A Pride Christmas

by Jill Sanders

  He stood there with his coffee mug forgotten in his hands as he thought about them heading in two separate directions in life. What would happen? He’d drop Alice off at her parents’ place and go over to his sister’s. They’d be apart for Christmas. He’d never get the chance to make those plans with her he’d been hoping to.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked. He heard the eagerness in her voice and avoided her eyes.

  “Sure.” He turned off the television. “I guess this means we can head to Portland now.” He walked over and sat down at the table.

  “If we want,” she answered. “The main roads probably won’t be clear for a few hours after the sun comes out. Who knows about the smaller roads off of highway one-oh-one.” She set a plate of French toast in front of him.

  He hadn’t thought of that. “We can go for a short drive for lunch if you want, to test things out?”

  “Sure.” She was still acting relaxed, as if leaving the cabin, going in separate directions, wouldn’t faze her at all, so he kept the conversation light during breakfast. They kept the television off and talked about all of the snow outside.

  She told him a story about the last time she’d seen snow, and they talked about going sledding with Chris when they were kids.

  He couldn’t remember a winter they hadn’t pulled out their plastic sleds and climbed the hill behind their neighborhood with the rest of the kids on their street.

  “Remember when Chris broke his wrist before winter break?” he asked, laughing.

  “He was so upset Mom wouldn’t let him go sledding, so he snuck out and we all went.” She laughed.

  “He duct-taped a pillow around his cast just in case.” He chuckled remembering how big Chris’s arm was in that thing. “But it worked. He flew off the sled and landed without even hurting it.”

  During a short walk to the beach, they talked about school and family.

  When they were walking back up the cleared path towards their cabin, Alice turned to him.

  “Do you think Chris and Dawn will get married?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “I’m not sure. I mean, the last time I went out with them, they were pretty serious.”

  She sighed and stopped at the foot of the stairs. “What do you think of Dawn? I mean, I’ve met her once, but…” She bit her bottom lip.

  “Hey.” He took her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “She’s great. Really. None of my warning bells go off with her.”

  “Oh, well…” She smiled. “We all know just how great your warning bells are” She tilted her head and he knew what was coming. “I think her name was Krista?” He groaned.

  “Shut up,” he said, chuckling. He pulled her closer and tried to kiss her, but she dodged him.

  “Then there was Eva and Tiffany and—”

  He shut her up by covering her laughter with his mouth.

  “It’s the one I have now that matters the most,” he said to her. “You’re what I’ve been working my way up to.”

  Chapter 15

  Alice could tell that Eric was deep in thought as they pulled the car out of the bed and breakfast’s parking area. Todd had been out there earlier and had cleared away most of the snow. Even the drive out to the main road had been cleared already.

  “So,” he asked, looking at the road in front of them. “Which direction?”

  “Well, I’d like another look at the town.” She thought about it. “Since it’s Christmas Eve, maybe we can walk through the lights again. I didn’t snap any pictures the other day.”

  “Sure.” He nodded and turned in the direction of town instead of the main highway.

  They drove around the small town, enjoying the homes and the coastline views. He took a road that led them to a little dock area where fishing boats bobbed up and down in the cold water.

  They drove past the town, but a few miles outside, the road was blocked off still by highway signs.

  “Guess that answers that,” Eric said, maneuvering the car until they were heading back towards Pride.

  “It would probably be safer to wait, anyway,” she added, thankful that they would be spending Christmas in Pride.

  “Will it be so bad? Spending Christmas here?” he asked as they came around the corner and the small town came into sight again.

  The sun was shining down on the town as if a sunbeam had been made especially for that moment.

  “No,” she answered with a smile. “I couldn’t imagine a better place to spend Christmas.”

  He reached over and took her hand in his. “Or someone better to spend it with,” he added.

  When they hit the outskirts of town again, she noticed that all of the lights were on in the town square. Finding a parking spot in front of the drug store, he parked and looked up and down the quiet streets.

  “Let’s walk a little,” he said, turning off the car. “I can’t believe how magical this place looks,” he said before getting out of the car.

  “As I said before, I don’t want to leave,” she said as she got out. She was relieved that the road was closed.

  Hand in hand, they started walking through the town square again. This time, they were the only ones around. The trees were weighted down with the heavy snow, but still the lights dangled and glowed from the branches.

  She knew it had eaten at him this morning after they found out there was a break in the weather, thinking that they would be heading to their own families for Christmas.

  No matter what happened, she would have made sure they had spent time together. Even if it meant ditching her family.

