Abby looked at him and the fight seemed to go out of her instantly. Wordlessly, she walked over to the couch and sat down. Dean hated confrontation, which was probably why he ended up living the way he did for most of his life. Maybe if he’d spoken up and told his sister and his parents – and everyone – how he hated being compared to his wild sibling, he’d be a different person right now.
Looking at Abby, he sighed and prayed that maybe she still loved the person he was right now.
“You were right,” he said quietly. “I had gone and worked everything out in my head and just thought you’d feel the same way.”
“I did...I do feel the same way,” she instantly corrected. “But asking me to give up my dream isn’t fair, Dean.”
He nodded. “I don’t want you to give it up, Abby. I swear I don’t.” Looking at her pleadingly, he reached out and took one of her hands in his. “I just need to know that I’m part of that dream.”
A small chuckle was her first response. “Of course you’re part of that dream! You’re the best part of it all. When I look at everything – the big picture – you’re there with me. You and Maya. I couldn’t do this alone. I don’t want to do this alone.”
“But you’re not. You have just about every person in Silver Bell Falls right there with you. I think you single-handedly made this close-knit town even closer.”
She laughed again. “And really, I had nothing to do with it. That was all Millie’s work.”
Shaking his head, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “No. It’s you, Abby. You have given so much to so many people and this is their way of giving a little something back to you. They all love you.”
“There’s only one person’s love that I want,” she said quietly as she inched just a little bit closer to him.
“You have it,” he replied just before he captured her lips with his.
It was like coming home.
With his arms slowly banding around her, Dean pulled her into his lap and simply kept kissing her. It went from a sweet I-missed-you kind of kiss to a hard, demanding one that had him losing himself in the taste of her, the heat of her.
Hell, everything about her.
It would be the easiest thing in the world to lay her down right here on the couch, strip her and make love to her and just forget about everything else for a little while.
But he couldn’t.
Not until they worked things out and knew where each other stood.
Just the thought of losing her terrified the shit out of him.
Reluctantly, he ended the kiss and reveled in the feeling of Abby melting against him as she caught her breath.
“I missed you,” she whispered against his neck.
He hugged her close. “I missed you too.”
Abby pulled back and looked him in the face. “Where do we go from here?”
Dean heard the uncertainty in her voice and it just about gutted him. For almost two weeks he’d had nothing to do but think about their situation. He’d lost count of the number of people who came and gave him advice, but the best advice came from Josiah.
Typical.
“You have to decide what you can and can’t live with,” Josiah told him. “It’s really as simple as that.”
“It can’t be that simple,” Dean had argued.
“When Melanie moved here, she hated everything about the town – the cold, the location – and Christmas. I never saw myself living any place else but here. Never wanted to leave. But if it came down to leaving here so I could be with her? I would have left.”
“Okay, I see where you’re going with that, but...it’s not really the same thing.”
“Yes, it is,” Josiah countered. “Abby has always wanted to have her own dance studio. Everyone in town knew that. You knew that. Are you saying you won’t be with her – would give up having a life with her – because she now owns a dance studio? Wasn’t her dancing one of the things that attracted you to her in the first place?”
It was.
“Dean?”
Abby’s voice pulled him back to the present.
“I still want all of the things I wanted before,” he said honestly. “I want to marry you. Have a family with you.” Taking her hand in his, he kissed it again. “I love you, Abby.”
A slow smile crossed her face. “And what about the dance studio?”
“I want to be a part of that. I want to help you with it and work on it with you and be there at the end of the day to celebrate all of its successes with you.”
“You know it’s going to require a lot of hours right now. Well, not right now, but after the New Year it’s going to be a little bit crazy, even with all of the help.”
“And I want to be there to hear all about the craziness. Actually, I want to be standing beside you in the midst of the craziness.” With his free hand, he reached up and caressed her cheek. “Am I too late? Did I mess this all up?”
Her smile grew and as she leaned forward and rested her forehead against his, she almost purred. “You’re not too late. And you know what? I think we both messed up. So I’m sorry too.”
“You have nothing to apologize for,” he replied gruffly.
“I love you, Dean.” A nervous laugh bubbled out of her and she straightened again. “I still can’t believe that I get to say that.”
He couldn’t help but smile at her admission. “Why? What’s wrong with that?”
“For so long, I never thought that you’d ever even notice me. And then after we started dating I still figured it would be a long time before you were ready for anything more. I had myself convinced that I would just have to tell you I loved you in my head. But I like saying it out loud to you so much more.”
“Not as much as I like hearing it.”
For a minute they were both content to sit and hold each other, but Abby broke the silence first. “So um...my mom is over with Maya, huh?”
He nodded.
“When do you need to get back?”
“Do you want my opinion or what your mom told me?”
Abby laughed, her head falling back. “Oh...I’m almost afraid to ask.”
