“Okay, that’s completely adorable and I’m sure it’s going to be fun, but why not come out here five minutes before midnight? We’ve been out here since nine! I can’t feel my face!”
They stopped walking and he reached up with his gloved hands and cupped her face before gently rubbing. “There? Feel better?”
Laughing, she swatted his hands away. “No, because now you probably wiped away all my makeup.”
“Nah, I’m pretty sure it’s frozen to your face so…”
“Dork.”
Giving her a quick kiss, they resumed their walk.
It seemed like the entire town was out and even though the thought of curling up in bed and sleeping for a couple of days was extremely appealing, Gabe knew they were going to have fun and there were a lot of people just waiting to welcome Aspen back.
Speaking of…
“Hey! There you two are!” Melanie Stone called out as she waved. She and her husband Josiah walked over hand in hand. “You really made it back in time! Color me impressed!”
“I didn’t think we were going to pull it off,” Aspen replied. “And there was a lot of yelling and screaming and crying…”
“I can only imagine,” Melanie said.
“But I told Gabe to suck it up because it was all going to be worth it!”
They all laughed–except Gabe. “Hey,” he said with a mock pout. “That’s not how I remember it.”
“Aww…don’t be a baby,” Aspen cooed at him. “You’re amongst friends.”
Rather than continue with this particular conversation, Gabe opted to change the subject. “So what’s going on with you two? Anything exciting?”
They looked at each other and smiled before facing Gabe and Aspen again. “We’re pregnant!” Melanie said. “Baby number three!”
“Oh my goodness! That’s amazing! Congratulations!”
“Thanks,” Josiah said. “We just found out yesterday, so we’re telling everyone we see tonight.”
“Where are your kids tonight?” Gabe asked. “With a babysitter?”
“My dad, actually,” Melanie replied. “He and his new lady friend–who I think I will be calling my stepmother by this time next year–asked if they could watch them. Neither wanted to be out in the cold tonight.”
“And we never turn down a chance to have a date night,” Josiah said with a wink.
“Well, seriously, congratulations, you two,” Aspen said.
“Thanks!” When they walked away, Aspen and Gabe continued on.
They waved at people and stopped to talk to a few and eventually stopped to get some hot chocolate.
“Is it wrong that I love how this is almost the official drink of this town?” she asked, breathing in the sweet scent and enjoying the heat coming off the cup.
“You can probably make it a lot better, but this stuff is pretty good.”
“Hmm…I never really thought about making homemade hot cocoa.”
“Gourmet,” he corrected. “Yours would definitely be gourmet.”
That made her smile. “You know me so well.” She kissed him on the cheek before taking a sip of her drink. Glancing up, she spotted Cassidy from the bed-and-breakfast and waved. “Hey, Cassidy! I thought for sure you’d have something going on at your place tonight!”
Cassidy walked over with a giant of a man and Aspen could only stare. He was seriously the biggest guy she’d ever seen.
“Oh, that’s right! You didn’t meet my husband when you were at the inn,” Cassidy said with an easy smile. “Aspen, this is my husband Beckham. Beck, this is Aspen. She’s going to be opening a chocolate shop here in town.”
Beckham reached out and shook her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. People have been raving about your chocolates all month. And I have to admit, I took more than my share of the ones you made for the inn.”
“I knew that was you!” Cassidy said with a laugh. “You had me believing that a guest took those extra ones!”
He grinned. “Guilty!”
“So, Beck,” Gabe said. “I hear you’re doing an amazing job with the local high school football team. Think we’ll finally get into the playoffs?”
“Definitely. We’re a little behind because of all the bad weather, but when we go back next week, we’ve got three games and we’re almost a shoo-in for the playoffs.”
“That’s amazing! I can’t remember the last time we had a team get there.”
“I believe it was back in 2005 so…we’re definitely due.”
“Well, good for you. Congratulations!”
“Thanks.”
“Oh, I see my folks over by the tree,” Cassidy said. “You’ll have to excuse us. I want to make sure we’re all together at midnight. See you later!”
“Speaking of parents,” Aspen said, looking around. “I haven’t seen yours anywhere.”
“I’m sure they’re around here somewhere.” They started to walk while glancing around and bumped into another couple. “Oof! Sorry!”
It was Abby from the dance studio, her husband Dean, and their two kids. “Hey!” Abby said, holding her small son in her arms. “Sorry about that. We weren’t paying attention.”
“Nope, that was all us,” Aspen said. “Sorry!”
“So you made it back for the bell drop!” Abby said. “Good for you!”
“Yeah, Gabe said I couldn’t miss this. So we put in some long hours of driving to get back in time.”
“I’m glad you’re here.” Then she looked at Gabe. “And I never got to thank you for doing the video of the dance recital. It was absolutely perfect. All the moms were thrilled. Really, thank you.”
“If you’re ever in a pinch, you can definitely reach out because I’m back for good too.”
“Oh my goodness!” Abby reached out and hugged him.
“I hope that means I’m off the hook for any videotaping,” Dean said with a laugh. “I think we can all agree that it is not my strong suit.”
