Charlotte handed her cloak off to Valerie. “Thank you,” she whispered to her friend. Singing in public was still an effort for Valerie, and her sacrifice today was the best wedding present Charlotte could have asked for, though she wouldn’t have found it on any gift registry.
She turned and drew a deep breath as she took in the vast number of guests. Her whole life stared back at her. Her teachers, her friends, her friends’ parents, the small business owners she met with once a month to discuss Main Street promotions, the mayor and his wife. Even her landlord, Mr. Pryor, and his wife sat in the third row of white folding chairs.
Her heart swelled. When she opened The Christmas Shop, Moose Hollow appeared in droves. They’d supported her, even in the hot summer months, and cheered her on while she perpetuated her love of Christmas all year round.
Mom stood at the corner of the front row, dabbing her eyes with a white handkerchief. She wore her best church dress today and new lipstick. She smiled widely and encouraged Charlotte, urging her to take her first step toward Micah and Lizzie.
Micah…
Charlotte finally allowed herself to look at him. He stood tall in his amazing tuxedo. The burgundy color was perfect for his skin tone. His hair was combed with just a little of imperfection, making him seem like a bad boy–though he was anything but. The whole package was worth taking a moment to take in, but when their eyes met, she couldn’t stand the distance between them.
Doing her best to maintain her composure, she walked with measured steps. Each time her foot touched the ground, she felt like there were a hundred more to go, and she’d never get there. And then suddenly, she was next to him, staring into his brown eyes and having difficulty remembering her name.
“You are incredible,” he breathed.
Charlotte bit her lip. If she lived to be a thousand years old, she’d never forget how he looked at her in this moment. Like she was everything to him and everything that he wanted. Her body was light and airy, barely keeping her up and yet wanting to float away.
He took her hand, and a current raced between them as fast as any flying reindeer.
When it came time to sayI do,she spoke loud so there would be no misunderstanding. She was in love with this man and pledged her life to him. Whatever came their way, she was all in this love and life.
“You may kiss the bride,” said the Pastor.
Micah gently cupped her cheek, his thumb tracing across her bottom lip. “I’ll love you forever, Charlotte,” he said softly, lowering his head and kissing her.
Charlotte lifted onto her toes, never wanting the moment to end. A note in his promise told her there were many more of these moments to come. Many memories to make together, many layers of their love to build and explore. Time was not the problem–and stopping it here would be a mistake. Each tick of the clock was a chance to love and be in love with Micah.
This was her best Christmas–so far.
Epilogue
Nick Kringle leaned against the front of the sleigh, watching Charlotte and Micah tie the knot from the neighbor’s roof. Every once in a while, a child would look up to see him there and wave. He’d wave back. He may have lost his magic, but he had enough Kringle in him to fly the sleigh and spread some cheer. That might be all he had left.
Prancer stomped his hooves.
“Yeah. Yeah. You did pretty well, Old Man.”
Prancer shifted backward, sending Nick into an arm windmill to keep his balance.Call me an old man, he complained.
Nick shook his finger at the animal. “I will send you back to the ranch.”
Prancer chortled.
It wasn’t much of a threat. A visit to Reindeer Wrangler Ranch was like going to a reindeer spa with round-the-clock vet care and an indoor playground.
Jingle bells rang out, and another sleigh landed next to theirs. Matthew Quik stood tall at the helm, guiding the sleigh like a pro. He hadn’t started as a good flier. But that could have had something to do with the fact that Lux’s favorite reindeer, Dunder, hated Quik’s guts and gave him a hard time when he had to fly the sleigh.
Quik stepped out of the sleigh and offered his hand to Lux, who had curled up on the seat. She hated flying. Always had.
As she unfolded herself, she asked Nick, “How are you feeling?”
“Unmagical,” he replied flatly. He wiggled his fingers as if he could make magic appear in his hands. “Flat.”
She nodded as she pushed her glasses up on her nose. “This was close–with the whole dream situation and everything.”
“Remind me to thank Hazel.” He stared off into the horizon. “She came through.”
“Debatable,” Quik mumbled. Considering the tornado, the bouncing dreams, and the fact that they almost lost Charlotte in dreamland forever–Hazel’s version of help was … borderline not helpful at all.
