That Mistletoe Moment Read Free Page B

on.”
    â€œI’m coming.” Noelle asked once they were in the kitchen, “What is wrong with you?”
    â€œMe? What’s wrong with him? It’s Thanksgiving. Would it kill him to smile? And what was that face when you offered him wine?”
    â€œStop. His face is perfectly fine.” Scowling, Noelle was not going to let Nikki get her upset.
    It was a holiday. There were homemade pies. She was spending the weekend with her boyfriend. Nothing was going to bring Noelle down, especially not her bitter sister.
    She knew her optimism was well-founded when George rested his hand on hers at the dining room table and whispered, “I’m going to follow you to your place. I have something I want to talk to you about.”
    Noelle nearly choked as she swallowed the remnants of the bite of pumpkin pie in her mouth. She nodded. “Okay.”
    Her simple response belied what she felt on the inside as her heart thundered.
    He wanted to speak to her in private. That could only mean one thing. She wouldn’t have to wait until Christmas. Her ring was coming sooner than she’d expected.
    Usually she wouldn’t have minded hanging out to help her mother and sister do the dishes and clean up, but today she couldn’t stand the wait. She had to know what George wanted to talk about, but she had to get home first.
    She watched, and the moment she saw him put his dessert fork down, she asked, “Ready to go?”
    He glanced up. “Um, sure.”
    Pushing her chair back, Noelle gathered up her glass, and her pie plate and his. She carried it all into the kitchen, coming back out with her coat in her hand. “We’re going to get going.”
    Her sister frowned. “So soon?”
    â€œYeah. It’s been a long day.” Noelle would call later with the news. Then her sister would understand her rush. The whole family would and they’d be thrilled, she was sure.
    Seeing her with her coat and purse, George stood and turned to address her parents. “Thanks for dessert.”
    â€œYou’re always welcome. I’ll see you at our Christmas party, right?” Noelle’s mother asked.
    George nodded. “Yes, you will. My parents were talking about the party today. Mom’s making her stuffed mushrooms.”
    Her mother smiled. “Perfect.”
    As the good-byes were said, Noelle nearly bubbled over with joy. In all her excitement she had almost forgotten about her family’s annual Christmas Eve party. The entire neighborhood came, George’s family included. It would be the perfect time to show off the ring.
    Maybe that had been George’s plan for proposing tonight instead of on Christmas. He always had been a detailed planner. It was one of the things she appreciated most about him. She wasn’t so great in the advanced planning department.
    Noelle was shaking by the time she pulled into the parking space in front of her apartment. George pulled in behind her. She was so flustered over what she’d built up in her mind as a definite—the most important moment of her life—that she forgot to turn off her headlights.
    Walking over to her car, George said when she opened the driver’s door, “Lights.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œYou left your headlights on. You’ll end up with a dead battery.”
    â€œOh. Yeah. I forgot.” She reached in and flipped the button, grateful one more time for his attention to detail. “Just distracted tonight, I guess.”
    â€œTonight?” He blew out a breath. “You’re forgetful every day.”
    She pursed her lips. “No. Not always.”
    If she was distracted, it was usually for good reason. Her being forgetful was just a sign of an active mind. But she wasn’t going to let George’s comment put a damper on her perfect evening.
    After grabbing her purse, she slammed the door and hit the key fob to lock the doors. “Okay, let’s