by Whitley Cox
His grin turned boyish and cocky. “Okay, then.”
Tia and Aiden’s eyes bounced curiously between Aurora and Zak.
“Do you know what they’re talking about?” Tia asked, wrinkling her nose.
“No clue,” Aiden said, his tone almost bored. “I know I’m hungry though.”
“Me too,” Tia added.
“Clif Bars are in my glove compartment,” Zak said, not taking his eyes off Aurora. He reached for her hand again. This time she let him take it. “And grab some towels to sit on. I don’t want your wet asses on my seats!”
She hadn’t taken her eyes off him either, but she heard the kids run through the snow and open up the truck doors, then slam them.
Her eyes slid to the side. When had the tow-truck driver left?
“I never cheated on anyone,” she whispered, not quite ready to look him in the eyes again and instead glancing down at her snow-covered boots and his now soaking-wet knees. “I was with someone, like I told you, but he dumped me. I was ashamed. The problems in my life just kept piling up, and for a few short days, I just wanted to forget they existed. I didn’t want him to ruin my Christmas. To ruin our Christmas. I’m sorry. I should have been honest from the beginning, honest about everything.”
Zak shook his head. She helped him to his feet, and he cupped her face in his palms. There was nowhere else to look now but into the deep, fathomless pools of his crystal-blue eyes. Eyes that had captivated her from day one, eyes that had stolen her heart and looked at her in a way that made her feel like the most beautiful woman to walk the Earth. His lips brushed against hers. “It’s I who needs to apologize,” he said. “Say you’ll give me another chance.” It wasn’t a question.
He released her face and tugged her against him, wrapping his arms around her waist until there wasn’t even room for air between them. His mouth once again hovered over hers, their breaths mingling.
She blinked up at him. “I don’t want to be a charity case,” she said. “I don’t want you to just fix all my problems with your checkbook. I want to pay you back for the car and the tires.”
He shook his head. “That’s not necessary. Call it a belated birthday present. But I promise that I won’t just fix everything with money.” His lips lifted into playful, lopsided smile. “Only some things.”
She rolled her eyes and smiled, glancing back at her car once more.
He chuckled and tugged on her hands to get her attention again. “But please let me help you in different ways, then. You don’t have to weather the storm alone anymore. You don’t have to carry all your baggage by yourself anymore.” He released her for a moment and flexed his arm muscles. “Have you seen the guns, lass?” he asked, adopting the brogue that made her swoon every time. “I can lift so much baggage with these things and not even break a sweat. Let me carry your luggage for you, lassie.” He lifted his eyebrows up salaciously as he wrapped his arms around her waist again.
She tossed her head back and laughed. She loved the way he pulled laughter from the deepest depths of her belly. Made her whole face smile and her heart feel lighter than air.
“Only if you promise to always talk in a Scottish accent and only wear a kilt.”
He dipped her low. “Och, lassie, even in the snow? My balls will freeze.” His lips hovered just over hers, and his tongue darted out and slid across her bottom lip.
“You just offered to roll around naked in the snow for me, and now you’re worried about wearing nothing but a kilt?” She cocked a brow at him. “Something seems fishy.”
His wicked smile caused heat to flood her veins. “I’ll do anything you ask, lass, just say you’ll be mine. Say you’ll give me another chance.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’ll give you another chance, but you have a lot of groveling to still do. A lot of apologizing to do.” She bit her lip. “With your tongue.”
His smile was wicked. “I’ll apologize to you all day, every day if I have to. Until my tongue cramps and falls off.”
“Oh, well, we can’t have that.”
He swiped his tongue over her lip. “I’ll never stop showing you how much you mean to me. How sorry I am for being such an inflexible, pretentious jerk.”
She smiled against his mouth. “Okay. I like the sounds of that.” She tightened her grip around his neck and hummed in thought for a moment. “Maybe I won’t make you wear a kilt in the snow … shrinkage and all that. But when we’re in the bedroom, definitely.” She nipped his bottom lip.
