The Holiday Bride

by Laura Briggs

  “Yeah. Me. I booked it,” Ryan answered. “After I toured it, of course. It’s just like the brochure promised, so why not?” He offered a shrug, but the familiar grin was tugging his lips as he waited for her response. "You loved it, I loved it. And it'll already be decorated, with greenery and white lights for Christmas. They even have a little reception room called the Carriage House. What more could we ask for?"

  Gwen couldn’t believe it. He’d already proven to be the most understanding fiancé on the planet these last few weeks. But to plan all this was beyond even the most smitten bride’s expectations for her future spouse.

  “There’s still the cakes, of course,” Ryan continued. “Therese thinks she can take care of that. She got us an appointment with that new bakery on Walsh Avenue. Something about an inside connection through a former college roommate, who is supposedly on their way to becoming one of the city's best bakers. And she says that there's a caterer who will give us a discount on self-serve appetizer trays ....”

  These bits of information spun through Gwen’s head, giving her no time to respond. She could barely comprehend this sudden change of fate from despair to utter happiness in mere minutes.

  Ryan seemed to interpret her silence as disappointment. Sheepishly, he admitted, “I talked her into showing me your schedule so I’d know what you had in mind. We can get married on the day we wanted, in the place we wanted, with everybody there with whom we wanted to share it. But if there was something else you had in mind …” He paused. “Does it sound all right?”

  Did it sound all right?

  Without speaking, Gwen kissed him, cupping his face. A long, deep kiss that mingled pride with intense happiness. Afterwards, she gave him a smile that beamed with affection and astonishment. “It’s just what I wanted,” she said. “The perfect wedding. Everything about it is perfect.”

  Ryan laughed. “I’m not sure about that. I just figured the city’s best event planner deserved a break from the hassle of planning. Especially since she’s about to have more clients than she can handle,” he teased, with a knowing smile.

  This reference to her latest assignment made Gwen blush. It was true, though, and she managed to grin as she said, “It’s all part of the job.”

  A job that she loved, but would never again allow to ruin a personal milestone. Not that it had, in this case. Ryan’s thoughtful gesture had proved more meaningful than any ceremony she could have orchestrated on her own time.

  Smiling, she leaned against him, her hand resting on his shoulder. The tiny diamond on her ring finger sparkled in the glow of Christmas lights, its facets reflecting the warm, soft colors.

  “Merry Christmas, Gwen,” her fiancé whispered, gently pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

  And it was, she decided, as she snuggled closer against him. The perfect Christmas and the perfect gift for a holiday bride.

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