“Fine. That means I get to hang the first ornament.”
Deckard’s hand slid down to hers, intertwining their fingers together. His thumb flicked the three-carat ring he had placed on her finger over the summer.
“I love you,” she said, looking up at him with all the adoration she felt.
He looked down at her with the smirk she adored so much. “I love you too, sweetheart.”
Together they opened up the box of ornaments Deckard had brought with him as well as the ones January had saved from last year. Christmas music filtered through the speakers as they sang along to the classic tunes.
There was one ornament left – the one that changed everything. January hesitated as it dangled from her fingers. The note she initially found with it was long gone despite the hours she and Deckar
d had spent searching for it the year before. January could barely recollect the saying herself. But the thought that this silly piece of glass held a particular form of magic still frightened her.
“What’s wrong, babe?” he asked her from behind the tree. Her lack of singing must have alerted him.
“I’m almost afraid to hang it.”
Deckard came from around the tree, and when he saw the ornament she was holding, he gave her a knowing nod.
“It deserves to hang on the tree. After all, it brought me you.”
She pondered for a moment before she delicately placed the glass snowflake high up in the center of the tree.
“There, now it’s perfect,” Deckard claimed as he wrapped an arm around her waist. January did the same, resting her head against his chest.
They stood together admiring their work before he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Are you ready for tomorrow?”
“Of course. Are you?”
“You know that I am. We have that dinner tonight. We should probably go get ready.”
“Probably,” she repeated as she turned and leaned against Deckard. “Should I wear the red or blue dress?”
“The red. Definitely red.”
“A favorite of yours?”
“If it’s the red dress you wore on Christmas Eve last year, then yes, it is definitely a favorite. And the star of many of my fantasies.”
She giggled then asked, “Am I at least staring in these fantasies?”
He gave her a smirk that silently answered for him before he reached down and lifted her onto his shoulder, carrying January fireman-style
“I think we have enough time that we can live out one of my fantasies right now.”
And to January, that option didn’t seem like a bad idea at all, especially when they forgot about the red dress all together as he dropped her on the bed.
They lost track of time as Deckard took pleasure in worshipping her body, arriving at the dinner an hour late.
~
It was colder than January expected, but the light snow fell around her, and she was lost in its beauty. The pathway was lined with red and silver ribbon swirled together. As the sleigh trudged through the snow, she pulled her ivory blanket tighter.
They were nearing the clearing that she and Deckard had watched the stars, and it was one of their favorite spots to come all year long.
“Almost there.”
“Yep,” she replied, her adrenaline starting to swirl through her body, instantly warming her.