His Christmas Cinderella

by Christy Jeffries

  Camilla also knew it would be the perfect place to talk to Jordan. She was the one who’d been so insistent on keeping their relationship private, so it was up to her to prove that she would be willing to finally take things public. And what better place to do that than at Bronco’s most public event of the year?

  Working in DJ’s booth on the side serving hot cocoas, Camilla had a perfect view of the enormous tree and the stage erected in the town square. First the mayor would speak and introduce all the council members, and then various dignitaries and community leaders would all stand around patting each other on the back. This year, Dante’s class was the winner of the annual Christmas carol contest and would be performing on stage right before the grand tree marshal (similar to a parade grand marshal) led the countdown before flipping the switch that turned on the lights.

  The white folding chairs in front of the stage were usually reserved for town VIPs, so she easily spotted Jessica and Cornelius Taylor and a couple of gentlemen who were probably Jordan’s uncles. She saw several people from the Abernathy clan with them, as well as Daniel DuBois, who was sitting with his wife, Brittany, and their ten-month old, Hailey.

  Amanda Jenkins was in the crowd with her fiancé, Holt Dalton, and his parents and brothers. Holt’s son Robby had actually been one of the first customers when the hot cocoa stand opened.

  So many wealthy ranchers and notable townspeople were in attendance tonight, it was hard to keep track.

  Camilla waved at Daphne in between orders and even caught a glimpse of Daphne’s brother Brandon with a couple of his Taylor cousins.

  The only Taylor she hadn’t seen so far this evening was Jordan.

  Maybe he knew she would be there working at the booth and he was still trying to give her space. Camilla’s brain wanted to be happy that he was willing to do what she wanted, but her heart was in a flurry as she searched out every dark-haired man that passed by her booth.

  However, her plan to talk to him soon lost traction as she realized he might not show. As the night wore on, the speeches were made, the carol was sung, the tree was lit, and everyone in the park let out a roaring cheer. And still no Jordan.

  Camilla was vacillating between frustration and regret as she continued to pass out hot cocoa, one after the next, averting her eyes from the customers—many of whom were her neighbors and friends—until she heard a very familiar voice.

  “Do you have any toppings to go with the hot cocoa?” Jordan’s dimples flickered in the twinkling lights, but Camilla could also see the vulnerability written all over his face.

  He was here. Standing in front of her. Making her pulse race with excitement. And all she could think to say was, “Um, we’ve got whipped cream and chocolate syrup. We might still have some marshmallows left.”

  “Great. I’ll take all of them.”

  “Of course you will,” she said, unable to contain the smile spreading across her face. “You’re all about the extras.”

  “I’m here purely as a customer,” he said, and her stomach dropped.

  “Oh.” She paused long enough to blink back the disappointment. Then she transferred the steamed milk into the to-go cup.

  “I mean, I’m here to see you, obviously. But I know you’re working. I was going to wait until later, but I started getting cold and thought you wouldn’t mind serving me if I was at your booth for legitimate reasons. Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I’d like to talk to you when you’re done, but I understand if you’d rather do it another time.”

  “Leo, can you take over for me?” Camilla asked her coworker manning the cash register. Then she handed Jordan the cup and said, “I’ll be right out.”

  Shuddering with excitement, she didn’t bother with her purse, but managed to grab a scarf before meeting Jordan outside the booth.

  “Hey,” he said, almost tentatively. She hated that she’d been the one to make him doubt himself around her.

  “Hi,” she replied.

  “Maybe we should go somewhere private and talk?” he asked.

  “Actually, I was hoping to get a close-up view of the tree.”

  “But there are people around.” He glanced sideways at her.

  She took his hand and pulled him forward. “Jordan, there will always be people around.”

  His smile returned with its full force, and her knees reminded her that she hadn’t grown immune to the flooding sensation of Jordan flashing those straight white teeth at her.

  As they neared the stage area, which now featured a quintet of singers dressed in Victorian costumes and singing “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” she asked, “So what did you want to talk to me about?”

  He cleared his throat. “I’m not sorry that I mistook you for someone else at the Denim and Diamonds gala because it led me to go searching for who you really are. And I’m definitely not sorry that I talked you into letting me take you out on those dates. But I am sorry that I might’ve come on too strong at first and I’m sorry that my father can be a pain in the ass and I’m especially sorry that I put you in the position where people questioned who you were and why we were together.” Jordan paused long enough to draw in a deep breath before soldiering on. “I can’t change who I am. I’m always going to be a Taylor and gossip is always going to follow me. I know that dealing with all of that is a lot to ask of you and, believe me, I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t one hundred percent sure that it wouldn’t be worth it for you in the end. Because I love you, Camilla Sanchez, and you’re the only woman I will ever want. So whether it takes six dates or six years or six decades, I will be here waiting to prove myself to you.”

  Jordan had just told her he loved her. Her heart felt as though it was lifting off in that private helicopter of his, soaring in the sky above the mountains and looking down at her and the view of this amazing man in front of her who had never backed away from a challenge. Camilla didn’t think she could be any happier.