  As they walked down the pathway, her mind wandered to what could have been. She shivered, not because of the cold, but because of the possibility of having been stuck in a hotel along I-5 instead of here. When Eric felt her shiver, he pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her.

  “Cold?” he asked.

  “No.” She sighed. “Just thankful I turned off highway five.”

  He chuckled. “I am as well. Very.”

  They stopped in the middle of the square and looked around. The town was even more beautiful now that the sky was clear and blue. There were still a few puffy clouds drifting by but, for the most part, it was a perfect day.

  It reminded her of a perfect little snow-globe world, one blanketed in crisp clean snow.

  The pathways had been cleared earlier and since the snow had stopped and the sun had made a slight appearance, warming the pavement, they were clear of all snow and ice.

  “Can you imagine living in a place like this? I bet they have Fourth of July parades and homecoming dances here,” she said, looking around the town.

  “Family barbeques,” he added. “Town meetings.” He laughed, half-joking. “I mean, it’s straight out of the movies.”

  “Yeah, all the old ones our mothers love watching.” She turned to him, remembering all of the times she’d watched the black-and-white movies with her mother and his. “We should bring them here. This summer. We can rent out all of the cabins and…” She turned away when her face flushed. She’d been thinking about how perfect the town was to get married in.

  She could see it clearly: Putting up their families in the cabins. Setting up the town square for a wedding. Or better yet, having a beach wedding in the warm sand.

  “What?” he asked, turning her back towards him.

  “Nothing.” She shook her head.

  “Alice.” He used a gloved finger to pull her chin up until their eyes met. She could see that he wasn’t going to drop it. She knew him too well and knew that there wasn’t any way of avoiding telling him her thoughts.

  “It’s just… I was thinking that I bet it would make a great place for a wedding.”

  He stilled and then smiled. “You want to get married here?” he asked, looking around.

  “Here”—she avoided his gaze again—“or on the beach by the cabins.” She shrugged, trying to sound casual.

  “Okay,” he said, surprising her.

  “Okay?” sh
e asked, unsure what he was saying.

  “Sure.” He shrugged. “I mean, where else would we get married but the place we fell in love?” He pulled her closer to him. “So?” He waited. “What do you think?”

  “I…” She blinked a few times, her heart racing so fast she could almost hear it in her ears. “Are you asking me to marry you?” she finally asked.

  He smiled at her. “I would get down on my knee, but…” He glanced at the still-wet sidewalk. “Maybe later.”

  She didn’t need him on his knees. All she’d ever wanted was a moment this perfect. Looking around now, she realized it was more than that. It was pure magic.

  “Yes,” she answered easily. “Of course, I’ll marry you. I’ve been waiting my entire life for you to ask me. Yes,” she said again before throwing herself into his arms and kissing him.

  Seven months later

  Alice held her breath as she started down the sandy pathway. She nervously played with the flowers in her hands as she walked closer and closer to the small crowd.

  Surrounded by her family, she stopped in front of Eric and her brother, who was acting as his best man.

  Eric’s sister, Sarah, was standing in as her maid of honor. She had a few friends she’d thought of for the job, but none of them had known her as long as Sarah had. Besides, they had grown a lot closer in the past few months since she’d moved back to Portland.

  “Hi,” Eric said under his breath.

  “Hi,” she replied and smiled at him.

  “Want to get married?” he asked with a chuckle.

  “Yes.” She laughed, as did the small group of people surrounding them.

  The ceremony was short, since they hadn’t wanted any of the bells and whistles. Besides, they had officially gotten married at the courthouse in Portland the day they’d gotten home, a week after Christmas.

  She’d transferred her credits up to the University of Portland and had gotten another internship at the Veterans Affairs clinic in town. She’d already been offered a job. Several, actually.

  Eric had taken a position with his father’s old employer as head engineer, since his father’s buddy had retired.

  They were in the process of house hunting but had wanted to take a weekend to celebrate their marriage with their families.

  The Jordans had helped plan their special day and several of them were in attendance, including Todd and Megan’s newest daughter, Susannah, or Suzie, as they called the tiny baby.

  Suzie and her older sister Sara were dressed in matching dresses. They sat by their very uncomfortable older brother, Matthew, who was dressed in a little suit.

  Alice had thought about making Sara one of her flower girls, but she was still a little too young. Instead, Eric’s nephews had played ushers and, with the help of their fathers, they sat everyone in the folding chairs.

  Most of the guests were dressed casual enough to enjoy a warm day on the beach. Even her dress was short enough, hitting just below her knees. She’d kicked off her sandals as she’d stepped off the pathway and had enjoyed the warm sand between her toes as she’d made her way towards the wedding party.

