A Family For Christmas (Hearts In Georgia; Harmony Cove)

by Marian Wilson

  “I understand, son,” his father assured him. “And we would never want you to live a lonely life like that. Would we, honey?”

  Silence was all Lysander received from her.

  “I’m sorry you don’t like this, Mom,” he told her, “but I am an adult now. If I feel like I’m ready to find someone to share my life with again, then I am going to go ahead and look. I don’t feel bad about it. And I don’t think Tessa would be upset with me, either. She’d want me to find happiness, just like I’d want her to be happy if I had been the one who’d died that day.”

  “We would love to meet her,” his father said. “When the time is right, of course.”

  “Thank you, Dad,” Lysander said. “Grace was worth considering opening my heart for again. Before her, there were no other women that had even made me take a second look. And I’d met plenty of nice ones. But Grace… There is something very different about her. She’s kind, and gentle, and she really loves the kids. I think… I think she could be a great mother to them if it ever got to that point.”

  “I hope that Grace turns out to be everything that you need,” his dad replied. “And just know that the holidays are stressful for your mom. You do know that she wants you to be happy. I am sure that we will both love Grace if and when we get the opportunity to meet her.”

  His mother sighed. “Of course your father is right, Lysander. I do want you to be happy. And you deserve to love and be loved. Please, just be careful about any woman you bring around my grandchildren.”

  “Grace is wonderful. I can promise you that,” Lysander said.

  14

  It was Christmas Eve. Grace could hardly believe it. The fall seemed to have just flown by. First Halloween had come, along with all the discount candy. Then Thanksgiving, where she’d burned the pumpkin pies so badly that they were completely inedible. And now, here she was, standing in her parents’ kitchen, pulling a casserole out of the oven, the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg strong in the air as the pies cooled on a rack beside the stove.

  It was peaceful. They’d planned a quiet night all together. She was looking forward to some time away from her computer and blogging, but more than that, she was eager to spend some time with Lysander and his kids. Her parents had invited them over for dinner, and she couldn’t have been happier. It was as if they were becoming part of the family.

  She set the casserole on top of the stove, sprinkling a dusting a garlic salt on the top for some extra flavor.

  “Oh, heavens, something smells good in here…”

  Grace glanced over her shoulder to see Lysander wander into the kitchen with her. Her heart did a summersault as she effortlessly smiled across the room at him. “The rest of the food is almost done. Probably another twenty minutes or so.”

  “You sure we just can’t eat now?” he teased, walking over to stand beside her at the stove. She stared up into his eyes, his gaze piercing. The green made her breath catch in her throat. They were so bright and so clear.

  Grace noticed he’d trimmed his beard. It was a cleaner line along his jaw, the same sandy blonde as his hair. He was so handsome that she could barely stand it. And the way he looked at her… She swore that she might just melt on the spot.

  He leaned against the counter and gave her a warm smile. “So… how is the holiday season treating you? Are you like those women who swear off cookies so they don’t gain the dreaded pound or two?”

  Grace grinned up at him. “You wouldn’t be asking me that if you had seen me polish off the last of those cookies that I made with Lily and George the other day.”

  His own smile widened. “I know, I’m just teasing. I appreciate that you embrace this time of year as fully as you do. And your ability to cook just completely blows me away. Is there anything I can help you with?”

  “Nope,” she said. “Just stand there and look handsome.” Her stomach twisted in knots as she realized what she’d said. Out loud.

  His eyes narrowed slightly, becoming somewhat heavy-lidded, and his smile deepened.

  “So you think I’m handsome, huh?” he asked, leaning in a little closer to her. She caught a scent of pine and spearmint from his cologne. “Well… I couldn’t say no to a beautiful woman like you, could I?”

  Her cheeks flushed scarlet as she hoisted the casserole back into the oven, her heart fluttering inside her ribs like a trapped bird. She was glad for the heat; otherwise, he would have been able to see how much his words affected her. She closed the oven door, setting the timer for another five minutes so she could check it again.

  “So what are they all up to in the dining room?” Grace asked, pulling the oven mitts off and setting them down on the kitchen island.

  “Still wrapping my presents,” Lysander said. “So I guess you’re stuck with me until that’s all over.” He grinned.

  “I don’t mind the company,” she said, turning to the fridge. She pulled out the salad to give it a toss. It was almost time to add the vinaigrette. Lysander simply smiled.

  A few moments of comfortable silence passed as Grace got some more things for dinner ready. She had Lysander help her get down the good china from the cabinet over the microwave. She folded the napkins that were fresh from the fluff cycle in the dryer. She showed Lysander how to fold them into swans for the table.

  “You know, Grace,” Lysander said, his voice becoming low and gentle as he tried for the third time to make a swan and failed. “There was something that I was hoping to talk to you about.”

  A knot formed in her stomach, and she avoided looking up at him. “Oh? About what?”

  “Well… It’s something that’s been on my mind for a while, and I thought that it might be best for us to talk about it before… well, before things move any further.”