“I told her I wouldn’t be late,” he began. “And her response was that she’d already spent one night sleeping on an airplane and she would be just fine spending another night sleeping on a couch.” He chuckled. “Then she tested the couch and confirmed that she could sleep there with no worries.”
Hiding her face on his shoulder now, Dean could feel Abby’s body vibrating with laughter. “Only my mom...”
“So the way I see it...”
He never got to finish. Abby hopped off of his lap, took him by the hand and led him to her bedroom. “We have plenty of time,” she said once they were next to the bed.
“That’s a good thing because I have plenty that I want to do,” he growled before kissing her again.
****
“This is good.”
“Mm-hmm...”
“You don’t have to leave yet, do you?”
Dean lifted his head and looked at the clock. “It’s almost five. I want to be home before Maya wakes up.”
Placing a light kiss on Dean’s chest, Abby sighed. “You’re a good dad.”
“I don’t know about that, but I’m learning.”
“Trust me. You’re a good dad and Maya’s lucky to have you.” Another kiss. “And I’m lucky to have you too.”
Hugging her close, he placed a light kiss on the top of her head. “Did you sleep at all last night?”
Abby laughed softly. “Yes. I think after that second time, I slipped into a coma and I was there until about ten minutes ago. It was wonderful.”
“Today’s going to be crazy for you, huh?”
She nodded. “And tomorrow. The parade is always a little bit like controlled chaos. There isn’t a lot that the girls need to do other than ride on the float and wave to the crowd but there’s normally some anxiety about it and I need to be there to keep everyone calm and smiling.
”
“Maya’s so excited about that. I think she’s looking forward to that more than the recital.”
She laughed again. “She’s enthusiastic about them both. Today she’ll be all about the recital but as soon as the curtain closes, she’ll be all about the parade.”
“Do you have plans for after the parade?”
“As a matter of fact I do.”
“Oh.” There was no mistaking the disappointment in his voice.
Leaning up, Abby looked down at his face and took pity on him. “My plan was to walk around and look at all the crafts and have some lunch with you and Maya and my mom and then come back here for dinner. That is...if you’re interested.”
He pulled her down on top of him and then rolled them over until she was on her back beneath him. “Sweetheart, wherever you are, that’s where I’ll be. Forever.”
“I like the sound of that.”
Looking over his shoulder at the clock one more time, Dean considered his options. Then, with a wicked smile, he looked down at Abby. “I have an hour before I have to leave. I know I should let you sleep but...”
Her hand snaked up around his neck and gently pulled his head down to hers. “I can’t think of a better way to start my day.”
“Get used to it,” he murmured, right before he kissed her.
****
It was frigid outside. If Abby had to guess, she’d say it was the coldest day of the year so far – and that was saying something.
The parade was finally ending and she never thought she’d be so happy to see the end of the route. Things had gotten changed around and other than Santa being the final float of the day, somehow her little group of dancers ended up on the float right in front of him. Normally they were near the front of the parade but because of the change in order, it meant everyone was outside longer and everyone was getting antsy.
Including her.
Okay, especially her.
The idea of climbing off the float and getting warm was enough to make her giddy.
The girls were all smiling and waving to the crowd and everyone was cheering for them. They had done an amazing job in their recital the previous night. The entire show had been a complete success and she was so full of pride that she thought her heart would simply burst.
Her littlest girls were at the front of the float and they were huddled together and giggling. When Maya turned and waved at her, Abby had to fight the urge to just walk over and embrace her.
Maya did it. She was a real ballerina last night and after her group performed and they came backstage, Maya had jumped into Abby’s arms smiling from ear to ear.
“I did it! I did it! I did it!” she’d cried. “And I only messed up once!”
“You did a great job, Maya Papaya! I’m so proud of you!”
All around her were her youngest girls, all dressed in red dresses and red satin ballet slippers. They looked so festive and happy and really, she was thrilled with how well they had performed.
Dean had come backstage – even though parents were encouraged to wait until all of the performances were done – and handed Maya a bouquet of flowers. It was incredibly sweet and when he picked her up and hugged her, Abby could only stand back in awe.
They’d come a long way. In two short months they had begun to fully adapt to this new life. They had been whispering to each other while Abby had gotten the next group of dancers ready. When the curtain rose, she’d stepped back until she was close to the two of them and heard the most heart-wrenching question.
“Do you think my mom and dad saw me, Uncle Dean? Do you think they were clapping when I finished?”
While she was certain Dean answered and told her yes, Abby had to step away and fight back tears. That was not a question a five-year-old should have to ask. Even though she asked it very conversationally, Abby knew it was something that weighed on her heart.
Thank God for Dean. Thank God for all the people here in Silver Bell Falls who had embraced her. And she was thankful that Christmas was only a week away and she was going to be surrounded by people who loved Maya and wanted to make this her best Christmas ever.
Including Abby and her mom.
It was going to be a great Christmas.
