Camille placed her hand on her arm to stop her, barely concealing her laughter. “You can’t cause a scene.”
“Do you have a pen then?” Sophie asked.
Camille handed her a thin black sharpie. “Be nice, Reindeer Girl.”
Sophie wrote something on the paper and folded it back up. “Taylee, honey, can you give this to Santa?”
“Sure.” She grabbed the note and skipped off.
Sophie watched her deliver the note. The Santa dissolved into laughter as he read the message.
“What did you say?” Camille questioned.
Sophie adjusted her antlers. “I told him I wasn’t that kind of reindeer and that he needed to find someone who liked chubby, near-sighted, white haired men.”
Camille put her hand over her mouth. “You go, girl.”
Sophie looked up to see the jolly man heading her way. “Oh my gosh. He’s actually coming over here.” Sophie looked around for an escape. “I, uh, need to find a bathroom.”
“Wait,” Camille shouted.
Sophie was not in the mood to fight off Santa’s advances in front of the kids that remained. She practically jogged across the room and pushed on the doors, escaping into the hallway. The hospital corridor was pretty quiet as Sophie rushed to the women’s restroom. Santa entered the hallway just as Sophie slipped inside the bathroom.
After a few minutes, Sophie pulled out her cell phone from her pocket and called Camille. “I’m in the bathroom. Did he come back inside?”
Camille snorted. “Don’t worry, the coast is clear.”
Feeling relieved, Sophie looked in the mirror and applied some lip gloss. Next year, she was finding a nice, unassuming Santa without flirting or drinking tendencies.
She opened the bathroom door and stepped out to the quiet hallway. Having only taken a few steps, Sophie nearly screamed out loud when she heard, “Hey, Reindeer Girl.”
Clutching her chest, Sophie stared at Santa Claus, secreted in a small waiting area. The guy was stalking her. Feeling annoyed, she decided to confront him. “What do you want?”
“You,” he said simply.
She marched forward, ready to tell him off, when her brain registered the familiar voice. She stood in front of him and peered into his eyes. His really, really blue eyes. “Jack?”
He laughed. “Jack, who?”
It was Jack. Sophie was so stunned she could barely breathe. “I don’t…What’re you doing here?”
“Well,” he said in a deep voice. “I don’t dress up like a chubby, white haired man for just anyone, ya know.”
A tremor started deep in Sophie’s tummy. Jack was really here. She began to shake and felt her knees start to buckle.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Whoa,” Jack said, grabbing a hold of Sophie before she went down. “Don’t faint on me.” He had only wanted to surprise her, not make her go into shock.
He watched her beautiful dark eyes shimmer with moisture. Great. Now he was making her cry as well.
“You’re here,” she said as if she couldn’t quite believe it. She put a hand to her head and swayed to the side.
Jack acted quickly and put his hand under her knees, swooping her up in his arms. “Maybe we should sit down for a minute.”
He carried her to a big leather chair and sat down, holding her on his lap. “See, this isn’t so bad.”
Sophie’s lower lip trembled, and he could feel her entire body shaking. Oh man, this wasn’t going like he’d thought. He probably should’ve never asked Camille for help. After she’d called him stupid more than once, she’d agreed to assist him. This whole thing had been her idea, and she was convinced Sophie would forget what an idiot Jack was and give him the second chance he wanted.
“So,” he said, winking at her. “Are you ready to tell Santa what you want for Christmas?”
A tiny smile curved her tantalizing mouth, and she slowly nodded her head. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Jack had wondered if he’d only imagined the powerful effect she had on him, but the moment their lips touched, the fiery passion ignited inside him. Wishing he didn’t have a foam stomach between them, he pulled her as close as he could and kissed her slowly, tasting the fruity lip gloss he’d craved for a month.
“Aunt Sophie, why are you kissing Santa Claus?” a little voice interrupted them.