  She glanced around and smiled at the Jordan family in attendance. She’d never been anywhere before where she’d felt so welcomed, so accepted. Even her family had fallen for the small town.

  Their rehearsal dinner last night had been at the main house at the bed and breakfast, with Iian, Todd’s brother, as head chef. She’d enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and had loved returning to the cabin where she and Eric had spent those two weeks trapped together in the snow.

  Since there were going to be a lot more people at the wedding reception, it was taking place at the Golden Oar, the Jordan’s family-owned restaurant in town. The place had a reputation as one of the best restaurants to eat in along the Oregon coast. She’d never had better food than with Todd’s brother Iian cooking.

  Eric squeezed her hand again as they said their vows once more. They had practiced them so many times in the past few weeks that she knew them by heart. They had decided to write their own words, which had made her nervous at first, but then she’d decided to keep it simple and just tell him exactly how she felt.

  “I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember,” she started out. “I’ve dreamed of the day when I would become your wife. The day when we’d be together forever. The day I would become yours and you would become mine. I love you,” she said as he smiled at her.

  “Alice, you blindsided me.” The crowd chuckled as he smiled at her. “I didn’t think it was possible to love someone so much. I think about you day and night. I want to be with you every waking moment, holding you. I’ve never been as happy as I am now, but I plan on having a lifetime full of these moments, with you,” he added. “I’m so glad we were snowed in together.” The crowd chuckled again. “It was the perfect storm.”

  When Eric kissed her, their family cheered, and she knew her life was going to be exactly what she’d dreamed it would be.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  * * *

  A PRIDE CHRISTMAS

  DIGITAL ISBN: 978-1-945100-05-5

  PRINT ISBN:

  Copyright © 2019 Jill Sanders

  All rights reserved.

  Copyeditor: Erica Ellis – inkdeepediting.com

  * * *

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  Also by Jill Sanders

  The Pride Series

  Finding Pride

  Discovering Pride

  Returning Pride

  Lasting Pride

  Serving Pride

  Red Hot Christmas

  My Sweet Valentine

  Return To Me

  Rescue Me

  * * *

  The Secret Series

  Secret Seduction

  Secret Pleasure

  Secret Guardian

  Secret Passions

  Secret Identity

  Secret Sauce

  * * *

  The West Series

  Loving Lauren

  Taming Alex

  Holding Haley

  Missy’s Moment

  Breaking Travis

  Roping Ryan

  Wild Bride

  Corey’s Catch

  Tessa’s Turn

  * * *

  The Grayton Series

  Last Resort

  Someday Beach

  Rip Current

  In Too Deep

  Swept Away

  High Tide

  * * *

  Lucky Series

  Unlucky In Love

  Sweet Resolve

  Best of Luck

  A Little Luck

  * * *

  Silver Cove Series

  Silver Lining

  French Kiss

  Happy Accident

  Hidden Charm

  A Silver Cove Christmas

  * * *

  Entangled Series – Paranormal Romance

  The Awakening

  The Beckoning

  The Ascension

  * * *

  Haven, Montana Series

  Closer to You

  Never Let Go

  Holding On

  * * *

  Pride Oregon Series

  A Dash of Love

  My Kind of Love

  Season of Love

  Tis the Season

  Dare to Love

  Where I Belong

  * * *

  Wildflowers Series

  Summer Nights

  Summer Heat

  * * *

  Stand Alone Books
r />   Twisted Rock

  * * *

  For a complete list of books:

  http://JillSanders.com

  About the Author

  Jill Sanders is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of Sweet Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, Western Romance, and Paranormal Romance novels. With over 55 books in eleven series, translations into several different languages, and audiobooks there’s plenty to choose from. Look for Jill’s bestselling stories wherever romance books are sold or visit her at jillsanders.com

  * * *

  Jill comes from a large family with six siblings, including an identical twin. She was raised in the Pacific Northwest and later relocated to Colorado for college and a successful IT career before discovering her talent for writing sweet and sexy page-turners. After Colorado, she decided to move south, living in Texas and now making her home along the Emerald Coast of Florida. You will find that the settings of several of her series are inspired by her time spent living in these areas. She has two sons and off-set the testosterone in her house by adopting three furry little ladies that provide her company while she’s locked in her writing cave. She enjoys heading to the beach, hiking, swimming, wine-tasting, and pickleball with her husband, and of course writing. If you have read any of her books, you may also notice that there is a love of food, especially sweets! She has been blamed for a few added pounds by her assistant, editor, and fans… donuts or pie anyone?