Chapter 37
LILY
“I have something for you,” Gabe whispered as we sat on the living room couch. I had been listening to Marnie tell a story about a fortune teller she’d visited last month, and as interesting as that was, Gabe had my full attention now.
I angled my body toward him, taking in the faint scent of his cologne. “I have something for you, too,” I admitted, and surprise flickered across his face. Did he really think he’d spend a Christmas with me and not get a present?
His expression softened, and he reached for my hand. I’d grown to love the way he ran his thumb over my knuckles. It had a way of calming and grounding me to the present moment.
“And don’t say that I didn’t have to get you anything,” I said before he could get a word in. “I wanted to.”
Gabe let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. “I know better than to stand in the way of you and something you want.”
“Smart man,” I teased. I thought about where we could go to exchange our gifts. This moment was for us. “C’mon, I know just the spot. It might be a little chilly, but it’ll be worth it.”
I loved the view from my parents’ backyard in the winter.
The rest of my family preferred being out here during the other seasons, especially summer, but there was something breathtaking about seeing the line of snow-covered trees and frozen Lake Golden with a backdrop of stars sparkling in the night sky.
Even after years of living here—and countless winters—it was mesmerizing.
While Gabe was still inside, I turned the knob on the outdoor gas fire table. My parents had both the gas fire table, which my dad prepared so we could still use it in the winter, and a traditional wood-burning fire pit.
Within moments of the soft click and pressing the igniter, the flames came to life, casting a golden light. The warmth reached me instantly.
I pulled off the covering that protected the couch from the snow and sat on the cushion, pulling the blanket over me as I waited.
“You look cozy already,” a low, familiar voice sounded behind me.
I turned toward him with a smile. “Doesn’t take me long once I find a comfy spot.”
His full, gorgeous lips spread into a smile—one that I was seeing more often. Gabe finished walking down the wooden steps and unbuttoned his coat before sitting on the couch next to me. I moved some of the blanket over his lap and scooted closer.
The warmth from the fire was comforting, but the fire and Gabe’s presence? That was something else.
“Is this the house you grew up in?”
I nodded. “It is. When my parents first got married they lived in the house Wes and Jules are currently in. Once they decided to start a family, they moved in here and haven’t left.”
“I don’t blame them. I’d likely spend all day out here with this view, especially if this fire is involved.”
“I feel the same way. I love it. I enjoy living downtown, and it works perfectly to be above the café, but I’d love to get a house that’s a little more tucked away one day and have a view of my own.”
When the conversation stilled, we sat in the comfortable silence, listening to the deep, echoing calls from an owl and the soft rustling of the tree branches.
Gabe peeled back one side of his coat, reaching into a pocket and pulling out a red envelope with Lily written on it. “Merry Christmas, Lily. Thank you for making this a day I’ll never forget.”
My chest squeezed from his simple words, and a quiet pride stirred inside me, because that was exactly what I’d set out to do.
I took the envelope from him and opened it, pulling a card out.
It was a watercolor drawing of three cats sitting on the snow, and above them in cursive it read Have a Meowvelous Christmas.
I let out a laugh, holding the card up to him. “This is absolutely adorable.”
“I had a feeling you’d like it.”
As amusing as the outside of the card was, the message written inside was what captured my attention.
Lily,
As I’ve mentioned to you, the holidays haven’t been anything special to me. I expected this year to be the same.
I should’ve known from the moment I saw the fire in your eyes that I’d be wrong. You are constantly putting those around you first, and I’m grateful for all you’ve done for me during my time in Golden Falls.
But it’s time you do something for yourself.
Merry Christmas, Sunshine.
- Gabe
There was a folded up piece of paper in the card, but I couldn’t look at it yet.
There was one part of his message that I was stuck on: during my time in Golden Falls.
It sounded like he was leaving. Which, yes, I knew he would eventually, but was he leaving soon?
We hadn’t heard the fate of the building or completed the list… he couldn’t leave yet.
I looked up at him, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Are—are you leaving? The list…we haven’t…” I stopped myself, not wanting him to hear the ache in my voice.
