Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Eli hadn’t expected to sleep.
His mind had been a riot of images: pine lights, Noah’s trembling smile, his name spelled in tiny bulbs, followed by those heart-stopping words.
Will you hold my hand forever?
But somehow, wrapped in Noah’s arms, Eli had drifted into the best sleep he’d had in years.
He woke to gentle morning light and Noah’s arm draped over his waist. Noah’s breathing was deep and even, and there was a faint smile on his lips as though he was enjoying a wonderful dream.
I hope it includes me.
The ring on his finger was a glorious reminder that it had all been real.
Noah blinked awake, and smiled the moment he saw Eli.
“Hey,” he whispered.
Eli smiled back. “Hey.”
Noah leaned in and kissed him, a half-asleep, affectionate brush of lips.
For a few peaceful minutes, the world comprised nothing but soft sheets, shared warmth, and the quiet certainty that last night had really happened.
Then Noah said it.
“Good morning… fiancé.”
Eli made a noise somewhere between a groan and a laugh and buried his face against Noah’s neck.
“Please stop saying it like that.”
“Why? You don’t like it?”
Eli’s voice was muffled. “I like it too much.”
Noah laughed. “Me too. In fact, I like it so much, I may start every day with those words, right up to the moment you become my husband.”
Husband.
Warmth suffused Eli in a slow tide, filling every part of him.
They lingered for a while, wrapped in blankets and kisses and the surreal weight of the word that had stuck in Eli’s mind ever since he’d seen it in lights.
Forever.
“We have a big important job to do this morning.”
Eli smiled. “I thought that was what you did yesterday.”
Noah chuckled. “I was so busy twisting those lights into words that I didn’t have time to decorate the tree.
I think it’s time we brought it in from the cold, don’t you?
That’s if we can even see it. There was more snow last night.
” He cupped Eli’s chin. “It’s something we should do together.
The first time, with many more to come.”
Eli beamed. “I’d like that. But do we have to do it right away?”
Noah’s eyes sparkled. It was as though he’d sloughed off all traces of sleep in a heartbeat.
“Did you have something else in mind?”
“It’s a cold morning. I think we need to warm up.”
Noah rolled on top of him, pinning Eli to the mattress.
“And I think that’s a wonderful idea.”
Two hours later, lights covered the tree and ornaments hung from its boughs.
“Do you have stuff back in Boston that would go on the tree?”
Eli stilled. “Not really. I didn’t do Christmas. It lost a lot of its magic when I was a kid.” Now he was discovering a new kind of Christmas magic, one that came in a Noah-shaped package.
A package he knew he would still be unwrapping when Christmas was over and New Year’s beckoned.
His phone buzzed, and he glanced at the screen.
Aileen: Breakfast, at the bakery. Bring the fiancé. [grin emoji] I love typing that. [heart emoji]
Eventually, they stepped outside into the cold Christmas Eve morning. The snow was light, a gentle dusting that made Mapleford sparkle. Eli and Noah walked hand in hand, their boots crunching in unison.
“Mark and Liam seemed like nice guys.”
Noah chuckled. “Okay, full disclosure. I dated Mark for about two weeks.”
“He’s an ex?”
Noah snorted. “Hardly. We had dinner a couple times, we caught a movie, and by then it was clear to both of us that while romance definitely wasn’t in our future, we had the makings of a damn good friendship.
Then he met Liam, and the rest is history.
” Noah tightened his hand around Eli’s. “He wasn’t right for me.
You know why?” He came to a halt, put his arms around Eli, and kissed him. “He wasn’t you.”
“Promise me you’ll keep kissing me all day.”
Noah smiled and kissed him again. “I’ll keep kissing you for the rest of our lives.”
Eli liked the sound of that.
They resumed their walk, and when they reached the bakery, Aileen already had the door half-open.
“There you are!” She grabbed Eli by the shoulders and pulled him inside. “Did you two sleep at all, or were you too busy being nauseatingly adorable?”
Eli was sure his cheeks were crimson. Noah choked on a laugh.
Aileen pulled them both into a hug. “I am so happy for you.”
