Approximately Yours (North Pole, Minnesota #3)(58)

Holly squeezed Danny’s hand tighter. “Get ready.”

Danny would decline the trophy. He’d say, “Thanks, but no thanks,” and hand the prize off to Holly. She deserved it. Danny hated losing—absolutely hated it—but even more than that, he hated winning an unfair fight.

The mayor opened the envelope, looked at the card, whipped off his glasses, and wiped them. Then he read the card again. “Well,” he said, after a moment, “this is unprecedented. We have a tie. The Page girls and Danny Garland!”

Danny dropped Holly’s hand in shock. “We won,” he said. “We both won.” Holly handed him his crutches. Oh, yeah. He still had to go up and receive his prize.

Holly tried to pull Elda up, but she wouldn’t budge. Grinning, she folded her arms and remained in her seat. “You go up alone. The prize is yours, not mine.”

“It’s our family’s.”

Elda shook her head. “You take this one. You earned it.”

Holly helped Danny stand, and the two of them ascended the dais to receive their awards. Danny marveled at the one-eighty his life had taken in the past twenty-four hours. He’d gone from thinking Elda was his soul mate to accepting his life as a loner to kissing Holly. And now the two of them had won the gingerbread contest. As they stood together, taking pictures for the newspaper, Danny leaned down and whispered, “There’s only one trophy, you know.”

“I know.” Holly smiled as a flash nearly blinded them. “Who gets it? I mean, me, obviously. You’ve had it before. This is my one chance.”

“But you have to return it before the next competition. It’s a traveling trophy. You don’t get to keep it. And you’re never coming back to North Pole.” He tried hard not to think about that, but it was the truth.

“Maybe I’ll have to make an exception.” She nudged him in the side. “You know, to preserve the sanctity of the gingerbread competition.”

As they finished their photo op, Dinesh rushed the stage and grabbed the microphone. “Everyone,” he said, “I have something I need to do.” The entire crowd gawked at him. Dinesh wasn’t known for his loud proclamations. He usually let Craig do the public speaking, if not the karaoke. “I…” He trailed off as if seeing the crowd for the first time and remembering that microphones terrified him.

Craig ran up and put an arm around his buddy’s shoulders. “What he wants to say is, Esmerelda—”

Dinesh snatched the mic back. “I have to do this myself. Elda, I know we just met, but please stay here in North Pole. With me. I—” Dinesh got down on one knee.

Holly gasped. “Holy shit.”

“Indeed,” Danny said. Today would be etched in the North Pole history books—the first tie in gingerbread contest history, and now the first proposal.

“Will you marry me?” Dinesh asked.

The crowd cheered as Elda jumped up and ran to the dais. “Yes, yes, yes!” she squealed, pulling her new fiancé into a massive, smothering hug.

“When Elda makes up her mind, she really makes up her mind,” Holly said, clapping for her cousin and Dinesh.

Danny leaned down and whispered, “Looks like you’ll have a reason to come back here again.”

Holly clutched the trophy hard to her chest. “Which means I am definitely taking this home with me.”





Chapter Twenty-One


Tuesday, December 26

HOLLY: I’m on my way. I swear.

DANNY: The movie’s about to start.

HOLLY: I KNOW. The grownups are making Moscow Mules in honor of Grandma, and my uncle made Elda and me run to the store for limes.

HOLLY: (gif of kids from Love, Actually saying “I hate Uncle Jamie”) DANNY: It’s fine. I’m keeping your seat warm…for now.

HOLLY: Oh, no! If I don’t make it in time, who will you give my seat to?

DANNY: Well, Craig’s been eyeing it.

HOLLY: Damn it, Craig!

HOLLY: I’ll be there in five. Ward him off.

…

12:15 AM, New Year’s Day

DANNY: When can I see you again?

HOLLY: I literally just left your house. I’m not even back at my grandma’s yet. I’m texting you from your front porch.

DANNY: But you’re leaving in the morning.

HOLLY: Not until lunchtime.

DANNY: Have breakfast with me…before we part FOREVER. (sobbing emoji) HOLLY: Not forever. I’m coming back for Elda’s wedding.

DANNY: Feels like forever.

HOLLY: You know, my phone works in Chicago, too. We have cellular towers and everything. It’s a pretty big city.

DANNY: You mean we can keep doing this whole texting thing?

HOLLY: I mean…yeah. I’d like that. No pressure, though.

DANNY: No pressure. But, like, if Craig did something silly that I just HAD to tell you about…

HOLLY: You could text me.

DANNY: Or if, say, I had a question about what to watch next on Netflix?

HOLLY: Text.

DANNY: I suddenly feel so much better about this whole “you leaving” thing.

HOLLY: I’m going to bed. See you tomorrow morning!

DANNY: Happy New Year! [heart eyes emoji] Good night!

HOLLY: Good night!

…