Chapter 36
CHAPTER 36
LEIF
E very year, everyone in our community pitched in to help throw a huge Christmas party. It was a party where anyone was welcome and there was plenty of food, drink, and cheer to go around. They had rented a whole public clubhouse for the occasion this year, and as we walked in, I was amazed to see how bougie the event had become.
There were tons of people everywhere, the whole neighborhood seemingly in attendance with all of their families and friends who had flown in for the holidays. Christmas lights had been strung up around pillars and the beams in the roof, and lit Christmas ornaments decorated the spaces against the wall, reindeer and sleighs, Santa and the elves. It was all there.
A huge band played familiar holiday hits onstage and a Christmas tree had been put up in the corner, so tall that the star grazed against the ceiling. Mountains of gifts for kids, both local and underprivileged, occupied the space underneath it. The kids in attendance eyed the loot in wonder. The remainder of the presents were community donations that would be handed out tomorrow.
All of the holiday vibes had been wrapped up into this one party, and I loved it.
It had been a long time since I’d attended one of these. After I’d left for college, I’d mostly chosen to spend Christmas either on campus or with friends, and then Jack and I had started our firm, so neither of us had made it back to Austin in time for the party most years.
Even when I had been in town, I’d always opted to skip it. Mostly so that I could avoid the woman on my arm tonight.
As I thought about it, I glanced down at her, once again overcome by an immense sense of relief that everything was back to the way it was meant to be. Walking into that coffee shop, I really hadn’t known if she would be able to look past the trauma of having been cheated on before and accept my explanation for what had really happened.
At the time, I’d forgotten just how intuitive, resilient, and genuine my girl really was, though. Those qualities were just a few of the reasons why everyone loved her, but she had never let pride stand in the way of seeing the truth. Nor had she ever allowed herself to be covered in bullshit and she definitely hadn’t let any of the bad stuff that had happened to her keep her from growing.
God, I love her.
She squeezed my arm, drawing my gaze back up to those glorious brown orbs of hers. “Why were you staring at me like that?”
“Because you’re incredible.” I pumped my eyebrows at her, smirking as I pulled her up short, using my grip on her to spin her into my arms. “I love you, Laurel Guntry. I don’t feel like I’ve said that enough today.”
“You definitely haven’t.” She smiled as she tipped her head back, looping her arms around my neck to kiss me.
I groaned, breaking the kiss so I didn’t drag her away from the party before we’d even greeted anyone. “It’s been too long and you look too good to tease me tonight.”
“I look too good?” She giggled, taking my hand and lifting it to do a little twirl for me. The red skirt of her dress flared out around her before she spun back into my chest. “In this old thing? Now, granted, I did buy it after Thanksgiving because I thought you might like it, but it is old. I found it in a thrift shop.”
I took her hands, stepping just far enough away to be able to rake my gaze over her again. “You look stunning. I think it’s safe to say that you are my Christmas miracle.”
The dress was cute, a white, fitted top with all sorts of colorful, Christmassy print on it and that full, red skirt, but it was the girl wearing it that made my heart beat faster. Her dark curls shone like the sun tonight, falling past her shoulders and framing her beautiful face.
On her feet, she wore hunter green boots that reached her knees, with no stockings or tights on underneath. As soon as I’d noticed it, I’d started fantasizing about how easy it would be to?—
“Leif?” She said my name with laughter in her voice and her eyes twinkled when I refocused on them. “Do you really like it that much?”
“I like you that much,” I said, pulling her back to me, but before I could kiss her again, Jack sauntered up to us with a massive grin on his face.
“Look at you two kids, all happy to be together again,” he said, grasping my shoulder in one hand and hers in the other. “Not for nothing, but I think Jackie or even Jax would be an excellent name for your first-born child. Both work for a boy or a girl, and it would be apt too, to name your offspring after the loving uncle who made sure Mommy and Daddy sorted out their differences.”
“Only after I asked you to keep trying Gemma.”
He winked at Laurel. “ Begged me is more like it. He was a wreck without you, Lulu. He would’ve driven me nuts if you hadn’t agreed to speak to him, so thanks. My sanity remains intact.”