He growled. “Aye, I can do that. I can do that for you.” His eyes darkened to the color of the night sky just before the stars came out. “I’ll do anything for you.” Then he sealed his mouth over hers, banishing the misery of the past week and filling her heart with hope for the future.
The horn of Zak’s truck behind them began to honk incessantly, and they heard the cheers and whoops of Tia and Aiden inside.
Zak chuckled against her mouth, his teeth knocking hers before he pulled away. “You ready to take all three of us on?”
She glanced behind him and smiled. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Epilogue
One year later …
“Open ours next!” Tia beamed, bouncing on her knees in her plaid penguin Christmas pajamas. She exchanged looks with her father and brother as they all slid four shoebox-size boxes in front of Aurora.
Aurora pursed her lips and glanced at Zak. “You guys, we agreed to not go crazy. One gift each. This looks like more than three.” She tapped each beautifully wrapped box. “I count four.”
Zak rolled his eyes. “Just open them, will you?”
“Yeah,” Aiden agreed. “We all went in on the gift. It’s from all of us. We just needed four boxes to make it work.”
Tia’s amber eyes glittered as she nodded, barely able to contain herself from spoiling whatever was inside the boxes. The kids had already unloaded their stockings and the majority of their gifts. Aurora’s gift for them and Zak remained unopened beneath the tree. She hoped they liked what she picked out for them.
“Pleeeeeease,” Tia begged. “Open them.”
Aurora set her coffee mug down and glanced up at the three people in her life she’d come to love more than anything. “But you guys have already given me so much, I don’t need anything else.”
“Will. You. Open. It!” Aiden ground out, an edge of frustration to his tone.
He was so much like his father, right down to the temper.
Zak’s hand landed on his son’s shoulder. “Easy, buddy.”
Aiden glanced up at his father. “But Dad … ”
“It’s not like we’ve got a hamster in each box and if she doesn’t open the lid soon, they’re going to suffocate. Patience, son.”
Aiden let out an exasperated huff, then sat back and crossed his arms. “Sorry, Aurora.”
Aurora’s eyes softened as she looked at the boy she’d come to love like her own son. “It’s okay, Aiden. I know you’re just excited. But I’d actually really like it if you three opened your gifts from me first.” Her gift from them was obviously going to be superior to whatever she got them, so she wanted to end it all on a high note rather than their disappointment.
Aiden sat up and was about to protest, but Zak rested his hand on his son’s knee. “Sure. If that’s what you’d prefer, we can open your gifts first.”
“But Dad—”
Zak gave his son a stern look of warning.
Aurora reached for the three gift bags beneath the tree and passed them out to each of them, her gut spinning like she’d just stepped off the Tilt-a-Whirl at the fair.
“They’re nothing big,” she started, watching as they each opened their bags. “I’ve taken up knitting. A way to disengage from work and de-stress. It’s been helpful. And then I thought that we could each do something special together, which is why there are gift certificates in each bag as well.”
Aiden pulled out the dark gray and black knit cap she’d knitted him,
along with the pass for two people to the brand-new indoor rock-climbing gym downtown. He’d been making noises about wanting to try it out.
His smile warmed her insides, and the last of his frosty exterior and frustration seemed to evaporate. He lunged at her off the floor, wrapping his arms around her neck. “Thank you, Aurora. This is awesome. I’ve wanted to try that bouldering gym forever.”
She grinned back at him, pecking him on the side of the cheek. “I’ve heard you. I’ve always wanted to try rock climbing too. Figured we could go together.”
His smile grew even wider. “That would be great.” He sat back down next to his dad and pulled his knit cap on over his wild red bedhead.
Zak pulled out a larger, matching knit cap to his son’s and immediately tugged it over his hair. Then he drew out a gift certificate for the two of them to go on a brewery tour in Portland—something he’d always wanted to do but never found the time for it.
He glanced up at her, his eyes sparkling. “Thank you, Rory. This is really thoughtful. I love the knit cap, and I’m so excited for the tour. We’ve been looking at expanding Club Z to Oregon anyway, so it’ll give me a chance to scope out some potential sites.”
