Tyler thought so, too. “Why do you say that, baby?”
“Because we’ll get to spend it with Grandpa, and Beth, and all of her family. It’s going to be so much fun. Do you think we can spend the night there?”
Tyler chuckled. “No, we’re not going to spend the night.” He put the brush down and held a hand out for the clippie. “Beth is pretty awesome, isn’t she?” Thinking about her and that amazing kiss they shared had his heart rate soaring through the roof.
She watched him pin a little of her hair back with a clippie. “Yeah. You love her.”
Tyler paused. He knew he was in love with Beth and suspected Dad knew, but he had no idea Meg had picked up on it. “Why do you say that?”
“Because I love her, too. And Grandpa says you and me are just alike.” She said it so matter-of-factly that Tyler could do nothing but grin.
“Yeah, I love her. I think she’s good for us, don’t you?”
“Uh-huh.” Meg seemed satisfied with her hair. She scrambled to get down from the cabinet. Like a little lady, she smoothed out her skirt and then handed him the necklace. “Will you put this on me, please? I can’t wait to show it to everyone.”
Tyler scooped her hair to the side and fastened the tiny heart necklace at the nape of her neck. Meg held it gently with two fingers and smiled at it. “I think this is my favorite present.” She grinned at him.
He was glad she liked the gift. Since they’d exchanged presents that morning, Tyler had only one gift to take with him: The one he’d bought for Beth. It sat on the kitchen table, wrapped in red and gold paper, waiting for him to grab it before they left.
“I’m going to go get my shiny black shoes.” She took off for her bedroom and called over her shoulder, “I’ll be right back!”
It’d be difficult to keep her occupied until it was time to leave. Tyler looked at his own reflection in the mirror. He’d trimmed his beard and mustache. He ran his fingers through his hair, turned his head, and caught Meg watching him once she returned. “What do you think? Do I look nice enough for Christmas dinner?” He’d chosen a dark green sweater to wear with his black slacks. The cold temperatures and early frost guaranteed he wouldn’t be too warm.
“You look handsome, Daddy.” She beamed up at him then held Mr. Speckles out. “Can I take him with us? Please, please, please?”
He raised his brows. “He can come in the car, but you don’t need to bring him into the house. He’ll get lost and that would be a horrible way to end Christmas. Don’t you think?”
Meg stuck her lower lip out for a second or two before nodding thoughtfully. “Yeah, he might get sad.” She turned the giraffe to look at her. “You’ll have to wait for me in the car. I’ll save a cookie for you.” She smiled at Tyler before running off again.
“Whoa, little lady. Watch where you’re going.”
“Sorry, Grandpa!”
Dad appeared in the doorway. “To be a kid again on Christmas.” He chuckled. “You clean up good, son.”
“Thanks. You do too.” Tyler nodded his approval at Dad’s choice of button-up red shirt. As he observed their reflections in the mirror, he was reminded how much they favored each other.
Meg’s voice filtered in from the living room. “Daddy? Is it time to go yet?”
Tyler laughed. “I’m not sure she’s going to survive waiting much longer.”
“Then we’ll load up the car and drive down some streets to look at Christmas lights on our way there.”
Now that was a great idea. By the time they had everything in the 4Runner, they didn’t have a whole lot of time to kill anyway. Dad drove, and Tyler was content to sit in the passenger seat and admire the Christmas lights with his family.
His thoughts drifted to Beth. He was starting to automatically include her in with his family now, and nothing had ever felt more right.
~
To say Beth’s parents’ house was full to the brim was a huge understatement. The house was already crowded, and they were still missing Lance and Lexi as well as Tyler and his family. Mom joked about how they might have to rent a recreation center or something next year, but the contented look on her face said it all: She was loving every minute of it.
