17. Milo

SEVENTEEN

MILO

I tucked my hands into my pockets and moved through the crowd that had assembled at Sugar Plum Park for the festival’s closing ceremony. I had spotted Nicholas in the distance, standing with Marigold, James, and Ezra. I would join them later. I wasn’t yet ready to tell them why I was alone. I wasn’t ready to tell anyone.

So I walked around, greeting people I knew only from passing. Those that I knew better, I avoided. That was why I came here so late. I missed everything that happened during the ceremony and arrived when the crowd was smaller. Still, I spotted Elias checking out the photography display under a tent as I passed. A few feet away, Nick, the local matchmaker and his new boyfriend, Leo, were chatting with a whole gaggle of family. The smiles on their faces hurt, and I hurried on.

When I had done two full circles of the park, I decided it was now or never. I made my way to Nicholas Willoughby and his family beneath the large tent that been set up for the event near the park gazebo. When all was said and done, I would always have friends there.

“There you are,” Nicholas said in that jolly voice. I constantly expected him to give us a “Ho, ho, ho.” His white mustache shook a little as he smiled. “I think Santa has been spotted in Christmas Falls quite a lot this year, Milo. Don’t you agree?”

Marigold looked between us as if suspecting there was some juicy gossip that had escaped her. But just then, Ezra and James rejoined the group and handed out small cherry liquors to everyone, including me. “It’s good to see you, Milo,” Ezra said.

“Weren’t you circling the crowd just now?” James poked.

I laughed airily and took my small glass of liquor. Marigold hesitated, but then she did the what-the-hell shrug and accepted it, close to giggling. A small glass of liquor near Christmas Eve was Marigold’s idea of debauchery. To her, this was peak naughtiness. But she laughed as she and Nicholas touched glasses.

“Hey, where’s Christian?” Ezra asked. “Is he here?”

I shook my head. I imagined Christian was having dinner with his parents, telling them about the exciting job that was awaiting him in New York City. “No,” I said, my throat too tight to speak at length. “He’s not here.”

Ezra’s eyes widened. “Oh, no. I’m so sorry, Milo. Are you alright?”

I looked around, hoping for a lightning strike or a meteor shower to distract everyone so I could avoid talking about this. Then, James nodded. “He’s alright. Aren’t you, Milo? We don’t need to make a fuss.”

For a man with as icy a pair of eyes as those, James radiated an unexpected amount of warmth. He offered his glass of liquor, and I lifted mine to clink them together.

“Good,” James said. That one word carried so much reassurance that I wondered if he could have given me more with an entire speech.

“I’ll make all the fuss I want, James,” Ezra said scoldingly, then threw an around over my shoulder. “But not now. We can talk when you feel like it.”

“Thanks,” I said. And we left it at that.

People mingled in the park, heaters keeping them warm in the chilly outdoors. Nicholas decided to tell me what I’d missed. There were raffles and competitions, exhibitions, and speeches. It was all very nice and fun. He was hoping there would be dancing later because he’d been practicing for it, and Marigold laughed out loud, then covered her mouth with a hand and pretended she hadn’t.

I wished I could enjoy it, but everywhere I looked, cozy couples reminded me of what I was missing. The museum director Harvey Novak stood close with the mystery man who’d stolen his heart. The hot former hockey player who’d taken over the rec center had a possessive arm wrapped around Scott Jersey, while Scott’s son played fetch with their dogs. And if Jett nuzzled Remy one more time, I might just lose it. Heck, even that grumpy Gray Frost looked happy with his tech tycoon.

“What the fudge? What’s that Nutcracker doing there?” Ezra whispered. I would have appreciated just how unquestioning his loyalty was if my breath wasn’t kicked out of me when I spotted Christian pushing through the crowd.

I froze as Christian headed toward the gazebo. He glanced around, his gaze sharp but purposeful, and then he spotted me. My stomach flipped, but he didn’t approach me. Instead, he moved into the center of the gazebo. A hush fell over the crowd.

Someone handed him the microphone, and for a moment, he just stood there, gripping it like it might fly out of his hands. His hair was tousled, and his cheeks were flushed, probably from the cold outside. His gaze scanned the park, and I wanted to disappear. Or maybe I wanted to march up there and pull him down before he could say anything too embarrassing.

“Uh, hi,” he began, his voice cracking slightly. A few people chuckled, but he took a deep breath and pushed on. “I’m Christian, for those who don’t know me. I used to live here a long time ago. And, uh, I’m sure some of you have noticed that weird things have been happening in Christmas Falls this year.”

There were murmurs of agreement and a few laughs from the crowd.

“I’m talking about the Secret Santa,” he continued, his voice growing steadier. “The person who’s been leaving gifts or helping people out in small but meaningful ways. Fixing your broken fences. Finding babysitters so you could have that romantic date. Dropping off groceries. At first, I thought it was just…coincidence. Or some kind of Christmas magic. But it’s not. Well, maybe magic, but not that kind. Secret Santa visited Christmas Falls this year and reminded us just how capable we are of doing the right thing. He reminded us how we all deserved a little kindness and owed a little bit of it to the others.”

He paused, and my breath hitched as his eyes found mine in the crowd.

“It’s Milo,” he said, his voice warm and steady. Marigold gasped in shock and something like offense that nobody had told her. “Milo Montgomery. The guy who runs Jingle Bites, who spends every waking hour making chocolates that somehow taste like happiness. The guy who pretends he’s fine, even when things aren’t going his way. Milo, who’s given everything he has to this town without expecting anything in return.”