“Yes, but you’re good at so many other things,” Abby said, kissing her husband.
“Mommy, can we get a candy cane?” their daughter Maya asked. “They’re the really big ones!”
“Absolutely, baby.” She smiled at Aspen and Gabe. “Happy New Year to you both! We’ll see you later!”
Once they walked away, Aspen leaned in close to Gabe. “I think this is going to take some time to get used to.”
“What?”
“All the friendliness and knowing that whenever you go out, you are definitely going to run into people you know.”
“You get used to it.” He shrugged. “And it will get on your nerves from time to time, but you’re a bigger people person than I am so…maybe not.”
“Oh, look! There’s Bailey and Gavin from the animal hospital! Let’s go say hello!”
He groaned dramatically but followed her.
“Hey!” Aspen said happily. “Happy New Year!”
“Happy New Year to you too!” Bailey said. “And welcome back! I hear you’re going to be opening up shop with Nikki soon. That’s going to be so good!”
“And dangerous,” Gavin added with a grin. “Definitely dangerous.”
Aspen frowned. “I…I don’t get it.”
“Oh,” Bailey said, blushing slightly. “I’m pregnant. Second trimester and all I’m craving is candy so…your arrival in town has been a huge blessing.”
Gavin chuckled and shook his head. “She almost bought all the raffle tickets so she could eat that chocolate house herself!”
“And it would have been delicious,” Bailey said, rubbing a hand over her tiny baby bump. “As far as cravings go, that’s not a bad one to have.”
“I think the dogs were hoping for a craving they could share with you,” Gavin explained.
“Hmm…maybe…”
“Five minutes till midnight!” Someone called out, and Gabe and Aspen wished Bailey and Gavin a good night and went to search for Gabe’s parents.
“I don’t know if we’re going to find the
m,” Aspen said as they approached the big gazebo. “We probably should have picked a meeting spot.” She stopped and looked around and even though it wasn’t the worst thing if they didn’t find them, she knew it was a big thing for Gabe to countdown and ring in the new year with his parents. “Do you think…?” But when she turned toward Gabe, she found him on one knee and his family standing behind him. Gasping, her hand flew to her mouth. “What is happening?”
Gabe took her empty cocoa cup from her hand and placed it on the ground.
“Son, don’t litter,” his mother admonished, reaching over and picking up the cup.
“Mom…”
“Oops! Sorry!” she stepped back and made a zipping motion across her lips.
“Aspen,” Gabe began, her hand in his. “From the moment I saw you, I was drawn to you. It wasn’t as a friend, though.”
“Oh my goodness…”
“But now I know that it was the best thing for us. Some of my favorite memories of us are when we were simply hanging out talking and laughing. I have loved watching you grow in your career and I’m excited for this new endeavor you’re getting ready to launch. And I have loved watching you become the woman you are right now. You are my best friend and the best thing that’s ever happened to me. The first time we kissed, I feared it would end our friendship, but if anything, it made us grow closer in ways I only dreamed of. I love who we are and where we’re at and this amazing new phase of life that we’re starting.”
Tears stung her eyes and all she could do was nod.
“But as we are probably seconds away from this year ending, I couldn’t think of a better time for us to really start a new phase of our relationship.” Pausing, Gabe reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box. Opening it to her, she saw him swallow hard. “I want you to always be my best friend. Always be my lover. And moving forward, I want you be my wife. Aspen, will you marry me?”
Tears freely flowed down her cheeks and as she dropped to her knees on the freezing ground, she nodded. “Yes. Yes, I will marry you!” Gabe captured her lips and kissed her in a way that would be better reserved for when they were alone, but she didn’t care, kissing him back with equal abandon.
“Ten seconds till the New Year!” Someone called out.
As they continued to kiss, people began to loudly countdown to midnight and there wasn’t a more perfect way to both end one year and start another.
“Happy New Year!” Everyone cried out.
Gabe lifted his head. “Happy New Year, Aspen.”
Grinning back, she gave him another quick kiss. “Happy New Year to you too, Gabe.”
CHRISTMAS IN SILVER BELL FALLS
Thank you so much for reading THE CHRISTMAS PLAN and I hope you enjoyed your stay in Silver Bell Falls. It’s hard saying goodbye to this series, but I’d like to think that we had a good run and that we ended on a high note and gave you all a satisfying send off for the good people of this little Christmas town.
And now, just for fun, let’s go back and revisit where it all began.
Please enjoy an excerpt from the very first book –
CHRISTMAS IN SILVER BELL FALLS.
* * *
Her attitude is less than merry and bright…
Melanie Harper and Christmas do not see eye to eye. While most people celebrate and look forward to the holidays, it's something she has come to dread. When she receives a gift from an unlikely source - a house in the quaint town of Silver Bell Falls - her immediate reaction is to reject it. After all, with a name like that, you're almost guaranteed to be surrounded by people who love Christmas!
He sees it as the most wonderful time of the year…
Josiah Stone is all about peace on earth and goodwill toward man. Maybe it's because he's the sheriff of a town named after a beloved Christmas song, but that doesn't make it any less true. Christmas is his favorite time of year and living in Silver Bell Falls where everyone feels the same and celebrates it nearly year-round only adds to his festive outlook on life.