Beth passed the front window for the third or fourth time and looked through the glass. This time, she saw Tyler’s 4Runner park along the curb. She ping-ponged between feeling giddy and nervous. Giddy because she couldn’t wait to see him and spend the holiday with him. Nervous because she didn’t know what to expect after the other night. She didn’t have to wonder long, though. Bill gave her a hug, and Meg twirled in her pretty dress before launching herself into Beth’s arms. When Meg skipped off to play with the many other children in the house, Beth turned to find Tyler watching her, approval written all over his face. Dressed in slacks and a nice sweater, he looked like he’d stepped right out of a magazine.
He took her hand and kissed her on the corner of her mouth. “You look gorgeous. Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
The term of endearment made her heart skip a beat and brought a smile to her face. “Merry Christmas.”
Introductions started then, and there were a lot of them. Beth doubted poor Tyler and his family would remember half of the people they met. She was happy to see that Meg seemed to fit right in with the other children.
Tyler pointed to the group of kids who were sitting on the floor admiring trading card collections and other toys. “This is good for her. There’s nothing wrong with being an only child, but I sometimes feel bad that she doesn’t even have cousins to play with.” His eyes flitted to one of the boys who was sitting a little apart from the others. “Now, whose son is that?”
Beth smiled. “That’s Gideon. Serenity is Lexi’s younger sister and that’s her boy. Serenity and Aaron got married earlier this year, and Aaron adopted him.” Gideon looked up when someone said his name and smiled. “He has autism, and he’s done well over the last couple of years. That he’s over there by the other kids is huge.”
Someone tapped on her shoulder. Beth stood and turned to find Lexi’s grandmother standing behind her. “Merry Christmas, Grams! It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.” She gave the older woman a hug.
“It sure has. Have you met my new husband?” Grams hooked an arm through the gentleman’s elbow at her side. “This is Peter Quintin.”
“Of course! I heard about your wedding, congratulations to the both of you.” She introduced them to Tyler and the men shook hands. “I need to ask Lexi to text me some of your wedding photos.”
Peter leaned in and gave Grams a squeeze. “She was the most beautiful bride.”
The look Grams gave him spoke of a woman madly in love. “Don’t you two forget to grab a glass of eggnog. I made it myself.” She winked, and they moved toward the kitchen.
“They seem really nice,” Tyler said, smiling after them. “She’s your grandmother?”
“No, she’s Lexi’s grandmother, but everyone calls her Grams.”
“You’ll have to tell me the story behind how she and Peter met.” He nodded toward one corner of the living room. “And who is that Dad’s talking to?”
It took Beth a moment to visually sift through all the people. “Oh! That’s Lexi’s mom, Patty.” She watched as Patty and Bill talked for a bit and laughed several times. “They seem to be getting along exceptionally well. Patty’s a widow, you know.” She gave Tyler a knowing look.
He watched them, a look of amusement and surprise on his face. “Yeah, I’m going to have to tease Dad about this one.”
Beth looked at her watch. Everyone had been at the house mingling and visiting for at least a half hour. “I wonder where Lance and Lexi are? They’re usually one of the first people to arrive to anything.”
“I was wondering the same thing myself.” Avalon stopped nearby. “Did I tell you Lorelei hasn’t put your book down since you gave it to her? You’ve got yourself a fan. I hope you’re writing another one soon.”
“I’ve got some more i
n the works.” Beth had given copies of Zoe the Zebra to the Rescue to all her younger nieces and nephews. These glowing reports had Beth excited to publish the next book sometime after the new year.
Avalon took her phone out of her pocket. “Seriously, though, do you think I should call Lance and make sure they’re okay?”
The doorbell rang, barely audible over all the conversations. Avalon pointed to the door. “I’ll get it.” She mimicked swimming motions as she made her way through the crowd, drawing chuckles from those around her.
She opened the door to reveal Lance on the other side. He wore a sheepish expression on his face as he stepped just inside the door. “Sorry we’re late everyone.”
“You’re lucky I didn’t eat all the cookies!” Tuck hollered from the middle of the room. Everyone laughed.
