A Little Country Christmas - Carolyn Brown Page 0,77
placed her palm in his, and he wrapped his free arm around her waist.
“Is this the hand you broke?” he asked, nodding to the one he held.
“Wrist,” she corrected. “But yeah.”
He pressed his lips to the inside of that once-broken wrist, and she shivered.
Peyton pulled her close.
“Sing something!” someone called out. “They need a song for their first dance!”
And, as if it had been planned all along, the whole crowd burst into “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” and Dani and Peyton both laughed.
The sirens drew closer until she knew the ambulance or fire truck or whatever emergency vehicle was sent had arrived.
Lieutenant Carter Bowen and his unit of firefighters approached, and after they had determined that no one was hurt, they made their way toward the building to assess the damage and any further danger of collapse.
Dani tilted her head up toward his. “You’re so stupid,” she said, half laughing, half crying.
“For climbing onto a roof that wasn’t structurally sound?” he asked.
She nodded. “And for spending almost six hundred dollars on a holiday decoration.”
He tilted his head to one side. “And if you’d won that auction, you would have been the one up there making questionable decisions.”
She let go of his hand and cupped his cheeks in her palms. “You could have been hurt. Or worse. All because I was too scared of you leaving to believe you might actually stay. I’m sorry, Peyton. I can’t imagine how hard it is for you to be back here after losing your parents. I should have cut you some slack. I should have given you the benefit of the doubt, I should have—”
“You could have told me the whole story. About us.”
She groaned. “It’s embarrassing.”
“It’s our story, Deputy. There’s nothing embarrassing about that.”
She rolled her eyes. “I guess it doesn’t matter that I’ve never left Meadow Valley, because it looks like I’ve got as much baggage as you do.”
He pressed his lips to her forehead. “I’ll help you carry yours if you help me carry mine,” he said softly against her ear.
She shivered again.
“You’re staying?” she asked, daring to let the hope seep into her voice.
“I once thought I had to leave Meadow Valley to do something important. To make a difference. But Meadow Valley is important. You’re important. I texted no in response about the interview, right after you kicked me out of your mom’s house.”
Her eyes widened. “I tried so hard to read your phone screen through that stupid doorbell camera.”
He laughed. “And I’ve been trying to tell you for three days. But I should have told you about the interview as soon as I saw you on Friday. I messed up too. Which really sucks because I’m falling in love with you, Deputy. So if you don’t forgive me, I might have to go back to being a grinch.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
“You were going to win the lights parade contest for me, and you’re falling in love with me? I’m guessing this story of ours has a happy ending,” she said.
“Not a contest, Dani.”
She laughed. “Shut up and kiss me again, Coop.”
And he did.
* * *
One year and one day later…Christmas Eve, to be exact…
Dani, Teddy, Sheriff Thompson, and Keith stood on the street in front of what was now officially named the Meadow Valley Town Hall and Sheriff’s Department while Peyton waited in front of the door ready to plug the extension cord into the one outside outlet.
They listened for the chime of the firehouse bell, the indication that it was time to begin the parade.
The bell sounded, and they all stared down First Street as far as they could see, watching as one building lit up. Then another. And another.
“Almost!” Dani called to Coop. “Wait for it…Here we go…Three. Two. One. Now!”
He plugged in the cord, and the town hall lit up from base to roof, everything from twinkling icicles all the way to the life-sized ornament on the reinforced, definitely structurally sound roof.
Cheers erupted up and down the street as Mayor Peyton Cooper strode down the town hall steps, gathering his beautiful, pregnant wife in his arms.
“Merry Christmas, Mrs. Coop,” he said, kissing her first on the nose, then the mouth, and then her rounded belly. “Merry Christmas, Little Coop,” he said to the baby inside, the one who’d hopefully be riding horses with his mama before even learning to walk.
“Merry Christmas, Coop,” Dani said when he straightened to kiss her again. “And look at that beautiful street. Everyone