  Still. She had her own plan of what she wanted to say to him and just because he was surprising her by pledging his love first didn’t mean that she wasn’t going to tell him exactly how she felt. After all, one of the major rules in a negotiation was to always be ready with a counteroffer.

  “Five,” she corrected him.

  Jordan scrunched his brow in confusion.

  “We agreed on six, but we’ve only had five dates,” she clarified. “You still owe me one more.”

  “Well, if we’re going by our original dating rules,” he said as he held up the cup of warm milk she’d given him before even bothering to add the cocoa mix, “I’m going to need more of a substantial meal than this.”

  “Done,” she said, taking the cup from his hand before tossing it in the nearby trash bin.

  Then she planted her hands on the front of his jacket, pulled him closer to her and said, “Right after I get my kiss.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Camilla was kissing him. Right here in front of the entire town, and likely their cameras. And Jordan had never been more willing or determined to be a public spectacle in his whole life.

  He wrapped his arms around her waist and slid his hands underneath the hem of her coat, relishing the taste of her mouth. It had been a little over a week but he’d already missed the feel of her in his arms.

  When he pulled back, he smiled down at her upturned face. “That was a hello kiss, not a goodbye one, right?”

  “It was more of an ‘I’m sorry’ kiss,” she replied. “It was unfair of me to let my own fears get in the way of us trying to make this relationship work. I love you, Jordan, and I never should have held back on my feelings.”

  Her words hit him with a force and his knees nearly buckled as his chest expanded. “You love me?”

  “Of course I do.” She held his face in her palms, but she might as well have been holding his heart. “I usually pride myself on being so passionate and forthcoming and
at ease when it comes to everything else in my life. The night I met you, I was all of those things because I didn’t think I had anything to lose. But as soon as I started to feel something for you, I held myself back because I got scared.”

  “You had every right to be wary, though. I know my track record and I know my family.” He jerked his chin to where Cornelius was standing with the mayor in front of the kettle corn booth hosted by the Future Farmers of America. Jordan’s father didn’t look too pleased by his son’s very public display of affection, but the old man better get used to it. He turned back to Camilla. “I promised not to pressure you or push you into making any decisions. And even though you just openly admitted that you loved me in front of basically the whole town, I’ll still give you as much time as you need. As long as you know that I’m not giving up.”

  “Even if it won’t be easy?” Camilla asked. Her arms were still loosely draped around his shoulders, proving that she clearly wasn’t willing to give up, either.

  “Few things worth having are easy. I knew I loved you after our first week together and I’m not going to stop just because things get hard. You should know by now that when things get tough, I only dig my heels in deeper.”

  Camilla threw back her head to laugh, the musical sound making Jordan feel a million feet tall. “Well, my family is heading over this way, so you better be sure that this is what you want.”

  “What I really want is to spend this Christmas with you. And every Christmas after that. If that’s what you want.”

  Camilla’s lips quivered and she blinked several times. “Are you asking what I think you’re asking?”

  “Not if it will scare you off.” Jordan held up his palms. “I’m not rushing you. I’m just saying that when you’re ready, I’m ready.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box wrapped in gold foil paper and tied with a red Christmas bow. “You don’t have to open it now. It could be a Valentine’s gift, or a Fourth of July gift, or even a gift for Halloween fifty years from now. Just put it under your tree and open it whenever you’re ready. Or whenever you need a reminder of the night we first met. But I’ll give you a hint. It’s not denim.”

  Camilla’s eyes sparkled and she twisted her bottom lip between her teeth as she stared at the box in his outstretched hand. Finally, she lifted a corner of her mouth and asked, “What if I wanted to open my Christmas gift a little bit early?”

  * * *

  Camilla’s fingers were practically shaking as she tore off the wrapping paper. Her eyes grew damp as she saw the familiar logo of Beaumont and Rossi’s Fine Jewels on the lid. Before she knew it, Jordan took the velvet box from her trembling hand and dropped down to one knee. Camilla’s stomach dropped as well when she saw the sparkling diamond ring blink up at her.

  Then his words made everything else drop.

  “Your smile is the first thing I want to see every morning and the last thing I want to see before I fall asleep every night. You have opened my eyes to a whole new world and a whole new way of living life, and I love the person that I’ve become when I’m with you. You are the most incredible and refreshing and smart and authentic woman I have ever met. Camilla Sanchez, I would be honored if you chose to make me the crown prince of your heart.”

  Joy radiated like a spiral from the tips of Camilla’s toes all the way to her cheeks, which couldn’t stretch any more to contain her grin. She heard the clicking shutters of several nearby cameras, but for the first time, she truly didn’t care what anyone thought.

  Nodding eagerly, she pulled the leather glove off her hand so that Jordan could slide the ring over her finger. When he stood up, he lifted her with him and swung her around as his mouth claimed hers, her body now as weightless as her floating heart.

  Several cheers and a few claps on her back caused them to finally break the kiss. Jordan set her back on her feet so they could meet the crowd of people who’d circled around them.

  “Congratulations, mija!” Her mom wrapped her in a hug. Then her parents switched out and, as her dad hugged her, Denise embraced Jordan. “Welcome to the family. Officially.”