Sophie gasped and broke the connection. Jack took a ragged breath, and they both turned to see Camille and her youngest daughter watching them.
“Well, Brooklyn,” Camille said wryly, “Sophie has either been naughty or nice. I’m just not sure which one it is, though.”
“Nice, Brooklyn,” Sophie said breathlessly. “I’ve been very nice.”
Camille sniggered as she pulled her daughter toward the bathroom. “Go back to being…nice.”
Jack laughed. “Yes, Reindeer Girl. I think I’d like that.” He kissed her again, but the fake beard was seriously hampering the experience.
He eased away and grinned when Sophie grabbed the front of his suit and pulled him back to her. After a few more kisses, Jack moved his mouth to her cheek. “I have so much to say to you, but I’d really like to change clothes.”
Sophie looked up at him through her dark lashes, her fists still holding firmly to the front of his suit. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“I can’t believe you wouldn’t sit on my lap.”
“I thought you were someone else. What happened to that guy, anyway?”
“He’s home drooling over his courtside tickets to the next Nuggets home game I had to bribe him with.”
“Are you serious?” Sophie let go of the material and smoothed her hands down the front of his chest. “We already cut him a check for three hundred dollars.”
“He really wanted this gig. I guess Scott’s friend told him how hot you are, and he was very interested.”
She smiled at that. “So you bought him tickets to take his place?”
“He drove a hard bargain, but it was worth every dime.”
Sophie’s eyes darkened. “I love you, Jack Mathison.”
Jack was glad he was sitting down. Although her voice was barely above a whisper, the force of those powerful words would have toppled him.
“I love you too.” His throat felt thick, and his voice was low and gravelly. The weeks of separation had been so painful. There were days when he had missed her so much that he’d been tempted to make the trip to her house and beg her to marry him, screw-up and all.
He couldn’t resist giving her one more kiss. When Sophie’s fingers got tangled up in the beard, Jack decided it would be worth it to take the time to change out of his costume.
“Wait right here, okay? Technically, Santa is supposed to be returning to the North Pole.” He helped Sophie stand and then made her sit in the chair. “Don’t move and I’ll be back in five minutes.”
Jack ducked inside the bathroom where Scott had hung his clothes. He removed the hat, wig and beard, then changed out of the velvet, padded suit into a pair of dark wash jeans and a red button-down shirt. The new clothes weren’t as comfortable as a pair of cargo shorts and tee, but with two feet of snow on the ground, he had needed a new wardrobe.
He slipped on the new shoes and thought about the shopping trip he’d gone on two weeks earlier. It had been monumental because he’d gone with his mother and his fifteen year old niece Julia.
The first day after Sophie had gone home to Colorado, Jack had been miserable and knew he couldn’t live without her. It had killed him to fly into Denver only a week and half later and make the two hour drive to his parents’ house without so much as calling her. Once he’d contacted his parents, he had decided not to email Sophie until he and his family worked through the years of hurt, anger and mistakes.
It hadn’t been easy, but the effort had been well worth it.
Jack combed his hair and then brushed his teeth. He hung the bag with the costume in it on the bathroom stall and texted
Camille’s husband to come and get it. He liked Scott and Camille and was grateful they’d let Sophie stay with them while he got his head screwed on straight.
The first step had been seeing his parents, which had gone so well Jack wondered why he’d let it take so long. The hardest part had been confronting Adam. His brother’s life hadn’t been easy. Heather had run off with another man and left Adam to raise their four-year-old daughter, Julia, by himself. Adam had started drinking and their parents had taken custody of Julia.
His brother’s life had changed the day Adam had been driving drunk and survived wrapping his car around a tree trunk. By the grace of God, no one else had been involved in the accident, and it had been a wakeup call for his brother. He had turned his life around and later met and married a widow with two children. Julia still lived with Jack’s parents, but Adam and his family were only a few miles away and had a close relationship with his oldest daughter.
