Chapter 21
One thing about Noelle, once she decided what she wanted, she didn’t waste any time getting it.
Casey loved that about her.
Especially when it turned out she wanted him.
It only took three dates and a buttload of red roses before she took him ring shopping, had him make a dinner reservation at the most expensive restaurant in Austin, and told him what string quartet to hire and the song they should play—what else? “The First Noel.” He had to admit the evening turned out real nice. Even when Noelle cried through the entire dinner and really sobbed when she saw the huge diamond ring she’d picked out.
But that was his Ellie. She wore her emotions right there for everyone to see. Like now, when tears were streaming down her face with every word she spoke.
“I, Noelle Carol Holiday, take you, Casey Michael Remington, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death—“ Her stubborn chin lifted as tears traced down her cheeks. “No, not even death is going to keep me from you, Casey Remington. We’re fated to be together and I’m not letting you go for all eternity.”
Casey grinned. “Anything you say . . . wife.” He didn’t wait for the preacher to pronounce them husband and wife. He kissed her. She threw her arms around him and kissed him back.
All the townsfolk squeezed into the Remington barn for the wedding ceremony cheered and whistled their approval. Or maybe they were just glad he was cutting things short so they could all go home and get ready for Santa to come.
Noelle had insisted on getting married on Christmas Eve in the Remingtons’ barn—but only after it had been painted the same bright red as the Holidays’ barn and Casey and Rome had hung a huge Christmas wreath over the hayloft. Casey had added a Happy Birthday, Noelle banner. He wanted the wedding reception to be her first real birthday party so mixed in with the wedding gifts were also birthday gifts from her friends and family.
Just not from Casey.
His birthday gift would come later . . . after they celebrated a union that had been fated since kindergarten.
Since Noelle was a chef, Casey had thought she’d want to plan and help prepare the entire reception dinner. But instead, she’d wanted a potluck because she said that every person in town had a specialty food she and Casey had grown up with and loved. It only made sense that they’d celebrate with all those fond food memories.
The variety of food from barbecue chicken wings to tuna casserole did bring back memories of Casey’s childhood. But the thing that brought back the most memories was his new bride. Every time he looked at her, hundreds of images crowded his brain. Most were good, but there were a few bad ones. He figured that was all part of loving someone.
There were good times and bad times in every relationship.
His relationships with his parents were perfect examples. If he focused only on the bad, he’d never have a relationship with either one of them. So he’d decided to focus on the good and it seemed to be making things better between him and his mama and daddy.
He no longer tried to get under Sam’s skin by playing the uncaring playboy. Before he asked Noelle to be his wife, he’d invited Hank over to the house to ask both his and Sam’s permission to marry Noelle. Sam had looked more than a little blindsided to be sitting in his study with his archenemy—and that Casey was asking his permission about anything. He looked even more surprised when Casey started talking about the improvements he wanted to make to the ranch. After Hank left, Casey had started to go to bed when Sam had stopped him.
“I’m happy you have a plan, son. All I’ve ever wanted was your happiness.”
With those words, Casey realized his father might not outwardly show his love, but it was there. It had always been there. And that was all that mattered.
The same went for Casey’s mama.
Although Glorieta was getting better at outward displays of love. Before the wedding ceremony, she had fussed over him and Rome—fixing their hair and making sure their red bowties were straight. At the reception, she had hugged Cloe and Noelle and told them how happy she was to have them in the family and oohed and ahhed over Autumn Grace.
The Remingtons weren’t a perfect family. But that was okay. Casey was learning that all families came with their own problems. Even the Holidays. And one of the biggest problems of being in the Holiday family was getting alone time with his wife. If Noelle wasn’t line dancing with her sisters, she was two-stepping with her brothers-in-law or her daddy. Or helping her mama get out the desserts. Or sipping homemade elderberry wine with Mimi and Sunny.
Which is where Casey finally found her.
“We were just talking about you, Casey Remington.” Mimi poured him a glass of wine and handed it to him. He had learned at their engagement celebration, after falling into the Holidays’ Christmas tree and knocking it over, that Mimi’s wine was potent. So he only took a small sip before he flashed the older woman a wink.
“I hope it was all good.”
Mimi winked back. “What fun is a man who’s all good? Bad boys make much better husbands—something my granddaughter was smart enough to figure out on her own. Sunshine and I didn’t even have to implement our plan.”
Noelle glanced between the two women. “You and Sunny had a plan to get me and Casey together?”
Sunny jumped in. “Don’t get mad, Elle. Mimi just thought that if I acted like I was interested in Casey, you’d realize you didn’t hate him.” She smiled brightly. “But as luck would have it, Casey showed up at Nothin’ But Muffins and became your cowboy hero.”
“Not luck,” Mimi said. “Divine intervention. God has always had a plan for these two. And speaking of God’s plans, we need to get to cuttin’ that cake.”
“Oh!” Noelle set down her glass of wine. “You’re right, Mimi.”
The wedding cake had been made by Noelle. The six-tiered Sugarplum Fairy cake with whole sugared plums shimmering on each white-iced layer was the prettiest cake Casey had ever seen in his life. But the best part was the cake topper: a grinning cowboy holding the end of a lasso wrapped around a dark-haired baker in a white chef’s hat and holly-print apron.
Although the baker should be the one with the lasso.
Noelle had certainly lassoed Casey’s heart.
And he never wanted her to let go.
After he and Noelle cut the Sugarplum Fairy cake and fed it to each other—or more like shoved it into each other’s faces until they laughed so hard Noelle started crying—Casey thought they would move on to tossing the garter and bouquet. But instead, Noelle motioned to Liberty and Belle to join them and then watched with a soft smile on her face as Belle cut into the smaller cake sitting next to the wedding cake.