Can a white Christmas change everything?
When Melanie is forced to stay in Silver Bell Falls during the actual holiday season, she's less than thrilled. But after meeting the sexy sheriff she finds that there is something to be said about the magic of Christmas.
Chapter 1
There was nothing quite like coming home at the end of a long day: kicking off your shoes…having a little something to eat while watching TV…and most importantly, not having to hear any more Christmas music!
Melanie Harper was certain she wasn’t the only one who felt that way. It was early November and the holiday season was just getting underway.
“More like under my skin,” she murmured as she walked into her kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine. Taking her glass, she went back to her living room and sat down on the couch.
It had been a long day. A long week. Hell, if she were being honest, it had been a long three months. With deadlines approaching, her editor was getting more and more snarky while Melanie was getting more and more discouraged.
Writer’s block.
In her ten years of writing, she’d never once suffered from it, but for some reason the words refused to come.
“Figures,” she said with disgust and turned on the TV. Flipping through the channels, it was all the same thing—Christmas specials, Christmas movies, and holiday-themed shows. Unable to stand it, she turned it off and sighed.
It was always like this. Christmas. The holidays. Every year, if something bad was going to happen, it happened around Christmas.
Not that it had been that way her entire life, but…she stopped and paused. No, scratch that. It had been like that her entire life. Her earliest memory was of the Christmas when she was five. That was the year her mother left. Her father had been too distraught to celebrate that year, so she spent the day watching him drink and cry.
There had been a glimmer of hope for the next year—her dad promised her it would be better. The flu had both of them fighting for the bathroom the entire day. And after that, it was all one big, giant blur of suckiness. Between financial struggles and family issues—and that one year where they had gotten robbed the day before Christmas—Melanie had come to see the months of November and December as nothing but a big nuisance. Eventually they stopped even attempting to celebrate.
And now she’d be able to add “getting cut by her publisher because of writer’s block” to the Christmas resume of doom.
The name almost made her chuckle.
It would have been easy to sit there and wax unpoetic about how much she hated this time of the year, but a knock at the door saved her. Placing her wine glass down, she padded to the front door and pulled it open.
“Hey! There’s my girl!”
Melanie smiled as her dad wrapped her in his embrace. “Hey, Dad.” She hugged him back and then stepped aside so he could come in. “What’s going on? I thought we were getting together on Saturday for dinner.”
John Harper smiled at his only child as he took off his coat. “Is this a bad time?”
She shook her head. “No, not at all. I just wasn’t expecting you. Have you eaten dinner yet?”
He chuckled softly. “It’s almost eight, Mel. Of course I have.” He studied her for a minute. “Don’t tell me you haven’t.”
She shrugged. “It was a long day and I sort of lost my appetite.”
“Uh-oh. What happened?”
Melanie led him to the living room and sat down on the couch again. “My deadline will be here at the end of December and I haven’t written a thing.”
“Okay,” he said slowly. “So…can’t they extend your deadline?”
She shook her head. “They’ve extended it three times already.”
“Hmm…so what’s the problem with the story? Why are you having such a hard time with it? That’s not like you.”
She sighed again. “They’re pretty much demanding a Christmas story.”
“Oh.”
She
didn’t even need to look at him to know his expression was just as pinched as hers at the topic. “Yeah, oh.”
“Did you try explaining…?”
Nodding, she sat up and reached for her glass of wine. “Every time I talk to them. They don’t get it and they don’t care. Basically their attitude is that I’m a fiction writer and I should be able to use my imagination to concoct this Christmas story without having to draw on personal experience.”
“Maybe they don’t realize just how much you dislike the holiday.”
“Dislike is too mild of a word,” she said flatly. Taking a long drink, she put her glass down and looked at him. “I don’t even want to talk about it. The meeting with my editor and agent went on and on and on today so my brain is pretty fried. The only thing to come out of it is yet another crappy reinforcement of the holiday.”
“Oh, dear…”
Melanie’s eyes narrowed. “What? What’s wrong?”
“I guess maybe I should have called first because…” He stopped. “You know what? Never mind. We’ll talk on Saturday.” He stood quickly and walked back toward the foyer.
“Oh, no,” she said as she went after him. “You can’t come here and say something like that and then leave! Come on. What’s going on?”
John sighed and reached for her hand. “Your grandmother died.”
Melanie simply stared at him for a minute. “Oh…okay. Wow. Um…when?”
“A month ago.”
Her eyes went wide. “And you’re just telling me now?”
Slowly, he led her back to the couch. “Mel, seriously? Your grandmother hasn’t spoken to me in over twenty-five years. I’m surprised I was notified.”
“I guess,” she sighed. Then she looked at him. “Are you okay?”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure. I always thought when the time came that it wouldn’t mean anything. After all, she kind of died to me all those years ago. But now? Now that I know she’s really gone?” His voice choked with emotion. “It all suddenly seems so stupid, so wrong. I mean, how could I have let all those years go by without trying to make things right?”
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