for a moment before he leaned across the space and pressed his lips to hers. “I assure you, it is very much my pleasure.”
A shock went through her all the way down to her toes that were cozy in her warm boots.
There’d never been another man who’d given her that type of thrill from a simple kiss. In fact, she’d forgotten that feeling existed at all. She’d been sixteen the last time she’d felt it. When she’d kissed Jeremy for the first time.
Bella would have happily stayed in the truck kissing him all day, but before she could even attempt to sway him to her way of thinking, he’d hopped out of the truck and had opened her door.
“Ready for some festive fun?” Jeremy offered her a hand that she took.
“Absolutely.”
The moment her feet hit the ground, she heard the music mixed with the jingling of bells and she had to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Jeremy wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. It was such an intimate move, but it felt perfectly right.
“It’s just so…” Bella shrugged. “Christmasy. I kind of love it.”
“It’s pretty awesome, isn’t it?” Jeremy led her toward the barn, where the horse-drawn sleigh had just pulled up. “And this is my favorite Christmas carol.”
“It is?” Bella tilted her head to hear it better. “It is,” she said, remembering that he’d told her a few days earlier. “The Christmas Song.” Jeremy nodded and she started singing. “Jack Frost nipping at your nose.”
Jeremy’s smile encouraged her, so she kept singing.
When the song was done, he pulled her in for a quick kiss. “And now it’s really my favorite.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. It’s just so festive.”
“Don’t apologize. It was amazing.” He squeezed her hand and used his free arm to gesture to the trees. “As soon as the sun goes down and the lights come on, I think you’ll be even more impressed. The girls did a great job. Oh!” Jeremy pointed toward a small group. “Speak of the devils. There they are. Come on. I want to introduce you.”
Bella laughed. “I’ve met them before, remember?”
“Doesn’t count,” he said as they got closer. “We were kids then.”
She stopped short, forcing him to stop as well. “We met when we were kids, too.”
Jeremy turned and wrapped her up tight in his arms. “It’s not the same. We’re…” Instead of finishing his thought, he kissed her thoroughly, right in front of everyone by the barn. A fact she only remembered when a few whoops and hollers of appreciation sounded.
“Don’t just stand there kissing her all day.” A beautiful blonde woman, who Bella instantly recognized as one of the Turner twins—which one, she never could be sure—squeezed between them, breaking up the kiss. The woman turned to chastise Jeremy with a waggle of her finger before looping Bella’s arm in hers and tugging her toward the waiting crowd.
Fortunately, Bella didn’t embarrass easily because for the next few minutes she was fawned over and teased about spending all her time with Jeremy.
They were all so welcoming that, just as when she was a kid, Bella felt right at home. It didn’t take long before she was laughing and joking with everyone as if they were old friends. Which, in a way, they were. The blonde turned out to be Faith. But her sister, Hope—who was pregnant and on bed rest—joined them as well from a wheelchair that she clearly hated.
“It’s a means to an end,” she told Bella as she rested her hands on her blanketed stomach. “If it means that this little one is safe and sound, then I’ll keep sitting and let everyone wait on me hand and foot.” She laughed and reached up to take her husband’s hand.
“You know I’ll go to the ends of the earth for the two of you, babe.” Levi bent down and kissed her on the forehead. It was such a sweet and touching moment, that Bella felt as though she were intruding.
“They do that all the time.” Stephanie Starz, the movie star, joined her and shook her head with a laugh. “They all do it.” She rolled her eyes but Bella could see that she didn’t really mind. “It’s hard being the only single one around this group.” She groaned but then laughed. “But hey, it’s better than being stuck with someone you shouldn’t be, am I right?”
Bella had never considered herself the type of person to get star struck, but she found herself at a loss for words with