by Celia Aaron
Tears spring to her eyes, and she kisses me again.
“I love you, too.” She presses her forehead to mine. “And I guess it is a Christmas Miracle, because I believe you. I want to be yours, too.”
I could yell from the top of the nearest mountain, but instead I claim her mouth right as the driver door opens.
“All done, you two. You can get on back to the house now.” He climbs in and sits down.
“It’s you. You’re Santa. You were Santa all along!” She has a touch of wonder in her voice.
He looks up at me. “Might want to get her home. The cold can do funny things, you know.”
“Oh, I know it’s you,” she says as I open the door and step down, then help her to the ground. Turning, she jumps up and down. “Did you see it? He just tapped the side of his nose! Just like Santa.”
“Thank you. For everything.” I step back and pull Lindsay with me.
“My pleasure.” He smiles.
I close the door and lead Lindsay back to the Jeep.
She’s practically vibrating with excitement. “It’s him, Crane! I swear it’s him.”
I lean over and kiss her once more. “I have no doubt.”
The red truck pulls away, and as Lindsay starts up the Jeep’s engine, I could swear I hear a “ho ho ho, Merry Christmas,” in the distance.
Epilogue
Crane
“Are you ready?” Henry preens in front of the mirror.
“If you ask me that one more time, I might snap.”
“Hey, everybody, hide the PA system!” Henry laughs.
I glare.
“Too soon?” He reaches over and brushes lint off my shoulder.
“Too soon.” I force my lips to stay still.
“You want to laugh.”
“No.”
“You do.”
“Not even a little bit.”
“What I wouldn’t give to have seen that whole meltdown.” Gable sits behind us and plays on his phone.
Henry grins. “It was pretty epic. I think everyone’s still scared of him.”
“That was a year ago, and can we not discuss this today, of all days?” I take a deep, calming breath.
“Sorry. Just trying to cut through all those nerves for you.” Henry straightens my tie for the tenth time.
“I’m not nervous.”
“You seem tense,” Gable offers, though he’s still tapping away on his phone.
“I’m fine.”
“I’m getting some tense vibes, is all I’m saying.”
“It’s probably just another pimple,” I clap back.
“Whoa, shots fired.” He finally looks up.
“It’s true.” Henry points.
“Double harsh.” Gable goes back to his phone.
“You’ve got this, big brother.”
“I’m only ever going to do this once, so I want to do it right. Lindsay deserves my best.”
“Psst.”
I turn toward the door leading out into the rustic church’s vestibule.
Henry hurries over and cracks the door. “What?”
“She wants to see him,” Grant whispers.
“She can’t. It’s bad luck.”
“I can. Move.” I push past Henry and into the hall. Has she changed her mind? Is she upset? A million terrible scenarios play through my mind as I hurry to her room. “Lindsay?” I knock.
Her mother opens the door. “Close your eyes.”
“What?”
“Close them, and don’t you dare open them!”
“All right.” I do as she asks.
She takes my hand and leads me into the room, then helps me sit on some sort of sofa.
“No funny business, you two.”
I can sense her leave, but I don’t open my eyes. “What was that about?”
“She says it’s bad luck for you to see me.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just …”
“What?”
“I need to tell you something.” The nerves in her voice put a knot in my stomach.
“All right.” I try to stay as calm as I can. I feel her right in front of me, hear the rustle of skirts, and then she’s straddling me. I instantly unwind. What can be wrong if my bride-to-be is on my lap?
“Remember when you took me to Iceland to visit Santaland?”
“Yes. Two months ago.”
“And we stayed in that cabin?”
“Yes. It was amazing. The Northern lights. You, naked.” I smile at the memory.
“Well, remember how we didn’t bring any protection?”
I still. “Yes.”
She leans close, her lips to my ear. “I’m pregnant.”
“What?” I half-yell.
She slaps her hand over my eyes. “Don’t look.”
“I wasn’t looking.” I was totally looking. “A baby?”
“Yes. Are you mad?”
“Mad?” I pull her tight to me despite the miles of fabric attached to her skirt. “I’m ecstatic.”
She squeals and removes her hand. “No peeking.”
“Never.” I can’t stop smiling, my grin impossibly big. But then I remember something else, “What about your show? Can you still—”
“I can monologue like nobody’s business with or without a baby bump. The show must go on.” Her lips brush mine, and I lean forward to claim them, but she moves back. The bratty little tease. She knows just what to do to get me in the palm of her hand.
“Your mom said no funny business.” I grip her hips. “Pull my cock out.”
“What if I don’t?”
I squeeze her tighter. “The I suppose I won’t look as I put you over my knee, yank your dress up, and redden your round ass.”
She squeals, then reaches between us and makes quick work of my pants. “My panties are—”
“Not a problem.” With a little adjustment and a slight wrestling match with the fabric of her dress, I move her panties to the side, and she slides down onto me, her body warm and perfect.
“Already wet for me, my sweet peach.” I keep my eyes clenched as she works me.
Before long, all my nerves are gone, and all I feel is her. I want to drown in this moment, in her, in our budding family.
I surge up inside her when she climaxes, and I grunt my release as I swallow her cries.
She’s a gift I never saw coming, but one that I desperately needed. When she stops moving, her body sated, I reach up and run my fingers along her throat, then kiss her again.
“I swear to you, Lindsay, my family will come first. You will come first. There is nothing in this world more important than you. I need you to know that.”
“I know.” She kisses me back, her hands mussing my hair. “Now go.” She climbs off me, and I groan. “I have to clean up and Mama’s going to flip when she sees my makeup. Go.” She leads me to the door, pecks me on the cheek, and shoves me into the hall.
I open my eyes when the door shuts.
Her father is standing outside, a dark look on his face. I’m just glad he doesn’t have the shotgun in-hand today.
“Lionel.” I give him a nod of my head before going back to my room.
Henry smirks when I walk in. “You’ve got lipstick all over you. You and Linsday been getting up to some—”
“Lalala.” Gable puts his hands to his ears. “Not listening.”
Henry grabs some tissues and hands them to me. I wipe my face clean and fix my hair, smiling the whole time and giving thanks to Santa, the universe, or whoever is out there, for the love in my life and the start of my family.
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