Chapter 26
Four Months Later
“Where are we going?” I asked for the third time since he stole me away from the salon to take a ride. It was spring and the snow was melting around the tulips in the flowerbeds.
“I told you, it’s a surprise,” he said, his laughter evident in his voice.
“Okay,” I said, checking the clock on the dashboard, “but I have a color at six tonight.”
He laughed and shook his head. “Trust me, three hours is long enough for this surprise. I have a class at six too, but when we’re done it might be time for naked yoga.”
I nearly choked on my tongue because as much as we tease about naked yoga, we had never actually done it. Something told me he might not be kidding about it tonight. He turned left and I glanced at him. “This is my mom’s neighborhood.”
“Yup,” he said, pulling up in front of a house.
“And this is her house.”
“Yup,” he said again.
I pointed out the window at the sale pending sign. “She didn’t tell me there was someone interested in the house.”
He jumped down from the truck without answering and opened my door for me. “How odd. Maybe she hasn’t had time.”
He opened the gate of the chain-link fence and ushered me up the sidewalk. “I literally just talked to her this morning. Why are we here? Are we supposed to get something for her?”
He held out a bandana and wrapped it around my eyes, clipping it in the back. “It’s a surprise.”
“Ellis, seriously? I grew up here. Trust me, nothing is a surprise inside those doors.”
I heard the lock click and then he took my hand, guiding me through the door. It closed behind us and then the bandana disappeared. My eyes focused on a sign that said Welcome Home. The house was empty and I spun in a circle, stopping when I noticed pictures hanging on the wall in the living room. I walked toward them in a trance and gazed at them as tears rolled down my face.
My hand reached up to touch them but I couldn’t speak. He put his arm around my waist to hold me up and pointed at the pictures on the wall. “I thought the first memory we should put in our new house was the memory of our first Christmas together.”
The center image was him on his knee, his Santa coat hanging open and hope blossoming on his face. The rest of the pictures were also from that night, but I couldn’t tear my eyes from that one. His words sank in and I gasped.
“Our new house?” I asked, my voice barely audible.
He held my shoulders and looked at me from under his eyebrows. “If you want it. The sale is pending until you decide. I would never make a decision this big without asking you first. We’re partners in everything.”
“What about the apartment?” I asked. “It would just sit empty.”
“Remember that night I had to take Holly downstairs to use the bathroom?” I nodded and he sighed. “Well, it got me thinking that it’s not very practical to try and raise kids in a place where the bathroom is a full flight of stairs away.”
I laughed with joy. “You’re so right. I never even thought of it.”
“It’s a place for single people and I happen to know one. He’s tired of living with a ninety-year-old woman and would like his own place, but there’s nothing for rent in this town.”
“Dawson,” I deduced and he nodded. “That’s why you suggested walling off the stairs so there’s a private entrance to the bathroom.” I thought it over and smiled. “I like it. That could work. I wouldn’t charge him much in rent, but it would help with the mortgage payment here.”
“Now you’re thinking,” he agreed, kissing me gently. “I just thought since your mom had the place for sale after she moved in with Stan that you might like to raise a second round of little Collops here.”
I stroked his cheek, a smile on my face so big it was hard to see him through my slit-like eyes. “You mean a new round of Davids?” I asked, my voice choked with tears.
“Maybe we should just go with elves,” he teased.
I threw my arms around him, grasping him tightly. “You know how sad I’ve been about Mom selling the house and you wanted to take away my pain. I love you.”
He returned the hug. “I did, and I hope I have. I love you too.”
He took my hand and led me through the house and down the hallway. “I want to show you two more things before you make your decision.”
I opened my mouth but he held his finger up to hush me. “First,” he said as he reached into the bedroom and flipped on the light. “Our bedroom.”
I walked into the almost empty room and burst out laughing. Hanging from the ceiling was his yoga hammock. “Naked yoga,” I said through my tears of laughter.
He tugged on the fabric. “Bolted into the ceiling beam. It’s not going anywhere and look, footholds,” he said, wagging his brows at me as he held up rubberized handles off the hammock.
I smirked at him. “I think those are actually handholds.”
“I like to be creative,” he volleyed, his breath coming in rough bursts.
I plastered myself against him and kissed his lips until we couldn’t breathe. “Oh yeah, well Mr. Claus, if the hammock is here, how are we going to participate in naked yoga tonight?” I asked smartly.
He held up the key from his pocket. “It’s not breaking and entering if you have the key.”
I threw my head back and laughed, my arms going around his neck. “We better bring an air mattress with us then. We might be too tired to move after naked yoga. What else did you want to show me?”
He took my hand and led me to the backdoor, throwing it open and motioning at the backyard. “This.”
I nodded, my eyes taking in the large fenced-in yard with the cement patio. “Believe it or not, I’ve seen this before.”
He held up his finger and pulled me out and down the three steps to the patio. “Maybe, but have you seen it the way I do?”
“How do you see it?”
“It’s late June,” he said as he motioned at the patio, making a rounded motion with his arms. “A white arch here.” He walked backward through the grass, which was now muddy and wet. “There’s a long white carpet here with chairs running along each side of it.” He jogged back to the patio where I stood, my head cocked to the left. “Judge Masters stands here along with two nervous men. One man is young, but his hair is far whiter than the older man who stands next to him. Dressed in suits and ties they pull at their collars as mother and daughter walk toward them, arm-in-arm. They stand together to say their vows, becoming a family at the same time while the rest of the town looks on.” He motioned at the yard beyond the fence. “You know that whole yard will be standing room only, too.”
I burst into laughter even though those pesky tears were back on my cheeks. “Without a doubt. Mrs. McDonald would not accept being left out of this.”
“And then, after the I do’s have been said,” he whispered, walking toward me, “the chairs are put away and the grills come out. We cook, eat, and dance the night away in each other’s arms.” He had me in his arms dancing as he hummed a familiar wedding song.
“Then, when everyone has gone home and we’re here alone,” I said, turning and walking up the steps with him. “We retire to our bedroom to spend the first night of the rest of our lives together in our home.”
We sat down on the stoop and gazed out over the yard, the water dripping off the roof and the birds singing in the trees as Mother Nature brought everything back to life again. “I kind of thought Santa would want to get married at Christmas in the park.”
He turned and took my hands. “Santa has no plans of waiting until December to marry his Mrs. Claus. If I have my way, Mrs. Claus will already have an elf in her belly by December.”
I rested my forehead against his, my heart exploding with love and joy. “If that’s his plan then we better sign these papers. A pregnant Mrs. Claus can’t be running up and down those stairs to use the bathroom.”
He wrapped me up in his arms, his laughter filling the space around us with happiness. “I can’t wait to fill this house with those sweet little elves of ours.”
He helped me up and led me to the kitchen. “I say we make this official,” he said, motioning at the table.
I rubbed my belly with excitement. “Is that a pie from the diner?” I leaned in close and sniffed. “Mmm, blackberry.”
He handed me a knife and grinned. “It sure is. A lucky pie, Mel said. She told me that everyone who shares a blackberry pie together finds true love forever.”
I raised a brow. “I think that ship already sailed, but it can’t hurt to be sure.”
He held up his finger and went to the fridge, grabbing something off a shelf and carrying it over. When he revealed his treasure, I couldn’t help but squeal with happiness.
“I brought the jam,” he promised, motioning for me to cut the pie.
I glanced up at him, my lips inches from his as my arms went around his neck. “All we’re missing are the jingle bells.”
His lips came down on mine and from somewhere outside the house a sleigh bell filled the air.