I'll Be Home for Christmas

by Lori Wilde

She found the girl first. The figurine Derrick had said was she. The figurine girl’s hand was broken off from her brother’s.

  Severed.

  The snow globe brother and sister holding hands no more. Their connection forever severed, just as hers had been from Derrick.

  Gabi collapsed on the floor, sobbing for all she was worth. For the brother she’d lost so long ago, the brother who had defined her very existence.

  He was gone.

  And she? In that awful, cathartic moment, Gabi knew the truth.

  She was finally free.

  CHAPTER 29

  The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather than in its value.

  —Charles Dudley Warner

  Flying on New Year’s Eve was a bad idea. The airport was crowded with revelers on their way to parties, but Gabi couldn’t wait any longer. She’d done what she had to do to wrap up her life in LA. She’d made peace with her parents, broke her lease on the condo, researched mediator training in Texas, and signed up for credentialing courses. She said good-bye to her friends, sold her BMW, and paid movers to pack up her things and send them to Texas.

  She was in all the way. No turning back. If Joe’s feelings had changed, she was still committed to the move. She loved Twilight and all the friends she had there. But she was banking on everything she had inside her that Joe still cared about her. And while he’d never come right out and said the words, he’d shown her in a hundred ways how much he loved her.

  But even though she was certain in her decision, turmoil churned her mind. What would Joe say when she showed up on his doorstep to tell him what she’d been so afraid to say before.

  I want you. I need you. I love you.

  The breaking of the snow globe had shattered her perception. What she’d seen before as her obligation to fulfill the needs of others was nothing more than her own need to be seen for who she truly was. Not a child born to save another sibling’s life, but a woman in her own right.

  But she was the one who’d been blind. Through visiting Twilight, meeting Joe, and seeing herself through his loving eyes, Gabi had come to realize who she truly was—and that no matter where she went or whom she was with—her snow globe moment was always now.

  And she wasn’t wasting one more second of her life without Joe in it.

  Her parents drove her to the airport.

  “Go get him, sweetheart,” her mother had said. “Any man who has the courage to read me the riot act for how I raised my daughter is a keeper.”

  The scary thing was, she hadn’t spoken to Joe. She wanted to surprise him. But what if he’d changed his mind? What if he’d bought into her doubts and formed a few of his own while she’d been gone? But if she’d learned anything from her house swap, risks were worth taking.

  Joe was worth the risk.

  As she got off the plane in DFW, she turned left to head for baggage claim and saw that a plane to LAX was boarding out of the next gate. She walked past the long line of flyers, and from the corner of her eye spied blue flannel.

  She stopped dead in her tracks and did a double take. No. It couldn’t be.

  But it was.

  Joe was just handing his ticket to the gate agent, and he was about to walk up the Jetway.

  “Joe!” she shouted, and waved her arms frantically like a heroine in some romantic movie. “Joe, it’s me!”

  He turned his head. Chocolate brown eyes met hers. A heart-stopping smile cut a dimple in his cheek.

  “Trouble,” he said in the sexiest voice on earth. “It’s you.”

  He stepped out of line, set down his bag, and held his arms open wide.

  She flew into them.

  He caught her under the arms and spun her around, laughing a hearty laugh that warmed her to her toes.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Coming to see you,” they said in unison.

  “But it’s New Year’s Eve,” she said. “What about your family? Why aren’t you celebrating with them?”

  “You forget, I’m from Twilight where romance is king. My family understands that when you’re talking about your one true love, everything else takes a backseat.”

  “I … I’m … your one true love?”

  “Yep. I slept with one of those kismet cookies you baked with Casey under my pillow on Christmas Eve and I dreamed of our wedding. So it’s a done deal. In Twilight, legend rules. We’re soul mates. Deal with it.” He laughed.

  She hugged him tight because it felt so good to touch him. “What about Casey? Where is she?”

  “Katie took her to see her mother, and Tatum is doing amazing work. I think she’s really going to make it.”

  “That’s wonderful.”

  “C’mon over here,” he said, guiding her toward the chairs. “And let’s sit down. What changed your mind? Why did you come back?”

  She told him about the broken snow globe and how it had been the apex of her epiphany.

  “I’m sorry it was broken,” he said softly. “I know that globe was a symbol of your brother’s love.”

  “Yes,” Gabi said. “But that was also what was holding me back. My identity was so wrapped up in Derrick, I couldn’t see beyond it.”

  “And now you can?”

  “I’m here, aren’t I?” She burrowed against him and he gave her a long, deep kiss that curled her toes and made her blush.

  “Last call for Flight 6543 to LAX,” the gate agent stepped over to tell Joe.

  “Close the doors,” he said. “I’m staying right here.”

  “That’s what I thought.” The gate agent smiled. “I just had to check.”

  And there, in front of everyone, Joe kissed her long and hard and passionately, affirming everything she knew to be true. They were meant to be together.

  When the area had cleared out, Joe moved to kneel in front of his bag. “The gift I ordered you for Christmas finally showed up today and I took it as a sign I was supposed to come to LA and give it to you and spend the night ringing in the new year.”

