Merilee had shed her fancy clothes and changed into her cozy jammies: pink flannel with a candy cane print. She’d turned on her tree lights and served herself some light eggnog along with the small plate of Christmas cookies her mother had sent home with her (comfort food), and now she was snuggled under an afghan (more comfort) with It’s a Wonderful Life playing on her TV (which should have been comforting). A perfect ending to a perfect day.
Not. She was by herself. She didn’t even have a cat now. What was so wonderful about that?
It will be a new year, she told herself. You’ll go to school. You’ll find the right man on Myotherhalf.com. And you’ll move and get a cat. There. The new year was looking better already.
She took a big slug of light eggnog. This stuff sucked. Tomorrow she was going to the store and get some good eggnog. And meanwhile she was going to…? Quit obsessing over Zach!
She opened her laptop. She’d check and see if Myotherhalf.com had sent any new frog princes hopping her way.
George Bailey was begging to live again and Merilee was checking out a new potential other half when someone started pounding on her door. What on earth? She wrapped her afghan around her and padded over to the door and peered through the peephole.
Zach? Was she hallucinating? Under the influence of too much eggnog?
“Merilee, open up.”
She looked down in horror at her flannel jammies. Great. Where was her slinky black top when she needed it? She pulled the afghan around her shoulders and opened the door, sure her cheeks were as red as her hair, to find him standing there, filling the doorway.
“Zach,” she said stupidly.
He didn’t give her time to say anything else. He pulled her to him and kissed her. And what a kiss it was! The only thing that kept her from going up in smoke was her flame-retardant jammies.
Was she dreaming? No. Her eyes were still wide open in shock, and there was that handsome face, up close and personal. Right along with other parts of him. Ooh.
But … “What are you doing here?” she asked when he finally set her mouth free. And why was she asking? Whatever Christmas spell he was under, did she want to break it?
“I’m taking a chance,” he said, and kissed her again.
Those potential princes were immediately forgotten and the afghan fell to the floor.
From the TV, Mary Bailey cried, “It’s a miracle!”
And she was right.