Tia, Aiden and Aurora all groaned.
“No work talk, Dad,” Tia said with exasperation in her voice. “You promised Christmas would be work-free.”
Zak’s lip jiggled before he smiled and wrapped his arm around his daughter. “Right. Sorry. My bad. No more work talk, I promise.”
Tia nodded, then pulled out her own dark green and light purple knit cap and a matching scarf. They also matched the scarf and knit cap Aurora had knit herself earlier and Tia had admired.
“I love them,” Tia said, pulling the knit cap on her head and wrapping the scarf around her neck. “They’re just like yours.”
“There’s more in there,” Aurora said, her eyes flicking up to Zak’s for just a moment. She’d cleared it with him before she bought Aurora her gift certificate for her first ear piercing. She’d also cleared it with Loni, as she didn’t want to take that milestone away from Tia’s mother if it was something Loni wanted to be a part of. Loni couldn’t have cared less.
Tia pulled out the gift certificate. Her eyes squinted and ran across the piece of cardstock before they flew up to Aurora’s face. Now it was her turn to lunge herself forward and into Aurora’s arms. “Oh my God. Thank you, Aurora. I’ve wanted to get my ears pierced for so long.”
“We can go grab lunch after if you like,” Aurora offered. “And I figured, while we’re there, maybe I’ll get another piercing.”
Zak’s eyes went wide.
She gave him a sarcastic eye roll. “I’ve always wanted one in the top of my ear or my nose.”
“I vote for your nose,” Tia said, sitting back next to her dad. “When I’m eighteen, I’m going to get my first tattoo and my nose pierced.”
“I know it’s not much,” Aurora started, “and I’m sure whatever you got me is going to be ten times more amazing, but, well—I hope you guys like your gifts.” She knitted her fingers together in her lap and twisted. This family of three had embraced her like one of their own. Later today, they were going to embrace her parents as their own as well, when they arrived from New Hampshire and moved into the apartment over the garage.
Zak had done exactly what he’d promised. He took care of her. He took care of her family. Her parents had finally agreed to move out west. They sold their home (though it took a while), her dad’s health got to a point where his doctors were comfortable with him flying, and now they were going to be living in the same household as Aurora—because she’d also moved in a short while ago.
“Aurora! Earth to Aurora!”
A light touch on her thigh brought her back to the moment. All three of them were looking at her funny.
“You okay?” Zak asked. “We thought we’d lost you there for a minute. Where’d you go?”
She blinked back tears and shook her head. “Just thinking about all the things I have to be thankful for this year. All the amazing things, amazing people in my life.” She leaned forward and touched each of their knees, giving them a gentle squeeze. “I honestly don’t need any gift, you guys. I have everything I’ve ever wanted.”
Their smiles were all so similar, so genuine and kind.
“Your gifts were amazing, too,” Tia said. “I love my hat and scarf, and I can’t wait to get my ears pierced.”
Zak and Aiden both nodded.
“Your gifts came from the heart,” Zak said. “And you have the biggest heart we’ve ever met.”
“Can she finally open her gifts?” Aiden asked, the impatience back in his voice.
Zak rolled his eyes, but he pushed the boxes closer to Aurora, nodding. “I’d say it’s about time. Go on, open them.” He tapped the one on the left. “Open them left to right, though. There’s a method to our madness.”
Chuckling, she carefully untied the red satin ribbon on the first box, then lifted the lid off. There was a piece of cardstock paper inside that said Will.
That was it.
Her eyes drifted up to the faces before her. Each held a different look.
Zak’s was calm. Tia’s anxious. Aiden could barely contain himself.
“Next one,” Aiden said, bouncing up and down where he sat. He tapped the next box.
She did the same thing as before, untying the ribbon, then lifting the lid.
There was another piece of paper. This one said You.
Butterflies began to wildly beat their wings in her belly.
She moved on to the next box.
This one said Marry.
All those butterflies began to prepare for liftoff.
