Izzy clasped her hands together in her lap so she’d have something to hold on to. “For me, a relationship has to be a partnership, one that doesn’t crumble at the first disagreement. How do I know you won’t try to push me away again? How do I know the memory of your mother won’t always be lurking in the shadows, making you wonder if someone is out to hurt you?”
“On Christmas Day, I came to the conclusion that my mother made her own choices, but that doesn’t mean I have to let her change the course of mine.” Derek leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped together. “I thought it might be a good idea to see someone. To get recommendations on new ways to cope that don’t leave me such a cranky bastard all the time.” A smile touched the corner of his lips and softened her.
“That’s a really good first step, and a brave one, too.” Had he started counseling for her, or because his actions at Christmas had shaken him? The snapping fire had wrapped a snug warmth around the room.
“My father came to see me after you left. After everything she put him through, he forgives my mother for leaving. I’m starting to think you both might be right. She did love us.” Derek sounded tired, and Izzy wanted so badly to go to him.
“It must have been hard to move on. For both of you,” Izzy said. It was hard not to hurt for the abandoned boy and the devastated husband.
“When my father left with Janet and Mary, I went through my mother’s things. I found a bottle of pills for mood disorders. I think part of her wanted to stay with us, and she fought to get rid of her own demons, but it was too much.” Derek paused. “When you left that day, I thought you’d disappeared just like she had. I didn’t want to leave things as they were between us.” For a moment, they were quiet, with unspoken fears filling up the gap between them. She wanted to tell him she loved him, but once it was out in the open, she wouldn’t be able to lie to herself anymore.
“Is that why you went to the trouble of finding me?” She scooted to the edge of her seat, waiting for his response and not completely sure she wanted to hear it.
“With you, I can imagine what it would be like to have days, years, decades together. It might not all be perfect, and I know I can be awfully hard to deal with at times. But I can’t picture a future without you, and it scares the life out of me. Relationships don’t come with guarantees, I know that, but it’s been unbearable without you.” Derek’s voice was unsteady, and Izzy’s eyes started to fill. She crossed the room and sat on the couch next to him.
“I’m afraid, too,” she said. “I never had a good example of a strong partnership. But it would be even scarier to not try, and have this all be over right now.” She made the first move and brushed her hand over his. Her stomach plummeted when he pulled away, but he slipped off the couch and crouched down in front of her. Her heart lodged in her throat, so tight it bordered on painful.
“I love you, Izzy. Stay with me, make a home with me here, and someday we’ll set an example to our children of what a strong relationship should be.” He held out his hands, and she linked her fingers with his.
“What are you asking?” Izzy said breathlessly.
“I’m asking for your trust and forgiveness. I’m asking you to marry me.” Derek removed his hands from hers and reached into his left pocket. The ring he pulled out sparkled like a blanket of stars on a winter’s night, and Izzy slid down to the floor with him.
“This is crazy,” she said through building tears, and his expression instantly dropped. “But I’m ready to start taking risks again if they involve you. To not only believe in you and the relationship we have, but to have faith in myself, too.” Derek’s face lightened instantly, and he slipped the ring on her finger.
“Gram told me your ring size,” he admitted and beamed at her.
“You went to see my grandmother?” Izzy supposed she shouldn’t be surprised after the turn this afternoon had taken.
“Yes, and she knocked back a few whiskey shots and threatened to skin me alive.” He laughed.
“That sounds about right.” Izzy smiled.
“There’s something else I need to show you.” He stood, offered her his hand, and pulled her up next to him.
“What is it?” The past few weeks had given her a lifetime of shocks, and she wasn’t sure she could handle any more at the moment.
“Just wait and see.” Derek led her down the hall and up the stairs to his bedroom.
“I’ve had enough surprises for one day.”
