Chapter 20 #2
I focused on wrapping the final bit of lights around the very top branch, buying myself time.
What was I doing after New Year’s? The plan had always been to head back home, lick my wounds, and try to rebuild my life.
But lately, I’d been wondering if there was anything there for me except an empty house and uninvolved parents.
“I’m not sure,” I finally answered, my voice softer than I intended. “I haven’t really figured it out yet.”
“No pressure,” Diego said quickly. “Just curious.”
I climbed down a few rungs to grab a box of ornaments, finding myself eye-level with him.
Up close, I could see the flecks of gold in his brown eyes, the slight curve of his lips that always seemed ready to smile.
Three days without seeing him, and I’d somehow forgotten just how unfairly handsome he was.
“What about you?” I asked, surprising myself as I moved back up the ladder, box balancing in one hand. “Still planning to move on?”
Something flickered across his face. He grabbed a box of ornaments himself and began hanging them on the tree.
“I’ve been thinkin’ about that, actually,” he admitted. “Turner Ranch is a good place. Beau and Lucas are good people. Maybe... maybe I don’t need to keep movin’ all the time.”
My heart did a ridiculous little flip. “You’d stay in Sagebrush?”
“I might,” he said, those dark eyes locked on mine. “If I had a reason to.”
The implication hung between us, heavy with possibility. I swallowed hard and turned back to the tree, climbing higher to escape the intensity of his gaze.
We worked in companionable silence after that, hanging ornaments one by one as the boxes slowly emptied around us.
Dolly had accumulated quite the collection over the year.
There was everything from handmade paper stars to delicate glass balls that looked like they’d survived multiple decades or been passed down as family heirlooms.
“Look at this one,” Diego chuckled, holding up a mirrored glass cowboy boot with “Merry Christmas Y’all” painted across it. “Pure Texas.”
“It’s hideous,” I laughed. “Put it right in front.”
As we decorated, the diner gradually emptied and refilled of customers, leaving us on display for a brand new audience. Christmas music played softly from the speakers, and outside, the streetlights cast a warm glow on the darkening street. It felt cozy, almost magical.
“I think we’re almost done,” I said, surveying our work from the ladder. “Just need to put the star on top.”
“Here you go.” Diego handed me a large silver star, our fingers brushing again. “Make a wish when you put it up there.”
I scoffed, taking the star from him as I climbed higher. Stretching my arms as far as I could, until the star slipped over the top of the tree and slotted into the place.
“There,” I sighed, leaning back to get a better look at it. “That should do—”
My words were cut off as the ladder suddenly tipped. I barely had time to cry out before I felt myself wheeling backward, my feet no longer touching the ladder rungs. I tensed my body, waiting for the impact on the hard linoleum floor and hoping I survived the ordeal.
Instead, I felt a sudden warmth and a huff as I slammed against something soft, coming to a stop completely unharmed. Then I opened my eyes.
Diego had caught me.
His strong arms wrapped around my waist, holding me firmly against his chest as we both stumbled backward before finding our balance. His breath was warm against my neck, and I could feel his heart hammering through his shirt.
“You okay?” he asked, his voice low and concerned, still not letting go of me.
“Yeah,” I breathed, my own heart racing from the fall and his proximity. “Thanks for the save.”
“I knew that ladder was a death trap,” he murmured, his lips so close to my ear that I felt a shiver run down my spine.
We stayed like that for a moment, his arms around my waist, my back pressed against his chest. Neither of us seemed eager to break the connection. I could have sworn I felt him inhale deeply, like he was breathing in the scent of my hair.
“Are you always gonna be there to save me?” The question slipped out before I could stop it, softer and more vulnerable than I’d intended.
His arms tightened slightly around me. “Of course I will, Freckles,” he promised, his voice barely above a whisper against my ear. “For as long as you’ll let me.”
Something shifted in that moment, like pieces clicking into place.
The past three days of avoiding him, of trying to convince myself that what happened in Amarillo was just a temporary escape from reality, suddenly seemed ridiculous.
Because this… his arms around me, his steady presence, the way he looked at me like I mattered…
this felt more real than anything I’d ever had.
I turned in his arms to face him, our chests nearly touching. His dark eyes searched mine, full of questions he wasn’t asking. Customers and staff alike were watching us. Even Dolly was standing behind the counter, her mouth hanging open in shock. But for once, I didn’t care who was looking.
“I think I’m done running,” I said quietly, my hands coming to rest on his chest. “From you, I mean.”
A slow smile spread across his face, making his eyes crinkle at the corners in that way that always made my heart skip. “Yeah?”
I nodded, feeling suddenly shy despite everything we’d already shared. “Yeah.”
Diego’s gaze dropped to my lips for a fraction of a second before returning to my eyes. We were standing directly under the mistletoe that Dolly had hung days ago. Somehow, we’d ended up under the little plant again, almost like it was fate.
“You know where we’re standing, right?” he asked, as if reading my thoughts.
“I do,” I replied, my voice steadier than I felt. “And I think we should honor tradition.”
Diego didn’t need to be told twice. One hand came up to cup my face, thumb brushing gently across my cheek as he leaned in.
His lips met mine in a kiss that was soft and sweet and achingly tender, nothing like the heated urgency we’d shared in Amarillo.
This was a promise, an offering, a new beginning.
I melted into him, my arms wrapping around his neck as I pulled him in tight.
When we finally pulled apart, the whole diner erupted in cheers and applause. I felt my face flush hot with embarrassment, but Diego just grinned, keeping his arm wrapped firmly around my waist.
“Well, it’s about damn time!” Dolly called from behind the counter, wiping at her eyes with the corner of her apron.
“I love you,” Diego whispered, his forehead pressed against mine, words meant only for me despite our audience.
The confession knocked the wind out of me. Three simple words that somehow held the weight of everything I’d been running from… and everything I’d been searching for.
“I love you too,” I whispered back, surprised by how easily the words came and how right they felt.
He kissed me again, quick and sweet, before pulling back with that cocky grin that still made my heart race.
“So, Freckles,” he said softly, not breaking his gaze. “You wanna get the hell out of here?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
He let go of my waist, taking my hand instead. “C’mon.”
“What about the tree?” I asked, heat rushing to my face.
“Dolly?” Diego called out, still pulling me toward the door.
“Yeah, sugar?”
He gave her a wink. “Finish your own damn tree. I got important business with your nephew.”
She just smiled, lifting her hand to wave as we headed out the door. “Have fun y’all!”