“You—you said that?”
“I did.” His lips curve up to the side. “I meant every word. Noble Outerwear wouldn’t still be here without you. You’re the right person for the job. You’re the best person for the job.”
My heart fills to the brim. Not because assuming his father takes his advice, I’ll fulfill my dream of seeing my nameplate with “CEO” written after it. But because this man has so much unwavering faith and belief in me.
How did that happen so quickly? What does it mean for our future? Where—No. No, I’m not going to let myself go down either of those paths.
Stay present.
“Thank you.” My throat swells. “That hardly seems like enough to say, but… thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. But if you wanted to…” He chuckles, a sound I could really get used to hearing. “I hope you’ll consider me when you’re hiring a CFO. A company of this size should have one.”
From what I know of Jonas and the work he’s been doing the past decade, we’d be lucky to have him. With both of us at the helm, nothing could get in our way.
But I can’t resist teasing him a little. “So is that how this works? You talk your dad into giving me a job and now you sweet talk me into giving you the one you wanted all along?”
“Pretty much.” He laughs again, and I can feel it in my soul. “It might raise some eyebrows—the CEO and the CFO dating and all. But we can put checks and balances into place to protect the company’s best interests.”
I’m so happy, I’m surprised my heart doesn’t burst.
“I think I can agree to those terms.”
“Good.” He gives me a pointed look. “Now, I don’t know if you noticed, but we happen to be standing under some mistletoe.”
“Is that what that is?” I glance up and pretend to look confused. “I thought it might be some weeds.”
“Trust me, it’s mistletoe. I had to call five stores to find it. So.” He arches an eyebrow. “What do you say?”
“I’d say you better kiss me right this moment.”
“Is that an order from the CEO or my girlfriend?”
My belly flutters. “Can it be from both?”
“I sure hope so.”
We’re both smiling when our lips meet. We’ve both been doing that a lot this past day—smiling and kissing. Past Me would’ve been worried about what everyone here at the party must think. Past Me would worry about what this means for Future Me at work and in life.
As for Present Me? She’s just happy to be standing under a mistletoe in an office decorated like a winter wonderland, kissing a man who makes life anything but boring.
There really is something to learning to live in the present. It’s turning out to be the best gift ever.
EPILOGUE
JONAS
I barely get into position before Holly waltzes into her office.
“Okay, the decorations are done. The caterer will be here in half an hour. And your dad and Joyce are getting into their Santa and Mrs. Claus costumes as we speak,” she reads off from the checklist she has on her phone. “That means we have about twenty minutes to finish getting ready and…”
She tears her gaze from the phone and gasps.
I can’t help but grin at the fact it took her almost two full minutes to notice the way I’ve transformed her office into the winter wonderland she loves so much fromElf.
“What…” Then she turns to me and sucks in a breath again.
I’m kneeling on the floor just inside the door of her office.