  “I told you she’d come around,” her father said as he shook Jordan’s hand.

  “Did you know about this?” she asked her parents.

  “Of course they did,” Sofia said before congratulating them. “When Jordan came to get their blessing, I insisted on going with him to the jewelers. After all, I picked out the dress that caused him to fall in love with you. It was only right that I help him pick out the ring.” Sofia lowered her voice before whispering in Camilla’s ear. “I also made sure it cost a fortune so that all the gossips couldn’t miss it on those social media posts.”

  The sound of a throat clearing rather dramatically caused the normally exuberant Sanchez family members to go suddenly quiet. However, even the disapproving expression on Cornelius Taylor’s face couldn’t dampen her mood.

  “Hey, Dad, you remember Camilla?” Jordan lifted her hand in his so that the engagement ring reflected in the lights of the giant Christmas tree, as well as in the calculated gleam of Cornelius Taylor’s eyes. “This is her family.”

  “Is that so?” his father asked through his clenched jaw.

  “Oh, Cornelius and I go way back.” Aaron Sanchez reached out his hand first. A camera flashed, causing the senior Taylor to revert into his public persona mode and at least pretend to politely return the handshake. Camilla’s dad used the opportunity to pull Cornelius in closer as he lowered his voice. “I’m the mail carrier who knows about all those letters that come back to you marked Return to Sender.”

  Camilla’s ears perked up at that revelation, but Cornelius pasted that phony smile on his face just before another camera shutter clicked. He spoke through his gritted teeth as he said, “Jordan, I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “Dad, I’ve spent all of my life proving to you that I know exactly what I’m doing. Now, you can either add another offspring to your ever-growing list of children who refuse to speak to you or you can finally swallow your pride, congratulate me and welcome my charming fiancée to our family.”

  Camilla’s chest flooded with pride as Jordan placed a protective arm around her shoulders.

  This time when Cornelius cleared his throat, it wasn’t so much for attention as it was to help him force out the words. “Congratulations, son. Miss Sanchez, I’m sure that you will make a very lovely bride.”

  It wasn’t a hearty welcome to the family such as the one Jordan had received from the Sanchezes, but at least the older man hadn’t said anything about prenuptial agreements. Yet.

  “Thank you, sir.” Camilla smiled with as much grace as she could muster. She used a little less grace when she purposely lifted her left hand to waggle her fingers in a wave at Jordan’s stepmother as she approached the group. “Hey, Jessica.”

  “Is that from Beaumont and Rossi?” Jessica gave an excited little clap. “Let me see.”

  This brought another round of oohs and ahhs from several women who gathered around. When one of the city council members came over to see what was going on, Cornelius puffed out his chest and spoke as though he were on the stage behind them. “Obviously, we’ll have the reception out at the ranch. We’ll use Brittany Brandt Dubois again for the wedding planning since she did such a great job with the gala—”

  “Dad.” Jordan held up his palm like a stop sign. “Just a word of warning in case you haven’t already noticed. Camilla prefers to make her own decisions and you probably shouldn’t try to force her into—”

  “I’d be honored to have the reception at the ranch,” Camilla interrupted. “After all, that’s where Jordan and I first met. As long as you don’t have a problem with my new restaurant catering the event.”

  Cornelius raised a slick silver eyebrow, and for the first time ever, Camilla saw the hint of an authentic smirk that was very similar to Jordan’s. “Will this
new restaurant of yours be using Taylor Beef exclusively?”

  “If we can negotiate a fair price, I will be,” Camilla challenged, and Jordan laughed.

  “Mr. Taylor, I’m Denise Sanchez, Camilla’s mother.” Mom suddenly linked her arm through Cornelius’s, making him do a double take at the petite mahogany-haired woman who’d suddenly appeared. “I’m noticing that your hair is in desperate need of some updating. Come into my salon next week and I’ll give you the family discount.”

  “That would be great,” Jessica interjected quickly, for once oblivious to her husband’s sudden frown. She looped her arm through Cornelius’s free one and, along with Camilla’s mom, steered him away, saying, “I’ve been trying to get him to change it up a bit.”

  Camilla stifled a giggle, and Jordan’s eyes shone with amazement. “See? A little change is exactly what my family needed.”

  She snuggled in closer under his arm. “And you, Jordan Taylor, are exactly what I need.”

  Instead of having him to herself, though, Camilla got her first experience of what it would be like as the wife of one of the most powerful and well-known businessmen in town. She could barely remember half of the names of the people who introduced themselves and offered their congratulations.

  The one person, though, who didn’t make their way over to wish them well was Jordan’s sister, Daphne.

  * * *

  After shaking hands and being slapped on the back by almost everyone in town, Jordan finally turned to Camilla and asked, “Do you think the hot cocoa booth is closed yet? I never got all my toppings.”

  “Come on.” His new fiancée’s smile lit up brighter than the Christmas tree in the middle of the park. “I’ll buy you one.”

  As they were arguing over who would pay for his drink, Daphne walked up to them. “Hey, guys, I heard the news, but didn’t want to come over while Dad was around and risk causing a scene.”