Mail-Order Brides For Christmas - Frankie Love Page 0,47

growing up. I’ll be the first to admit that.”

“Money isn’t everything.” Nate chimes in with a truth I realized shortly after my entire world fell apart.

“I know.” I sigh. “But it means a lot to some people. My boyfriend, for example. The guy I thought I was going to marry.”

“What do you mean?” Nate narrows his eyes.

I tell him the rest. How my father’s company went under. How hard he worked to keep it afloat, risking everything in the process. A risk that didn’t pay off. I tell him about my boyfriend who dumped me shortly after that, and how I suspected it had a lot to do with the fact my father’s company went under. There were times when my boyfriend seemed more concerned about the state of my father’s business than planning our wedding. That should’ve been a sign from the start.

“Wow.” Nate blinks a couple of times in surprise. “What an asshole.”

I can’t help but laugh. “Yes, he certainly was. It broke my heart at the time, but I had so many other things to worry about. I had to get a job and find a way to support myself.”

“Now you’re here to save Snow Valley.” He smiles. “And marry someone you don’t even know.”

“You seem nice enough.” I meet his smile with one of my own. “I haven’t seen much of Snow Valley, but it looks like a very nice place to live.”

“It is.” He nods. “I’ll give you the grand tour tomorrow.”

“What are we going to do until then?” I raise an eyebrow.

“I was kind of hoping you would help me decorate for Christmas.” Nate points toward a stack of boxes. “I put up a few things, but if this is going to be your home…”

“That sounds fun.” I push my chair back and stand up. “Let’s get started!”

I used to love Christmas. It was my favorite time of year. The presents were nice, and I had that spoiled little rich girl attitude toward them for a long time, but after we lost everything, I began to realize that the rest of the holiday was what mattered most. The last two years have been tough, and I haven’t been able to enjoy the season at all.

“Do you want to hang the lights first or decorate the tree?” Nate walks over and opens one of the boxes.

“Let’s save the tree for last.” I look into the box and reach for some decorations. “You have a lot of stuff!”

“Yeah, gifts from my mom mostly.” He chuckles under his breath. “Although I have bought a few things myself.”

The first thing we do is string some lights up outside. It’s cold, and while I packed my thickest coat, it’s not up to par. Nate loans me one of his that fits me like a tent, but it’s really warm. Even that isn’t quite enough to stave off a Snow Valley winter. I hold the ladder and get a nice view of him in his jeans while he’s on top of it.

Nate entertains me with a few jokes and stories about his life while we’re decorating, and that does take my mind off the cold. I could listen to him talk all day. His voice is so full of life and excitement. He makes me laugh so many times I remember when I used to be surrounded by people like that.

I miss it so much. I miss being happy. I’ve gotten so used to being down in the dumps that I’ve almost forgotten how good this feels.

We spend a couple of hours getting lights up and decorations on the lawn. We laugh and joke our way through it, but the temperature feels like it has dropped several degrees by the time we’re done.

“I feel…” my teeth chatter, “…like an icicle.”

“Come on inside. I’ll start a fire.” He puts an arm around me, and we walk back inside.

It takes a few minutes for the fire to start roaring. Nate rubs my shoulders and arms to help warm me up faster. His hands feel so good. I’m reminded how long it has been since I’ve been touched. I haven’t even had a hug in almost two years. My parents never were the type to show that kind of affection often, and it completely evaporated after everything fell apart. I lean back against him, and he pulls me into an embrace. This feels even better.

“Once you warm up some, we’ll take care of the decorations in the house and get started on the