My throat tightened. “You really don’t mind?” Not that I necessarily needed her blessing, but I found myself wanting it all the same.
“I love Holden like a son. Always have. And I’ve prayed for years that he’d find someone who could make him believe in love. He’s been through a lot. But I have a feeling you might know that better than most.”
I nodded, tears pricking the corners of my eyes.
“You’re perfect for him,” Maggie said, her voice soft. “I see how you light up when he’s near. How he softens around you. Not everyone gets to fall in love andbewith the love of their life.” Her gaze grew distant for a moment. And I had a feeling she was talking about herself.
A silence settled between us, heavy but not sad.
“But some people—like you and Holden—do,” she continued. “Don’t let fear keep you from something this special.”
I swallowed hard, emotion swelling in my chest. “Thank you. That means more than you know.”
She smiled and leaned in, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “Now, go knock his socks off, honey. That man already looks at you like you hung the moon.”
As she turned to leave, the door clicking shut behind her, I stood frozen for a moment, trying to collect myself.I took a deep breath. My heart was full in a way that caught me off guard. It was heavy with emotion, but also light, buoyant with hope.
Maggie’s words settled over me like a warm blanket. She believed in us. In me. In Holden. And somehow, that made it easier to believe in us too.
I took one last glance in the mirror and smoothed a hand over the fabric of my dress, the gold silk catching the light. My curls framed my face just right, and a touch of shimmer dusted my collarbones. But with Holden, I didn’t need to care so much about how I looked.
Grabbing my clutch, I stepped out into the hallway and headed for the elevator, my heels clicking softly against the polished floor. With every step, my nerves danced higher in my chest, fluttery and electric, but underneath it all was something steadier. A quiet certainty that I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
When the elevator doors opened into the lobby, the hum of music and laughter drifted in from the ballroom down the hall. And there, standing at the bottom of the grand staircase like something out of a dream, was Holden.
He was facing away from me, straightening the cuffs of his crisp black tuxedo jacket. And just the sight of him, even from behind, made my pulse skip.
I paused for a moment, taking it all in—the night, the sparkle of lights from the Christmas tree, the low hum of the festivities waiting just ahead.
Then I stepped forward, heart pounding, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
He turned at the sound of my footsteps, and the second our eyes met, the rest of the world seemed to fall away.
His gaze swept over me slowly, like he was trying to commit every inch of me to memory. Then his lips parted, and a breath hitched in his chest.
“Belle…” His voice was a low exhale. “You look…wow.”
A blush warmed my cheeks, but I held his gaze, letting myself enjoy the way he was looking at me, like I was the only thing in the room that mattered.
He worked to clear his throat, as if trying to recover from his lack of eloquence. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you,” I smiled. “You look rather dashing yourself.”
His mouth curved into a slow, crooked smile. “Dashing, huh? I’ll take it. Though I’m wondering if I should have worn something a little more frosting-resistant with you around.”
A soft laugh escaped me. “Are you saying you don’t trust me to behave tonight?”
“Oh, I definitely don’t trust you,” he teased, then leaned in slightly. “But that’s kind of the fun part.”
The butterflies in my stomach stirred. His voice had dropped just enough to make the air between us feel warmer, more electric.
“Let’s go, Rudolph,” he murmured with a wink.
I rolled my eyes, blushing again. “You’re never letting that go, are you?”
“Not a chance,” he smirked, reaching out and offering me his arm. I slipped my hand into the crook of his elbow, then paused. “Speaking of Rudolph…”
His brows lifted. “Yeah?”
