Under the Mistle-Foe Bonus Epilogue

Four years after epilogue

Jett

“You’re back for the ornament?” Chris said with a knowing smirk. He grabbed the item in question and settled it inside a small gift box lined with cotton to keep it from chipping.

“After sleeping on it, I think that’s the one,” I said, taking out my card to pay for the item.

Remy and I had an unofficial tradition to get each other funny ornaments every year. The first year, I’d gotten him an ornament that said “well hung” with a row of stockings hanging on a clothesline, and Remy gifted me one in the shape of a realistic nut with the words “deez” written on top of it.

We learned they came from the same vendor at the Arts and Crafts Fair, who had a penchant for creating funny, oftentimes dirty, ornaments.

After years of buying from Chris, we’d become friends of sorts. He knew about our tradition and always gave us first dibs on his wares.

Chris kept the more age appropriate ones displayed in the front but had a special collection for adults who asked for them.

“I hope you both enjoy,” he teased and handed me my small bag.

I thanked him and made my way out of the fair, which took far longer than it should have with bumping into many familiar faces. Which meant I had to stop for a quick chat and catch up with whichever friend I’d run into.

It was the neighborly thing to do.

I didn’t mind all that much, since I loved talking with my fellow townsfolk. I loved the community here and how there was practically no such thing as a stranger.

Though, it did make for trying to make a quick escape almost impossible.

Agnes finished telling me all about her granddaughter’s new boyfriend and how she thought there were wedding bells in their future soon, which led to her probing me about a potential wedding date for me and Remy.

Not that we were even engaged.

Remy and I had been happily together for the past five years, and we didn’t need a ring or a wedding to prove that. We’d talked about marriage one day if it made sense for us, but neither of us needed the certificate to know our relationship would last.

The problem was the older folks in town seemed to have a harder time grasping that fact. I used to get bombarded every other day with people stopping me to say, “when are you and that dear boy Remy finally going to tie the knot? You two are absolutely perfect together.”

I already knew that without them saying it. Remy and I were relationship goals.

The questions weren’t as frequent these days, but there was always the stray concerned citizen like Agnes.

After managing to extract myself from the conversation with her, giving her non-answers about any potential nuptials, I slipped out into the biting winter air.

Everything about Christmas Falls was perfect—from its festival season to its nosy neighbors. The only thing I could do without was how cold it got here.

I wrapped my red scarf tighter around my neck and made the short walk to the Snowflake Shack.

Remy and I had set up the mistletoe arch in front of the diner door a few days ago, and it was already filled with happy memories from our community.

I cast a quick glance at the tiny Polaroid pictures. A few new ones had been added since this morning. More smiling and laughing faces graced our arch, making it hard not to smile along as I walked underneath it.

Grabbing one of the many cherry lollipops that hung on the green foliage, I unwrapped it and popped the candy into my mouth as I opened the door to the diner.

I entered to find my parents sitting at what used to be my usual booth. Adam and Rob sat across from them. They were chatting over tea and desserts.

Mom looked years younger and a lot more relaxed in her retirement. Dad did too.

My parents went on small trips throughout the year, but most of the time, they were happy to stay here in Christmas Falls.

Mom had gotten more involved with the local charities and made more friends around town than I could count. She had more of a social life than me and Remy had combined, if I said so myself.

Dad had fully integrated with Adam and Rob, and the duo had now become a trio. The three would often be seen around town with Adam and Rob bickering as always and Dad smiling like everything was just peachy. Although, bickering was the default for those two best friends, so Dad might be right.

Mom glanced up and smiled when she caught sight of me. She waved me over, and I made to walk toward her, but stopped when the swinging door into the kitchen pushed open and out walked the man who still took my breath away till this day. I immediately changed my path and headed towards Remy.

Years ago, I wandered into this diner. I never could have imagined how much this place—and the man who ran it—would mean to me, and I was never more thankful to my little self for choosing this store to look for comfort. I found that and so much more.

Remy

I let out a grunt of surprise when a warm body cannon-balled themselves into my arms. It took me a second to realize who that person was, then I had an armful of Jett.

He used a hand to hold the lollipop he was sucking on and used his other to press me close and kissed me senseless like we were star-crossed lovers meeting for the first time after a long separation.

The world around me faded as it usually did when I had his mouth on me. Nothing existed besides me and this amazingly wonderful man who I was lucky to call my partner.

It wasn’t until the surrounding noise had become too loud that I pulled back to find my dad and Uncle Rob cheering and hooting from what was now known as the “family booth”.

There weren’t many people inside the diner right now since we’d just finished our lunch rush, leaving only our regulars who were used to the antics around here.

I ignored them all, knowing that was the fastest way to get them to mind their own business. I focused on the man in my arms instead.