“I promise we have a good reason.” Lance’s face transformed into a brilliant grin tinged with pride. He turned sideways to clear the doorway. Lexi stepped forward, a tiny bundle in her arms. She pushed a corner of the blue blanket back to reveal a baby’s sleeping face. “Lexi and I would like to introduce you to our son, Jacob Robert.” He put a hand on the tiny head covered with black hair. “Jacob, this huge mess of people is your family.”
Beth’s hand flew to her mouth, her eyes instantly flooded with tears. Tyler stood with her and leaned in close. “I’m missing something.”
She filled him in as quickly as she could, brushing at her tears as she told him how badly her brother and sister-in-law wanted children. “This is a Christmas miracle.”
After waiting for what felt like forever, it was finally her turn to see the new baby. How the little guy still slept through everything was beyond Beth. Then again, he’d remained cradled in his mommy’s arms. It didn’t look like Lexi had any desire to relinquish her new baby boy anytime soon.
“He’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I’m unbelievably happy for you two.” Beth hugged Lance tight before giving Lexi a more careful hug. Her eyes widened with realization. “Was this why you were at the hospital on Friday?”
Lexi nodded and laughed through her tears. “Yes, he was born probably an hour after I called you. It was hard not to tell everyone, but we wanted to wait until we were all together today.”
Beth reached out and touched the baby’s hand with a finger. “You have no idea how long your mommy and daddy have prayed to meet you, Jacob. Never doubt how loved you are.” Another tear rolled down her cheek, but Beth didn’t care. The baby scrunched his face a little and whimpered before settling back into a peaceful sleep.
As much as Beth wanted to stand there and stare at her new nephew, there were other family members who couldn’t wait for their chance to see him. Beth stepped away, swiping at her tears. She glanced at Tyler and laughed. “Now you know my secret: I can be a little sentimental.”
“Come here.” Tyler pulled her into a tight hug. “In case you ever wondered, you look beautiful even when you’re crying.”
Beth giggled into his shirt and relished the feel of his arms around her. Best. Christmas. Ever.
~
After four hours of Christmas festivities at the Davenport home, everyone was starting to slow down a little. Tyler didn’t think he could eat another bite until Beth walked up with a plate in his hand. “Fudge?”
Who turns down a piece of fudge? Yeah, no sane person. “Thanks.” He polished it off in two bites. “I may not eat for a week after this.”
“Me, either.” Beth raised an eyebrow and took a bite. “Marian makes the best fudge. She mailed me some for my birthday once, and I kept it in the fridge and managed to make it last almost three months.”
She wasn’t kidding about the fudge. “I’m impressed. It wouldn’t last that long at my house.” He took her free hand and placed a kiss to her knuckles. “Wait here a minute.” He retrieved his gift for her that he’d stashed with their coats.
Beth put the plate down, surprise on her face. “What’s this?”
“It’s your Christmas present.” He handed it to her. “Open it.”
She smiled and carefully pulled the paper away. When the leather journal was exposed, she ran a finger over the engraved butterfly on the cover. “It’s beautiful, Tyler.”
He’d thought of Beth the moment he’d seen the journal last week. “I figured you could use it to jot down book ideas and things like that when you didn’t have your computer available. Or you could use it to confess your deepest secrets.” He tossed her a grin. “Whichever you’d prefer.”
Beth stood on tip toe and kissed him briefly. “Thank you, it’s perfect.”
Tyler slipped his arms around her waist and held her close. “You’re welcome.”
She pulled away and smiled. “I brought something for you, too.”
Now that he hadn’t expected. He watched as she disappeared from the room only to return a minute later. She held a small, wrapped box in her hands and handed it to him. “It’s a little different, but I thought it was fitting.” With the journal held against her chest, she motioned for him to open it.
Tyler unwrapped the box and lifted the top. Inside was a watch with a silver band and a jaguar etched into the face. It wasn’t what he expected, but she was right, it was fitting. “This is amazing, Beth. You spent way too much on this.”
