Mistletoe Memories (It's All About the Mistletoe Book 5)

by Laura Ann

  Esther’s head jerked back and forth between the elderly couple, obvious confusion on her face.

  Pastor Larsen nodded. “Yes, I believe you’re correct.” He pretended to lock his lips with a key. “I’ll say no more. Now... what have you been up to all these years, Elijah? We’ve sure missed your handsome face in Sunday School.”

  Eli smiled. Pastor Larsen was one of those men who loved everyone and everyone loved him. He took his work seriously and did his best to love every person that stepped through the doors of his church.

  “Oh... just getting older and more cranky, Pastor,” Eli joked. “I own a construction company over in Cotton Springs. It’s growing like mad over there, so work is constantly going, which is good.”

  Pastor Larsen smiled and nodded. “Wonderful! Glad to hear that you’re busy and staying out of trouble.”

  “Well... I wouldn’t say that.”

  The pastor laughed and slapped Eli on the shoulder. “It’s great to hear how things are going, Son. Be sure and tell your parents hello for me, we miss them around here.”

  Eli nodded. “Will do, Pastor. They miss this town, but love living closer to their kids. My sister has already given them a grandbaby and they’re just soaking it all up.”

  “Oh, I’ll bet,” Mrs. Larsen added. “Grandchildren are the ultimate reward.” She gave a coy smile. “Perhaps you two will add to the brood before too long.”

  Eli glanced down and nearly laughed out loud at the look on Esther’s face, but held it back. The thought of having babies with Esther had been a dream of his for nearly half his life and he knew at one point it had been a dream of hers too.

  “Now, Mrs. Larsen, let’s get them to the altar before we start talking about children, hmm?” Pastor Larsen smiled and nodded to the two of them. “Good to see you both. You just let me know if you have need of my services anytime soon.”

  “Absolutely,” Eli answered. “Thanks, Pastor Larsen. Take care.”

  They watched the older couple shuffle away, stopping to talk to more people along the way. Eli glanced down, noting that Esther still hadn’t spoken.

  “Cat got your tongue?” he asked quietly, bending his head down to hers. The scent of her shampoo was different from what it had been in high school and he took a deep breath. It suited her. The new fragrance was citrusy, with a hint of musk, which paired perfectly with the more mature Esther standing beside him, rather than the bright raspberry shampoo she had used as a teenager.

  Esther’s large, hazel eyes turned up toward him. “How could you lead him to believe that we were back together? That we were looking to get married? None of this is real, Elijah.”

  He frowned and grabbed both of her hands, determined to make her understand. “Of course this is real, Es.” He shook his head. “It’s you who still doesn’t get it. I know you’ve been miserable, so have I. I know you’ve been hurting, so have I. We were kids, and we made mistakes, but it’s time to correct them.”

  “How can we? We still live in two different places and you just said you have a company to run. How can we make this work?” Her eyes were filling with tears and the sight was a blow to Eli’s chest. He hated seeing her hurting, yet that seemed to be all he had been doing tonight.

  Without warning, he had a fierce pang of doubt. Maybe his plan to get her back was doing more harm than good. Maybe he should have just left her alone and done his best to move on with someone else.

  “Esther... do you...” He dropped her hands and pushed his fingers through his hair. He turned and paced away from her, then came back. Every part of him wanted to touch her again, but he held back. “Do you want me to stay away?” he finally blurted out. “I came tonight because I wanted to make this work. Because I was tired of living without you and because Britta convinced me you still loved me. But tell me now.” He stepped up close and dropped his voice. “Do you want me to leave? Do you want me to walk out of here and never come back? I can’t tell you it would be easy, but if that’s what you want, I’ll do it. I’ll go away and leave you alone, if that’s what you want.”

  His heart felt as if it would burst out of his chest as he waited for her to answer. The back of his neck was hot and sticky and he felt a single line of sweat trickle down his spine.

  “I...” Esther snapped her mouth closed and took a deep breath in through her nose. “If I’m being honest with myself, I don’t want you to go.”

