by Sylvia Blake
Just as she was putting the finishing touches on the table, the doorbell rang and her heart jumped into her throat.
“It must be Luke!” she called out to Wendy, and practically ran to the door. She swung it open and there he was, a smile on his face and a gift bag in hand.
She jumped into his arms and hugged him tighter than she ever remembered hugging him before. Their lips met and when they heard Wendy approaching, they drew apart.
“Merry Christmas, sweetheart,” he said to her quietly, looking deep into her eyes.
“Close the door, guys, it’s freezing outside!” said Wendy as she joined them in the foyer. “Welcome, Luke, come on in! Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas, Wendy. Thanks so much for having me over today.”
“Merry Christmas, Luke,” Debbie said to him finally. She got tongue tied whenever they met, at least for a minute or two.
He gave her hand a squeeze and held out the gift bag.
“Santa’s here!”
“You didn’t have to, but thank you Luke,” said Wendy.
“Let me take that off your hands,” Debbie said, taking the bag from Luke as he got out of his coat and boots.
They sat in the living room, with the fireplace burning and the Christmas lights flashing. Leo curled up between Luke and Debbie and reveled in their attention.
“Hey, big boy, how are you doing?” said Luke as he ran a hand across the top of Leo’s head. The grateful cat stretched his neck out for more.
“So, are you guys headed back to Boston tomorrow?” asked Wendy.
Debbie and Luke looked at each other and nodded.
“We sure are,” said Luke with a big smile, grabbing Debbie’s hand in his.
“Great! Debbie’s parents are great people. Her dad’s my brother, and we were very close growing up. She’s lucky to have such great parents.”
“That’s good to hear. I can’t say I’m not nervous to meet them, but everything should go smoothly.”
“Oh, it will, don’t worry. So, should we open presents now? And then we’ll go ahead and have brunch. I hope you haven’t had breakfast!” Wendy said, getting up to get the presents from the tree.
“No, I haven’t.”
“Ok, good. Debbie, why don’t you go first. This one’s from Luke.”
She handed Luke a small box wrapped in gold and red wrapping paper with a cute ribbon, which he then gave to Debbie. “Merry Christmas, honey. I hope you love it.”
“I’m sure I will,” she said as she began to unwrap it, careful not to rip the paper. Inside was a small, maroon velvet box. She glanced at him as she flipped it open, and a bright smile appeared on her face instantly.
“Aw, thank you so much! You shouldn’t have, this is too much!” She lifted out a necklace, with a sparkling solitaire diamond hanging from a thin and elegant chain. Her arms wrapped around him and she held onto him, grinning from ear to ear.
“Wow, that’s really beautiful, Luke. Good choice!” Wendy exclaimed, clearly impressed by his gift.
“Thanks,” said Luke. “I just hope she loves it.”
“I do, I do! Open yours next! It’s not as fancy as your gift, but hopefully you won’t hate it.”
A chuckle escaped his lips. “I’m sure I won’t.”
She handed him a square box. He didn’t open it quite as gingerly as she did, and strips and bits of paper were littered around him by the time he unwrapped it. He opened the box and reached in. He grinned as he pulled it out.
“Thanks! That’s so cute!” he said. It was a snow globe with a couple on skis in the middle.
Debbie laughed. “I might have forgotten to warn you. I’m the worst at picking gifts! Besides, you have everything you need, so I thought maybe a little something to remind you of winter all year round.”
Turning it upside down, he watched the snow swirl around the couple and smiled. He pulled Debbie close to him and gave her a quick kiss.
“I love it. And I love you,” he said.
Debbie glanced at Wendy and looked down with a shy smile. She wasn’t used to such public displays of affection. It was only Wendy, not the whole world, but it still made her blush. They finished opening the rest of the presents, and everybody was happy and satisfied with them.
Brunch went perfectly; Debbie was happy that Luke and Wendy were getting along, everyone was eating and smiling and laughing. It appeared to be perfect timing for Debbie’s announcement.
“I have something to share,” she said, looking from Wendy to Luke with shining eyes.
“Nice! Go on,” said Wendy, putting down her fork and taking a sip of her coffee. Luke looked at her with curiosity.
“Well, I heard back from the spa I interviewed with. And I got the job!”
Wendy erupted in congratulatory celebration, while Luke just smiled and squeezed her hand.
“Congrats, honey,” he said. He was genuine, but she could tell there was a spark missing from his eyes.
“Thanks. But I’m not taking it.”
“What? Why not?” asked Wendy, with mouth agape. “I thought you were dying for a new job.”
“I know. But I’ve made a decision – I’m not going home. At least not for now.” She looked from Wendy to Luke, and saw his lips curling up into a wide smile. “I’ve decided that living there isn’t what I need or want right now.”
Luke put a hand behind her neck and pulled her close to give her a quick kiss. “I’m so happy to hear that. But you should only do this if it’s what you really want.”
“It is, I promise.”
“Well, that’s great honey. This is a great place. Have you spoken to your mom and dad about this yet? You’re an adult, so it shouldn’t make a difference; I just hope they aren’t too hard on you when they find out.”
Debbie shook her head. “I haven’t told them yet, but I will, tomorrow. They might be shocked at first, but they’ll get used to the idea. I’ll go visit them really often.”