Casey had noticed the cake. He’d just thought it was extra in case they ran out. Now he realized it was decorated like the Fourth of July with red, white, and blue icing and sparkly stars. Once Belle had placed two slices on plates, she and Liberty handed the plates to their husbands. Jesse and Corbin looked as confused as Casey.
“Well, don’t just stand there,” Noelle said. “Try it.”
Corbin cut into his slice first. Or tried to. “Umm . . . there’s something in here.”
“There’s something in mine too.” Jesse pushed back the cake and frosting with his fork to reveal a long stick of what looked like white chocolate. “What is this?” He lifted the stick that had two skinny pink lines painted across it. The townswomen gathered around seemed to figure it out right away and started sighing and whispering happily to each other.
The men seemed more stumped.
They all continued to stare at the white chocolate stick until Mrs. Stokes finally spoke.
“Oh, for the love of Pete! It’s supposed to be a pregnancy test. Jesse and Corbin, your wives are obviously trying to tell y’all that you’re gonna be daddies.”
“A daddy?” Corbin looked at Belle. When she nodded with a trembling smile, he set down his plate, scooped her into his arms, and carried her straight to the ladder that led to the hayloft.
Jesse was still looking stunned. “But I thought . . .”
Tears traced down Liberty’s cheeks. “I thought so too, but I guess God had other plans. Now are you just gonna stand there, Jesse Cates, or are you gonna—”
Jesse leaned his head back and released a war whoop that rang through the rafters before he dropped the fake pregnancy test and his plate of cake and swung his wife around in a circle while she laughed and everyone applauded.
Once the baby surprise was over, it was time to toss the garter and bouquet. Casey threw the garter too far and it bypassed the group of single men and ended up getting lost among the people standing around watching. But the bouquet was caught by Sunny. No doubt because Noelle aimed straight for her.
As Sunny was celebrating her good fortune, Casey took his bride’s hand and led her out the barn door.
Noelle didn’t ask any questions. She just cuddled his arm and smiled up at him with eyes that reflected the outdoor Christmas lights as he led her to his truck that had been decorated with more lights and a big sign in the back window that read, #thebakerandthecowboyheroforever .
Noelle sighed. “Forever and ever.”
On the way into town, they sang Christmas carols at the top of their lungs. They were singing about dashing through the snow when Casey bypassed the turnoff to the Holiday Bed and Breakfast where they planned to spend the night.
Noelle cut off singing. “You missed the turnoff, Case.”
“So I did.”
She turned to him. “What are you up to, Casey Remington?”
He bit his bottom lip and sent her his most innocent look. “Not a thing, Noelle Remington. Not a thing.”
When he pulled into a parking space in front of Nothin’ But Muffins, she became even more confused. “What are you doin’, Case? It’s closed. Sheryl Ann was at the wedding, remember?”
“Your sisters had their surprise and now it’s time for yours.” He hopped out and came around to open her door.
As soon as she got out, she hooked her arms over his shoulders. “You loving me is the best surprise a girl could ask for.”
His heart swelled and he brushed a kiss over her cherry-red lips. “That shouldn’t have been a surprise. I think I’ve loved you since you skipped into kindergarten in that rainbow tutu and big glittery bow. You looked like a pretty wrapped present I wanted just for me.”
“Well, you got me. So why don’t you take me back to the Noelle Room and do some unwrapping?”
“Oh, I plan to, honey. But first, your birthday surprise. Although, just to warn you, it might not be as exciting as hitting one hundred thousand followers and getting that butter company to pay you to only use their butter in all your social media baking.”
“That was a nice surprise, but I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter how many sponsors, followers, or likes I get as long as I have my family’s . . .” she leaned up and kissed him, “. . . and my sweet cowboy hero’s love.”
He smiled. “You’ll always have that, Ellie.” He released her and took her hand. “Now quit distracting me and come on.” He led her to the door of the café.
“We can’t get in, Case. I didn’t bring my key.”
He pulled a key out of his jeans pocket. “I just so happen to have one on me.” He unlocked the door, and then held it open for her. When she stepped inside, her gaze immediately went to the sign surrounded by twinkle lights he’d hung that morning.
She read the words in an awed whisper. “Nothin’ But Muffins, Sheryl Ann Starr and Noelle Holiday Remington, proprietors?” She turned to him in question and he smiled a smile straight from his heart. A heart this woman had claimed as her own.
“Sheryl Ann approached me a few weeks ago with the idea. I guess Mrs. Stokes suggested it when Sheryl mentioned how overwhelmed she felt dealing with all her family’s issues. Mrs. Stokes convinced her that having a talented pastry chef as her partner would lighten her workload and give her someone to hand the café off to when she’s ready to retire. But if you’re not interested—”
Noelle cut him off. “Casey!” She flung her arms around him and hugged him tight before she drew back and pulled out her phone. “I have to tell Mama, Daddy, Mimi, and my sisters—and my followers! They’re going to be as thrilled as I am.”
He took her cellphone and slipped it in his back pocket. “Later. Right now . . .” He locked the door and turned to her with a wicked grin. “I have a naughty baker’s fantasy I’d like to fulfill.”
“A naughty baker’s fantasy? And just what does that entail?”
He kissed the tip of her cute nose. “You’re a smart woman, Noelle Holiday Remington, I think you can figure it out.”
He took her hand and led her to the back where they ended up baking a little something of their own in the Holiday Kitchen .
THE END