  Eli’s smile was immediate and he reached for her, but Esther put a hand between them, forcing him to pause.

  “But that doesn’t mean I know how to make this work, Elijah,” she finished softly. “It’s not a matter of not wanting it, it’s a matter of not knowing how to make it work.”

  His smile never wavered. Knowing she wanted this between them was all he needed to keep fighting, so he ignored her hand and slipped his hands around her waist. “We’re grown adults, Es. We can absolutely figure this out.” He brought his cheek to hers and rubbed them together. “There’s nothing we can’t figure out together, Baby. Give us a chance... please.”

  “Okay,” she said breathlessly just before their lips met again.

  Eli did his best to keep it brief this time, not wanting to lose all sense of reason, but as he pulled back, Esther cupped his face.

  “Nuh, uh,” she said hoarsely. “Take that mistletoe for all it’s worth.”

  Eli chuckled into the kiss as their lips met again, but he didn’t fight her. This was exactly where he wanted to be, anyway.

  CHAPTER 4

  Esther sighed in contentment as she once again slow danced with Elijah on the far edge of the dance floor. It didn’t matter that the music was thumping and the beat was moving far faster than their feet. The only thing that mattered was that they were together and had both promised to work to bring their lives together.

  But how are we going to do that? We live hours away from each other. She chewed her lip as she contemplated. Can I uproot my entire life and follow him? What’s really keeping me here? I can have the white picket fence anywhere, can’t I? I wouldn’t be able to live next to my parents, but it’s not like we can’t visit. And surely I can find a secretarial position anywhere.

  Esther lifted her head and stared into Elijah’s light blue eyes, still mesmerized by their beauty.

  “What?” he asked with a curious grin. “You’re looking at me funny.”

  “I...” Esther pinched her lips, then lifted her fingers to lightly run them through the hair on the side of his head. The way he closed his eyes in enjoyment and the magical tingle that ran through her arm were all the confirmation she needed. “I’m willing to move to Cotton Springs,” she blurted out.

  Elijah jerked them to a halt, his eyes opening wide. “What?”

  Esther took a deep breath. Elijah has shared his heart several times tonight, I suppose it’s my turn. “I love you,” she started.

  Elijah smiled and rubbed their noses together. “I love you too.”

  Esther couldn’t help the goofy grin that crossed her face at his words. “And I want you to know that I love you enough to move to Cotton Springs in order to make this work.”

  “Are you serious?” he croaked out. “You would do that for us?”

  Esther shrugged and dropped her hands from his neck to play with his bowtie. “Well, it kinda has to happen, doesn’t it? We can’t do the long-distance thing forever and there’s nothing holding me here, nothing big anyway. So why not just start off as we mean to go on?”

  Elijah’s pulse was hammering in his neck and his eyes were shiny, causing Esther’s to respond in kind.

  “Is that... okay?” she asked quietly. “If you don’t want me to—”

  Elijah kissed her fiercely for a moment before pulling back. “Come on,” he said against her lips. Standing tall, he took her hand and began leading her across the room.

  “Where are we going?” Esther asked as she tried to keep up with his long legged stride.

  “To grab a plate. I can’t think straight on an em
pty stomach.”

  “What?” Esther frowned and shook her head. That was not the answer she had been expecting. She gave Elijah an odd look when he handed her a plate.

  “Aren’t you hungry?”

  “I guess, but I—” She shook her head. “Never mind.” Pushing aside her hurt feelings, Esther followed Elijah’s example and filled her plate. She had felt like she was making a huge life announcement, only to have him change the subject. A little niggle of worry began to eat at her that maybe he didn’t want her close to him. Maybe he preferred the long-distance relationship so she didn’t smother his lifestyle.

  She did her best to push the thought aside, but it was relentless. By the time they were sitting at the table, the feeling had taken away every bit of joy she had experienced only moments before. Her appetite gone, Esther pushed around the food on her plate, and kept her head down to hide her emotions.

