Chapter Ten
“Are you ready?”
Melanie nodded.
Beside her, John laughed softly. “Are you sure?”
She nodded again.
They stood at the doors to the church and Melanie’s heart beat like wild. This was it. This was her wedding day.
Her Christmas wedding day.
Turning to her father, she studied him. He looked so handsome in his tuxedo and in that moment, she realized just how much he had changed in the last two years, how much they both had.
Swallowing hard, she asked, “Did you ever think we’d be here?”
John looked at her curiously. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…here,” she replied.
“On your wedding day? Of course. I told you, I’ve been thinking of this since you were a little girl.”
“Not just the wedding but…here. In Silver Bell Falls. And on Christmas!” Then she laughed quietly and shook her head before looking at him again. “Did you ever think we’d celebrate Christmas again?”
His expression softened as he looked at her. “Mel, you may not believe this but…I missed celebrating Christmas. I know we had good reasons not to and at the time, I thought it was what was best. But these last few years taught me just how wrong I was. Josiah really opened my eyes to all we’d been missing.”
And then she smiled. “He’s good like that.”
“I know this might not be the time but…I’d like to say how I’m really thankful to your grandmother for bringing us here. It doesn’t make up for everything…”
But Melanie quickly interrupted. “Yes it does,” she said earnestly. “I’m not going to lie and say I’ve totally forgiven her, but I’m working on it. In the end, she gave me the greatest gift of all—Josiah.”
John’s eyes welled with tears as he smiled. “In a million years I never would have imagined you being happy in a place like this—the cold weather and the constant Christmas vibe—but I’m so glad I was wrong. And to think it was here that you found love, Mel…it’s the greatest thing in the world for me to see. It’s all I ever wished for you. Josiah is a good man and I know how much he loves you and how happy he’s going to make you.”
She nodded and willed herself not to cry and mess up her makeup. “He really is amazing. He puts up with so much from me and…”
“Oh stop,” John immediately said, cutting her off. “You’re good for each other—made for each other. Neither one puts up with more than the other. Remember that.”
Just then, one of their wedding coordinators—Betty Jo—stepped forward with her hand on the church doors. “Okay, Melanie, everyone’s waiting!” And with a smile and a wink, she opened the doors.
****
The doors opened and Josiah’s eyes widened.
She was a vision in white.
His everything.
Melanie Harper was finally going to be his wife and he didn’t think he could be any happier than he was at this moment.
With her arm linked with her father’s while she carried a massive bouquet of ranunculus, roses, and assorted greenery, she looked like the perfect Christmas bride. Her dark hair was piled high on her head with a sparkling tiara holding it all in place. And her smile? Well, it was directed right at him and he saw everything he wanted there.
Forever.
With her.
When she was finally by his side, all Josiah wanted to do was tell the minister to hurry through the vows so he could kiss her and as her blue eyes sparkled with mischief, he knew she felt the same way too.
He would wait.
He’d been waiting two years for this moment—if not his whole life—what were a few more minutes?
“And now, Josiah will speak the vows he wrote especially for Melanie,” the minister said.
Josiah cleared his throat and looked at his bride. “I have always been a firm believer that there is someone out there for everyone. But as I got older, I had started to feel like it was the case for everyone except me. I couldn’t understand why it was that all of my family and friends had found their perfect someone and I hadn’t.” He paused and grinned. “Who knew I’d find her soaking in a bubble bath in Carol Harper’s tub.”
There was a round of soft laughter throughout the church.
Everyone in town had heard the story before, so he wasn’t ashamed to be sharing it now.
Except when the minister looked at him with a hint of disapproval.
Clearing his throat again, he went on. “I knew from the moment I met you that you were going to be important to me. I just didn’t realize you were going to be my everything. I love you, Melanie, and I know we’ve been through a lot together already, but our life together has just begun. And I can’t wait to see where the journey takes us.”
He placed the ring on her finger and saw her hand trembling.
“And now Melanie will speak the vows she wrote especially for Josiah,” the minister said.