Eli returned her hug. “Thank you.” The delicious aromas of coffee, cinnamon, sugar, and chocolate assaulted his nostrils.
Noah kissed Aileen’s cheek, gentler than Eli had ever seen him. “I wouldn’t have done it without your blessing.”
“You didn’t ask for my blessing,” she said, swatting him with a dish towel. “You just did it in the middle of Main Street where I had to pretend I wasn’t crying in front of customers.”
Noah grinned. “Then I owe you tissues for Christmas.”
Aileen rolled her eyes, but her smile softened. “I love you both. Now go sit at the table by the window. I made muffins, but you won’t have much time to eat them before the entire town shows up.”
“Shows up?” Eli echoed.
As if on cue, the bakery bell chimed.
Mrs. Donnelly burst in, her pug nestled in the crook of her arm, her voice booming. “There they are, our newly engaged boys!” The pug barked, wearing a tiny sweater that read TEAM NOELI in glitter paint.
Eli frowned. “Shouldn’t that be Noel?”
Aileen chuckled. “No, silly. It’s your names. You know, like Brangelina?”
Noah looked horrified. “Who did that?”
She snickered. “Elsie, obviously.”
Within minutes the bakery filled with neighbors, volunteers, and half the lantern crew from the night before. Every person congratulated them, some hugged them, some cried, and one person tried to ask about wedding dates.
Eli leaned against Noah. “I thought I’d become acclimatized, but this is a lot.”
Noah’s breath tickled his ear. “It’s Mapleford,” he murmured. “And this is subtle for them.”
“Do I get to congratulate the happy couple too?”
Eli froze. Mom stood in the doorway of the bakery, Trevor at her side, the kids outside playing at sword fights with giant candy canes.
He had a feeling this was Aileen’s doing.
Eli smiled. “Mom, this is Noah.”
Mom smiled. “When I heard, I said we had to stop by and meet your fiancé.”
Trevor shook Noah’s hand. “You made a rocking chair for our neighbor. She’s never out of it. Beautiful work.”
Noah thanked him.
“Mom, can we go skating?” Eli’s half-brother yelled through the door.
Mom rolled her eyes. “Kids nowadays. They always want something, don’t they?”
Noah laced his fingers through Eli’s and squeezed.
Eli straightened. “I’ll see you soon, Mom.”
And with that, they were gone.
“You okay?” Noah asked him.
Eli squeezed his hand. “I’m fine.”
Everything he needed was standing beside him.
Amid the bustle, Aileen reappeared with hot cocoa for both of them.
“I meant what I said last night. You two aren’t working today,” she said in a stern tone.
“Aileen—” Eli began.
“Nope. Not happening.” She crossed her arms. “Noah, your work is done. It’s Christmas Eve, you’re engaged, and the universe owes you a day off. Go be in love somewhere else.”
Eli’s throat tightened. “Aile—”
“Don’t make me shove you out the door,” she warned, her eyes shining. “I don’t want to see either of you until tomorrow morning. But if you turn up in matching Christmas sweaters, I may heave.” She hugged them both again. “Now escape while you can.”
As they left the bakery, someone shouted, “Hey! How about you two kiss for the crowd?”
Noah grabbed Eli’s hand and made a break for it. They stumbled along the road laughing, their breath forming white clouds in the cold air.
Eli spotted something, and his heart skipped a beat. “Quick, while there’s no one under it.” He tugged Noah’s hand.
“Under what?” Eli knew the moment Noah got the memo. “Oh my God, yes.”
They stopped under the mistletoe arch, and Eli kissed him, taking his time, Noah’s arms around him. When they parted, Eli noticed a golden retriever sitting a few feet away.
“You’ve probably already had your turn,” he told it. “Don’t be greedy.”
As though he’d understood every word, the dog stood and trotted off.
“Aw, we missed it!” someone called out. “Do it again so we can take a picture!”
Eli grabbed Noah’s hand. “Quick, run!”
As they neared the bookshop, Eli stopped, pressing his back against the brick wall, pulling Noah close until their coats brushed.
“Hi,” Eli whispered.
Noah smiled. “Hi.”
