“It was delivered to me, in the manila envelope from the North Pole.”
Chad’s face lit up and he jumped to his feet. He dug deep in his pocket and pulled out the other half of the ship hanging on the original ribbon. “It is a best-friend match!” He looked like a kid on Christmas morning. “Will you be my friend forever?”
Merissa took it from his fingers in a daze. “This was in the envelope you received from the North Pole?”
“Yes! But I didn’t know what to do with it. I wasn’t going to give you half a boat as a gift. I know the rule about the friendship necklaces.”
“Friends? Is that all you see in our future, Mr. Livingston.”
“Oh, no, boss-lady. I think we can do a whole lot better.”
Merissa wrapped her arms around his neck. “There’s been a mysterious force watching out for us, and I’m so happy it chose you for me.”
“Not nearly as grateful as I am. Singleness is not what it’s cracked up to be.”
“Singleness, huh?”
“A problem we’ll have to rectify in the not too distant future.”
From his jacket he withdrew a box with a ribbon tired around it. He dropped to his knees and held it out to her. “Merissa James. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Merissa was tongue-tied but her face revealed all he needed to know. Stammering she answered, “My wedding date is long overdue. And I am more thrilled than I ever dreamed possible.” Merissa grinned. “I’ve been practicing my new name – Mrs. Merissa Livingston.”
“Sounds perfect!”
Chad stood, and after she’d removed the ring from the box, he slipped it on the ring finger of her left hand. He silenced her gasp at the beautiful stone setting with a kiss that contained all their unspoken dreams and released new ones – filled with a different purpose and direction than either of them had expected that one Christmas cruise in July could possibly deliver.
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May the spirit of Christmas abound in you and yours throughout the entire year and make all your dreams possible!
