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I link arms with Hadlee, and we slowly make our way across the frozen street in our heels. “This was a terrible idea.”
“I’m sorry I forgot my ID,” she huffs, laughing as she slides on the road. “They better put salt down tomorrow, or they’re gonna have a riot on their hands.”
“Where is your booth?” I ask, watching where I put my feet, so I don’t slip.
“Next to yours.”
I lift my gaze to the bookstore a few feet away, still dark next to the rest of the brightly lit stores. I never did convince him to decorate.
“Oh God, Lee,” I say softly, stopping in my tracks. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Jana, it’s all going to be okay, I promise,” Hadlee says, pulling me with her. She disappears under the pop-up tent, and my eyes drift to the booth beside it.
Twinkle lights weave through garland wrapped around the poles of the tent. The ‘Blind Date with a Book’ stand is set up on a bookshelf, the giant wheel set up beside it. There’s a small table sitting next to the wheel, ready for the bakery items. A tree takes up the back corner of the booth, prizes hanging from it like ornaments.
It’s absolutely perfect.
“When did…”
A flash of lights catches me off guard, and I lift my eyes to the bookstore behind the booth. Tears spring to my eyes as Maddie and Morgan run out the front door, their giggles filling the night air.
“Miss Jana!”
“Do you like it? Daddy said you would love it!”
“I missed you, Miss Jana!”
I’m overwhelmed with emotions as the girls race into my arms. Bright lights frame the bookstore window, bringing attention to the new display. A tree stands to one side, books perched on the branches, and big white lettering across the other half of the window reads “Merry Christmas, Jana!”
“What do you think, darling?” Alex asks from behind me, his breath warm on my neck. My vision blurs as I turn to face him, his wood and citrus cologne enveloping me like a warm hug. The girls retreat from my side, leaving me alone to face him.
“It’s beautiful,” I say, my voice barely more than a whisper. His lips twitch, a smile pulling at his face.
“So are you, Jana.”
He lifts a hand to my face, pushing away the damn curl that refuses to stay put. I want to lean into his touch, but the image of him kissing Leslie is burned into my mind, so I pull away instead.
“I can’t do this, Alex,” I say, my heart beating a mile a minute.
“Please, let me explain,” he says, catching my hand as I spin away. “The kiss with Leslie meant nothing.”
“Every kiss means something, Alex,” I breathe out, hating myself for the tears that fall.
“The kisses we shared mean everything, darling,” he says, pulling me close. Our eyes lock, and I’m lost in depths of amber. “Youmean everything.”
Despite its broken nature, my heart skips.
“If you’d waited, you would’ve seen me pull away from her and explain…” He pauses, caressing my cheek as he leans closer. The world feels like it’s moving in slow motion around us as he smiles at me. His lips brush mine in the lightest touch, and my eyes flutter. “That I’m madly in love withyou.”
My eyes well with happy tears. “Alex, I lov—"
He cuts me off, wrapping his arms around my hips and lifting me up. When he kisses me, it’s like the whole world has frozen in time, and we’re the only ones here. He’s warm and gentle as his lips caress mine in slow, languid movements. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, and knowing Alex feels the same sets my heart on fire.
Chapter Twenty
Jana
I never imagined when I left Louisiana with a broken heart that I would find love in my hometown of Harmony, Montana, but even the best laid plans can go awry. Standing on Main Street, amidst the two dozen booths, fresh snow coating each tent and lamppost, I can almost feel my parents beside me.
