Dancing to the Altar
Page 10
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Do you know what else I like?” Elle said, looking down at her feet tucked underneath his leg.
Dan put his mug down. “What?”
Elle placed her mug on the table and leaned over to Dan. “This,” she said, wrapping her hand around his neck and pulling him close to her for a kiss.
When she broke the kiss, she looked in Dan’s eyes. How had she ever been so lucky to gain a future husband like the man sitting in front of her?
Dan smiled and pressed another quick kiss against her lips. “Merry Christmas, Elle.”
“I love you,” she whispered.
Dan leaned his head against hers. “I love you, too.” He pressed a kiss against her forehead. “I have a present for you.”
“You do?” she squeaked.
He nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
Elle remembered the bottle of cologne in her bag and reached down to pull out the box. Thank goodness she thought to have it gift wrapped. She was planning on just spraying it on her pillow so she could pretend to hug Dan, but now she had the real thing instead.
He disappeared into a room and returned a moment later with three boxes wrapped in festive paper. Today was the perfect day.
They had breakfast together, and then Dan took her for a reindeer-guided sleigh ride. After speaking to her parents, they had a private lunch at the nightclub restaurant. Dan proved to her that there were not gold toilets in the bathroom.
Dan placed the boxes on the table and sat back down. “It isn’t much, but I carefully thought about what to get you.”
“I purchased this the day I ran into you,” Elle said holding out her small box with gold string. “I couldn’t get you out of my mind.”
“So, are you the kind that tears open the wrapping or peels it away so you can fold the paper.”
“It’s Christmas, Dancer. I’m the tear into the packages type.”
Dan laughed. “Me too.”
He handed Elle one of the boxes.
She lifted her eyebrow. “On three?” Dan nodded. “One. Two. Three,” she said, tearing into the package he handed her. She opened the box and gave a little sigh. “Oh goodness, Dan.” Inside was a leather Fendi shopping bag. “It is gorgeous.” She ran her hand over the embossed leather featuring the F for Fendi in a repeating pattern.
“I hope you like it. It’s not even available to the public yet.”
“I’ve never had anything so grand before.” She noticed he hadn’t opened his box yet. “Aren’t you going to open yours?”
“I have everything I need right in front of me.”
Elle leaned over and gave him a kiss. “I love it. Thank you.” He handed her another box. This time she carefully peeled the tape off and folded the paper before opening the box. Inside was a leather grained journal with gold edging on the paper. “What’s this?” she asked.
“Read it.”
Elle opened the journal and fingered the words on the page. “Why I love you,” she read aloud. She flipped through the pages of Dan detailing little moments they spent together. She wiped away a tear before it fell and blotted the ink on the page. “I can’t wait to read this later.”
“Everything in those pages are true.”
Elle sniffled and nodded her head. “I believe you.”
“Okay,” Dan said. “Last one.”
Elle gave the box a shake. “Can’t tell what it is. We are going to open these last ones together.”
“One,” Dan said, looking at her. “Two. Three.”
They both ripped into the paper. Dan held the bottle of cologne. “This is my favorite scent. My current one is almost empty, so thank you.”
Elle held a box containing… an Elf on the Shelf. Dan had crossed out the word Elf and written Elle’s name on the box in thick black marker.
Elle laughed. “It’s perfect,” she said.
“That is the only costume that will be in this house, or on any of my shows from this point forward.”
Elle laughed. “I love every single thing you gave me. The best gift of all is your love.” It was truly the best Christmas ever.
An alarm sounded on Elle’s phone. “What’s that?” Dan asked.
“Oh, we are going to have dinner with everyone down in the restaurant.” Dan lifted his eyebrow, but followed her down to the restaurant in the lower level of the lodge.
The restaurant was packed. When they entered, applause broke out from the people at the table. “What’s all this?”
“Christmas is about family,” Elle said. “You brought all of us together this holiday season. We are now family.”
Elle watched as Dan looked around the room at all the cast and crew of The Last Santa Standing. “Where’s Bubba?” he asked, not seeing the man with gators all over his clothes.
“Betty went into labor. They were flown to Anchorage hospital.”
Applause broke out again.
“Well,” Dan said. “Let’s eat!” He made his way over to where a buffet was laid out. His eyes opened in surprise. “This doesn’t look like a traditional Christmas dinner.”
“Those are so stuffy,” Elle laughed. “No one can be stuffy eating tacos.”
They stood to the side as they watched everyone get in line. Dan made a point to greet every single person and wish them a merry Christmas.
Finally, Elle and Dan filled their plates and went to join the Santas and Mrs. Clauses. As she looked at Dan biting into his taco and trying to contain the mess, she knew… this was the best Christmas ever.
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The End
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About Christi
After thirty years of writing for other people, Christi published her first book in 2017.
She writes sweet and wholesome historical western novels under her maiden name, Christine Sterling, and sweet contemporary novels under her married name Christi Bortner.
She is the creator of the wildly popular Pinkerton Matchmaker Series and the Proxy Bride Series. She is an author in multiple collaborations, including: The Belles of Wyoming, Cowboys and Angels, The Widows of Wildcat Ridge and Silverpines, where her book Wanted: Medicine Man won best historical novel of 2018. She recently joined Sweet Promise Press as a historical romance author, writing for the Pioneer Brides of Rattlesnake Ridge series. Her first contemporary novel was part of The Holliday Islands Resort series and she has many more contemporary romances planned.
She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, a spoiled Shih Tzu, two German Shepherds and an energeti
c Border Collie, that keep her on her toes.
She spends her time writing, thinking about writing, and dreaming about writing. Her favorite things are a good cup of tea, puppy snuggles, a movie that will make you cry and hearing from her readers.
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