  Grace was glad that she had just set down the heavy glass casserole dish, because if she hadn’t, she was sure she would have dropped it. The blood pounded in her ears as she finally met his gaze. “Any further as in…?”

  “I…” Lysander looked down. Had he blushed? She saw the beginnings of a smile on one side of his face. “I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a while, but because of how things ended with your ex, I’ve been unsure how to proceed. Or if it was even appropriate for me to proceed.”

  Grace watched him meticulously attempt to fold the napkin swan again. It was as if he was trying very hard to focus on it, all the while knowing his mind was anywhere but on that swan.

  “Ever since I met you,” Lysander started, “I have been… captivated by you. I don’t want to water that down. You were enchanting. From your smile to your beautiful blue eyes… They’re like nuggets of aquamarines, plucked out of the earth itself.”

  Grace’s heart continued to beat faster as she watched the side of his face. He was too embarrassed to look up at her. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he finally succeeded in folding a swan napkin.

  “Even if I was being more like a troll the very first time we met, since I was not paying as close attention to my kids as I should have been. If anything, you just proved to me that you cared deeply about the welfare of others. That’s been so crucial to me, such a strong reminder of how I should be and what I should prioritize.”

  “You weren’t a troll,” she said. “I was having a bad day, and I reacted too quickly.”

  Lysander shook his head. “You saved George’s life. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn’t stepped in? To be honest, I think it was fate that we met that day.”

  He looked up to her at last, and it was as if Grace had swallowed a bucket of ice water. Her insides squirmed as the intensity of his eyes, and she was filled with a mingled desire to run away as fast as she could and throw herself into his arms and kiss him.

  Fate. Destiny. She’d never stopped to think about those things. But now that he mentioned it, she could see what he meant. She could feel it herself. Lysander could have bought any other house in the town, and Grace never would have met him. But he and his family decided to purchase the
house right next door to the one she’d grown up in.

  Fate, it seemed, was at work more than she would ever know.

  Lysander set down the napkin and turned fully toward her. He moved closer to her and reached out. The tips of his fingers gingerly touched the side of her face, as if he were afraid that he might shatter her.

  “I don’t know where you are right now—emotionally, I mean. I know you were together with Aaron for a long time, and that it ended so horribly, but…” His voice trailed off. Grace could feel his hand trembling as he laid his palm against her cheek.

  Sparks shot through the very core of her at his touch. It was as if she’d been shocked with a defibrillator, and it was bringing her back to life.

  “I can’t stand not telling you, Grace. I realize that it’s better for me to be honest with you and see where the chips fall.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked. She thought she knew what she wanted to hear, what she wanted him to say—

  “I care about you a lot, Grace. In fact, I think… I think that I might even be falling in love with you—”

  There had never been a more terrible time for the door into the garage to swing open.

  “Honey, I’m home!”

  Grace’s blood ran cold as her head whipped around to the door. She knew that voice.

  Lysander deftly moved away from her, his face deep red.

  A thin man with dark hair stepped inside, presents tucked underneath his arms and a red and green scarf wrapped around his neck.

  “Aaron,” Grace said, somewhat breathlessly. Her knees were like marshmallows, and she was sure she would’ve fallen over if she hadn’t been grasping the kitchen island for support. “What… what are you doing here?” Aaron beamed at her as he closed the door behind himself.

  “Coming for Christmas dinner, of course.” He swept inside and set the presents down on the counter, stepping between her and Lysander, whom he hadn’t even glanced at since entering. “Oh, well don’t you look nice?” He eyed her from the top of her head down to her shoes. “Is that a new dress?”

  “Why did you come?” she demanded. “We broke up, Aaron. You—”

  “Oh, nonsense,” he said with a big smile. “I figured you just needed some time to cool off. And that was great, because it really gave me some time to think about what I really wanted in life. You know, that other girl was so not my type in the end, you know? I realized that I really wanted to be with you, hon. I’m still crazy about you, and I want us to have a long and happy life together, just like we always talked about.”

  Something stirred inside Grace as she stared at him. A few weeks ago, she would’ve given anything to hear those words from him. She’d hoped that she could have been engaged by now, planning a wedding and getting ready to become a Mrs.

  Her heart pounded in her ears as she watched him pull something out of the pocket of his coat. A small, black, velvet box that fit in the palm of his hand. She felt like she had swallowed her tongue.

  A ring. Aaron had gotten a ring. After all that time thinking that he was just lying around, doing whatever, here he was, taking responsibility and choosing her. Above all others, he was choosing her. He was serious, and this was the proof of it. Grace could hardly believe it.

  She felt a gaze on the side of her head and looked up to see Lysander standing behind Aaron, his face as pale as a sheet. He met her eyes, and it was as if something clicked inside of her, like a key being slid home into a lock.

  Something changed in her heart at that moment, and a peace like she had never known passed over her.

