Chapter 21
TWENTY-ONE
Confident that Ana’s stocking would keep her busy for a little while, Gabriela and Broxen shared a shower during which the biggest frustration wasn’t from a lack of space or hot water but because they knew they needed to keep their hands—and tail—to themselves.
Fifteen minutes was reasonable for a shower.
Much longer than that, and Ana was likely to be pounding on the bedroom door again, demanding they come out before they missed Christmas.
Once they were dressed and their hair was brushed—and after Broxen had pulled Gabby in for a deep, passionate kiss that left her reeling—they finally emerged from the bedroom.
“Mom!” Ana shouted, darting from the living room into the hallway like she had a jet engine strapped to her back. Her eyes were bright with excitement, and her smile was huge. She grabbed Gabriela’s hand. “Come look!”
Gabby’s heart melted, and the worries she’d harbored about this day vanished entirely. She’d feared Ana would wake only to disappointment.
She glanced back at Broxen for a moment as she let her daughter drag her into the living room. When she turned her face forward, her heart stuttered, and she froze. Ana released her hand.
Ana’s stocking was on the coffee table, its contents scattered around it, and Gabriela knew from a glance that there was much more there than she’d bought. She didn’t recognize several of the items; she couldn’t have afforded all of it.
But that was only the start. Because under the tree, there wasn’t the single wrapped gift Gabriela had bought with the last of her money—there were dozens of presents wrapped in red wrapping paper with white reindeer and snowflake patterns on it.
They were all in that paper except for the one gift from Gabby, and they all looked like they’d been packaged by someone who had no idea what they were doing.
Each gift was decorated with a brightly colored bow, none of which matched the wrapping paper.
A couple of the presents even had holes in the wrapping that had been haphazardly covered by tape.
The air fled Gabby’s lungs in a rush. Tears flooded her eyes, making the Christmas tree’s lights look especially bright and sparkly. She looked at Broxen, who’d come to stand beside her.
“You did this?” she asked quietly. “This…this is why you were gone so long the other day?”
His smile was soft, but it was also heartfelt and passionate as he bent close to her. “I wanted my mate and kit to have everything.”
She laughed, and the tears fell down her cheeks.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “But you’ve already given me everything I could ask for just by being part of our lives.
You are all we wanted—all we needed.” Drawing back, she met his gaze.
“Thank you. Thank you for making Ana’s Christmas wonderful. ”
“Con mucho gusto.” Broxen lifted a hand to tuck a few loose strands of Gabriela’s hair behind her ear, the backs of his fingers gently brushing across her cheek to wipe away her tears. “I love you, Gabriela.”
Gabby pulled her lips into her mouth and tried to stem the flow of tears. This was a happy moment. She wouldn’t let tears ruin it—not even happy tears. “I love you, too.”
Broxen and Gabriela rocked slightly on their feet as Ana threw her arms around them from the side, squeezing them tight. “I love you both, too,” she said, peeking up at them. “Can we open presents now?”
Gabriela laughed and reached down to hug her daughter, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Yeah. You can open presents now.”
Ana squealed and pulled away, running toward the mountain of gifts.
Gabriela and Broxen sat on the couch, his tail curled around her waist and his arm around her shoulders, as Ana tore open one present after another. Every gift was met with wide-eyed delight from Ana—and disbelief from Gabby, who kept looking at Broxen.
There were games—both video and board—dolls, stuffed animals, seemingly every product ever made with a unicorn on it, and a stockpile of sketchbooks, stickers, and art supplies.
But there was also clothing. Shirts, pants, pajamas, dresses, hoodies, enough to pack Ana’s dresser full, and three new pairs of shoes.
Ana loved every bit of it, hugging every single gift while thanking Broxen and Gabby.
No one could ever have considered Ana a spoiled child, but Broxen sure seemed keen on changing that today.
“Mom,” Ana said, pushing a pile of gifts toward Gabriela. “These are for you.”
“What?” Gabby’s brow furrowed. She glanced at the gifts before turning her eyes toward Broxen. “But I…I didn’t get you…”
“You have given me everything, female,” Broxen said, running his hand up and down her arm. “Open them.”
Excitement filled Gabriela as Ana placed a wrapped box in her lap. Other than the sweet little homemade gifts Ana had given her over the years and gift cards sent from her parents, she couldn’t remember opening a present like this since she was a kid.
She tore open the wrapping and lifted the lid of the box within. Her eyes widened. There were several articles of clothing inside, but not just any kind of clothing—these were the satiny, revealing sort of clothes typically reserved for use in bedrooms during intimate moments.
Ana giggled and lifted a pair of lacy teal panties out of the box. “Preeeetty.”
Gabriela snatched the underwear away from her daughter and stuffed it back in the box, her cheeks turning red. “These, mija, are not for you.” She replaced the lid and set the box aside, giving Broxen what she hoped was a pointed but playful glare.
With a mischievous grin and fire in his eyes, he rumbled, “They’re for me.”
Now it wasn’t only Gabby’s cheeks that were warm. Fortunately, Ana had returned to the presents. The tip of Broxen’s tail brushed over Gabriela’s upper thigh as she and her daughter opened the remaining gifts.
Most of Gabriela’s gifts were clothes—not just lingerie, though there was a little more of it, but real clothes.
Blouses and slacks, t-shirts and jeans, dresses, pajamas, shoes, and even a stylish new coat.
She didn’t know if it would all fit, didn’t know if any of it would fit, but she didn’t care.
