Can’t Fight the Mistletoe

15

Pam helps lead the charge with the guests, asking everyone to move their chairs to the round tables at the rear of the room for the reception. A handful of residents who formed a jazz band a few years ago set up their instruments where the bride and groom said their vows minutes ago. Dad and Paige roll up the aisle runner, and then it’s time for phase two.

Silas leads Peggy to the dance floor as the band plays the intro to “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” That song was the best thing to come out of Blue Hawaii, in my opinion, though I’d never tell Peggy so. The bandleader is no Elvis, but he does the song justice as the bride and groom sway in each other’s arms, gazes locked in pure adoration.

So many feelings, y’all. It’s too much.

“Hey,” Dan says, touching my elbow and guiding me outside.

There, away from the throng of people, away from the tidal wave of emotion, I can breathe.

I suck in a lungful of cold afternoon air, closing my eyelids as I turn my face toward the warm glow of the sun. Opening again, my heart stutters at the love and concern in Dan’s gaze.

“Thank you,” I whisper. “You knew exactly what I needed.”

The side of his mouth tilts upward as he pulls me close. The strains of the song float on the breeze as Dan leads me into a graceful slow dance on the edge of the sidewalk outside the pool house. He hums along, carrying the melody as we sway.

We’re interrupted by my phone alarm. I set them for each phase of the wedding in case my brain got hijacked, as it’s prone to do.

“Come with me to oversee the dinner service?” I ask, offering Dan my hand.

His fingers twine with mine as we walk the path toward the main building. I shiver from the cold.

“Sorry, I forgot to bring a jacket,” he says, as if he’s somehow responsible for anticipating my every need, which is so silly and so sweet it warms me right up.

“It’s fine. We’ll be inside in a second.”

He opens the door for me, and the first thing I notice at the end of the hall is the cluster of mistletoe. I raise my eyebrow but decide to leave it. The decorations are coming down tomorrow anyway.

Dan pauses beneath the cluster and kisses me, short and quick. He yanks the mistletoe, pockets it, and resumes walking with a satisfied smirk.

The next doorway boasts another sprig.

I’m pulled into another kiss, this one gentler, sweeter. Again, he removes the sprig and stuffs it into his pocket.

We turn toward the kitchens, and there I spot another green bunch. This one with a red bow.

As we pass beneath this time, I’m ready. Dan tugs me flush against him. I press my lips to his once, twice, three times before sinking into a languid kiss that prompts satisfied smiles on both our faces when we come up for air.

“Am I changing your opinion about the mistletoe yet?”

I grin. “Hmm. Might need more data.”

His laughter fills the hall as he also pockets this sprig before nudging me forward. I nearly forgot we have a job to do.

The kitchen is abuzz with activity. They’re loading two rolling carts with covered steamer pans. The chef calls out a greeting, assuring me they have everything under control and on its way to the pool house.

Dan leads me the opposite direction we came from.

“Where are we going? We need to get back,” I protest.

“Trust me, will you?”

We stop and kiss under every single doorway.

And each time, he stops to collect the mistletoe.

“What are you doing? I’ll get those tomorrow when I take down the Christmas stuff.”

“Quit thinking so hard, and help me,” he says when we enter the front reception area where there are multiple doorways branching off in all directions. I have to jump to pull down the sprigs, so it takes me twice as long. We meet at the entrance to the hallway between the storage room and my office.

His hands are full and so are his pants pockets. The tiny pockets in my maxi dress are too. Dan digs into one pocket and removes a small keyring, unlocking the storage room door.

He grabs the bucket from the top shelf. The very empty bucket.

My eyes widen as he begins filling it with the sprigs we’ve collected. I’m so dumb. Should’ve caught on way sooner.

“You did this?”

He replaces the bucket on the shelf, grabs me by the hand, and leads me toward my office.

“Are you mad?”

I pause to consider. “I might’ve been if I’d discovered it last week.”

He grins the sexiest grin, and I’m tempted to kiss his face off without the mistletoe. Maybe because of it.

I do need to know, though.

“Why?”

“Because I knew it would drive you crazy. And we both know I live for that.”

Shaking my head, I can’t fight the laugh building inside me from the sheer joy this man brings to my life. I’m a mess without him. But with him, I can do anything. Or nothing.

I can just be.

That’s no small thing.

He opens my office door and tilts my chin up. Sure enough, on the inside of the frame is one last green and white cluster.

Dan reaches up to remove it, but I stay his hand.

“Don’t mess with that one.”

His lips tip upward into a half smile as he leans closer until we’re a breath apart. “You sure?”

“Yes. You’ve changed my opinion about mistletoe,” I say with a nod, letting my nose caress the side of his as the moment stretches and the anticipation builds. “Besides, I have a feeling we’re going to be making good use of it for a long, long time.”

“Say, the next fifty or sixty years?” he asks, coming closer until I can’t take it any longer.

“At least. Now please, for the love of Christmas, kiss me.”

The End