  He settled a package wrapped with white foil and topped with a red ribbon into her lap. “Open it.”

  Feeling like a queen, Gabi gazed down at him. “Casey style?”

  “Go gently,” he said. “It’s fragile.”

  She untied the ribbon, felt it slide silkily between her fingers.

  Joe shifted on his knees and cleared his throat, an uncertain smile edging up the corners of his mouth. He cocked his head, looked into her eyes, and …

  … hiccupped.

  “You’re nervous,” she whispered, both incredulous and pleased, and any stubborn layers of uncertainty she might have had dissolved completely.

  He pressed his lips together. Nodded.

  “Watch it,” she said. “Or I’ll have to kiss you.”

  He hiccupped again, intentionally this time.

  “Remember,” she warned. “You asked for it.”

  Gabi set the package to one side, leaned forward, cupped his face between her palms, and softly kissed his lips hot as Christmas cider. Joe’s eyes shuttered closed and he didn’t twitch a muscle, just absorbed her kiss.

  When she pulled back, his eyelids slowly raised and he peered into her as if he could see her soul and murmured, “Kissed by an angel.”

  “You’re a romantic dog, Joe Cheek,” she said.

  “And you love that about me, Trouble.” He winked.

  Oh mess, she loved everything about him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again for good measure.

  “If we could bottle this hiccup cure, we could make a fortune,” he said.

  “I’ve already found my fortune.” She traced her fingers over his jaw. “How about you?”

  “Open the package.”

  Her heart fluttered at the look in his eyes. What was in the box? She unwrapped it slowly, savoring every moment. When the paper finally fell away, she saw …

  A snow globe.

&nb
sp; “You bought this before you ever knew my snow globe was broken,” she whispered, incredulous.

  “Not just bought, babe, I had this commissioned.”

  “You are amazing,” she said, and eased it out of the box.

  She cradled the snow globe music box in her hand, stared into it, at a Christmas wedding scene. The bride and groom were holding hands at the altar and gazing deeply into each other’s eyes.

  An instant smile claimed her face and she turned the key at the bottom of the snow globe. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” chimed in a tinny music box tinkle, and the frozen block of fear buried deep inside her for longer than she could remember thawed.

  And in the empty space that melting made, an unshakable peace took its place.

  “I’ll be home for every Christmas in Twilight from now on,” Joe said, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m praying you’ll be there with me.”

  “I want that more than anything in the world.” Her voice was as wobbly as his.

  “That’s us,” he said, nodding at the snow globe bride and groom. “You and me. If you want it to be.”

  “Oh, Joe …” She cupped the snow globe to her chest, and tears slipped down her cheeks, a shower of happiness, and any last remnants of fear and insecurity dropped away. “What are you saying?”

  He was on one knee now and in his palm was a small black ring box. He thumbed it open, revealed a stunning marquise-cut two-carat diamond. “Gabrielle Preston, will you marry me?”

  Her entire body trembled with joy. She met his dear eyes, the eyes of her beloved. “Are you sure, Joe? This is the ultimate commitment.”

  “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.” His voice was strong, and staunch. “Marry me, Gabi, and let’s build a life together. A life where you get everything you want and need and I get the honor of being with the most incredible woman on the face of the earth. You ground me, Trouble. You make me want to be a better man. You’re what I’ve spent my life searching for. I’ve roamed the world and there’s nothing better than what I’ve found in your arms.”

  “Joe,” she whispered. “Joe, I do love you so much.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  “Yes!” She laughed because marrying him was what she wanted more than anything in the world. Marrying her true love and living in Twilight. No one could ask for a richer life than that. “Yes, yes, yes.”

  EPILOGUE

  Journeys end in lovers’ meeting.

  —William Shakespeare

  Two years later

  It was Christmas Eve in Twilight again and the Cheeks were celebrating. Not just the holiday, but also a gender reveal party. The guests were voting hot and heavy, filling out blue versus pink cards. The folks who cast the winning votes got a Christmas ornament.

  The proud papa-to-be, who was wearing a beautiful hand-knitted Christmas sweater in a sea of ugly Christmas sweaters, passed out special scratch-off lottery cards made just for the occasion. When scratched off, all but one of the cards had a question mark on it. The remaining card revealed the gender, and whoever got that card had the privilege of announcing the baby’s sex.

  “Don’t scratch it off yet,” Joe said, with each card he passed out. “Wait for my signal.”

  Once every guest assembled had a lottery card and a glass of sparkling cider, Joe went to stand beside his bride, who was seated on the living room couch, her folded hands resting across her belly.

  “You ready to find out if our little one is going to be a boy or girl?” Joe bent to ask her. Only his mother, who’d been the one to have the lottery cards made, knew the sex of the baby.

  “Absolutely.” Gabi’s eyes met his. “I can’t wait to start decorating our baby’s room. It’s the last room in the farmhouse to renovate.”

  “Speech, speech!” someone called out.

  Joe straightened, looked around at his family and friends, the people he loved most in the world. The room was packed. He was such a lucky man and he knew it. Coming home to take over the Christmas tree farm was the best thing he’d ever done. His heart was so full, it ached.

