and hear her heart racing as we stood, waiting.
The darkness felt heavy, weighted, and slowly began to close in on us.
Nothing moved, no sounds were heard except for our shallow breaths. My brows stitched together as I inhaled and realized it didn’t smell of hay or oil. I mean, there was a faint stench of what I would expect, but something else was mixed in.
Something like…
The lights flashed on, and soft Christmas music began to play—a song I’d added to my romantic playlist for one of the several failed dates with her. My mouth fell open as I scanned the room. Stretching across the canvas above me were strands and strands of twinkling, warm white fairy lights. They blinked softly, fading in and out and trickling down the walls like icicles. Crystal tipped tinsel stretched along the rim of the room, reflecting the sparkling glow.
Dusted in that fake snow, trimmings of holly wrapped around the trusses and framing of the barn. Coated in white, a large Christmas tree rose at the far side of the barn, massive bulbs hung from every pine needle possible, and soft white fabric brushed amongst the branches.
Sitting in the very center of the room, the only other thing in this room was a single, round table. Candles flickered on top of it, surrounding a bouquet of deep red roses and the present I’d hidden away. Gold utensils sparkled, polished beside the set of elegant china I’d been hoping to borrow later tonight. The beautiful white tablecloth stretched to the floor, cascading like a waterfall and fading into the ivory rug that covered the typical wooden ground.
Tenley’s heels clacked softly as she took a wondrous step forward beside me, lost in awe of the breathtaking surroundings. Her ruby red shoe brushed against a rose petal, one of thousands that were spread around us.
I exhaled as her fingers slid from my arm and she took another step forward. She spun in a slow circle, her eyes wide as she stared at the ceiling and then danced her gaze across the entire barn.
“Did you do this?” she gasped, looking back at me. I shook my head once, unable to speak as the doors opened once more behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I watched as my mom, dressed in a simple black dress with her hair neatly pulled into a bun, stepped into the barn, backwards. She gave a gentle tug, and a silver serving cart wheeled into the room after her. My dad followed next, wearing a pair of black slacks and a black button up as I moved to the side to make room for them.
They quietly walked to the table without a word, parked the tray beside it, my dad filled the wine glasses and golden goblets with water and silently walked back to the door.
My mom paused when she was beside me and placed a gentle hand on my arm. Her hazel eyes twinkled, staring tenderly into my eyes. A soft smile filled her face and then she was gone. Tenley and I were left alone once more.
“This is…,” she began, but had no words to finish her thought.
“Exactly…,” I muttered, stunned. This was more. That was it. More.
Taking a deep breath, I lifted my chin and walked forward. Slipping my fingers into hers, I guided her to the table and pulled out the chair that would allow her to see the Christmas tree. She stepped in front of me and shrugged off her fur shawl. I caught it as she slipped onto the chair, and I guided it back toward the table. Placing the coat over the back of my chair, I sat down and smiled.
Our family had arranged this for us. Our first date was more than anything I could’ve ever managed to throw together. There was no sneaking around, no interruptions as I lifted the silver lid on the tray. A roasted ham sent steam up to the rafters, and we began eating. It was simple.
It was imperfectly ours.
Chapter 28
Tenley laughed, sympathetically at the obviously dumb thing I said. Like she often did. The food was gone, and my parents had come to pick up the dishes from the meal. An hour had passed as conversation filled the time. Her cheeks were plump and rosy, content and warm as the heaters worked overtime around us. I wasn’t ready to leave, not quite ready for this first date to end.
And there was one last thing to do. Give Tenley the gift that was sitting in the middle of the table. Obviously put there by Cassidy, since I’d told him, and only him, about it once before. That cheeky boy found my hiding spot, taking advantage of knowing when I wasn’t at my house. It made sense why members of our family had randomly been missing throughout the day, and even once in a while last night.
They’d been setting all of this up.
Clearing my throat, I dabbed at my mouth to make sure there was no food left, and my hands began to sweat. I was normally a calm guy, but this was sending me into a ball of nerves as I reached for the gift in the middle of the table.
Tenley narrowed her gaze, watching me. “That thing has been staring at me this entire time,” she teased, and I nervously chuckled as the door to the barn opened.
Our first interruption in an hour. And coming at the most perfect time, as I needed a minute to fuel myself with courage and composure.
A new silver serving cart filled the doorway, bumping over the ledge. Tenley glanced behind her as her dad was wheeled into the barn, pushing the cart while her mom pushed him. His hands were pale and shaking, but his eyes looked peaceful and happy.
We watched as they pulled up to the table, and her mom quickly skirted around the wheelchair. She picked up the tray off of the serving cart and helped Charlie place it beside us. He leaned forward and lifted a heavy hand, removing the lid to the serving platter, and revealed a single slice of cheesecake. Beside the slice, was a strand of mistletoe with two red berries at the top. Some chocolate had been delicately drizzled over the dessert and shaped in a heart at the point upon the plate.
