“And we’ll be over here,” Celeste said, “actuallyignoring you.”
That was invitation enough. He kissed her again. And again.
Until Kristina started giggling. “Sorry,” she said. “It’s great, you two deciding to give this a go. It’s a little weird, too, though.”
Mike kept an arm around Celeste as they sat on the sofa. “It’s a shame she’ll be away at college for all those dates we’re going on.”
“A real shame.” Celeste set her head on his shoulder. “I have warned you about my terrible dating track record, haven’t I?”
He nodded. “That track record, my dear, is about to be laid to rest. For good.”
Bonus Epilogue
The week leading up to Christmas, one year after the Holiday Bucket List Christmas, was every bit as chaotic at Mike’s house as almost any airport at that particular time of year. His boys and daughter-in-law were there. So were all three of Celeste’s daughters, as well as a boyfriend of her oldest who would, Mike didn’t doubt, eventually be Celeste’s son-in-law.
And, though it was the festive season, the gathering didn’t involve decorating the house or having a favorite holiday meal. They weren’t putting colorful boxes under a tree; they were carrying plain brown boxes across the yard to Celeste’s house.
Tohis and Celeste’shouse.
They were getting married in the morning. It was going to be a small ceremony, just their kids with them at the county courthouse. And they couldn’t have been happier.
Brad stepped out of Mike’s room, holding up the Neo-inspired trench coat from the Holiday Bucket List challenge the year before. “Dad, what is this?”
“That was the height of fashion twenty-five years ago.”
Connor, who passed his brother in the hallway carrying a box, eyed the coat then Mike. “Wow.” There was a laugh under the horror.
“You are too young to appreciate timeless style.”
Mike took the trench coat from Brad and pulled it on. He’d forgotten about the too-short sleeves and nearly laughed out loud, ruining the effect he was going for. He managed to keep his expression very suave—a little too suave, really—and “modeled” the coat for them both.
His boys laughed, just as he’d hoped they would.
Celeste stepped inside just in time to witness his pathetically entertaining attempt at recreating a fashion show catwalk. Her smile blossomed. Mike hoped he never grew accustomed to seeing it; he liked that his heart flipped around every time.
“Feeling nostalgic?” she asked.
“Did I not tell you?” He pretended to be very serious. “I’m wearing this to the wedding tomorrow.”
Her daughters stepped inside behind her just in time to hear Mike’s declaration. Their looks of surprise and amusement matched those he and Celeste were getting from the boys.
“Excellent,” Celeste said. “I’m planning to walk down the aisle to ‘Gin and Juice.’”
The kids looked wide-eyed at each other.
“As long as our exit music can be ‘Scar Tissue,’” Mike said.
Kristina shook her head. “Our parents are so weird.”
The kids all agreed as they continued helping with the move. But Mike saw amusement in all their faces. All of them had thought of themselves as basically siblings for years. That would be official in the morning.
Mike pulled his trench coat off, dropping it into an open box near his feet. “I’m not actually going to wear that tomorrow,” he told Celeste.
“Well, Iamgoing to insist on playing Snoop Dogg, so…” She shrugged.
He laughed as he wrapped his arms around her. “Someone should probably warn the justice of the peace that this is going to be a very strange wedding.”
Celeste hooked her arms around his neck, smiling at him. “Perhaps that should go on our next Holiday Bucket List: impressing a justice of the peace that we’re very, very weird.”
“I’d also add to that list: convincing at least one of our kids to try on the Neo trench coat.”
She laughed. “They’re already agreeing to help with this move and spend Christmas with us. We probably shouldn’t press our luck.”
“I do feel pretty lucky, you know,” he said. “I’ve dreamed of exactly this for years.”
“Sounds to me like you should have put ‘marrying my neighbor’ on your Holiday Bucket List.”
He bent closer, his lips a breath from hers. “This is on my Happily Ever After bucket list.”
Against the backdrop of their kids’ teasing, and the fall of snow framed by the window, and the promise of every Christmas yet to come, he kissed her, both their hearts filled to overflowing.