With slippery fingers and her pulse racing and her chest practically heaving, she untied the final ribbon and lifted the last lid.
Us?
Will You Marry Us?
On top of the last piece of paper was a small wooden ring box.
With shaky fingers and tears blurring her vision, she lifted the box up and opened it.
She was near blinded from the sparkler inside.
“We love you,” Zak started. “You’re already a member of the family, the most incredible stepmom to the kids, the most supportive and amazing partner to me. Let’s just make it all official. Become an Eastwood. Or a Stratford-Eastwood, if you want to hyphenate. But marry us.”
She lifted her head. Hot tears now teemed down her cheeks.
“Because you’re not just marrying me. You’re marrying us. I’m a package deal.”
“Three for the price of one,” Aiden said, his face now as radiant as the north star on a clear night.
“We helped Dad pick out the ring,” Tia added. “Do you like it?”
Like it? She loved it. She was afraid to touch it.
She inconspicuously pinched the top of her wrist, just to make sure this was all still real.
She shut her eyes and waited for the walls to come crashing down around her, for the dream to finally end.
Nothing.
“What’s she doing?” Tia whispered.
“Meditating?” Aiden asked.
Aurora opened her eyes and smiled at them all, blinking away fresh tears. “Just taking it all in,” she said. “Had to pinch myself and make sure this was all real.”
All three of them smiled back at her in understanding.
“Put it on,” Tia encouraged.
“She hasn’t said yes yet,” Aiden whispered through the side of his mouth. “Why hasn’t she said yes, Dad? Did we propose wrong?”
Aurora hiccupped a sob before reaching into the box and plucking the ring from its soft velvet bed. “You did it perfectly,” she said. “It was best proposal I ever could have imagined.”
“What’s your answer?” Aiden asked. “It’s yes, right?” He turned to face his father. “Why wouldn’t she say yes? She lives here. She loves us. Getting married just makes sense, right?”
“Of course my answer is yes.” She chuckled, w
iping the tears from beneath her eyes. “A thousand times yes.”
Aiden and Tia’s smiles threatened to meet their ears.
“Dad, maybe she’s waiting for you to put the ring on her finger,” Tia offered. “Like they do in the movies.”
“That must be it,” Aiden agreed. “Why else would she still be holding it if she just said yes?”
Zak’s chuckle was warm and throaty as he repositioned himself on his knees and took the ring from Aurora’s still trembling and now very sweaty fingers. His eyes spoke of promises and passion that made those butterflies in her belly do loop-the-loops and figure eights until they were all dizzy.
“Aurora Stratford,” he started, “will you marry us?”
She nodded and sniffed as more tears raced toward her chin. Then she held out her hand so he could slip the ring on her finger. “Yes, I’ll marry you. I’ll marry all of you.” She lowered her eyes and her voice, focusing solely on Zak. “We’ll get Liam to take care of the prenup.”
His grin made goosebumps break out across her arms. “God, I love you.”
Aiden and Tia both cheered, stood up and tackled Zak and Aurora until the four of them were in a hug pile on the floor, giggling.
Tia clasped her hands together and brought them beneath her chin, tilting her head to the side. “Sleeping Beauty is going to marry Prince Charming,” she said whimsically. “We need to have a huge wedding.” She grabbed Aurora’s hand and held it up to the light, studying the ring. “Like hundreds of people, three dresses—a Kardashian wedding.”
“How the heck do you know about the Kardashians?” Zak asked, adjusting himself so he was now flat on his back next to Aurora.
“The tabloids at the grocery checkout,” Tia said blandly, linking her fingers through Aurora’s so they were now holding hands. “And TMZ.”
“Don’t watch that crap,” Zak said. “It’ll rot your brain.”
“Let’s fly to Mexico like Mom and Craig did,” Aiden offered.
Aurora felt Zak tense up next to her. That’d been a real sore spot for him for a while now. His ex-wife had had a destination wedding to Mexico with Small-Feet Craig, and she’d tried to make Zak pay for the kids’ flights.