“We’re going to be great.”
“But I do have a request. It you are going to puke, aim for your sisters. Not me.”
Nick chuckled. “Done.”
“I love you.”
He kissed her hard. “I love you, too.”
“Dammit, now I have to reapply my lipstick. Curtain up in five. Don’t forget to turn your mic on.”
She disappeared back into the dressing room and Nick flipped the switch on his mic. He squatted down to check his amp and guitar, making sure it was plugged in correctly.
“Nick,” Amber called off stage.
He groaned. Why couldn’t she just leave him alone?
When he didn’t go over she walked onto the stage. “Nick, I need to talk to you.”
“Amber, I don’t have time for any of this.”
“I screwed up. Please hear me out. I know I’ve been terrible and thoughtless, but I really want to change for the better.” She took a deep breath, a slight tremble in it that made him pause. “I should have never tried to get between you and Noel. It was wrong and I’m sorry.”
Nick stood up, still leery of her motives. “I appreciate the apology.”
“You were right when you said I was scared to be on my own. You are a good guy and you deserve to be happy. I am sorry I couldn’t do that, but I am hoping that by taking some time to get to know myself, maybe I’ll grow and become a woman that a guy like you could love.”
Nick cleared his throat and smiled. “I wish you nothing but happiness.”
“Noel, she’s…well, I may have misjudged her. Or I just let my jealousy get the best of me. Regardless, I hope she makes you happy.”
“She does. She’s my love, my family. My person.”
“What about…marriage and kids?”
“Amber…” he warned.
“I’m not being an asshole. I am just curious, because with us, you never stopped talking about those things.”
“Because I never considered you’d want anything different until you did. With Noel, we’ve talked. We’ve discussed our wants, our fears, and our needs. We are on the same page. Maybe we’ll get married, but if not, I’m okay with that. God willing, we’ll have kids too, but even if we don’t, all I need is her. Whatever our future may hold, it’s between the two of us and while I appreciate your apology, this is the last time I discuss the woman I love or my relationship, with you.”
Amber nodded.
A mix of thunderous applause and cheers exploded from the audience beyond the curtain. Nick looked around to find his parents, his sisters, and Noel watching them from the other side of the stage. Merry pointed to her mic and clapped.
And it hit him. Everyone in the place had heard this exchange.
Noel, Merry, and Holly walked onto the stage, taking their places as the curtains opened. Nick stared out on the sea of faces, continuing to cheer. Amber stepped off the stage and walked out into the audience, taking an empty seat next to Gabby and Drew.
Noel stepped into the spotlight on center stage and waved. “Welcome to the Mistletoe Christmas Concert! Thank you all for being here, celebrating this wonderful occasion. If you don’t mind giving me one second while I kiss my boyfriend. You guys okay with that?”
The town went wild as Noel strutted across the stage and kissed him, his guitar pinned between them.
When she pulled back, Nick was too dazed to say anything until she covered his mic.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Loving me.”
Nick pressed his forehead to hers. “Forever.”
There was no panic in Noel’s rich brown eyes, nor tension in her face. Only joy.
“You ready to do this?”
Nick took her hand and squeezed it. “I’m ready when you are.”
NOEL
Noel’s heart hammered as she returned to center stage, Nick’s declaration ringing in her head. As she stared out into a sea of faces, she focused on the people she loved and took a breath. “The Carter Family started the Christmas Concert five generations ago. Traditions were passed down over the years, like the Carter Lemon Shortbread cookie and the concert set list. Things we looked forward to every holiday season.”
She took a breath, trying to find the words she’d been practicing all week for this moment.
“When my parents passed away ten years ago on their way to this very concert, the town of Mistletoe grieved their loss. The loss of their talent. Their kindness. And most of all, their love of Christmas.”