  “I thought you said you were hungry?” Elijah said between bites. “You better eat up” —he grinned— “you might need that strength for later.”

  Esther nodded, but didn’t speak. All the surety she had owned was gone with the breeze. Why doesn’t he want me to move? Does he already have a girlfriend back home and doesn’t want me to know about it? What is he hiding?

  “Hey.” Elijah reached out and lifted her chin with his knuckle. “What’s going on in the beautiful head of yours?”

  Esther couldn’t help or hide the tears that were filling her vision. She opened her mouth to answer, then snapped it shut and shook her head, pulling away from his touch. I don’t even know what to say, she thought glumly. How do I ask him if he has an ulterior motive without hurting him? But how do I find out what’s going on without asking him?

  “Esther,” he said softly, drawing her attention once more. “Just a minute ago, we were in a good place.” Elijah ducked his head to find her eyes. “What happened?”

  Esther’s eyes darted back and forth between his. She couldn’t detect anything but sincerity and love in his gaze, but his reaction to her announcement still bothered her.

  “Why don’t you want me to move to Cotton Springs?” she finally forced out. Speaking the question was enough to make her tears spill over and Esther wiped at them angrily. I have spent way too much time tonight crying. This has to stop.

  “You think I don’t want you to move back home with me?” Elijah looked shocked at her question. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

  Esther scowled. “You totally changed the subject! I thought I was making this big declaration, doing something to bring us together that scares the pajeebies out of me and you didn’t say anything except, let’s eat.” She threw her hands in the air. “What am I supposed to think?”

  Elijah grinned and chuckled. “You know, there was a time when we could practically read each other’s minds.”

  Esther’s anger deflated. “Yeah, well, you aren’t exactly the same beautiful boy I knew back then.” She hurried on when his eyes widened. “Don’t get me wrong, that wasn’t meant to be an insult, just that... we’ve both changed and although I would love for us to be that close again” —she shrugged— “we aren’t there quite yet.”

  Elijah leaned forward onto the table and dropped his voice. “That’s probably a good thing, ya know.”

  “What is?”

  “That you can’t read my mind anymore.”

  Esther stuck her bottom lip out in a pout. “Why would you say that? I loved that about our relationship.”

  “Because right now I’m thinking some things that no man ever wants anyone else to know.” When he raised an eyebrow suggestively, Esther felt herself flush all the way up her chest and neck.

  “Oh,” she said softly.

  “Yeah... oh,” he agreed, then cleared his throat. “However, I am thinking we should do something about you moving.”

  “See? Here we go again. It sounds like you don’t want me to move.” Esther sat back, that same pang of rejection hitting her chest.

  Elijah stood up and grabbed her hand. Leaving their plates on the table, he began searching the room. “You’re going to move alright, but not the way you think.” He looked down with a broad smile. “I think we need to make up for lost time, don’t you?”

  “I don’t understand...” Esther trailed off, her mind racing to keep up with his cryptic remarks.

  “Don’t you think taking the Pastor up on his offer would make your move even better?” Elijah waggled his eyebrows.

  “His offer?” Esther gasped. Glancing around, she leaned in and harshly whispered, “Are you suggesting we get married? We haven’t seen each other in years, Elijah! How can you even think that?”

  ELI CHUCKLED AGAIN as he watched her catch onto his suggestion. He hadn’t come tonight planning to get married—just hoping to see if she could love him again or not—but now that the opportunity was here, he couldn’t seem to help himself.

  Holding her wasn’t enough. Kissing her wasn’t enough. None of it was enough. Maybe their separation had muddled his brain, and he was acting like a lovesick idiot, but he didn’t care. After reliving all those memories with her and having her at his side once more, he knew he couldn’t wait. He didn’t want to wait. He was ready to jump forward and really begin the life with Esther they should have had a long time ago. Now he just had to convince her she wanted the same thing.

  Glancing around, he spotted another cluster of mistletoe and began walking toward it. He leaned down while they walked. “Do you remember the first time we kissed?” he asked softly next to her ear.