The parade float was slowing down and Abby breathed a sigh of relief. The mayor began making a speech thanking all of the volunteers who helped with the parade and the craft fair. Then he went on to give instructions for where everyone could grab some lunch in a heated tent. Every year he made the announcement and every year Abby thought it was unnecessary. The people of Silver Bell Falls knew how to maneuver around town on parade day.
The girls were getting restless as the float came to a stop and she reminded everyone to stay where they were until their helpers came over to assist.
“It will be just a few more minutes,” she said quietly. “And once we have people here to help us down...”
She stopped speaking when the voice over the PA system changed. When did the mayor hand off the mic?
Listening for a moment, she froze.
She knew that voice.
She loved that voice.
“Abigail Foster, you are everything to me.”
Oh. My. God. What was he doing?
When she finally spotted him, he was walking through the crowd toward the float. When he stepped up on it and scooped Maya up into his arms, she saw that he had a red Santa hat on his head and she couldn’t help but laugh at how utterly adorable he looked.
They stepped up to her, both smiling like they had a secret. Dean looked at Maya and she nodded. Then they looked at her. Maya took the microphone from his hands.
“Abby, remember the first time we had dinner at your house and we said grace?” She didn’t wait for Abby to respond, she just kept on going. “I told God that I was thankful to have a family to eat dinner with. Uncle Dean says that we’re going to be a real family and I can’t wait for you to move in with us and be with us all the time. Then we can dance together every day!”
She handed the microphone back to Dean.
“And I can’t wait to see you dance every day,” he said with just enough of a husky tone that made Abby blush. “I know that we talked about it but...I think it’s important to do this the right way.”
The gasp was out before she could stop it as Dean got down on one knee with Maya at his side. She held the microphone for him as he pulled a small velvet box from his pocket and held it out to her, opening it.
“We love you, Abby!” Maya said excitedly and her voice sounded so loud that it took a minute for Abby to realize that the entire town was watching and listening. She took a quick look around and saw what looked like hundreds of smiling faces.
Looking back at Dean – her vision slightly blurred by unshed tears – she smiled.
He was grinning too. “Yes, we do love you,” he said as Maya held the microphone close to his mouth. “And we would be honored if you’d marry me – marry us – and make us a real family.”
“I will,” she said and in the blink of an eye, she was in Dean’s arms and being kissed thoroughly as the town cheered all around them.
Epilogue
Christmas Day...
“You really outdid yourself, Mom,” Abby said as she sat back in her chair. “I swear every year this just totally makes my day.”
Patti smiled as she stood and began to clear the table. “It’s our tradition and we’ve had a lot of practice with it. I would think you’d want something else by now.”
“Are you kidding? Cinnamon pumpkin waffles...we only have them once a year. Why would I change that?”
“I guess you’re right. It does make them a little extra special when you only have them once a year.” Patti smiled at Maya who was finishing hers. “What did you think of them, Maya? Do you think you could enjoy having this as a special Christmas breakfast?”
They were all sitting at Dean’s kitchen table in their pajamas after starting their day at sunrise. Abby leaned against Dean and w
atched as Maya gave a thumbs up as she finished her last bite of waffle.
“I think that’s a seal of approval,” Abby said, then looked over her shoulder at Dean. “What about you? Did you like them?”
“I ate four of them,” he said with a laugh. “I think it’s safe to say that we found our next Christmas tradition.”
“Whew!” Patti said and then looked at her daughter. “Now you can definitely marry him.”
She was marrying Dean.
In five days.
Abby still couldn’t believe it. After his very public proposal, they had been approached by just about everyone – first to offer congratulations and next to offer suggestions for a very festive New Year’s Day wedding. While it hadn’t been something Abby thought she’d ever consider – especially after the argument she and Dean had had weeks ago – now that things had calmed down, she realized that she didn’t want to wait.
Even now, she was essentially living with him. Both Abby and her mother had spent the night at Dean’s so they could be there to see Maya first thing in the morning when she came out to see what Santa brought her.
A ballerina doll.
A new coat.
New ballet slippers.
And then about a dozen other gifts including clothes, a dollhouse, a new sled and...
“Snuffles, no!” Maya said firmly. “You can’t lick the plate! Syrup isn’t good for dogs!” Then she looked at Dean and Abby. “Wait, is it?”
“Definitely not,” Dean said and shook his head. Turning his head, he whispered in Abby’s ear, “What were we thinking? A puppy? Now?”
A soft laugh was her only response.
Snuffles was a very energetic pug puppy and was now officially a member of the family.
“Maybe we should take him for a walk, Maya?” Patti suggested. “And then when we come back you can give him a treat.”
“Yeah!” She immediately jumped up and ran to her room to get dressed.
“Mom, it’s freezing out. You don’t have to go. I’ll go out with her,” Abby said, but as soon as she started to rise, Patti stopped her.
“Nonsense. I’m going to be staying here and taking care of Maya and Snuffles while you’re on your honeymoon so I might as well get in the habit now.”
Christmas On Pointe (A Silver Bell Falls Holiday Novella) Page 18