Mike nodded.
Celeste quickly rolled the print up again and crossed to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He swore his pulse jumped straight there as well, pounding hard into his head.
“This has been the best Christmas,” she said, smiling at him. “Thebest.”
“All this over a poster?” Kristina snatched a cookie from the tin. “Old people get excited about the weirdest things.”
Celeste didn’t let go, didn’t back away. She simply kept watching him with what looked like very real happiness. “You know this means I win, right?”
At the moment, Mike was pretty convincedhehad won. She was hugging him, smiling at him, being more affectionate than he ever remembered her being.
“We both agreed to count theGrinchmovie viewing even though it was sort of called off. I have my Snoop Dogg souvenir, and I have a pair of vintage jeans at home that I found on Etsy. Once I show you that, I’ve checked off my entire Holiday Bucket List. I win.”
“Well, then.” He settled his arms comfortably around her, fully aware of the fact that she hadn’t at all pulled away. “It seems like I owe you something off your Christmas present wish list. What’s it to be?”
She didn’t hesitate even a moment. “I want you to ask me on another date.”
That was not remotely what he’d expected her to say. “Really?”
She nodded. “Our last one started out very promising. I’d like to try again.”
“Done.” He’d ask her out a hundred more times without question.
“And—”
“And?” He chuckled at the grin that accompanied her tagging on of another request.
“— I want us to go roller skating and search the thrift stores for an old PlayStation 2.”
“You want me to finish my bucket list?” he asked.
“I want to know more about the you that you were before I met you. Your Holiday Bucket List is part of that.”
This was more than promising. This was downright amazing.
“Again,” he said, “done.”
“And—” She laughed before he could. “Lastly, I want to know what on your wish list you would have chosen if you’d won.”
He must have turned beet red in that moment. He knew exactly what he’d wanted to ask for, but had assumed he wouldn’t go through with it even if he’d won their bet.
“What is it?” Celeste’s amazed and amused tone told him he had blushed just as embarrassingly deeply as he’d feared.
Her armswerestill draped around his neck. Shewasstill standing close to him, looking at him with something very closely resembling love. Maybe his wish list topper wasn’t such a stretch after all.
“The top of my list has looked the same for seven years, Celeste,” he said. “It hasn’t changed. I just never figured it would ever work out.”
He saw her eyes turn a little uncertain. “You didn’t think what would ever work out?”
“I’ve wanted to kiss you.”
Rather than running away in horror, something Mike had imagined often over the past seven years, Celeste smiled slowly, coyly. “Kristina might freak out, but I certainly have no objections.”
For a moment, he was too shocked to say or do anything. But only for a moment.
He pulled her in ever closer and kissed her with seven years of longing and hoping and loving. He kissed her deeply, and he kissed her well.
“Don’t stop on my account.” Kristina pulled out her phone. “I’ll just be over here pretending to ignore you.”