Beth shook her head. “I get a good discount at the gift shop.” She gave him a wink and then laughed. “I thought that, since we first met at the zoo and had our first official date near the jaguars, it would be a fun gift. You don’t have to wear it, though, if it’s not your style.”
“Are you kidding?” He slipped his old watch off and put it in his pocket before putting the new one on. “It’s great.”
A round of laughter exploded from the living room. Tyler glanced toward them and chuckled. “Your family is amazing. It’s been fun getting to see what a big Christmas gathering is like.”
Beth looked over her shoulder and smiled fondly. “Yeah, they’re alright most of the time.”
Tyler glanced above them and grinned. “Hey, did you see where we’re standing?”
She looked confused until she raised her chin and spotted the mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. “How did I not see that before? I swear, you just put it there, didn’t you?”
He held up both hands. “I promise, I didn’t.”
She raised one eyebrow in a way that made her look absolutely adorable. He took one large step forward and looked down into her face. “I, for one, have no intention of letting some good mistletoe go to waste.”
Beth giggled as his lips covered hers in the kind of kiss he’d been waiting all evening for. Everything around them faded away and there was nothing except for the feel of Beth in his arms and the way their hearts seemed to beat as one.
And then there were the whistles and catcalls.
Tyler broke their kiss to find Beth’s face turning pink before she hid it against the front of his shirt. She lifted her head again and gave a little wave to their audience, starting up another round of laughter.
“Well, you wanted to see what life was like with a big extended family.” She motioned toward the living room. “There you have it, in a nutshell. Have they scared you away yet?”
“Not even close.” He caressed the soft skin along her jaw. “I love everything about you, Beth.”
She wrinkled her nose a little, her eyes twinkling. “Yeah?”
“Mmmmhmmmm.” He placed a light kiss to the tip of her nose.
“I’m head over heels in love with you, too.”
Tyler smiled with a groan. “You have no idea how badly I want to kiss you again. If only we didn’t have an audience.”
“You kidding? I say we give them something to whistle about.” She flashed him a mischievous grin.
That was all Tyler needed. His lips found hers in a heartbeat as he gathered Beth in his arms and kissed her with all the love he had to offer.
Epilogue
“Check this out, Mama!” Meg’s voice called out from the liv
ing room.
Beth still loved it every time Meg called her that. She remembered with clarity the first night she tucked Meg in after she and Tyler got married. Meg had said she’d always wanted a mommy and that God had finally answered her prayers. Even thinking about it now brought tears to Beth’s eyes.
She slid the pan of muffins into the oven, set the timer, and followed the sound of her girls laughing.
When Beth entered the room, Meg was crawling around on all fours. Meanwhile, two-year-old Molly squealed with delight as she sat on her sister’s back and held onto her shirt. “Go, horsie, go!”
Beth laughed. “Don’t let go, Molly.”
“Oh, she’s holding on tight.” Meg turned her head slightly to look at Beth. She made an exaggerated grab at her neck where her shirt was being pulled against it. “Almost too tight.” At nearly ten-years-old, Meg had no problem supporting her little sister’s weight. She pretended to whinny and took off at an even faster speed, resulting in a round of giggles from her little passenger.
Beth was smiling at the antics of her two beautiful daughters when Tyler came up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. She loved it when he held her like this. Beth leaned into his solid chest. “When did they get so big? Look at them! Molly’s not a baby anymore.”
“I don’t know. I wish they wouldn’t grow up this fast, though.” He chuckled. “You know, if you’re missing the baby stage…” He nuzzled her neck, making Beth squirm.
She turned in his arms to face him. “Are you serious?” They’d talked about having several kids before Molly was born, but the subject hadn’t come up in a while.
“Why not? Molly’s almost potty trained.” He smiled as he tucked some hair behind her ear. “Besides, it’ll be fun.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.
Beth smacked him on the arm. “Tyler!”
“Watching three kids playing in the living room would be fun. What did you think I meant?” The mischievous glint in his eye told her he knew exactly what he’d said.
Finding Grace Page 16