AllFreeNovel
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“Thank you, baby sister.”
“Thank you for giving me a big sister I don’t want to kill every other hour,” Holly said, hugging Noel.
Merry thumped her on the arm. “Rude.”
Noel slipped the ring onto Nick’s finger, and they were kissing again, the crowd converging on the newly engaged couple and pushing the two sisters to the edge of the action.
“It’s funny, isn’t it?” Merry sniffled.
“What’s that?”
“We all found love the same time of year, in the most unexpected places. I think the holidays really are magical for the Winters family, don’t you think?”
Holly’s gaze sought out Declan, who was over by the bar talking to Pike and Tony, her heart squeezing when his green eyes caught hers.
“I think you might be right.”
Clark burst in on their moment and announced it was time for the garter toss. Holly hugged her sister and made her way back to Declan, a wide smile on her face.
“I’m not going out there to catch the garter, if that’s what you’re grinning about.”
Holly poked him in the stomach. “I’m grinning because we can go home now. If you still want.”
“Oh, I want,” he said, taking her hand in his.
Holly let him lead her out to his truck and help her inside, a little pinch of guilt hitting her when he joined her in the cab. “I probably should have said goodbye to everyone.”
“You make your goodbye rounds, and you’re practically flashing a sign at your parents that I want to leave early to defile their daughter.”
“Why do you automatically think they’d assume it was you? Maybe defiling was my idea.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Declan said, pulling out of the parking lot and heading home. He reached across the console, and she opened her fingers to interlace with his.
When they pulled into the driveway, Declan stopped the truck without opening the garage door and Holly stared at the new addition to her display. The Whoville background had been removed from the flat surface and in its place was a sign, roped out in Christmas lights.
@DLovesArtandHolly
“Before you say anything, that symbol was a bitch to get right, so don’t judge me on it.”
“What does it mean?”
Declan removed his phone from the middle console of his truck and held it out to her. “Click on the TikTok app.”
Holly scrolled through the screen until she found it and opened it, tapping on his profile icon in the lower right. What she saw stole her breath.
“Your screen name? You got on social media?”
“Technically, just my hands, but click on the top pinned video.”
Holly did what he asked and ‘Mistletoe’ played in the background while Holly watched Declan’s masculine hands sketch a couple at three times the speed, wrapped up in Christmas lights, gazing at each other while an orange tabby playfully batted at the end of the cord. When it finished, they looked a lot like Declan and Holly.
Holly’s vision blurred, and she turned in the seat, unbuckling her seat belt with trembling hands. “I love it.” She climbed across the console and into his lap. “I love you.” She kissed his lips, his bearded chin, his cheek.
Declan cradled her cheeks, stopping her frenzied kisses and brushed her lips with his. “I love you, too. I didn’t think I would ever feel this way about another person until an infuriatingly optimistic redhead walked into my family’s store and shook up my life. Showed me what true happiness is and I’ll be forever grateful for it.” He smoothed her hair back with a laugh. “I definitely never thought I’d put my art out on social media and people would like it.”
“If I thought it was a possibility to lure you online, I’d have told you they would. I’m so proud of you.” Holly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, hands roaming as their tongues danced.
Someone knocked on the glass hard, and they jerked apart to find Mr. James on the other side.
