“Of course I did.” Brayden spun around, digging through a paper bag on a nearby end table. “And these too. Sorry they’re not wrapped.” He handed over a pair of plum-colored gloves, handmade in Ninilchik.
“You bought these at my store,” she said with a laugh, swiping at a silly tear.
“It’s the best place in town to shop.” He took a step closer. One that eliminated the distance between them. “I’m surprised you still have your fingers after weeks of running around gloveless.”
“Brayden, I’m sorry.”
“Me, too.” He cupped her arm with one hand, the heat of his touch warding off the chill of the shop. “I shouldn’t have kept all those secrets from you. I only meant to help, but now I see how wrong it was. I won’t be keeping any more. Ask me anything you want, and I promise to work on my vagueness issue.”
She let out a laugh. “I’m sorry you felt you had to keep any of it a secret from me. My stupid pride got in the way. I appreciate your help more than you know. My store would be closed for good if it wasn’t for everything you did to help me.”
Brayden looked up, and Ava followed his gaze.
“Mistletoe.” Ava chuckled. “Hung that last night, did you?”
“Maybe.” He dipped his head, capturing her lips with his own. Mistletoe kisses were quickly becoming her favorite. She might hang it everywhere next Christmas. “I did lie about one thing, or omitted anyway.”
Ava pulled back enough to stare into his eyes. “What?”
“I don’t only want a real relationship with you. I want a whole lot more. I love you, Ava Monroe. I think I’ve loved you for months.” He kissed her again before she could respond, and she sank into the heart-fluttering sensation of his lips moving against hers. She could kiss him all day.
Elsie whined at the door.
“I better get a shower,” Brayden said. “Your mom’ll kill us if we miss Christmas morning.”
“That she will.” Ava pulled Brayden back by the arm. “I love you, too, you know. I’m really glad you’re staying.” She thought he might kiss her again, but Elsie started barking at the door.
“Better let her check out the questionable tree branch, or we’ll never hear the end of it.”
Despite the interruption, Ava’s heart was full. So very full. She couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas gift than everything she received this year.
Epilogue
Chase
The only reason Chase Monroe attended his sister’s New Year’s Eve party was because his buddy Ryder strong-armed him into it. A guilt trip about bailing on him and leaving him alone to the women after Ryder helped him lay hardwood flooring. Never mind that Brayden was here, too. Ryder’d thrown in a free weekend for Chase to use his fishing boat, and that twisted his arm the rest of the way.
“You going to tell her?” Ryder asked, his voice low below the Christmas music. Didn’t matter that Christmas was over. Ava would play holiday tunes as long as she could get away with it.
“I’ll have to at some point,” Chase answered in a mumble, his gaze drifting to his ex-wife for the tenth time since he arrived.Wife. Not ex.Not technically. Five long years and she still looked as stunning as the day he first kissed her.
“Not something you should keep from her,” Ryder added seconds before his fiancée Kinley crashed their conversation in the corner and wrapped both hands around his arm. His serious expression morphed into a goofy, lovestruck grin in a heartbeat. “If you’ll excuse me.”
Ryder left him with a stern look—a not-so-gentle nudge.
Yes, Chase should tell Laurel they were still married. That some missed signature on the paperwork found earlier this year made the whole divorce null and void. Part of him wondered whether she already knew. Was that the reason she finally returned to Sunset Ridge?No, it couldn’t be. Laurel would’ve hunted him down by now if that were the case.
Chase stalled a few minutes longer, watching his sister with Brayden as he sipped on his soda near the Christmas tree. No alcohol for the deputy fire chief. He had to be ready for a call should one come in.
He’d suspected from the day he ran into Ava and Brayden outside Davies Hardware Store that their pretend relationship wouldn’t remain fake too long. He was happy he was right; happy for Ava. He used to look at Laurel the way Brayden looked at Ava.
Now, with Laurel Evans having moved home, he wasn’t sure how to feel besides twisted and torn. So much hurt lingered from their goodbye. Yet her smile, still radiant as the midnight sun, made him wonder if she’d healed. They would always mourn the loss, but maybe they could give things another go. She hadn’t moved home with another man, after all. That had to mean something.
He was taking another sip when he spotted Laurel slip into the bathroom. He emptied his cup and snuck down the hallway to wait.
Chase had never stopping loving Laurel. What if the missing signature was fate’s way of granting them a second chance?
“Laurel,” Chase said, gently tugging at her elbow before she could hurry back to the festivities in the living room.
