I turned it over and began to open the flap, but she held up a hand to stop me. "Now, you." She pointed at Slade.
Slade shot me a side eye and repeated the same process I had, yielding the same result.
We each held identical envelopes that read Daddy on the front. I opened my mouth to question again, but she shushed me with a finger over my lips.
"Before you open those," she began. "I have something I need to say. And that is, simply, thank you. Both of you. For coming to get me and dragging me back here, for forcing me to confront and make peace with the past, for pushing me to be my best self, and for making me come to terms with who I am at my core. You each give me something unique that no one else could give me, and each of you understand my wants and needs in a way that leaves me completely fulfilled. And I love you both so much." She took a deep breath and exhaled deeply before continuing. "Go ahead and open them."
As nervous as I was, my heart leapt with hope when she declared her love for us. I caught Slade's eyes and noticed they were a little misty. Merry was acting like it was no big thing, bouncing on her heels, as she waited for us to open the envelopes. That had to be a good sign, right?
Slade and I shot each other a nervous look and slowly peeled back the flap of the envelope, extracting the contents, revealing matching generic Christmas cards. I fingered the opening, not sure I wanted to read what was inside, and Slade seemed to be doing the same. My heart was in my throat.
We were both expecting the worst. Which was why Merry's next sentence nearly knocked the wind out of us, as it came out rushed together in a single breath. "You do all that for me, and I know you will do the same for our son or daughter." As the last word left her mouth, before I even had time for my brain to process it, I flipped the card open, revealing a single black and white photo, printed on plain computer paper.
I stood there, stunned into silence. Slade was the first one to speak. "Is this? Are you? Are we?" The poor guy couldn't string together a single coherent sentence. I'd have laughed, but I was no better off.
My eyes were glued to Merry's face, and I finally spoke, with the only thought I could wrap my brain around. "Fuck the cards and the balls. You're staying, if I have to duct tape you to my bed for the next nine months."
She tossed back her head and laughed heartily. "Of course, I'm staying. We are family, and I want my child to grow up with a real home and a real family. There is no better place for us than here, with you." Her eyes shone with tears as she looked at Slade and me and beamed. "Thank you for giving me the best Christmas, ever. I can't wait to see what the next fifty bring."
The End
Other Titles by Rayanna Jamison
Don’t miss these exciting titles by Rayanna Jamison and Blushing Books!
Catching Her Cowboy Daddy
Santa, Sir
Cole for Christmas
Other Uses for a Wooden Spoon
Corbin’s Bend Series
A Perfect Partnership
A Holiday Ruse
Ginger UP
Love Multiplied Series
Green Valley Brides, Books 1 & 2
Luke’s First Bride, Book 3
Vegas Nights Series
Collared, Book One
Claimed, Book Two
Second Chance Ranch Series
Winterland Daddies, Book 1
Anthologies
Sweet Town Love
12 Naughty Days of Christmas - 2014
12 Naughty Days of Christmas - 2015
A Spanking Good New Year
Audio Books
The Bishop’s First Bride
Bride Two Soon
Rayanna Jamison
Rayanna Jamison has always dreamed of becoming an author. She credits a big move from Oregon to Utah in 2013 as the catalyst that finally began her writing career. She now lives in Southern Utah with her husband, two children, two dogs, and her mother. She writes what she loves to read, which is fun romantic stories about submission in its many forms. When she is not writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, crafting, and shopping, and that's just in her spare time. When the kids and husband are home, she can be found baking with her daughter, watching her son and his friends, and hosting neighborhood block parties. She loves exploring her new area, and finding fun new things to do with her family.
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