  Esther huffed and laughed. “Yes. It took FOREVER for it to happen. I was seriously starting to think there was something wrong with me.”

  Eli frowned and gathered her in his arms under the festive decoration. “What? Why would you think that?”

  She gave him an impatient look. “Elijah... we went on our first date in October. You didn’t kiss me until December, and even then it was under the mistletoe. Seriously? What girl isn’t going to think something is wrong when it takes two months just to get a first kiss?”

  “Maybe she would think that the boy who was dating her was scared out of his wits. That he had never kissed a girl before and he was terrified of messing it up with the most beautiful girl in the school.” He tilted his head. “Ever think of that?”

  “Why would the most handsome boy at the school ever be afraid of someone like me?” Esther asked incredulously. “I was a nobody! You were absolutely gorgeous! I couldn’t believe you ever even spoke to me. I kept thinking maybe I had horrible breath or something, and I made my mom buy all sorts of mouthwashes and new toothpastes for me, hoping to not stink anymore.” She scrunched up her nose at the memory.

  “Are you serious?” Eli pulled her in tight and began to laugh. “That must have been why you always smelled so strongly of mint.” He continued to laugh. “I just thought it was a body spray or something.”

  Esther hit his shoulder. “Hey... knock it off. If you would have just manned-up, I wouldn’t have been so worried.”

  His laughter dwindled down to chuckles. “Well, you’re lucky we were so close to Christmas because without that mistletoe, I don’t think I would have ever had the courage at all.”

  “Two months is not close,” she griped with a scowl. “It was an eternity.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe so, but at least we didn’t start dating in January and you had to wait all year, ya know? Silver linings and all that.”

  Esther laughed and shook her head. “You’re ridiculous.”

  Eli grinned and dropped his forehead to hers. “Ridiculous enough that you’d be willing to keep me?”

  Esther stilled and the blood drained from her face. “Are you serious? You really do mean to marry me?”

  Eli flexed his hands against her back and drew her in a little closer. “I had always planned to marry you, Es. I just wasn’t able to do it when we were first graduating. There was no way I was going to marry a girl and then leave her at my parent’s house so I could go
to school. What kind of life would that have been?”

  “The kind where we stayed together,” she whispered, closing her eyes.

  “Maybe so, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t ask you to give up so much. I’m sorry how things went down. We both should have done things differently and it would have saved us a lot of heartache, but that was the past. I want to look toward the future, the close future. Marry me, Esther. Marry me right here, right now.”

  “You’re crazy!” she said hoarsely.

  “Yeah... crazy for you.” He grinned when she gave him an exasperated look. “My whole goal tonight was to see if we still had what it takes, but it’s clear that everything between us is far stronger than I had anticipated. I always told you you were my soulmate, and having you with me tonight has only reiterated that truth.”

  “But it’s all so sudden,” she whispered.

  Eli could feel her body begin to tremble, but she didn’t push him away. He ducked his head to look into her eyes and he was encouraged when he saw longing there. She just needed a little courage.

  “It’s not as sudden as you think,” he argued back. “It’s taken us fourteen years to get to this point.” He brushed her cheek with his thumb, loving the silky texture of her skin. “We might have physically been separated for a chunk of it, but our hearts never were. They always held onto each other, knowing someday our brains would finally realize what they knew all along.” He kissed the edge of her mouth. “That we belong together, Es.” He kissed the other side. “That no one else will ever be able to fill the hole inside of us except each other.” He toyed with her bottom lip for a moment. “That we are two halves of the same whole and that we’ve waited long enough. It’s time to move forward, Baby. We’ve already dated. Next step is marriage, don’t you think? Move forward with me, Sweetheart. Be brave.”

  He kept his lips barely touching hers, aching and stretching to close that last millimeter. He could feel her warm breath on his face, recognizing that she was breathing faster than normal. His heart felt as if it would stop, so tense was his body as he waited for her answer.