The One Night Stand Before Christmas - Jana Aston Page 0,22

I want to invest my time in us.”

Us.

I really like the sound of that.

“What happens when the holidays end and you have to go home?” I’m not sure why I’m even asking, because we’ll figure it out. Here or there, I want to be wherever Teddy is. I want to fill in all the things I don’t know about him with the things I do. And I know I can’t predict the future, I don’t know what will happen. But I know I want to.

“I’ll move to Reindeer Falls. I can work from anywhere.”

“Teddy, that’s insane.” I realize my fork is hanging in midair and I’m not even sure how long it’s been dangling there, a buttery heap of pancakes about to slide off and hit the table. I set the fork down and rub my hands against my thighs. “We barely even know each other. And can you even do that? Just leave your job? Your life in the city?”

“I can, actually. Besides, this is home.” He glances around the café we’re in and then out the window we’re sitting next to. It’s dark outside, so it feels more like midnight even though it’s only five thirty p.m. That’s Michigan in December for you. It’s started to snow, visible beneath the parking lot lights. Swirling gusts of snow blowing sideways that make being inside and warm even cozier than before. “There’s no place like home, right?”

Epilogue

One Year Later…

Christmas Eve

“The thing is, I don’t think he’s ever going to propose.” I toss my hands up in the air in annoyance. “Mr Of Course I Need a Wife doesn’t actually want one.” I’m referring to my boyfriend, Teddy. My boyfriend who hasn’t proposed yet.

And yeah, yeah, fine. I know it’s only been a year, but when you know you know. And I knew a year ago. Now I’m just impatient.

“Noel, you’ve literally been dating for fifty-three weeks. I don’t think it’s time to panic about Teddy’s commitment level quite yet.” This is from Ginger.

Ginger, who was engaged by Valentine’s Day.

I turn and glare at her with all the disdain you can level on a pregnant woman. She’s due in five months and she’s got the most adorable baby bump you’ve ever seen in your life.

And a husband. She’s got that too. Because after Keller proposed in record time, he married her and knocked her up. Wham, bam, thank you, ma’am.

“You don’t get an opinion,” I remind her. “Since you’re blissfully domesticated you’re incapable of being objective.”

“Yup,” Holly agrees with me a moment before stuffing a bite of toast into her mouth and chewing. We’re at a corner table at Gingersnap’s, the restaurant Ginger’s husband opened next door to her bakery. The one he named after Ginger.

Ugh. Totally happy for them. Obviously. Not at all jealous.

“You’re the worst,” Holly agrees when she’s done chewing. “No opinion for you.”

Holly’s got the nerve to say this while eating toast with the same hand displaying her own engagement ring. I drop a pointed gaze to the ring and then back to Holly’s face. She at least has the decency to look chagrined.

“You know that just happened,” she protests, referring to her own engagement. Nick proposed a week ago. The ring was in an Advent calendar he made for her, stuck behind the door of the date of their one-year anniversary.

I know. Gross. Gross in a that-didn’t-happen-to-me-but-I’m-totally-happy-for-you-oh-my-God-how-romantic way.

I sigh, mentally chastising myself. The thing is, I am happy for both of my sisters. I really, really am. I just sorta thought Teddy might propose on our own one-year anniversary. But that date came and went last week.

“All I’m saying is, it feels like it’s been forever.” I know it hasn’t actually been forever. I know that a year is no time at all and I shouldn’t compare my relationship to anyone else’s. Especially not to Ginger and Keller, who moved at warp speed. Ginger and Keller are too ridiculous to even account for. I mean, sure, I might have fallen in love with my one-night stand, but we didn’t actually exchange “I love yous” for like… an entire week. And we weren’t engaged six weeks later.

As crazy as the start of our relationship was, every day since has been pretty normal. We’ve put in the work. Gotten to know each other. And I like him more every day than I did the day before. Truly. He’s my best friend. And he’s also really good in bed.

Ugh, now who’s gross? Me.

I’ve got it really good. I need