A Very Married Christmas: A Silver Bell Falls Holiday Novella(26)

Or tomorrow.

Either way, it was going to take a long time to clean up.

This is what he got for being sneaky.

A few minutes later he walked back into the living room with coffee in hand and found Melanie asleep. He couldn’t help but smile. Slowly he walked over and placed the coffee mug down on the table and knelt in front of her. He caressed her cheek and she let out a sleepy hum.

“I hope you had a good day, beautiful girl,” he whispered.

“Mmm…”

Then he stood and gently maneuvered her until she was lying down and covered her with the chenille throw they had over the back of the sofa. She snuggled into it and sighed. Part of him wanted to snuggle in with her, but as he straightened and looked around the house, he knew there were more important things to do.

Like try to restore order to the place.

Somehow, keeping the order in Silver Bell Falls seemed much easier.





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.