Runaway Christmas Bride -

Elias doesn't want a runaway bride in his cabin, and Claire doesn't want to be "saved." But as the storm cages them in, the armor starts to melt:

While the priest adjusts his spectacles, Claire makes a snap decision. She hitches up her silk skirts, swaps her satin pumps for the hiking boots she hid under the altar "just in case," and bolts through the side vestry. The Escape Runaway Christmas Bride

They spend Christmas Eve trying to dismantle her corset, which has a literal hundred tiny buttons, leading to a moment of accidental, breathless intimacy. Elias doesn't want a runaway bride in his

Claire and Elias sitting on the porch, wrapped in a single wool blanket. The wedding dress is being used as a makeshift (and very fancy) tree skirt for a small fir in the corner of the room. It’s the first Christmas in years where they both feel like they’re exactly where they’re supposed to be. Claire and Elias sitting on the porch, wrapped