Chapter Eight
“Thanks for helping me with the cards.” Derek gathered the scattered envelopes into one pile. “I promise I won’t wait until the last minute next year.”
Brenna laughed. “If you waited any longer, they’d be New Year’s cards.”
He flashed a boyish grin. “That’s what I have you for.”
“Really?” She swatted his arm. “If you would have told me you needed cards, I could have designed them for you.”
“Maybe next year we’ll send them out together.” He held his breath and watched for her reaction. Too much too soon?
A slow smile spread over her face. “I like the sound of that.”
He let out the breath. “Let’s make it happen.”
“First, we have to hand deliver these cards to every store before they close.” She wagged her brows. “Then we can talk about next year.”
“The cards can wait. Stores are open for another two hours, at least.” He circled to the other side of the desk and pulled her to her feet. Moved in to kiss her.
“You’re the boss,” she mumbled, giving in to him without a fight.
Reluctantly, he broke the kiss, but couldn’t tear his gaze from her. The words weighed unspoken on his heart, and he couldn’t keep them in much longer. “I love you, Brenna Forsythe. I loved the person you were in high school when I first fell in love with you, but the Brenna you are now takes my breath away.”
Moisture sheened in her eyes. “I love you, too.”
“Promise me we’ll make this work, even when you go back to New York.” He braced himself for the offer he was about to make. It wasn’t ideal, but he’d given it lots of thought. “When my term is up, I can find a job closer to you, but until then, I know we can make this work.”
“I love you even more for making that offer, but it’s not necessary.” She broke out in a wide grin. “As of noon today, I’m no longer employed by the Holden Design Firm.”
His jaw dropped, and he eyed her with curiosity. “You’re not?”
“I’ve been negotiating with my boss to work from here and make occasional trips into the city, but we couldn’t come to agreeable terms. Ultimately, I decided to make an amicable exit and start my own design firm, based here in Noel.”
“You’re moving home for good?”
She nodded, and he wrapped his arms around her and spun her in a circle. She started laughing, and he had to steady her when he returned her feet to the ground.
Her eyes twinkled. “I take it you approve?”
“Wholeheartedly.”
“Good.” She reached into her purse and withdrew an impeccably wrapped box. “I’ll give you this now since it’s no longer a surprise.”
He accepted the gift and peeled off the tape with care. She’d put too much effort into wrapping it to tear into the box. He lifted the lid of the box and saw a business card. His lips curled into a smile when he read it. “The First Noel Inc.—A Graphic Design Boutique.”
“What do you think?” Her top teeth grazed her bottom lip.
“It’s amazing.” Drawing her into one more embrace, he caught the scent of snowberries in her hair. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
He released her and grabbed the stack of Christmas cards. “Can we share the good news while we’re out?”
“After Christmas.”
“I’ll do my best, but I can’t make promises.” He winked. “I’ve never been good at secrets I’m happy about.”
“If you let it slip, I’ll forgive you.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Now let’s go before we get distracted again.”