Jack exited the bathroom and hurried back to Sophie. Forgiving his family—really forgiving them—had freed him in a way he never thought possible. Jack still couldn’t believe that God hadn’t ever given up on him, and then He’d sent him Sophie.
She stood in front of the chair, watching him walk toward her. Her antlers were gone, and she’d cleaned the black makeup off of her nose. She was beautiful, even more so than he’d remembered.
Jack stopped only inches from her. “Thanks for waiting for me.” He hooked his hands around her waist and tugged her close. “And thank you for giving me a second chance.”
Sophie slid her arms around his back, the warmth from her palms seeping through his shirt. She lifted her chin to look up at him, her eyes shining with love. “I told you I’d never give up on you.”
A group of people exited the main ballroom, and Jack led Sophie further into the alcove where they were hidden by the shadow. With her back pressed against the wall, he breathed in her scent as he skimmed his fingers along the side of her jaw to cup her face. “I missed you,” he said as he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her soft and slow.
This kiss was different, more binding, as if they were joining their souls together. Sophie sighed, and Jack deepened the kiss. In that moment, he knew they belonged together. If he had his way, Sophie would be his wife the day after Christmas.
A large crowd began exiting the ballroom, the party coming to an end. “I guess we need to go help with the cleanup,” Jack murmured against Sophie’s mouth.
“I suppose so.” She pressed her face in the hollow of his neck. “I think this is the most perfect moment in my life.”
“I think I know how to make it a little better, at least for me.”
She edged back and looked up at him wide-eyed. “How?”
Jack grinned and untangled his arms from around her to reach one hand into his pocket. He withdrew a small package, wrapped in red and silver foil paper. “I have an early Christmas present for you.”
Sophie moistened her lips and took the gift. Jack could see her hands were shaking as she tore the paper off. The small red box had a hinge, and Sophie’s eyes flickered up to Jack’s. “Should I open it?”
“I’d like that very much.”
Her focus returned to the box. She lifted the lid to reveal a diamond ring his niece Julia had claimed would make any girl say yes.
“Oh, my,” Sophie said, her eyes darting back up to meet his. “The answer is yes.”
“Hey,” he said with a laugh. “You didn’t even give me a chance to ask you.”
“Then ask me.” She bit her bottom lip. “Please. I’m dying to put the ring on.”
Jack grinned and took the box from her. He removed the wide, platinum band with a large emerald cut diamond in the center, flanked by a row of tapered baguette diamonds.
“Sophie Kendrick, I think I fell in love with you the moment I first saw you. You were the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen, and that terrified me. I was a jerk, and an idiot and I can’t believe you still found me loveable.” He reached for her left hand and slid the ring on her slim finger. “Will you marry me? Soon? Like in three days?”
Her eyes shimmered in the dim light, and the smile curving her lips was something Jack would always remember. “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you.”
She held out the ring so it caught the low light and flashed.
“It’s beautiful, Jack. I love it.” Then her eyes snapped up to his. “Wait, did you say in three days?”
“I know it’s short notice, but I’m a little—”
Sophie placed a finger against his lips to quiet him. “Three days seems like an eternity, but since tomorrow is Christmas Eve, I guess I’ll have to accept it.”
Jack smiled when she dropped her finger. “We can always elope. Vegas isn’t that far away.”
Her eyes lit up. “When can we leave?”
This time Jack laughed out loud. “Camille and my mother would kill me if I spoiled their wedding plans.”
“Did you just say your mother?”
“Yes.” Jack tugged on her hand and started to lead her out of the waiting area. “It’s a great story and one I plan on sharing with you, but right now my family is here, and they’re anxious to meet you.”
She pulled him to a stop. “Jack, that’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you.”
He kissed her then, but kept it short since there were a lot of people waiting back inside the party to know if she had said yes. “Ready to meet my family?”
“Yes, but what if they don’t like me?”
“They already adore you, especially since I told them I wasn’t good enough for you, but for some reason, you seem to love me anyway.”