“Well, then, let me be the first to welcome you to Collingville!” said Wendy, laughing and hugging her.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome to stay here as long as you want, right in this house,” Wendy said, eyes wide and nodding her head as she spoke.
“I might, for a little while at least, but I’ll get my own place really soon.”
“Well, this calls for some egg nog! It’s never too early for egg nog!” said Wendy, getting up from the table. “I think I left it in the fridge downstairs. I’ll be right back.”
When she disappeared down the stairs, Luke pulled Debbie close and covered her lips with his, giving her a sweet, long kiss.
“I love you,” she whispered when she pulled away.
“That’s the best Christmas present I could imagine. I love you.”
Epilogue
“It’s beautiful, sweetheart. Great job,” said Luke, admiring the Christmas tree.
“I didn’t do it all myself,” replied Debbie. She stepped back to look at the results of her work. It was true, the tree was magnificent. It cast a soft glow all over the large living room, bathing everything in its light.
It was a Friday evening in early December three years after they first met, and they had just finished decorating their Christmas tree for the season.
“Here, let me take Olivia from you.” She stepped over to the couch and reached down, taking the cooing three-month-old from Luke’s arms. She held her up so they were face to face, and she marveled at this beautiful being that was their flesh and blood. She had never imagined she could love someone as much as this baby. Her eyes searched Debbie’s, as if she was looking for something there. Finally, the corners of her lush little lips turned up, and her cheeks lifted up with a big toothless smile.
Debbie brought her closer and kissed her in the crook of her neck, breathing in her sweet baby scent. She sighed. It was inconceivable that only three years ago, it had felt like her whole world crashed around her and she had struggled beneath its weight. Meeting Luke ha
d changed everything, and she couldn’t imagine her life without him in it.
Three years ago, she made a decision that would change the course of the rest of her life. She decided not to go back to Boston after the Christmas holidays. Luke had come back to Boston with her to meet her parents and to support her as she broke the news to them.
Her father, being the easygoing one, didn’t kick up a fuss, but Debbie’s mother made her opinion clear. She eventually came to terms with what was happening, and even supported them in the end.
She remembered those first few months in Collingville fondly. She had stayed with her aunt for two months, and with the money she saved up from working at Luke’s hotel’s spa, she rented a small apartment close to the resort.
The following Christmas, Luke proposed to her, and it was a dream come true. Both their families supported them and couldn’t be happier. Debbie finally felt at peace. Theirs was an easy love – there was no pettiness, no silly misunderstandings, and they respected and loved each other deeply.
Their wedding took place at the resort, and all her family and friends made the drive to be there for them. It was magical, and everything she imagined. She wanted to pinch herself to make sure it was all real.
Nothing could prepare her for the moment she found out she was pregnant. She had been eager to start a family with Luke, and she couldn’t be happier.
She kept managing the spa during her pregnancy – she truly enjoyed her work, and it wasn’t particularly taxing physically.
Luke was a great father. He insisted on waking up early so he could give little Olivia her first feeding of the day using a bottle of pumped milk. This allowed Debbie to sleep in. Just a little, but it made all the difference.
She glanced at him now, and saw in his eyes all the love he had for them.
“What time are you leaving for work tomorrow?” she asked. The hotel was very busy and he often had to go in on Saturdays, but she didn’t complain. He tried to come home early so they could spend time together, and she saw how much he hated to leave them when he went off to work in the morning.
“I’ll stay for breakfast with you guys, and guess I’ll go in afterwards. So…after 9am.”
She sat down beside him with Olivia in her arms and snuggled into his arm. Olivia reached over and tried to grab his nose. Debbie laughed. “Stop it, baby!” she said playfully. Olivia cooed at her and snuggled into her shoulder.
“We’ll probably go visit Aunt Wendy sometime tomorrow,” she said.
“Sounds good.” He leaned over and gave her a kiss.
Aunt Wendy was still living in the chalet and still running the café. Debbie had no idea where she got all her energy. Whenever Debbie and Olivia visited, Wendy was right down there on the floor at Olivia’s level, playing with her and making her laugh.
“Are we still going to your parents’ place for dinner?” she asked. She got along exceptionally well with his parents, and she could see where he got his wonderful personality. They were both easy going and understanding people, without a judgmental bone in their bodies, and this made Debbie comfortable. She didn’t come from their background economically, but it didn’t make one bit of a difference to them.
“Yes, if you still want to.”
“Sure, why not? I haven’t been able to cook a proper meal in a while, so it’ll be nice to finally eat something really good,” she said enthusiastically.
“Ok, after I get home I’ll hang out with Olivia while you get ready, and we’ll head out for dinner when you’re done.”
He looked deep into her eyes.
“Have I told you lately how much I love you?”
She giggled and nudged him. “Only three times a day. You could be doing better, you know!”
“Well, I love you even more than I did the last time I told you. I mean it. My life would be miserable without the both of you in it.”
He cupped her cheek in his hand and sealed her lips with his.
Debbie almost couldn’t contain her joy. It seemed that every Christmas with Luke was better than the last.
“We love you too. We always will. Never forget that.”
She squeezed his hand and stood up to take Olivia to bed. At the bottom of the stairs she glanced back one more time and caught him watching them, a look of utter contentment on his face. She smiled and headed up the stairs.
STAYING IN TOUCH
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sylvia Blake loves writing feel good romances that warm the heart. She resides in Toronto, Canada, with her husband and two children.