  Clearing his throat, Joe said, “I can’t believe all the changes we’ve been through this year.” He turned to his grandfather, who was standing with the aid of a walker. “Gramps, you got rid of that wheelchair, and made the move to assisted living. I heard through the grapevine you’ve got several women chasing after you.”

  “This puppy”—Gramps patted the walker—“is a chick magnet.”

  Laughter rolled through the crowd.

  “Tatum.” He shifted his attention to his ex-wife. “You’ve never looked better … or happier. Sobriety suits you.”

  Tatum, who was there with a man she’d met in AA, held up a coin. “Just got my two-year chip and I couldn’t have done it without all of you. And because of you, I know I can stick with this for the rest of my life.”

  The room broke out in applause.

  Tatum grinned and shyly leaned her head on her date’s shoulder. The man was looking at her as if she was the best thing that ever happened to him.

  “To Mac and Coco, who are pregnant again.” Joe raised his glass to his brother and his brother’s wife, who was holding their wide-eyed daughter, Mia, who brightly declared, “Da!” and reached for her father.

  “Aw,” the crowd oohed.

  “To Casey, who got to skip a grade in school because she’s just so darn smart. Daddy loves you.”

  Casey curtsied like a leading Broadway actress taking a bow.

  Several people gave her a thumbs-up.

  “To all of you who came to help us celebrate. You’ve made our lives richer in countless ways.”

  More than a few women dabbed at their eyes.

  “To Felicity and Gilbert, the most interesting in-laws in the world. Thank you for making the trip to Texas.”

  “We wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” Gilbert said.

  “And last, but never ever least.” Joe turned back to Gabi. “To my beautiful, extraordinary wife, who not only planned a wedding, got her certificate in mediation, and started her own business, but also spent the last two years learning about Christmas tree farming and impending motherhood …” He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was looking at him as if he was the most important person on earth and he felt the same about her. “Thank you for changing my life in ways I never imagined. You are my sun, moon, and stars and I intend on spending the rest of my life showing you just how much you mean to me.”

  The room erupted in applause, laughter, tears, oohs and aahs.

  “A toast to the wondrous miracle of life.” Joe drank from his glass and the crowd joined in with shouts of “Hear, hear,” and “Amen,” and “You got that right.”

  “Now,” Joe said, sinking onto the vacant spot on the couch next to Gabi. “Scratch off those cards.”

  He wrapped his arm around her, held her close as they both held their breaths as around them people made noises of disappointment when they got a?.

  Then Casey’s voice rang out, as she waved the card over her head. “It’s a boy! Dad, Gabi, it’s a boy. I’m gonna have a baby brother!”

  Everyone applauded wildly. There was handshaking and backslapping as people pulled Joe and Gabi up off the couch and surrounded them. Advice was offered. Jokes were told. Laughter and conversation were shared. And through it all, Joe kept thinking, It’s a boy. We’re going to have a son.

  He kept his arm draped around Gabi and didn’t leave her side for a second. It took an hour before he was able to maneuver her away from their company and into the spare bedroom.

  “I had to get you alone,” he said, dropping kisses on her lips. “To tell you how proud I am of you. How honored that you’re having my baby.”

  “A boy,” Gabi said in a dreamy voice. “I can’t wait to see him working the Christmas trees with you.”

  “And I can’t wait to see you teach him how to gather eggs.”

  They grinned at each other, their hearts on fire with deep, abidi
ng love.

  “I’ve been thinking of names,” Joe said. “And I’ve got one picked out.”

  “Me too.”

  “Let’s say it at the same time,” Joe proposed. “Ready? One, two, three, go—”

  “Joseph,” Gabi blurted at the same time Joe said, “Derrick.”

  “You want to name him after my brother?” Tears misted her eyes.

  “You want to name him after me?” Joe asked past the lump in his throat.

  “Joseph Derrick,” Gabi said rolling the name around on her tongue. “We could nickname him J.D.”

  “Or Trouble Too.”

  “Is that T-W-O or T-O-O?”

  “Either works.”

  “I love you, Mr. Cheek.” She went up on tiptoes to kiss him.

  “And I love you, Mrs. Cheek.”

  “I thought last year when we got married was the best Christmas ever,” Gabi said, “but this one tops them all.”

  “Next year will be better still, and the year after that and the year after that …”

  “Whoever thought I’d be living a fairy-tale life?”

  “Me,” he said firmly. “From the moment we met, I knew you were the one.”

  “I did too,” she said. “I was just too scared to admit it.”

  Joe laid a hand on her belly and they stared into each other’s eyes, enchanted by the power of love and the life they had created together.

  They stood in the circle of each other’s arms, iridescent in their hot. jubilant joy, the sweet sound of her voice and the pumping of his committed heart, mingling in a beautiful song of Christmas love.

  Have you fallen in love with the town of

  Twilight, Texas?

  Don’t miss the other books in

  New York Times bestselling author

  Lori Wilde’s fabulous series!

  Read on to discover how the other couples of Twilight, Texas, found love!

  The Sweethearts’ Knitting Club

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