“Are you sure?” Julie asked. Her voice was soft. Shy. I’d never heard her like this before. It was adorable and made my entire body soften.
“Of course,” I said.
She considered for a moment and I held my breath.
“No, I want to,” she finally said.
I let out a breath. “Everything will be fine,” I told her. “I promise.”
Julie smiled and nodded. We finished our breakfast and lazily made our way out of bed. We showered and got dressed, ready to head downstairs to check out. The whole time, I tried to get my own nerves under control.
Despite my assurance that dinner would be great, I didn’t feel confident at all. Josh and I were still trying to build a brotherly relationship. He’d never once met a girl I was seeing. I didn’t know how I was going to handle this complicated situation, but I knew it was time. Dinner was planned. There was no way of getting out of it.
“You ready?” Julie asked as I pulled my shoes on.
“Yup.” I smiled and jumped up to grab our things.
We walked downstairs, holding hands the whole way. We checked out quickly and then made our way outside to where the limo was waiting for us.
Julie grinned and slid inside. I followed quickly behind her and tossed our things onto the seat.
“Home?” I asked.
“Sure.” Julie shrugged. “I should change at least.”
“I was thinking…” I said slowly. “There’s this big event in the town square tonight. They’re lighting the Christmas tree, and I thought, maybe, you might—”
“I’d love to.” Julie’s answer was fast and certain.
By the time we pulled up to her house, I felt like my smile was permanently etched on my face. There was something about being with Julie that overwhelmed me. I wasn’t just happy. I was content in a way I hadn’t been for years. All my worries about dinner melted away as I followed Julie through her front door.
“What time is the tree lighting?” Julie asked.
“Sunset,” I said. “They always do a big carnival, and the tree lighting is the final event.”
“You gotta love small towns,” Julie said.
“Is that why you moved here?” I asked. “You just have a strong love for small towns?”
Julie laughed. “Not exactly.”
“No?”
“No, I never thought I’d live in a small town,” Julie said. “I always pictured myself in a big city. Dallas, where I lived for years, or New York. Somewhere like that.”
“So, what made you come here?” I asked with a frown.
“Remember the ex I told you about?” Julie asked.
I nodded, my stomach tightening uncomfortably.
“Well,” Julie said. “After he ended things, I just felt like I needed a fresh start. My best friend found this house and told me about it. I wasn’t sure at first, but it just felt like the right thing. So, I moved, and now, here I am.”
“No complaints here.” I grinned and walked over to her.
She smiled at me and wrapped her arms around my neck. When we kissed, she melted into me. Her body curved forward as she pressed herself against me. We fell onto the couch, and suddenly, our hangovers were nothing more than a distant memory.
By the time we were finished, the tree lighting festival had already begun. We got dressed quickly and walked into town.