“I’ll call more often. I mean it.” It would take some getting used to, but I wanted to work on it.
“I’ll hold you to that,” she teased gently.
We exchanged goodbyes and hung up, and I stood there for a second, just breathing. The weight I’d carried for years—of being alone, of keeping my distance—felt a little lighter now.
I returned to the dining room just in time to hearBelle’s brother, Ethan, ask, “So, Holden, howexactlydid you meet our dear sister? Because I’ve heard something about a balcony, a camera, and a near-death experience, but I’d love to hear your side of the story.”
Belle groaned, covering her face with her hands. “I knew you were going to bring that up.”
Claire leaned in, eyes bright with mischief. “Who doesn’t want to hear about a meet-cute that’s practically out of a romance movie?”
I smirked as I took my seat beside Belle. “It was less romance and more ‘accidental acrobatics.’ She was trying to get the perfect photo and nearly swan-dived off a balcony. I just happened to be standing nearby with decent reflexes.”
Ethan grinned. “So you saved her life and then stole her heart? Bold move, Prescott.”
“I don’t know,” I said, shooting Belle a sideways glance. “I’m pretty sure she kissed me first.”
Belle gasped. “You kissedme!”
“I still can’t believe Mistletoe Mystery Man ended up being a professional hockey player,” Claire mused. “Why doesn’t that kind of stuff happen to me?”
Ethan pointed a fork at her. “Because whenyoumeet strange men under the mistletoe, they usually ask if you’ve seen their car keys or want to talk about cryptocurrency.”
Claire rolled her eyes. “One time.”
“Still traumatizing,” Ethan muttered.
Belle shook her head, laughing. “You two are unbelievable.”
“Oh, come on,” Claire said, leaning back in her chair. “You’re the one who ran off to Colorado and came back with a hockey player like he was a limited-edition holiday souvenir.”
“I’m notfromColorado,” I offered, holding up my hands in mock defense. “I was just there for a charity event.”
“Potato, po-tah-to,” Ethan said, waving me off. “Either way she met you, kissed you, and then had to have you.”
“Ethan!” Belle exclaimed, her cheeks flaming.
I reached over and squeezed Belle’s leg, hoping to calm her embarrassment. “I had to have her too.”
“Aww,” Claire mewed. “You’re so much better than stick-in-the-mud Alex.”
“Here, here,” Ethan said, raising up his cider in a toast. “But in all seriousness, man…welcome to the chaos. And thanks for not letting her fall off a balcony. That would’ve really ruined Christmas.”
We laughed and all clinked our glasses together, as Belle’s parents brought dessert to the dining room table. And as I looked around the table at these new faces, which now seemed surprisingly familiar, I realized I’d never felt more at home.
After dinner and dessert, the house hummed with the comforting sounds of Christmas, the distant laughter, the rustle of wrapping paper, and carols playing softly from the living room speakers.
Belle stood in front of me with her hand outstretched, and I didn’t hesitate to let her pull me offthe couch and lead me out onto the back porch. The crisp evening air greeted us, carrying the scent of pine and the quiet hush of falling snow. Twinkling lights wrapped around the trees that bordered the yard, and as the last light of day faded beyond the horizon, I realized I couldn’t imagine a more perfect Christmas night.
Belle had a blanket around her, but I still saw her shiver.
“Cold?” I asked, opening my arm.
She didn’t hesitate, tucking herself against me. “A little. Are you willing to warm me up?”
“Always.” I smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Snow flurries danced around us, soft and slow.
As we stood there, wrapped in each other and the hush of snow, my mind wandered to the quiet conversations we’d been having lately about what came next. About how to make this work beyond the magic of Christmas. Belle had admitted she didn’t love architectural photography. That it felt like a job, not a passion. And because she wasn’t tied to New York City, she was thinking about giving Saint Paul a try. About finding a new direction with her camera, and with me. The idea of her building a life near mine felt almost too good to be true. But the idea of her letting me build a life with her? Yeah, that felt like the answer to a Christmas wish I’d never thought would be mine.