  “Now, I know this is something that I should have done a few months ago, but I guess I was kind of scared, you know? It’s a big deal.” Aaron beamed at her as he got down on one knee right there in the kitchen. “So… Grace O’Neill, will you marry me?”

  15

  Lysander was too late.

  In the end, it didn’t matter how he felt. He’d allowed himself to fall in love with a woman who was already in a relationship with another man. How stupid could he have been?

  His mother had been right. Maybe it really was too soon for him to be in a relationship with someone else. Maybe he’d already had his chance with Tessa, and no one would ever walk into his life to help fill the gaping void that had been left when she had passed away.

  It was clear that Grace was stunned, maybe almost as much as he was. This was what he had been afraid of the whole time. He worried that he’d been coming on too strong, especially so soon after her breakup with him. Why hadn’t be considered that the guy would find some courage and try to win her back? Had he somehow heard about Lysander’s relationship with Grace? Was this nothing more than an act of jealousy? Whatever it was, genuine or not, it was happening, and Grace now faced a decision that he had no part in.

  Without a word, Lysander turned and hurried out of the kitchen and into the hall leading to the dining room. When he was out of Aaron’s eyesight, who was still on his knee waiting for Grace’s answer, he let out the breath he’d been holding.

  He knew that he didn’t want to hear the answer. Not from her lips. He knew he’d hear it later, and that it would be painful enough then, but he just couldn’t hear her say yes to a man that wasn’t him.

  Lysander rubbed his hands over his face, trying his best to compose himself. He’d just told her that he was falling in love with her, and then her ex-boyfriend showed up. All this talk about fate… Well, fate certainly wasn’t on his side that day, was it?

  What was he going to say to the kids? It wasn’t like he’d told them that he was planning to confess his feelings to Grace that day, but he’d have to tell them that Grace probably wouldn’t be coming around anymore. That would break their hearts as much as it was breaking his.

  Why had he let himself get so invested in her without really knowing where she stood? Sure, they’d had a few fun dates. But her face told him that she had not forgotten about Aaron yet, and that it was possible he was the only one getting lost in their relationship.

  This conversation should have happened a week ago. Even a day before, and who knew what might have happened?

  Things were inevitably going to be awkward between them now, especially since Grace now knew how he felt. He would have to assure her that everything was fine. And he knew that eventually it would be fine, though for a while, seeing her was going to sting, especially if she was with Aaron.

  Lysander gathered his own courage and stepped into the dining room, putting on a fake smile that hurt him to use. It was a narrow line between that and just losing it completely, and he was not going to fall to pieces in front of his kids.

  “There you are,” said Jan with a big smile. “Everything smells good in the kitchen there.”

  “Is dinner almost ready?” George asked, using a piece of tape to pick up the scraps of wrapping paper that were scattered all over the tabletop.

  “Just another fifteen minutes, probably,” Lysander said, sitting down in the chair beside Lily. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. She giggled, and the knot around his heart loosened ever so slightly. “Did you guys finish wrapping all your presents?”

  “We sure did!” George said. “But you can’t open them until tomorrow morning!”

  Lysander smirked. “All right. I won’t peak, I promise.”

  “Is everything all right, Lysander?” Charlie asked, his brow furrowing slightly as he stared across the table at him. “You look a little pale.”

  “Oh, yeah, I’m good,” he said, knowing it was an outright lie. “Though you will be surprised to hear that we are probably having another guest for dinner this evening.”

  “Really?” Lily asked. “Who is it?”

  “Is it Santa?” George asked.

  Lysander shook his head, looking across the table at Grace’s parents. He had really hoped that he could have considered them family in the near future.

  “Nope,” he said. “It’s Aaron.”

  Jan’s jaw dropped, and Charlie suddenl
y looked murderous. “What’s he doing here?”

  Lysander looked down at the festive tablecloth. “Apparently he thought that Grace just needed some time to cool off. And he came with… Well, never mind. I should let her tell you herself.”

  “Tell us what?” Jan demanded.

  “He didn’t bring a ring, did he?” Charlie rumbled.

  George and Lily had turned their wide eyes up to Lysander as he debated about what to say exactly. Apparently, his lack of an answer was more than enough of a clarification.

  “Isn’t that just like him?” Jan folded her arms across her chest. “What did she say?”

  Lysander shrugged, his heart pounding in his ears. “I didn’t hear her answer. I thought they might need some time alone, you know?”

  Charlie rolled his eyes.

  “Who is Aaron, Daddy?” Lily asked.

  “Grace’s friend,” Lysander responded. It was like a knife to the heart. He hated admitting it. “He came over to see her and wish her a Merry Christmas.”

  “But you said he was staying for dinner?” George asked.

  “He might be,” Lysander said. “I guess that will be up to Grace.”

  “What will be up to me?”

  He turned around and saw Grace standing in the doorway leading into the dining room. He expected to see her glowing with her recent acceptance, and to have her fiancé peering over her shoulder excitedly as they hurried in to share the big news. But she seemed perfectly normal, looking back and forth between him and her parents.