“What was that for?” I asked, fixing up the red scarf around his neck that used to be mine once upon a time.

“Do I need a reason to kiss my partner?” Jett asked with a sweet smile. I kissed him again, unable to help myself.

“Never. In fact, I think we should make a new rule. You have to greet me like this from now on,” I said seriously.

Jett laughed and rolled his eyes. “Like putting on a show, huh?”

I held onto him tighter. “I’ll never give up an opportunity to show the whole world how much I love you,” I replied, meaning every single word of it.

These past five years with Jett by my side was everything I wanted a relationship to be. We weren’t perfect by any means—but nobody was. What was most important was the grace and effort put into this life that we had together, and that was something I would never take for granted.

“I love you,” Jett murmured and snuggled closer until our feet were sandwiched and chests flushed against each other. Jett was never stingy with his affections, and I could never get enough of it.

I brushed his wind swept hair out of his face and pressed a kiss to his temple. That was when I noticed something hard pressing against my stomach. Looking between us, I raised a brow at him.

“Babe? Right here in the middle of the diner?” I teased.

Jett looked confused for a split second, his eyes following where I was looking, then laughed. He took a step back and pulled something from his coat pocket.

“You may be irresistible, but even I know there’s a time and place for things,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes. He held out the small gift bag to me. “I got this for you.”

“Did Christmas come early?”

“Something like that. Open it.” Jett leaned in. “But it’s for your eyes only.”

That had me curious as I peeked into the gift bag to find a familiar small jewelry box. It was the same one Chris used every year to sell his ornaments. I smirked, knowing what I would find inside, but still, I wasn’t ready to see the completely white ornament that had two Christmas balls on it and text that read “Jingle my balls for a white Christmas”. There was snow dripping around the edge of the ornament, but anyone with a lick of sense could spot the innuendo in it.

“Babe!” I gasped and pressed the ornament to my chest. We gave each other funny and oftentimes punny ornaments, but they’d never been this scandalous before.

I glanced around to make sure nobody was peeking over my shoulder. Everyone was wrapped up in their own conversation, thankfully, and nobody was really paying attention to us.

Jett laughed and leaned into my ear to whisper, “Just a little preview of what’s to come later tonight.”

“Fuck,” I muttered and squeezed my eyes tight, hoping I wouldn’t pop a boner in the middle of my diner. That was the last thing I needed the regulars to tease me for.

Jett just continued to laugh. He was sooo helpful.

I placed the ornament back into the box to hang on our tree at home. I made a note to hang it somewhere higher up so Sugar and Spice didn’t get their mischievous paws on it and break it like they had the one Jett gifted me last year. I’d been so angry I deprived them of their favorite treat for all of one day before caving. It wasn’t my fault they were too stinkin’ cute.

“Naughty boys don’t get to have fun,” I chided.

Jett merely smirked and gave me a confident look that said he’d get whatever the hell he wanted. He wasn’t wrong. Our cats weren’t the only ones I had a hard time saying no to.

Loud grumbling had us turning around to find my dad in a heated argument with Uncle Rob. Jett and I glanced at each other with knowing smiles, then walked up to our family hand-in-hand.

“You’re just trying to rob away all the fun, aren’t ya? My plan is flawless. You’re just jealous you weren’t the one who thought it up,” Dad said in a huff.

Uncle Rob looked exasperated as he calmly stated, “Going on an ice fishing trip isn’t exactly the unique idea you think it is. It’s practically a yearly tradition at this point.”

“And yet you’re all puffed up that I brought it up first this year,” Dad said smugly.

“I am not!” Uncle Rob insisted, though he did look a bit like a bird with its feathers ruffled.

Jett’s parents sat across from them, calmly sipping their tea and watching this little show with amused smiles.

“All right, children. Calm down or I’ll have to make you stand under the mistletoe arch until you kiss and make up,” I said with a grin when we reached their table. Both men turned to me with daggers in their eyes before crossing their arms with a huff to silently glare at each other.

I shook my head and flashed Jett a helpless expression, which only had him barking out the laugh he’d been holding back.

“I swear they get more childish as the years go by. See what I have to deal with?” I muttered to Jett and swung an arm around his shoulders to pull him closer. He snuggled into my side, calm now that he was done at laughing at my expense.

“You love it,” he replied. “Plus, you can call it practice for when we have real kids one day.”

That had my head flinging in his direction. He was already watching me with a curious expression. “You’d want that with me? Kids one day?”

“I want everything with you Remy Trent. Now and forever.”

I couldn’t hold back my wide smile even if I wanted to. Surrounded by family and the person that made me feel as light as a feather, my heart filled with an indescribable warmth that told me I was exactly where I belonged.

That’s a wrap for Jett and Remy! Thank you so much for reading them <3 Signed paperbacks of Under the Mistle-Foe is now available here!

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