“There are a lot of reasons why I love you.”
“I know, and I expect you to tell them every single one.”
“Wow.” She wound her arms around his neck again. “We’re getting married.”
“Yeah.” Jack settled his hands on her waist. “Thanks for saying yes, by the way.”
She laughed. “Before you even asked.”
Camille suddenly appeared, one hand on her hip and an indignant look on her face. “Everyone sent me out here to find out what the verdict is.”
“We’re coming in right now. But first—” Jack lowered his head and gazed into Sophie’s eyes. “—I believe my fiancée was just about to kiss me again.”
A beguiling smile curved Sophie’s lips before she pressed her mouth to his, kissing him in a way that staked her claim. Jack surrendered easily and decided to take his time. He was vaguely aware of Camille’s fading footsteps and the sound of a door opening.
“They won’t be coming in anytime soon,” Camille announced loudly. “But in case you’re wondering, she said yes.”
Epilogue: One year later
Sophie had just barely closed her eyes when the crying started again. She moved to climb out of bed when Jack pulled her back down. “I’ll get him, honey.”
She didn’t argue. Their two and half month old son, Carson, had cut his first tooth and hadn’t been very happy about it. The tooth had finally emerged a few days ago, but Carson had grown used to having either his mom or dad hold him all the time, and now he didn’t like being left in his crib.
“He shouldn’t be hungry, but he might need a diaper change.”
“I got this,” Jack said as he leaned over and kissed her. “Now go to sleep.”
Her eyes were shut before Jack got up. As soon as the crying stopped, she let herself start to relax. Jack had the magic touch when it came to getting Carson to sleep. Just before she let go and gave into the fatigue, something else grabbed her attention.
She rose up on one elbow and listened to the baby monitor. Jack was singing a Christmas song to the baby.
She listened to the melody of Santa Claus Is Coming to Town and decided she needed to see this for herself. There were times when she thought she’d heard him singing to Carson, but when she’d asked him, Jack would always smile and say sh
e must have been dreaming.
Climbing out of bed, she tiptoed across the floor and down the hallway to the nursery. Staying as quiet as possible she peeked inside the room and felt her breath catch at the sight before her.
In the soft glow from the miniature Christmas tree sitting on the dresser, Jack stood with the baby pressed snuggly against his white tee, gently jostling him and singing the Christmas song. Carson didn’t make a sound as his father lulled him back to sleep.
Leaning against the doorjamb, she continued to watch her husband sing softly to their son. It was hard to believe that in a few days, she and Jack would celebrate their first wedding anniversary, and they would be celebrating it with a new baby.
When they’d gotten married last year, she and Jack had decided not to use anything to prevent pregnancy. Sophie was sure it would take her a while since she was older and hadn’t always had a regular cycle. The baby had been a honeymoon surprise, but both she and Jack had been thrilled with the prospect of becoming parents.
The singing stopped, and Jack stared down into their son’s face, watching the tiny little boy with an expression of awe and tenderness. After a few moments, he pressed a kiss against the baby’s downy hair and then carefully laid him back down in the crib.
Carson immediately started whimpering, and Jack leaned over and gently picked him up.
“Okay, little guy. You and me need to have a talk man to man.” He cradled the baby in one of his impressive arms and held out his pinkie finger for Carson to wrap his tiny hand around. “I know you love Mommy. So do I, but she needs her sleep or she’ll get real cranky.”
Sophie’s mouth dropped open, but she kept quiet, interested in what else Jack might say.
“She’s not cranky very often, and that’s the way we want to keep it.” Jack pressed a kiss to the baby’s forehead. “So how about you try to be a good boy and sleep for a few hours? Then maybe Mommy will be a good girl and go to sleep right now like she’s supposed to be.”
Busted.
Jack turned and winked at her, making her knees go weak. She smiled and walked across the room, still as madly in love with her husband as the day she had married him.
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