My Favorite Holidate: A Standalone Holiday Romance

Fable

There’s no way I’m not ruining my makeup during this wedding. Just look at my sister. She’s stunning in a tea-length white dress with silver beads on the bodice and a faux-fur bolero jacket.

A tiny tiara is perched on her blonde head and her makeup is sparkly. She holds her bouquet of green succulents from Kiss My Tulips and lets out an excited breath.

That evening, we’re standing in an anteroom in a red converted barn on the edge of the property. It’s a perfect venue for events and weddings with all this space, a view of the mountains, and plenty of heaters. We’ve dubbed this room, out of view, the bridal suite. “Are you ready?” I ask, but I know the answer.

“So ready,” she says, then smiles. “And I’m so glad you worked it out with the best man.”

I wave a hand, not wanting to steal her thunder. “It’s your wedding day.”

With her free hand, she reaches for mine, squeezes it. “And I want you to be happy too. And you are. So there.”

I give her a careful hug that’s loaded with feeling. “I love you.”

“And I love you.”

“Let’s get you married.”

She nods, and as the music begins, I leave the bridal suite and enter the barn that’s a winter wonderland, bathed in the warm glow of white lights. The scent of pine wafts through the air from the nearby trees. I walk down the aisle, passing rows of friends and family, unable to tear my gaze from the best man.

Tuxes were made for Wilder Blaine, and he’s pure, powerful, handsome perfection in his black tailored tux and bow tie. His green eyes. His wry smile. His faint dusting of stubble.

When I reach the front of the barn where the justice of the peace waits, I take a stand across from Wilder and he looks me up and down in my red dress and mouths, “Beautiful.”

The wedding march begins, and all eyes shift to the bride. My sister walks down the aisle, with both of our parents giving her away. It’s a compromise, because sometimes that’s what you do with family.

I swallow down tears of joy. She’s not only having the Christmas Eve wedding of her dreams but she’s marrying the man who adores her. A man she loves madly too.

It’s everything I could have wanted for her.

When she reaches us and hands me her bouquet, a sense of calm washes over me. That might have something to do with the snow that’s falling just beyond the barn entrance and over the hills and through the woods.

I sneak a glance at Wilder and mouth, “Snow.”

“My favorite,” he mouths back.

Then I turn my focus to the bride and groom as they promise to love and cherish each other, and I swear when Wilder looks at me, I can see forever in his eyes.

It doesn’t scare me anymore.

Later that night after the I dos and the dinner and the first dance, the best man pulls me onto the dance floor when “Silver Bells” begins. As the music fills the rafters, I glance around. Bibi’s dancing with the sheriff, laughing and probably teasing him. He gazes at her like she’s hung the moon. It’s not “Blue Christmas,” the song she danced to with her husband, but it’s a new song for a new memory—a new Christmas to treasure.

They also won Evergreen Falls Annual Best in Snow Winter Games Competition. Once Brady was disqualified, Bibi and her new beau were next in line. The prize? A medal in the shape of a candy cane. Oh, also, a weekend-stay at a certain resort. Bibi said she’s looking forward to that, and she’s also working on picking her favorite charity for the donation Wilder promised he’d make on behalf of the winner.

Mom’s on the dance floor too, swaying with Julio to the music. Max and Everly dance together, and Josie and Wesley too. Maeve came to the wedding solo, but her good friend Asher popped by at the last minute as her plus one. He’s a hockey player too, and they’re dancing in the corner, and he seems enrapt in whatever she’s saying. But then, he always seems enrapt in Maeve.

When we swing past them, I catch the tail end of their conversation.

“So there’s this player auction coming up soon, and I can’t believe I’ve been roped into it,” he tells her.

“Yes, I know how much you hate it,” she says dryly.

“It’s the worst when everyone bids on me.”

“It’ll be so rough when you go for the most money.”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” he says, but he sounds too amused by Maeve.

We dance on, and the rest of their conversation fades into the night.

As for me, I’m caught up in this man who’s wearing the Santa cufflinks I made him. As I glance at them, I catch a view of the abstract ink peeking out on his wrists. I’ve never asked. “What’s your ink for?”

He smiles. “Various things.”

“Tell me,” I demand.

He pulls up the cuffs and shows me a swirling black line. “This is for trust,” he says, somewhat solemn. “I got it after college.”