“I have a feeling you’ll like this one.” He smirked. Atticus appeared in the doorway and wagged his tail before retreating back into the room. Izzy stepped inside, and her tears finally overflowed. Derek bent over a circular pen, and when he turned back, a little black-and-white puppy was squirming in his hands. “I thought you might need some extra convincing to move in with me right away,” he said. The puppy wriggled into her open hands, licked her chin, and snuggled against her shoulder.
“What would you have done with him if I’d turned you away?” The dog’s fur was soft against her cheeks.
“Stop at the store for a few extra rolls of paper towels and hope for the best, I guess.” He shrugged.
“Atticus might not like a new visitor infringing on his space.”
“Or it might turn out to be the best thing that’s ever happened to him.” Derek pulled her into his arms, and it was like coming home. Everything she’d longed for her entire life, to love and be loved, was dropped in her lap, and she had no intention of squandering a single second of it. This was no fairy tale. It was real life, and wasn’t that the sweetest thing of all?
Epilogue
It was the holidays again, and Izzy and Derek were preparing for their sixth annual Silver Acres Fundraiser to provide financial aid to seniors in need. Thick flakes of snow drifted lazily outside the window as Izzy and her daughter, Alena, arranged roses the color of candlelight into vases. Across the ballroom, Derek looped garland around the ceiling, just like they had during their first Christmas together. How things had changed since then. Izzy smiled to herself and clipped the stem of a lush bloom.
They’d been married the following Christmas Eve in this very ballroom, surrounded by close family and friends. It had only seemed right that the occasion was on the holiday that had brought them together. Izzy glanced up at a string of yips. Barnaby, a St. Bernard they’d rescued in honor of Atticus when he passed, slept fireside, his tail slowly brushing back and forth as Finch danced around him, ready to play. The dogs were the best of friends despite their difference in size.
“This is the best part of Christmas.” Alena tilted her head up to smile at Izzy. She’d just lost her first front tooth, and the gapped grin couldn’t have been more perfect.
“I think so, too. It’s always nice to see Gram and Mr. Johnson test out their tango moves,” Izzy said and put aside a completed bouquet.
Alena giggled, then squealed, and pulled her hand to her chest. “It pricked me,” she said, pushing the bucket of flowers away. Derek appeared behind her and inspected the small scratch.
“Can I help you, Dad? I don’t want to work with the flowers anymore.” Alena sniffled.
Izzy brushed a thick strand of dark glossy curls away from her face. “Don’t fear the roses,” she said and glanced up at her husband. “Some of the best things in the world come from the prickliest of packages.”
She grinned up at him, heart filled with love for all they’d built together. Derek let out a booming laugh and wrapped both girls in a big hug. Fate had brought them together, and with a little sprinkle of holiday magic, they’d both opened their hearts. But it was love, strong and true, that had given them the best Christmas gift of all—each other.
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Acknowledgments
Thank you to Donna Alward for your encouragement and mentorship, The Red Pen Coach, and the En
tangled Publishing Team for the warm welcome.
To my wonderful mother, father, and sister, Laura, thank you for all of your support and love. Thank you to my husband, Jamie, for his steadfast belief in me, and my two beautiful daughters. Morfar and Nanny, thank you for always reading my books first and sharing them with your friends.
About the Author
Contemporary Romance Author Charlee James was introduced to a lifelong love of reading listening to her parents recite nightly stories to her and her older sister. Inspired by the incredible imaginations of authors like Bill Peet, Charlee could often be found crafting her own tales. As a teenager, she got her hands on a romance novel and was instantly hooked by the genre.
After graduating from Johnson & Wales University, her early career as a wedding planner gave her firsthand experience with couples who had gone the distance for love. Always fascinated by family dynamics, Charlee began writing heartwarming novels with happily-ever-afters.
Charlee is a New England native who lives with her husband, daughters, two rambunctious dogs, a cat, and numerous reptiles. When she’s not spending time with her tight-knit family, she enjoys curling up with a book, practicing yoga, and collecting Boston Terrier knick-knacks.
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