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I just hoped by the end of the night, I wouldn’t be a grinch myself, alone with a pint of Häagen Dazs Rocky Road soothing my broken heart.
5
DASH
Istepped back and scanned the space. The walls were painted and dry. The living room was a little chilly because I’d just closed the windows. I breathed in the scent wafting in from the big fresh Noble fir I had picked up in town first thing in the morning.
I hadn’t fully decorated it yet.
I’d just strung it up with multi-colored lights I’d picked up in town because after I went through the things I kept in the shed, I realized they were too tangled and old to do anything with. The couches were back in from the garage, where I had stored them to paint. I scratched the back of my neck as I stared at the space.
It was stupid.
Silly.
I almost felt out of place in my own home as I stood there all alone. My eyes drifted to the mantle above the roaring fire I got going when it’d started to snow. Two brand-new stockings were hung up. It was probably presumptuous, and if Juniper saw the thing, she would go running. Because it wasn’t any plain red stocking. No. It was a knitted stocking in her favorite shade of green with a J embroidered on it. The one hanging next to it matched but had a D on it.
I’d officially lost it.
Three years seemed to be the fucking breaking point for my sanity when it came to my Juniper berry. I swallowed hard and shoved my hands into my back pockets.
Three entire years.
How the hell had it been that long already? It was days away from her turning twenty-five. I was finally going to be able to make a go of it. To try and fix whatever mess I’d made the day before.
I just prayed I hadn’t fucked shit up.
I had a plan.
Christmas Eve was a day away.
I’d go over, drop off her gift, and ask her if I could take her out for dinner on her birthday. I‘d make the night special and pull out all the stops. I’d charm her. Hopefully, she would let me kiss her by the end of the night.
Everything else would come when the time was right for her.
I wasn’t going to push or pressure her. We would do things at her speed, and God willing, by this time next year, she’d have my ring on her finger. Shit. It was so damn close I could almost taste it.
The doorbell rang, and I frowned. It was late and snowing out there. I hadn’t heard from Randall, but I doubted he’d be coming home for the holidays. Last I’d heard, he and a couple of buddies were heading to Thailand for Christmas and flying back a couple of days after the new year. Clueless about who would stop by so late, I made my way to the door. My hand gripped the doorknob when I opened it and saw who was on the other side.
“Juniper,” I whispered, and she blushed. My eyes soaked in the sight of her. It was well after ten, and there she stood like a dream I had conjured to life with my mind. I could have been pushed over by a brisk breeze, that’s how surprised I was.
My greedy gaze devoured the sight of her. Her hair was half up, half down, pinned back with what looked to be a candy-cane-printed bow. Tendrils of gold framed her face. I couldn’t tell what she was wearing underneath the long snow jacket she had paired with black boots.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, tearing my eyes from hers to glance behind her. Her car was parked in the driveway next to mine. And fuck me, right or wrong, I liked the way it looked there.
“Could we talk?” she asked, and my jaw clenched.
If I had been paying closer attention and not letting my heart and body take control in that moment, I would have been able to hear the warning bells in my head and seen the red flags that were flying around.
But I didn’t.
My heart and body were determined to give her anything she wanted. Three years was a long damn time to wait and bide your time when it came to claiming your other half.
“Of course,” I hoarsely answered, standing to the side so she could walk past me, her snow-covered coat brushing against me. I frowned.
“Were you outside long?” Before she responded, I needed to make sure I warmed her up. “Let me turn up the heat in here,” I called, walking past her and directly to the thermostat to kick up the temperature.
“Would you like some hot chocolate or cider? I could make you a hot tod—” The offer died on my tongue when I turned and saw her.