“How long do you think it’ll be before the good citizens of Mapleford get tired of asking us to kiss for them?
Noah chuckled. “In about thirty years?”
They kissed, not for the crowd, not for the spectacle, but for themselves, a promise of more to come. When they broke apart, snow drifting around them in delicate spirals, Noah touched Eli’s cheek.
“You know,” he murmured, “I asked you to hold my hand forever, but I didn’t quite expect forever to start this fast.”
Eli laughed softly. “I don’t mind.”
“Me neither.”
They kissed again, a quiet, steady beginning to their first Christmas Eve as fiancés. By the time they made it back to Noah’s house, the snow had begun to fall in earnest. Through the window, the tree lights glimmered invitingly.
Eli’s world had narrowed down to the man beside him, their gloved hands linked.
“It’s a little overwhelming, isn’t it?”
Noah nodded. “Yeah, but in a good way. The best way.”
Inside, Noah lit a fire, and the tree lights scattered warm reflections across the room. The faint scent of cinnamon and vanilla clung to Eli’s clothes.
“So, what do you want to do with our first Christmas Eve as engaged people?”
Noah smiled. “I’d be happy with just the two of us, in front of the fire. Movies, soup, grilled cheese, talking… kissing.” He grinned. “Definitely more kissing.”
Eli smiled too. “Sounds perfect.”
There was something he wanted to do before Christmas Day, but that would have to wait until he got a little time to himself.
Then he realized how he could achieve that.
“Would you do something for me this afternoon?”
Noah blinked. “Name it.”
“Would you go to the workshop and make me a picture frame? I’d like to put my drawing of you into it.”
Noah’s face glowed. “Of course I can do that. Wanna help me make it? If I can trust you near a saw, that is.”
He laughed. “Better not. I have a few emails to send, and I can get those out of the way while you work.”
They settled on the couch, tucked under a blanket. Eli curled sideways into Noah, his head resting on Noah’s shoulder, one hand over Noah’s chest. Noah slipped his arm around Eli’s waist.
It felt so effortless, as though this was a position they’d been waiting to fold into for years.
A warm silence filled the space. The tree’s lights glowed and the flames crackled. Outside, snow continued to fall.
“Do you ever wonder how we got here?” Eli asked in a low voice. “How one ridiculous moment in a hardware store turned into this?”
Noah laughed quietly. “I think about it constantly. It was an impulse I don’t regret for a second.”
Eli expelled a tiny exhale of relief. “I’m glad you asked me.”
Noah pressed his lips to Eli’s temple. “I’m glad you said yes.”
Eli shifted, and their lips met in a warm, lingering kiss. When they finally broke apart, Eli rested his forehead to Noah’s.
“Tell me,” he murmured. “When did you know?”
“Know what?”
“That you wanted this. Us. Forever.”
Noah closed his eyes. “Honestly? The night you came through the whiteout to get to me. I was terrified you’d say no to staying, or that you’d think I was asking for too much. But you… you made me feel as though wanting you wasn’t stupid.”
Eli’s breath hitched, and he curled closer. “It wasn’t stupid. It was brave.”
“And you? When did you know?”
Eli swallowed.
“When you said you didn’t want to be alone that night, and I realized that I didn’t either. Not anymore.”
Noah kissed him again, leisurely and reverent.
Eli brushed his nose against Noah’s. “We should talk. About the future, I mean. About how this is going to work.” And they would make it work, he had no doubt about that.
Noah nodded. “We will, but not right now.” He smiled. “Right now I just want to kiss my fiancé until we forget the world beyond that front door even exists.”
“Yeah,” Eli said with a happy sigh. “I want that too.”
He melted into Noah’s arms, Noah’s warmth.
He’s right. This isn’t the time to plan or think too far ahead.
It was the time to enjoy being two men in love, wrapped in a blanket in a quiet house, with a future waiting patiently until they were ready for it.
“But before we get back to kissing, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Eli craned his neck to look Noah in the eye. “And what’s that?”
Noah’s eyes were warm.
“I love you.”
Eli stilled, his heart pounding.
“I love you too.”
Words he didn’t think he would ever tire of repeating.