"We said we wouldn't talk about it."
"I know, but?—"
"Riley." Grant glanced at her. "Do we have to do this now?"
She bit her lip. "No. I guess not."
"Good." His hand found hers on the console, lacing their fingers together. "Because I'd rather just enjoy tonight. Can we do that?"
Riley squeezed his hand. "Yeah. We can do that."
By the time they arrived at the town square, the place was packed. String lights crisscrossed overhead, vendors sold hotchocolate and roasted chestnuts, and kids ran around hyped up on sugar and excitement.
Grant kept Riley's hand in his as they navigated through the crowd, nodding at neighbors, accepting congratulations from people who were thrilled to see them "back together."
"This is surreal," Riley muttered.
"Tell me about it."
They found their friends near the front—Hannah and Mark with their kids, Chris and Emily looking flustered as she tried to wrangle her niece and nephew, Ryan and Jenna standing together near the aisle.
"There they are!" Hannah called out, grinning. "We saved you spots."
Grant and Riley squeezed in, and immediately Grant felt the weight of everyone's eyes on them. Curious. Knowing. Like they could all tell what had happened between them that morning.
Get it together. They can't read your mind.
"So," Mark said, leaning close with a smirk. "You two look cozy."
"We're dating," Riley said. "That's kind of the point."
"Yeah, but you lookreallycozy." Mark's eyes gleamed. "Did something?—"
"Mark," Grant warned.
"I'm just saying. There's an energy."
"There's no energy."
"There's definitely energy," Jenna chimed in. "You can't keep your hands off each other."
Grant looked down. His arm was around Riley's waist, her hand resting on his chest. When had that happened?
Riley seemed to realize it at the same time and started to pull away, but Grant tightened his hold.
"Problem?" he murmured.
"No. Just—everyone's staring."
"Let them stare." Grant pulled her closer, ignoring the way his heart was racing. "We're supposed to be together, remember?"
"Right. Together."
The lights dimmed, and the mayor stepped up to the microphone to give his annual speech about community and tradition. Grant barely heard a word. He was too focused on Riley—the way she leaned into him, the way her hand curled against his chest, the way she tilted her head to whisper something to Hannah.
This morning had changed everything, whether she wanted to admit it or not.
The tree lit up—thousands of lights blinking on at once, turning the gray December evening into something magical. Everyone cheered, and Grant looked down to find Riley staring up at the tree, her face lit with wonder.
