Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 101466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
“What do you want? A big wedding?”
“No. Something small. Us, a few friends.” She sighed, looking around. “Could we do it here? Have a reception in the house?” She clasped her hands. “It would feel as though Lou were here.”
I shrugged. “Why not?” I tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Why don’t you wear her dress, Pix? She would have loved that.”
“Oh!” she exclaimed, her eyes dancing. “I could!”
“I can print out the paperwork, and we can apply for a license. We could be married soon.”
“Yes!”
“Then let’s do this.”
The sun was high on the day I married her. Some friends gathered by the heart on a warm summer day, and I waited for my pixie, feeling anxious and excited. She appeared, her dress fluttering around her calves. The pale yellow suited her, the embroidery catching the light. Her hair was down, and she carried a small bouquet of daisies and roses—much like Lou had years ago. Around her neck, she wore Lou’s pearls, the small circles smooth and bright. She was so beautiful, it took my breath away. She was already crying as she walked toward me, and I reached out my hand, bringing her close and wiping the tears from her eyes. Unable to stop myself, I kissed her soft lips, our justice of the peace clearing his throat. “Plenty of time for that later,” he admonished with a wink.
I stepped back and gathered her hands in mine. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
And I married my pixie.
Mine forever.
A FEW MONTHS LATER
CASEY
I curled up on the sofa with a cup of coffee, tucking a blanket around my knees. The house was quiet, the animals asleep. They were calling for snow and possible freezing rain tonight, but right now, the sun shone outside, despite the cooler temperatures.
Jesse was at work, and he would be home late tonight as he had gone in early to cover another shift so he would get off sooner. I was glad. I hated it when he was gone nights now, even though I knew it was part of the job. I understood why Linda was so happy that Mark had started working only days.
A knock at the door surprised me since I wasn’t expecting visitors, but it was a delivery service with a package. I opened it, suddenly excited. The box contained the Christmas lights I wanted to put up on the house. They’d look so pretty on the gable and the porch. I’d ordered enough to do all around the upper part of the house as well, but I needed Jesse to do that. I looked at the lights, a thought hitting me. I could install them on the porch, simply using my stepladder from the kitchen. I bit my lip, trying to ignore the voice that whispered I could install the ones on the lower gable. I had been on the porch roof that summer, handing Jesse things as he and his crew installed the new roof above.
I had been nervous at first, but the slope was minimal and it wasn’t high like the second floor. I shook my head. Jesse also had me strapped into some sort of harness for safety and kept an eye on me. But I hadn’t tripped or fallen once.
But again, I shook my head. I would put them on the porch and the railings. That would take me most of the afternoon. Jesse could finish them on his days off. He’d be surprised when he got home and saw these ones up.
That was enough.
Except, the lights turned out to be as easy to install as the instructions said. I had it all planned when I ordered the lights, so I knew where to start, and the lights themselves were simple. Pull the line fairly taut, press the light into place, and move on to the next one. I was excited about how they would look. There were various color combinations and settings, and they could be used all year-round, although Jess had given me a look when I’d told him that.
“Christmas lights, Pixie. They are Christmas lights. We are not decking the house out all year-round.”
I had already decided we would.
He’d get used to it.
I finished and plugged them in, thrilled at how good they looked. Once the lights were stretched over the gable, they’d look fantastic.
My gaze strayed to the garage, and I shook my head. Then I glanced at my watch. It was only two. The porch had taken me three hours. Since there was only one gable plus the trim around it, it would be simple and probably only take an hour. Jesse would be so proud of me.
I shook my head. “Bad idea,” I muttered.
I needed to go inside, have another cup of coffee to warm up, and leave it until tomorrow.
Even as I thought that, my feet took me to the garage and the ladder. Jesse had bought another one, not as heavy and cumbersome, and it was all I needed to get to the gable. I could do most of it from the ladder, in fact. I’d only have to scramble up the porch roof to do the peak.