Page 53 of You Make It Feel like Christmas

S UMMER IN S EATTLE WAS Maisie’s favorite, no matter how much she enjoyed Christmas. Looking around, taking in the huge crowd of people milling about, laughing, and talking on the Side Tap Brewery lawn, she was still in awe at how much had changed in the last six months.

A news crew rolled into the parking lot and Maisie scanned the crowd for Nick, who would be giving an interview about today’s event. Like her gaze was drawn automatically to him, she saw he was walking toward her, a sexy smile on his face, his eyes locked on her.

“News crew is here,” she said, moving directly into his arms and burrowing herself against him.

She’d had no idea when she fell in love that there was more. So much more. More love, more growth, laughter, moments. It wasn’t all perfect but that just made it better. They could be themselves with each other—no smoke screens.

“You want to come say hi?” he asked, pressing a kiss to her hair.

Tipping her head back, she squinted and he laughed, nudging her sunglasses from the top of her head to the bridge of her nose.

“Better?”

“Yes, thank you. And no, thank you. I’ll stay behind the camera. I’m so proud of you,” she told him.

“Us. We did this. You’ve helped every step of the way.” His arms squeezed.

Maisie shook her head. “Nope. You used your powers for good because you’re incredible.”

Nick lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her softly, taking his time even though he needed to go greet the reporter, who was not only a friend of his but a colleague.

He’d been doing weekly appearances as a sports analyst on Seattle Sounds Off , a local television show.

In addition to that, he had two other guest spots as an analyst, but both of those were remote, so he did those from the room he’d turned into an office.

It was right next to the room they’d turned into a studio for her. In their house. That they both loved.

Nick pulled back and smiled at her, his eyes filled with love, and Maisie knew she’d never get tired of seeing it.

It amazed her that this man was all hers and that he returned her feelings.

She supposed anyone who found their person felt this way, but sometimes she’d just sit and stare at his photo in her studio, the first one she’d ever taken of him.

He teased her for putting it up, but he had several of her in his office.

“You’re part of everything I do. You made me feel like this was not only possible but a good idea.”

“Nick,” Ethan called from across the lawn.

“Go,” she whispered to Nick, kissing his chin. “I love you.”

“I love you.”

She watched his long stride eat up the grass as he walked to greet the reporter and camera man. Natalie came up beside her, handed her a water.

“You know you wake up next to him every day, right?” her sister asked with a smile in her tone.

Maisie took the water but leaned in and kissed the top of Mari’s—her sweet baby niece—head. Only six weeks old, she smelled of baby powder and goodness, her down hair soft against Maisie’s lips.

“Your mommy acts tough but she’s just as obsessed with your daddy,” she told her niece.

“You’re not wrong. Kyle gets up every night with me just to make sure I’m settled and his girls have everything they need. Sometimes he just sits beside me and waits so we can go back to bed together. How could I not be obsessed?”

Maisie tipped her head onto her sister’s shoulder.

Her family had all shown up today for Nick’s event.

Ellie and Asher were visiting for a few days as well, but they’d head out tonight because Ellie promised her son a trip to The Great Wolf Lodge, an indoor waterpark.

She was on the other side of the lawn, chatting with Lexi’s mom, which made Maisie happy.

Today had been in the works for months and so many of his athlete friends were here, supporting the amazing cause.

Nick had started what he hoped would be an annual golf tournament with all proceeds going to Sports Mind, a foundation that offered guidance, counseling, and workshops for high school athletes.

One of the reasons Nick became a spokesperson for the foundation was that he felt like he’d have had a better chance facing his anxiety as an adult if he’d recognized the symptoms and signs, learned strategies to deal with them, as a teen.

Maisie just remembered Nick telling her that when he made a decision, he was all in, and today was one more example of that.

“Hey,” Lexi said, walking toward them in a flowy, floral-patterned dress.

Her hair was loosely and elegantly piled on top of her head.

Her diamond sparkled in the sunlight. She and Will had set a wedding date for November.

Maisie would be the maid of honor. Lexi stopped in front of them, running a hand gently over Mari’s head.

“She’s such a good baby. You should be taking photos, not standing around mooning over your niece, staring at your boyfriend and wondering when you’ll have his babies. ”

Natalie’s snort laugh startled the baby but she rubbed a hand over her back in the front carrier. Maisie poked Lexi in the shoulder, adjusting the strap of her camera.

“Someone is bossy. And closer to riding the baby train than me.”

A smitten smile graced Lexi’s face as she looked around for Will. He was standing with Ethan, watching Nick give his interview. It was great promotion for Side Tap as well. Not that they needed it. With the second location, Lexi was spread thin and they were in the process of hiring more staff.

“Yeah, I am. How’d we get here?” Lexi asked, her gaze still on Will.

“Luck,” Natalie said, staring at Kyle.

Timing, luck, connection. Who knew what the formula was for meeting the one.

Maisie hadn’t thought it was in the cards for her but she was so grateful to have been wrong.

So grateful she’d gone to Hailey’s wedding and taken a chance on a one-night stand just over a year ago.

Sometimes it was the least-likely path, one a person didn’t even know they were wandering down, that led them home.

