A Christmas Delight

31. Chapter Thirty-one

Chapter Thirty-one

Joel

“ I ’m going home,” I say. The lights, the music, the crowd, the smells are starting to make me dizzy. I want to go back to the hermit I was before I met Maisie. It’s easier that way.

Dad pats my shoulder but doesn’t say anything. He took a walk alone around the fair, and he’s had that secretive look on his face since he came back. I wonder what that’s about.

Brent, on the other hand, rolls his eyes so much I’m scared he’ll get a concussion. “Oh, come on, stay a little.” He holds up the corndog he’s been eating. “Want some? I’ll buy you one.”

“I don’t feel like it. Better stay out of Maisie’s way.”

“What happened with her anyway?” he asks. “What did she say about Finn?”

“Not much. What she does is her business now.”

Dad smiles to himself, then chuckles, then starts laughing. Brent and I watch him, glancing at each other.

“You think he’s having a stroke?” he whispers.

“So that’s what happened,” Dad says.

I frown. “What happened?”

“I ran into Finn earlier. He was leaving. He was soaked to the bone. Looked like someone had thrown a drink to his face. Smelled like coffee.” He laughs some more, and a smile lifts my lips as an image begins to form in my head, the fantasy that Maisie did that. God, I hope she did.

Dad wraps his arm around my shoulders. “Come on, one ride. You always loved it. And then you can go.”

I let him steer me toward the Ferris wheel. I can’t say no to my dad. As we approach it, we walk not far from the Donut Delight stand. I glance toward it. Nina is serving customers, helped by Andy. Maisie’s mom is still there. I can’t see Maisie anywhere. I hope she’s okay. She’ll probably be, now that there’s no jerk hurting her, myself included.

When it’s our turn to get on the Ferris wheel, I climb in the pod and sit. Just then, someone wearing a colorful jacket and beanie cuts through the crowd and enters the pod, sitting next to me.

“Thanks, Randall,” Maisie says.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

Brent frowns, his mouth full of corn dog. “What’s happening?”

“We’re waiting for the next one,” Dad tells him.

“What are you doing?” I ask Maisie, my mind scrambling to understand what’s happening. “You’re scared of heights.”

“I’m aware.” She tenses up as soon as the wheel begins to move, then laughs nervously. “Oh, boy. It’s fine. I’m fine. Never been so fine.”

The wheel turns, shaking us slightly. Maisie lets out a little yelp, and her arm shoots out, her hand gripping my arm reflexively. I cover her fingers with my hand, patting it.

“Breathe. It’s gonna be okay.”

“Uh-huh. Sure. All good. Cool, cool, cool.”

We rise to the top, overlooking the fair and its thousand lights. The snowy mountains loom over us, and snowflakes descend from a deep purple sky.

“Wow,” she breathes out.

“Told you the view was amazing.”

“It is. But I still prefer to have my feet on the ground.”

I bite back on a smile. Even like that, with her body rigid, her features tight, and her fingers digging into my arm, she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. “What are you doing here, Maisie? I thought you didn’t want to see me.”

Maisie forces air into her lungs, breathing slightly easier as we go down. She turns to me. “Were you sincere when you apologized?”

My hand tightens over hers. “Yes.”

“Are you going to find a way to work on your trust issues?”

My heart pounds my chest as hope begins to creep in. “Yes.”

“Because I can’t do that for you.”

“I know.”

“And I’ll walk away if this happens again.”

“You’d be right to do so.”

“I’m learning to stand up for myself. To set bounda— oh, God.” Her fingers tighten as we rise again. She swallows, breathing through her mouth. “I’m learning to set boundaries. I told my mom how I felt, and that she needed to go home. And the funny thing was, she didn’t stop loving me or anything. I felt stupid for thinking she would, honestly.” She lets out a tight, shaky laugh. “Also gave Finn a piece of my mind.”

“Were you the one to throw coffee at his face?”

She looks at me, a nervous smile playing at the corner of her lips. “Yeah, but I did it for free. I’m not a monster.”

I close my eyes and ball my fist. “Yes.”

She chuckles, but once again goes rigid as the wheel stops moving at the highest point, shaking our pod. “What’s happening? Why aren’t we moving?”

“People need to get out. Or in. Don’t worry, it won’t last long.”

She shuts her eyes tightly for a moment. “I hate this so much.”

I pry her hand off my arm and hold it, crossing my fingers with hers, and wrap my other arm around her shoulders. “I’ve got you.”

Maisie looks at me, her green eyes slightly shimmering. “I admit I didn’t handle things well, either. When I saw how beautiful Catherine was, I wondered why the hell you would be with someone like me.”

“I don’t care about her. I only care about you.”

“These feelings scare me too, you know.” She smiles. “Maybe we can be scared together.”

I never imagined I would hear that. But I need more. “What feelings?”

“I think you know.”

“I want to hear it.”

It feels as though her gaze is piercing me, as though she can see through my soul. “I love you. And maybe this is a mistake, and maybe I’ll get hurt again, but I can’t walk away and not give this a shot. I just… can’t.”

I cup her jaw and lean in for a kiss. Some of the tension in her body melts away, and she leans into me, asking for more. I never thought I’d feel her lips against mine again.

“You’re not making a mistake,” I tell her as we break our kiss, breathing into each other’s space. “I love you, and I’ll do anything to make you happy. I’ll never hurt you again. I promise.”

She smiles, her other hand reaching up to graze my jaw. “I believe you.” She kisses me again. “Looks like I’m going to have my perfect Christmas after all.”

The Ferris wheel finally moves, and Maisie clings to me, swearing under her breath. I hold her tight. Despite her fear of heights, she climbed in for me, and it makes me feel special. To her dismay, the wheel stops again. I distract her by kissing her deeply, feeling her body relax against mine.