Day 4--Rose's 25 Days of Christmas Cheer, another visit from Making Memories by Janet lee Barton

If you haven't read Day 3, I suggest you go back and read it first, as this scene is from later on in that book--Making Memories by Janet Lee Barton. See book cover there also.

Josh was still shaking on the inside from their close call. Had that car taken a slightly different path, they both could have been killed and he would have died without ever letting Amanda know how he felt. He sent a silent prayer upward, thanking the Lord again for watching over them and for giving him another chance to tell Amanda how he felt about her.

“Amanda, you didn’t pull me in. I offered to come with you, remember? It was my idea. The last thing I want to do is turn around and go back home. Besides, you can’t take the blame for the weather. I was the one who should have realized we needed to leave even earlier. If anything had happened to you, I would never have been able to forgive myself.”


Still sniffling, Amanda looked up at him with those big tear filled eyes. “I promise you, I’ll make sure my family knows you aren’t in love with me as soon as we get there so you won’t feel any pressure to act as if you do.”

Josh pulled her into his arms. He had to tell her now. “Oh Amanda, I assure you, letting your family think I’m in love with you won’t be an act.”

He heard her quick intake of breath but he didn’t give her a chance to say anything as his lips claimed hers in a kiss he hoped left no doubt in her mind just how he felt. His heart sang with joy when she kissed him back. Knowing Amanda as he’d come to over the past few months, Josh was sure she wouldn’t have responded the way she did if she didn’t feel the same way.

When she ended the kiss and pulled back, Josh reached into the backseat and pulled a small package out of one of the sacks. “Here, open this.”

Amanda ripped open the paper and opened the box the mistletoe ornament came in. She pulled it out and held it to her heart. “Mistletoe . . .”

“I wanted you to always remember our first kiss when you hang that ornament on your tree. But my heart's wish is for it to be hung on our tree one day.” He hurried to say the words he’d wanted to say for weeks. “I love you Amanda—with all my heart. And if you are willing, we can tell your parents a simple truth . . . we are engaged. Will you marry me?”

Amanda answered him with another kiss that told him all he needed to know. When it ended, she whispered, “Oh, Josh, I love you too. I’ve loved you for weeks—and yes, oh yes! I will marry you.”

The Third Day of Rose's 25 Days of Christmas Cheer

Scene from the novella, Making Memories by Janet Barton—is up on the White Rose Press site for $1.00 in their Christmas Extravaganza, I think it will be available elsewhere mid-December

“Men.” Melissa shook her head and grinned. “No telling what they are plotting.”

“You're right about that,” Amanda chuckled and nodded. She’d seen her dad and uncles pull one prank after another often enough to recognize the signs. “We’d better be on guard.”

Melissa insisted they have a cup of hot chocolate before heading out into the cold night air and Amanda thoroughly enjoyed the next half hour of small talk. She was feeling more and more at home in Oklahoma City and knew a lot of her ease was due to the three people at the table. She sent up a silent prayer thanking the Lord for sending them into her life.

“I guess we’d better be on our way,” Josh said. “We wouldn’t want to be late for Sunday school.”

“No, that wouldn’t be good,” Andrew said. “Especially for me as I’m teaching the class this quarter.”

Melissa retrieved their coats from the closet in the entryway and Josh helped Amanda on with hers before putting on his own.

“Thank you so much for your hospitality,” Amanda said to the Bensons as they all stood in the entryway.

“Thank you for coming.” Melissa gave her a hug.

Andrew cleared his throat and pointed up to the small chandelier hanging above the women.

There, hanging right above their heads was a large clump of mistletoe tied to one of the crystals with a red ribbon. Andrew pulled his wife into his arms and planted a quick kiss on her lips as Amanda watched, slightly bemused. Then, before she realized she was still standing in the same spot, Josh had turned her face toward his and touched his lips to hers in a kiss so light and sweet Amanda almost thought she’d imagined it.