Because he’d bought it all for her. He’d thought about her, he’d done what so many men seemed unwilling to do, and he’d braved clothing stores to get her gifts.
Not just what he must’ve thought she’d look sexy in, but what he thought she’d be comfortable in.
There were also candles, a few boxes of gourmet chocolate, and a DVD of Gabriela’s favorite movie, The Terminator.
Had that been why he’d written it in that paper in his room?
But there was something else in one of the boxes, something that brought fresh tears to her eyes.
A nativity set.
She’d told him about the one she’d lost in the fire, the one that her mother had given her. Now, he’d given her a new one to cherish.
Gabriela turned and pressed a lingering kiss to Broxen’s cheek. “Thank you.”
When all the gifts were opened, a huge pile of crumpled wrapping paper and bows had accumulated on one side of the room.
Ana lay on the floor in front of the fireplace, playing with some of her new toys, and Gabriela sat tucked against Broxen on the couch with her head resting on his shoulder.
He had an arm wrapped around her, holding her close, and his tail lazily flicked back and forth over the top of her thigh.
Gabriela looked around—at the mess, at the gifts Broxen had bought for her and her daughter, at the crooked tree and its lovely, mismatched decorations, at the low-burning fire and the two stockings still hung on the mantle.
Even without the gifts, this had already been the best Christmas she could recall.
“You really didn’t have to do all this, Broxen,” she said, finally looking at him. “Thank you so much. For everything. You took us from disaster to…to paradise in a few days.”
He chuckled. “Don’t think anyone could call this place paradise. But with you two…I think it is. There’s one more thing, though.”
Gabby lifted her head. Her lips trembled as though unable to decide whether they wanted to smile or frown. “You don’t need to give us more, really.”
Keeping that gentle smile of his in place, he disentangled himself from her, withdrawing his arm and tail, and pushed himself to his feet.
He walked to the fireplace, carefully stepping over Ana’s things that were strewn across the floor.
He reached forward and plucked Gabriela’s stocking—the simple red and white one—off its hook.
“You didn’t check your stocking,” he said as he returned to her.
“Oh, Mom! Did Santa get you something?” Ana hopped to her feet and scurried over to sit beside Gabriela on the couch.
Broxen stopped in front of them and dipped his hand into the stocking.
Gabby turned her gaze up to him with a crease forming between her brows.
Her heart sped just a little, and her stomach fluttered; it must’ve had something to do with the way he was looking down at her. What was he doing? What was this?
As Broxen withdrew his hand from the stocking, he sank onto one knee. His hand emerged holding a jewelry box that looked so tiny in his big fingers. His tongue slipped out to wet his lips. Draping the stocking over his thigh, he took hold of the box’s lid and pried it open.
There was a necklace inside—a silver unicorn with a mane of glimmering stones, wrapped around a larger pink teardrop gemstone. Broxen held it out to Ana. “Ana…will you be my daughter?”
Ana looked from the necklace to Broxen, eyes rounding and shimmering with tears as her features crumpled. She nodded and threw her arms around his neck, squeezing him tight. “Santa really did grant me my Christmas wish. I love you.”
Broxen’s arms engulfed her in an embrace, one of his big hands cupping her head.
Gabriela covered her mouth with a hand and met his gaze, recognizing his love and affection for Ana in his eyes. She knew that her daughter could want for a no better father.
Ana turned her head, kissed his cheek, and drew back wearing a big smile. Broxen released her.
“My dad,” she said.
He grinned as he removed the necklace from the box and carefully wrapped it around Ana’s neck. His thick fingers fumbled with the delicate clasp for a few seconds before finally getting it closed. When it was in place, he looked up at her. “My daughter.”
Gabriela’s chest constricted.
“This is the best Christmas ever,” Ana said, pecking another kiss on Gabby’s cheek before stepped away and lifting the unicorn pendant off her chest to stare at it in wonder.
A gentle touch on Gabriela’s leg drew her attention back to Broxen. His tail stroked her thigh before trailing down to wrap around her ankle.
“I’m not done yet, female,” he said. He slipped his hand into the stocking again, keeping his eyes locked with Gabriela’s all the while. Drawing in a slow, deep breath, he took out another jewelry box, this one slightly larger than the first.
“Broxen,” Gabby breathed.
Broxen set the stocking on the floor, rested the little box on his palm, and took delicate hold of the lid. “Gabriela, my mate”—he slowly lifted the lid—“you are mine in all ways but this. Will you be my wife?”
The ring, tucked in its dark velvety cushion, had an elegant white gold band with tiny diamonds inlaid upon it and a single, larger diamond at the center that sparkled brilliantly.
Gabriela looked up at Broxen, grinned, and threw herself at him. He caught her, but her momentum carried them both to the floor atop the pile of wrapping paper and bows. His arms banded around her, holding her on top of him.
With a laugh, she lowered her lips to his ear. “You were in my butt. Of course I’m saying yes!”
Broxen’s laughter was deep and rolling, thrumming into Gabriela through her chest. “Every way, female. I needed you to be mine in every way.”
“Guuuuuys,” Ana whined. “No tongue sucking!”
“Look away, Ana,” Gabriela said with a chuckle. She brushed the long strands of hair from Broxen’s face, tucking them behind his horns, and caressed his cheek. Her heart was overflowing with love. Lowering her head, she pressed her lips to his. “Merry Christmas, Broxen, my mate and husband-to-be.”
He hummed, his violet eyes aglow, and turned his head to kiss her palm. “Merry Christmas, Gabriela, my everything.”