“What?” I screech, spitting more tea out. Why I accept drinks from her while we talk, knowing I can’t hold them in, is beyond me.
“What? You said we’re friends. Friends tell each other how good their sex life is.”
“It’s…” Blushing, I set my glass down between us. I smile, letting the words fall out of my mouth. “It’s fantastic.”
I smile harder, thinking about Dax. His hands. His lips on mine. His body covering mine.
He makes me feel like a better, lighter version of myself. Womanly. Invincible. Whole. He doesn’t have to use a stethoscope to tell me my heart beats faster with him near.
I feel it beat damn near out of my chest when I even get a text from him.
Sienna snaps her fingers in front of me. “Did you just have a stroke? Hello? I’m talking to you.”
I throw my head back and laugh, enjoying the way my lips stretch. How my whole face comes to life. I’ve laughed more today than I have in a long time, and it’s all because of Dax.
And Sienna.
Jacob.
Sunnyville.
“No,” I say to Sienna. “I’m just happy.”
“I like seeing you this way.”
“What about you? I noticed you and Brooks at Jacob’s party last month. You were looking… comfortable,” I say suggestively.
She waves her hands in front of her. “His name is very Brady Bunch, and as tasty as he would be, I don’t get involved with taken men.”
I tilt my head for her to explain.
“It’s exactly what I told Staci. I mean, it’s obvious there’s something going on there, even if they can’t admit it.”
“You’re very insightful, you know?”
She shrugs. “I know. I should charge people for my great observations and advice.”
“But then you wouldn’t have time for me.”
“Ah, but I’d always make time for my young grasshopper.”
“I thought you were my grasshopper?” I sip more tea.
She tears her attention from the front lawn, then blinks at me. “What’re we even talking about?”
I laugh again.
This is indeed happiness.
Dax and I hold hands as we walk down Main Street. Jacob jogs ahead, his arms flailing backward.
“Wait for us,” I call to him, but I don’t move faster.
Instead, I snuggle into Dax as a cold breeze comes through. He pulls me into his side, squeezing me, stirring butterflies in my stomach.
Christmas lights strung in the trees twinkle as the sun starts to set. The air is crisp and fresh. We pass familiar faces and nod.
We don’t hide or drop our hands. Instead, we snuggle closer and smile.
The perfect afternoon.
It’s been like this for weeks. Our schedules don’t always align, and Dax sometimes gets called away, but when we get together, it’s so blissfully perfect.
Dax and me holding hands through the grocery store.
Dax and me stealing kisses in the vineyard.
Dax and me taking Jacob to the movies, to Mama Bertha’s, to the Thanksgiving parade.
Now we’re Christmas shopping together, and I couldn’t be happier.
Last Christmas, Jacob and I didn’t come to Sunnyville for a visit. We were still mourning Mitch’s death and trying to pack up the house for when we sold it. We spent Christmas Eve with Melanie and her family, but it was just Jacob and me for Christmas Day.
This year, we’ll be spending the season with my parents and stepparents. And Dax.
I was nervous to tell Jacob about us, but he took it really well. He was excited, even, saying now Dax will be around more to play Minecraft and a new game he’s into—Fortnite.
“This. This is the store I want to go to.” Jacob peers into the glass window of a storefront—a comic book store.
“Who are you shopping for in here, mister?”
“Dax, of course.” He whips around to face Dax, his eyes wide and pleading. “But you can’t come in with Mom and me. I want it to be a surprise.”
Dax leans down to be eye level with him. “You got it. Why don’t you and your mom go in here while I make a phone call to check in with work?”
He nods, then pulls the door of the store open.
I squeeze Dax’s arm when he kisses my lips.
“I’ll be right over there.” He points to a bench by a light pole wrapped in red ribbon.
My instinct is to ask if everything’s okay, but I’ve come to learn not to. He’ll tell me if everything’s fine, but when it’s not, I can’t take the hard way his jaw sets or the emptiness in his eyes.
I can’t take how much his job breaks his heart.
But on the days when things go well, there’s a light in his eyes that makes me understand why he does it. Why he puts himself through the hard cases and long hours. It’s his calling.
His purpose.
“Where is it?” Jacob mutters to himself while thumbing through a stack of colorful comic books. He groans, then moves to the next stack.
“What’re you looking for, honey? I can help.”
“Iron Man. Dax said it’s his favorite and that he doesn’t have all of them.”
“Okay, let’s get to work, buddy.”
Twenty minutes later, Jacob finds the one he wants, but as we start walking away, he finds two others that would be perfect as well. We take another ten minutes to decide between the three.
We walk up to the counter, a smile on Jacob’s face as he sets the prized book on the counter. He’s so animated, I’d think he was shopping for himself.
I can’t stop myself from hugging him on the way out of the store. “He’s going to love it.”
“I hope so,” he says, then shimmies out of my hold.
“Hot chocolate, anyone?” Dax asks, holding two cups out.
Jacob practically leaps toward one, and I grab the other. “Did you get anything?” I ask.
“I had a decaf coffee.” He kisses my cheek, then peers down at Jacob. “We ready?”
“Everything okay at the hospital?” Jacob’s question surprises me. It makes me wonder how much he picks up on when it comes to Dax’s job.
“Just fine. In fact, I have the rest of the afternoon and evening off. What do you two say to picking up a gingerbread house to build?”
“Really?” I ask, squeezing his hand. I take in Jacob’s unenthused shrug and fight a laugh.
I’m just about to suggest something else, but Jacob speaks up. “You two should go on a date.”
“What?” we ask in unison.
He shrugs again. “You two should get dressed up and go out to dinner. Luke said his parents go out. They call it ‘date night.’”
I cover my smile with my hand. He’s going to break hearts someday, especially if he keeps hanging out with Luke Malone. It’s like swoony romance runs in his family’s gene pool.
Dax gives me a coy smile. “What do you think?”
“That sounds perfect.” I turn to Jacob. “Good idea, bud. Now, let’s see if Grandma can come stay with you.”
“Can Andrew come too? I want to hear more about life in the village. He has all kinds of stories from Greece and growing up with the goats. He had sheep and chickens and pigs too.” Jacob continues talking about Andrew as we walk to the car. “Did you know he never had pet dogs? The only dogs he had were to herd the animals. Can we get goats and a dog to herd around the backyard?”