“Your dream,” I say.

He meets my eyes. “Now my reality.”

My heart jumps. “Yes, it is our reality.”

He points to another. “This is for family,” he says, “I had it done for my mother.”

“That’s lovely.”

And there’s still one more—a tiny black cat. “This is for my daughter.”

“I love that,” I say. “It’s so very Mac.”

He glances toward his girl, who’s giggling with the table of cousins and friends, pointing to the cake table, eager to dig in, I’m sure. “It is.” He sighs contentedly. “She really cares for you. She wanted us to be together.”

“She knows best.”

“She does. She’s happy,” he says, proudly.

I know that. We told her earlier together that we’d worked it out and she’d pumped a fist and said, “Yes. Can we all do Christmas tomorrow together then?”

We gave her the only answer—yes.

I turn my focus back to Wilder as he studies my face. “I’ll need to get one for you.”

My heart skips ten beats. “You will?”

“Yes.”

That’s all he says.

A simple yes.

This man. This life. This love. It’s so very real. I kiss him chastely, then savor the feel of dancing in his arms as I take in the winter scene. Friends, family, music, snow, and no one here I need to prove a damn thing to.

When I look back at the man in my arms, I say, “You’re my favorite holidate.”

“I’ll be your favorite date every day of the year.”

“Wake up, wake up, wake up! I need to see if my secret door is here.”

I groan at the sound of Mac banging on the door. Of course she knows there’s no portal, but of course she still pretends to believe a little in magic. As I glance at her father, rustling awake next to me, I suppose I do too.

“We’ll be out in fifteen,” I call.

“Excellent. I’ll make cocoa,” she says.

Fifteen minutes later, we’re freshened up, teeth brushed, and dressed in our Christmas jammies. We head down the hall and settle onto the couch in front of the tree, where three cups of cocoa await.

I take a sip, and it’s perfect.

Wilder—no surprise—has plenty of gifts for Mac under the tree from him, including a new instant camera and that Pegasus series with the sprayed edges.

But he starts with one from both of us and hands it to his daughter.

She rips it open, and her eyes spark with excitement. “A chessboard! Yes. And I want to beat you with this one, Dad,” she declares.

“We’ll see about that,” he teases

She beelines for me and gives me a hug. “And thank you. You can learn to play too. And really, you should. I need lots of opponents so I can become the best.”

“Deal,” I say, then I point to the gift I picked out yesterday when I sneaked off to shop for Wilder. “Can you hand that one to your dad?”

Under the tree, Mac grabs a round gift and eyes it suspiciously as she carries it to her father.

Wilder rips it open and tosses his head back in laughter as he spins the globe. “It’s the one I was looking at in the toy store,” he says, seeming too delighted for words as he runs his fingers over the topographic maps.

I am too. “I thought you might like it.”

“I love it,” he says, then kisses me on the cheek. He picks up a small gift for me in a rectangular box.

I’m giddy as I open it since his gifts are always good. Not because of the cost, but because of the thought behind them. I tear off the silver paper and find a dove gray box. I open it, fold down the tissue paper and gasp. It’s a beautiful silver chain with a tiny snow globe charm.

“I had it made for you,” he says, hopeful.

It’s a tiny replica of Evergreen Falls, with a snowy Main Street scene. “I had it made at Play All Day and put on a chain I’d bought from…well, I ordered it online from Made By Fable.”

“You did?” I gasp, but then it hits me. Of course he did. There was an order I received the other week for a single, recycled silver chain. And he added the snow globe. “It’s perfect,” I say, thrilled with the care he put into it.

“I know you wanted the Golden Gate Bridge, but I thought I’d start with⁠—”

“Stop it! I love it!” I cry, touched by his gesture. “It’s the place where we fell in love.”

“Let me put it on you.”

I turn around and hold up my red hair. He positions the necklace just so, clasping it, then running a finger along my neck. When I let my hair fall, I catch Mac smiling our way, like a Cheshire cat.

“I was right,” she says proudly.

“You were,” Wilder and I say together.

Together—like how we’ll spend the rest of our days and our holidays. And on New Year’s Eve, he takes me to that private rooftop dinner and helicopter ride above the city.

A real date, planned by our matchmaker.