Eggnog & Evergreen

43 • Merry & Bright

"I don't mean right now," Preston says, quickly reading my face.

"Oh." I visibly relax.

"But maybe ...soon?" Preston smiles.

"Preston," I sigh. "I have a lot to figure out–"

"Your new friend?" He asks.

"That's not –I mean, that's only a part of it." I swallow hard, diverting my eyes to the dark pathway carved into the snow by numerous horses and carriages.

"And the other parts?"

"I wanted to get away from this place, this town, my whole life. I love my life in New York, I do," I insist. "But then I come home, and everything clicks, and it's like maybe this fits too."

The carriage lurches to a stop beside the heat lamp. I didn't even realize we'd made a whole loop already. Preston helps me down the step, still holding me hand as my booties hit the slushy pavement.

"Look, let's not worry about it tonight. Tonight is Christmas Eve. I think we need to get you some of that figgy pudding inside," Preston says, grinning. "Maybe some of that mulled cider."

"Preston," I say, starting to smile myself. "We can't just ignore this and–"

"We aren't," he says, shaking his head. "It's a temporary hold."

I let his arm around my shoulder steer me towards the open door. I can feel the warmth spilling out from inside. Warmth and cookies and Christmas tree pine.

Preston's pocket starts ringing and he fishes his phone out. He glances at the caller ID before frowning.

"Have to take this. My parents," he says, waving his phone.

I say bye and watch him skirt off back to the sleigh ride line. He stops between the heat lamp and the mesh trashcan and starts jabbering into his phone.

I spin on my heels and brace myself to reenter the barn and discover all the promise it holds.

I finally spot Stella and Dani at a high-top cocktail table on the right side of the stage. They're dressed in matching sweater dresses and tights.

"Aren't you guys the best-looking couple at this place?" I tease.

"Oh, stop it," Stella giggles. Dani kisses her on the cheek. "Where've you been?"

"More importantly who've you been with?" Dani smirks.

"Preston," I say quietly. "Riding a sleigh believe it or not."

"Ooo," they squeal together.

"Do we get to meet him? Say we can meet him," Stella asks.

"Yea, not picking sides here, but Stella showed me a pic and I might be team P." Dani winks.

"He's outside right now. Phone call," I say, my eyes dropping to the holly centerpiece on the table.

I spot their glasses of eggnog and my heart flutters.

"There's a whole table over there," Stella says, reading my mind.

"Oh, so there is," I mumble.

I turn to see the table in full. Cheap plastic glasses are lined in rows across the white tablecloth, each one filled with eggnog. I'm sure it's not as good as Nik's eggnog.

"And no, we haven't seen him yet," Stella says, again with scary precision.

"I'm starting to think maybe he didn't show. Maybe Preston scared him off," I say, biting my lip. I search above all the heads in the crowd. I'll know Nik's chocolatey hair when I see it.