A ripple of surprised murmurs ran through the crowd.

“He’s the one who sent out those invitations to the party at Jolly Java?” Rocco Moretti said, sounding stunned. His boyfriend, deputy mayor Taylor Hall was by his side along with a truly massive group of family that were all whispering furiously now.

“The books for the library.” Nova turned to Kody. “Milo was behind that?”

There were other whispers. Heads turned toward me, but I couldn’t move.

“Milo doesn’t ask for help,” Christian said, his voice softer now. “Even when he needs it. And he does need it. His shop is struggling. He’s been working day and night to keep it going, even when the odds are stacked against him. éclair is pushing him out of business. Everyone should know this, and I’m telling you because Milo wouldn’t. He would never ask you to move your business to him, and I know plenty of you would. You’ve tasted his chocolate. You know what he can do. And despite all that, he still finds the time and energy to make the rest of us feel cared for.”

My face burned, and I shook my head slightly, but Christian wasn’t done.

“You’ve reminded me, Milo, of what it feels like to belong somewhere,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “Of what it feels like to have a home. I forgot that for a while, but you brought it back. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry for letting you down. For the years we lost. For not being here sooner. And for disappointing you again.”

I couldn’t breathe.

“I don’t know if you can forgive me,” Christian said, his voice breaking just enough for me to hear it. He slowly came down the gazebo steps. The crowd parted before him and made a clear way between us. “But I’m asking you to. Because I can’t imagine my life without you in it anymore. I don’t want to. So, Milo…”

His gaze locked on mine. My heart pounded as he approached, the microphone still in hand, his voice barely above a whisper now but somehow carrying through the park.

“Please. Let me be part of your world again. Let me stand beside you. Let me love you the way you deserve to be loved.”

The park was silent, and the weight of dozens of eyes pressed down on me. But all I could see was Christian.

The crowd disappeared. My friends, my neighbors, my casual acquaintances. I could only see the man standing in front of me, waiting for an answer.

His arms dropped to his side with the microphone still held in his hand. His words were no longer for everyone, only me. He gazed at me hopefully. “I love you, Milo.”

My heart somersaulted in my chest.

“When I was thirteen, I lost my best friend. The pain was so great that I swore I would never be that close to anyone. And it took me a decade of failed attempts to realize that you had always been more than a friend. You are my soulmate. You are the home I want.”

My lips quivered as I let myself come nearer to him. “What about New York? You’ll always want to…”

“I won’t,” he said. “I used to want to run away from here. I don’t want to run anymore.”

I swallowed, trying not to let myself give in so quickly. It was risky. It was dangerous. “I’m sure you mean that now, but what if…” I faltered. Telling him about all the outcomes was pointless.

Especially when he took a step closer and almost pressed our bodies together. “What if I change my mind?” He blinked. “That will never happen, Milo. This month with you has been everything I’ve always wanted. It only took losing you to realize what you are to me, what you’ve always been.”

I wanted to ask him what I was to him, but no sound came from my parting lips.

Christian smiled softly, his eyes glimmering with tears. “Everything,” he said.

I no longer had it in me to hold back. My hands shot up between us, and I grabbed the lapels of his coat, pulling him in for a heated kiss that was raw with pain and hurt and fear but which incinerated each of those, one by one, and only left an infinite oasis of hope in their place.

Something like cheers and wolf whistles sounded in the distance, but my ears were flooded with the beating of my heart and the hum of my blood.

“You really love me?” I asked, feeling the heat creep into my cheeks. Had I doubted it?

“Do you need to ask?” Christian whispered. “Of course I love you, Milo.”

“Because I love you, too,” I said. “I’ve loved you my whole life.”

Christian’s grin widened, his hands settling firmly on my waist. “Good. Then it’s settled.”

“Is it?” I teased, the edge of my lips curving into a smile. “You sure you’re ready for a life of endless chocolate experiments and late-night crises about the perfect truffle texture?”

He chuckled, low and warm. “I’ve survived New York City corporate meetings. I think I can handle chocolate-induced chaos. Besides…” He leaned in, his lips brushing mine in a featherlight touch. “It sounds like heaven to me.”

I laughed. It burst out of me like the first notes of a song I’d forgotten I loved. Around us, the crowd erupted in applause and cheers, but the world had narrowed to just Christian and me.

“You’re really not leaving?” I asked, my voice soft, almost disbelieving.

His hands moved up to cup my face, his thumbs brushing lightly against my cheekbones. “I’m not going anywhere, Milo. My home is here. My heart is here. With you.”

“What about Shattered Horizons ?” I asked.

“If they want me so badly, they won’t mind me working from here. If not, then I’ll know my worth to them.” He nodded reassuringly. “The only reason I loved that comic so much was because of you. We reenacted it to death. But I don’t need that anymore. I’ve got you.”

The noise around us grew louder—Nicholas’s booming laugh, Marigold’s excited squeal, Ezra’s enthusiastic cheer—but it all faded into a gentle buzz.

I kissed him again, slower this time, savoring the taste of him, the feel of him. When we finally pulled apart, breathless and grinning, I looked into his eyes and saw the future I’d stopped daring to dream about.

A future filled with love, laughter, and, yes, chocolate-induced chaos. I didn’t doubt I would have more orders tomorrow than I could keep up with. But I also had Christian to sweep in and help me.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt whole.