Gabe watched me carefully. He took a moment to respond, but when he did, he said, “Eventually, I am. But we haven’t finished our list yet, and we still need to hear Hal’s decision. That’s…that was the plan all along, right?”
I nodded slowly. I knew Gabe was right. We had both agreed to try to complete the list as quickly as possible. But…so much had changed since then. We’d opened up to each other. We’d formed a genuine connection, one I hadn’t ever felt before with someone.
“But not, like, soon, right?” I at least had to clarify that.
“No, I don’t have a date in mind. I haven’t heard anything from Hal, either. I bet eventually he’ll want his house back to himself.” He tipped his chin toward the folded paper in the card. “Go ahead and open it. I expected you to be more curious.”
I let out a shaky laugh, trying to hold in the emotion that was clawing at my throat and behind my eyes. I didn’t expect to get so choked up, and I still wasn’t quite sure why seeing those words written out had such an impact on me.
I set the card on my lap and unfolded the paper, a gasp leaving me. “Gabe.” I looked at him with wide eyes. “I can’t accept this.”
“And why not?”
“Because…because,” I stammered, looking down at the paper again.
It was a gift certificate for a full year of the virtual baking classes I’d been eying, with the opportunity to drive down and participate in the classes in-person, too.
Once I signed up for these classes, it would be another item checked off my list, leaving the visit to Milwaukee and seeing a shooting star left.
“Because?” Gabe asked. He reached over, gently tipping my chin up to meet his eyes. “You deserve this, Lily. You’ve been wanting to do this, and I know you would’ve gotten around to it on your own, but this way, you can jump in without having to worry when to start.”
My chest squeezed again at how much care and thought he’d put into this. And money. Because I knew how much these classes cost, and when I’d been considering signing up, I was only going to do a month or two. Gabe had purchased me a whole year.
Yes, this was an item on my list, but it was so much more than that coming from Gabe.
While I’d been shocked initially, excitement started to course through me at the possibilities—what I’d learn to make, the feedback I’d get, how this would improve Purrfect Blend’s offerings.
How this could potentially lead to me opening another location.
All of this seemed much more within reach—thanks to Gabe’s support.
“I can’t thank you enough, Gabe. This…this means the world to me.” Tears stung my eyes, and I knew they’d fall if I looked at him too long, so I leaned over, wrapping my arms around him in an embrace and nuzzling my face into his neck. “Thank you.”
He wrapped his arms around me in return and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “It’s my pleasure, Sunshine.”
I would’ve stayed in his arms longer, but I had to give him his gift.
As excited as I was, I was also incredibly nervous.
So nervous that as I pulled away from the embrace and reached for the gift bag, I couldn’t meet his eyes.
Was the gift too much? Was it not enough?
What if he hated it? What if it brought about emotions that he didn’t want to be feeling?
Gabe took the bag from me and carefully reached in. He pulled out the rectangular shape and began unwrapping it. His hand stilled once he’d pulled away enough wrapping paper to put the pieces together of what this might be—a photo scrapbook.
“When in the world did you have time to make this?” he asked, awe in his voice as he flipped through the first few pages.
“Well, I’ve had a few days off,” I said with a laugh.
It was hard for me to sit still, even on days when I knew I needed the rest. Taking the time off was a big step for me, but I had to keep busy somehow.
“Lily, this is…” He trailed off, shaking his head.
While Gabe might not have been around in Golden Falls growing up, I wanted him to have a piece of town and his family when he left.
I also wanted to show him how much Vera and Hal adored him and kept up with his accomplishments throughout the years.
I’d conspired with Hal this past week after telling him my idea.
Hal was good about displaying photos in his home and at the hardware store, but there were still hundreds of photos in storage.
This was a perfect way to put them to good use.
There were photos of Hal and Vera together, the two of them with a young Gabe, and pictures of Gabe throughout the years that Hal kept. I’d also added a few more recent photos, including some from the Christmas festival and our time at the café.
But my favorite photo—well, apart from the adorable photos of Gabe when he was younger—was a selfie we took last night with the festival in the backdrop.
I ended up taking the photo too early, catching Gabe mid-laugh.
I couldn’t remember what I’d said to him, only that it was something I said that had made him laugh like that.
I had to add the photo into the scrapbook.