M AISIE PULLED ON A pair of sleep shorts and a tank top.

It’d been a perfect day. And now, she and Nick had a date with the big-screen television he’d insisted on mounting over the fireplace in their bedroom.

They’d been trading off movie and show favorites.

He’d gotten her to watch Yellowstone , the Transformer movies—she liked the one with Mark Wahlberg—and Mystery, Alaska .

Her picks, so far, included Suits , The Rookie , and Definitely, Maybe .

Tonight they’d rock, paper, scissors who got to choose next.

Rubbing lotion on her arms, she let herself sink into the happiness she felt.

Over the last several months, they’d attended events for the foundation and other commitments Nick had previously made.

Maisie loved dressing up, especially with Nick at her side, and always enjoyed people watching.

However, of all the things they did together, her favorite was just snuggling up to each other in their ginormous bed, the sound of the water lapping outside the patio doors off their bedroom, watching a show and just being together. Simple. Sweet. Perfect.

Nick was sitting in bed when she came into the room. His hair looked darker in the dimmed lighting. His worn Guardians shirt made Maisie smile.

“How was your shower?” He sat back against the padded headboard.

“Not as good as when you’re in it but pretty wonderful. You get everything done you needed to do?” She crawled up onto the bed and made her way to the crook of his arm. When they’d gotten home, he told her he had a few things he needed to deal with.

Nick kissed her softly. “I did.” Lifting his mouth, he gazed into Maisie’s eyes.

She put a hand to his chest, kissed him again. “Good. Then it’s rock, paper, scissors time unless you just want to go with my pick of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days .”

Nick scoffed. “That does not sound good.”

She arched her brows. “Kate Hudson?”

He pursed his lips. “Maybe.”

Maisie laughed and started to reach across him for the remote. Nick held her still. “Actually, I already chose.”

Maisie looked at the screen to see that, sure enough, the TV was on, the little screen saver bouncing across it.

“That’s not fair. Cheater.”

Nick laughed, kissed her cheek. “Promise you’ll like it.”

She shrugged since she was sort of tired and didn’t care what they watched. Nick grabbed the remote and pressed play.

Music filled the room but the screen stayed dark. Maisie recognized the instrumental version of a song she loved but couldn’t quite place it. Then the screen lit up and pictures started moving across the TV. Pictures of Maisie and Nick.

Sitting straighter, she turned her head. “What is this?”

Nick kissed the tip of her nose. “Just watch.”

Turning back to the screen, she saw so many of the photographs she’d taken. Them at Christmas, him at the wedding, even photos from today. Their families—Asher’s smiling face, Lexi and Will, Ethan. It was like a photographic timeline of their relationship playing to an Ed Sheeran melody.

Maisie’s breath caught in her throat when she saw a photograph she didn’t take, one she hadn’t even seen.

It was Nick holding her, his forehead pressed against hers, the two of them in profile.

Maisie remembered the moment; Natalie had been in labor and they were waiting at the hospital.

The hours upon hours dragged and Maisie felt completely helpless.

Nick had pulled her close and told her that being there was all she could do and sometimes that’s all a person needed; to know you were there.

The photos shifted and moved, sliding over one another in time to the music. One of Maisie laughing, her head tipped back, mouth slightly open, while Nick looked at her with so much love stayed steady on the screen. Then words started to scroll across the photograph.

Maisie,

Will

You

Marry

Me

***

Sucking in a quick breath, Maisie turned to look at Nick and saw he was holding a diamond solitaire in between his thumb and forefinger, a smile on his face.

“I love you,” he told her.

Maisie pressed her teeth into her bottom lip to quell her immediate urge to cry. It did no good. A couple of tears broke free as Nick moved, adjusted them so he could take her left hand.

“I want a lifetime of photographs and memories with you, Maisie. Will you marry me?”

Simple. Sweet. Perfect. Their version of a hat trick. She nodded before the word, “Yes,” escaped in a watery laugh. “Yes. Yes. Yes.”

The diamond he slipped onto her ring finger was square cut, perched high on a thin gold band. Once it reached the base of her finger, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed her there. Maisie laughed, more tears falling.

Nick pulled her close, bringing both of his hands to her face. “Told you you’d like it,” he whispered.

Maisie wrapped her hands around his wrists, laughing. “I loved it. I love you.”

They met halfway, kissing each other, his lips sliding across hers with a gentle pressure, and both of them kept their hands where they were. Nick sighed against her lips, then inched away, just a little, and let his forehead settle on hers.

Grinning, Maisie leaned in and kissed him again. “I can’t believe you made a slideshow of all of our photos. I didn’t even know we had that many.”

Nick laughed, pulled her into a hard hug. “You’re not the only one who can take photos when someone’s not looking.”

Maisie kissed his cheek, then pressed hers against it and sighed, her arms still wrapped around him.

“It was perfect. When I met you, I never would have guessed you were so romantic.” He’d shown her time and time again that he was.

“I don’t think I was.” He leaned away. “Until you.”

Maisie smiled into their kiss knowing there was no picture that could accurately capture her happiness in this moment. But she also knew that it was imprinted on her memory and, like her feelings for this man, it would never fade.

THE END. FOR NOW.