She took a steadying breath and let it out slowly. “Josiah Stone, you stormed into my life in a way no one ever had before. And as much as I wanted to resent you, you were exactly what I needed. You always seem to know when to push and when to hold back. You know what I need even before I do.” With a small pause, she smiled. “You’re my soulmate and I am so thankful each and every day that you came into my life and that you didn’t give up on me. I love you and I’m so happy to finally be your wife.”
She placed the ring on his finger and, unable to wait another moment, Josiah pulled her in close and kissed her. A round of applause filled the church as the minister declared them man and wife.
Yeah, it was the greatest moment of his life.
****
The reception was truly like a party in a winter wonderland.
Melanie knew they had been to the barn multiple times since booking the wedding, but until she was standing right there in the middle of it, nothing she had seen had done it justice. The music, the sounds of laughter and the smell of pine in the air was the most festive kind of sensory overload.
Josiah spun her in his arms and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. “How are you doing, Mrs. Stone?”
“Mmm…I am deliriously happy,” she replied. “It’s magical in here. So much more than I ever dreamed.”
He looked around the room and his smile grew. “I know what you mean. Everyone did an amazing job.”
They danced together and talked to guests who surrounded them on the dance floor. When they were alone again a few minutes later, she looked up at him. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For proving to me time and time again how good things—great things!—can happen on Christmas,” she said softly. “I never thought I’d get over all the negative, but you managed to change that and I am so thankful for that. For you. I love you so much.”
“I love you too.”
They danced a little more and then went and mingled with their guests. Everyone they knew was there and the barn was full to capacity. The music continued to play, food was served, and the atmosphere was both joyful and festive. It was everything Josiah had hoped it would be.
As the night was coming to an end and their guests began to leave, he was mildly disappointed that they weren’t dashing off for their honeymoon right away. Tonight they would go home to their house and tomorrow they would have Christmas dinner with their families as if it were a usual Christmas Day. Some would say it was anticlimactic after such a whirlwind, but it was worth waiting a couple of extra days to have had this.
It was after midnight when they were finally home.
He helped her peel off the long fur-lined wrap and she looked like a princess walking across the room to turn the tree lights on. With the room lit only by the tree, she turned and smiled at him.
“It was the perfect day,” she said. “It was everything I thought it could be and so much more.”
Nodding, he went to her and held her close. “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Stone.”
She smiled and snuggled in close to him. “Merry Christmas to you, Mr. Stone.” After a moment, she tilted her head back and looked at him. “You know, I was thinking about what we talked about earlier.”
He chuckled. “You’ll have to narrow that down a bit. We’ve been talking all day.”
“About how you managed to change the way I felt about Christmas. I can honestly say that when I think about it now, I don’t think about all the bad ones, only the ones I’ve had with you.”
“I’m so glad I could do that for you,” he said, placing another kiss on the tip of her nose. “For a while there, in the beginning, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to pull it off. Now I’m glad I did.”
“Well,” she said with an impish grin, “you may regret doing it.”
He frowned. “Why?”
“Let’s just say you’ve set the bar pretty high. The first Christmas you made up for twenty years of missed gifts, last year you proposed and this year we got married. I’m thinking next Christmas is going to be tough. After all, how can you possibly top this?”
An idea came to him out of nowhere but he knew it was perfect.
“I think I know how,” he said as he began to lead her toward their bedroom.
Giggling, she put up a little protest. “Ooo…this could work. I mean, it’s no dream wedding, but I can get on board with this, Sheriff.”
He grinned. “That wasn’t quite what I was thinking, Mel,” he teased. When they were next to the bed, he slowly spun her around so her back was to him and began to unzip her gown. He placed a soft kiss on her shoulder.
“Then what’s on your mind?” she asked breathlessly as his mouth began to rain kisses down her spine.
“I was thinking how maybe next year we’ll be celebrating Christmas with a new member of the family. A tiny one. One we make together.”
She shivered and sighed as he straightened behind her. With a glance over her shoulder, she smiled. “Why, Sheriff Stone, I think that may be the best Christmas of them all.”
And Josiah knew without a doubt that he’d do whatever it took to make that happen.