She smiled. “Thanks for agreeing after he begged you.”
Jack grinned. “Do you understand now why I love you so much? You just know that when I speak, it’s pure, golden truth that comes out, baby.”
“Watch who you’re calling baby ,” I growled.
He laughed, rolling his eyes at me before he released us both and took a big step back. “Still so touchy. Hopefully, that will change once the baby is here.”
“What baby?” Laurel asked curiously, chuckling as she glanced between us. “I’m not pregnant. In case either of you were wondering.”
“Oh, I know,” Jack said, pumping his eyebrows at her. “I just spoke to Johnnie, though. He says Leif couldn’t stop talking about you the other night when he asked when I’d be getting some nieces or nephews. I figured I might as well start making my position clear on baby names.”
“Uh, thank you?” She laughed, waving at Gemma and Mariam when they walked in. “I should go say hi, but it was interesting to see you, Jack. We’ll certainly take that under advisement.”
He laughed and waggled his eyebrows, watching us as we turned and walked away. As we strode across the room, she glanced up at me. “What on earth did you tell Johnnie?”
“That we were back together, but that I didn’t know if it would stay that way. I didn’t say anything about knocking you up, though. We were talking about all of his nieces and nephews, and I told him Jack hadn’t made me an uncle yet.”
She chuckled. “Well, it looks like Jack wants to be made an uncle more than he wants to make you one.”
I winked at her. “Hey, I’m willing to try making him one if you are.”
“Let’s try to get through the party first, shall we?” She laughed, looping her fingers around my arm and holding on tight as we made our way to her friends.
All around us were the people we loved, our own families, our friends, and their families gathered together to celebrate the holidays as an extended family. I laughed as I saw Johnnie across the room, a baby in one arm while a little boy tried to climb all over him like he was a playground.
Another little boy kept swatting the first, dodging when his brother tried to get back at him. Meanwhile, Johnnie’s sisters were trying to keep three other kids from climbing on the wire-framed, lit-up reindeer while yet another kept trying to get to the gifts under the Christmas tree.
“Maybe we should wait until we’re ready to handle that .” I inclined my head toward the scene, and Laurel laughed, nodding her agreement.
I wondered what she thought about it, though, the idea of trying for a baby soon, but before I could ask, we’d met up with Gemma and Mariam and she released me to hug them, the girls as excited to see each other as ever. Laurel and Mariam quickly started whispering about something and Gemma came over to me.
“You survived the storm,” she said knowingly. “I’d drink to that if I had a drink.”
“Is that you hinting for me to get you one?”
She chuckled. “It might sound like that, but no. I was just saying. I’m really glad you two managed to work it out.”
“Thank you for getting us in a room together,” I said, truly meaning it. “I know it wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for you.”
“Laurel made her own decisions. I just did my part in stacking the deck before the chips fell.” She winked. “I was always rooting for you, Leif. I haven’t always been your greatest fan, but I knew you’d never cheat on her. You’ve always loved her way too much for that. Just do me a favor and don’t revert back to being the dickhead you were in high school when you pushed her away.”
“You have my word,” I promised. “I’m never doing that again. I love her, Gem. You got that part completely right.”
She grinned. “In that case, you can get me a drink.”
I laughed but excused myself from them to grab the girls a drink. Saying hi to people, I crossed the room toward the bar. All my old friends were here, as well as some old enemies—like Suzie, who glared at us like she knew who was responsible for the Thanksgiving TP incident. At least she had plenty of toilet paper to wipe that scowl off her face.
I averted my gaze, focusing instead on the people I actually did want to talk to. After grabbing some drinks, I took them over to the girls, then led them to the table where Johnnie was sitting with his sisters’ kids. I handed over the beer I’d gotten for him too.
As the night wore on, we caught up with all our friends, dancing intermittently and laughing. Toward the end of the evening when most of the older folks had left, Laurel took my hand and smiled. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course.”
“Then follow me. I’ve got something to tell you.”
My eyebrows arched, but I slid my fingers through hers and let her drag me out of the darkened hall, curious about what my good but naughty girl might have in store for me this time. And frankly, I could hardly freaking wait to find out.