Chapter Forty-six
Martina
I awaken Christmas morning, happy to be sore in all the right places.
Rolling over, I watch Charlie sleep. He’s too young to wake up early just because it’s Christmas, but it won’t be long, I’m sure.
I glance at the bathroom door that separates us from Dallas. Everything he said last night was everything I wanted to hear. But actions speak louder than words. He’s never spent more than a few hours with Charlie. What if he was just caught up in the moment when he said what he said?
He said he loved me. I said I’d move here. Hell, I all but agreed to marry him.
I squeeze my eyes tightly shut, praying what he said will hold true.
When I hear distant voices, I put my mouth to Charlie’s ear. “Wake up, buddy. It’s Christmas.”
It takes a moment for him to orient to where we are. When he fully wakes, he squeals, “Pwesents?”
“Yeah, buddy. Presents. But be patient, okay? We’re guests here. We have to do things according to how they do them. They might want to eat breakfast first. I know you want to open your presents, and you will. You just might have to wait a little bit. Can you do that for me?”
He nods.
I kiss the top of his messy hair. “Okay. Bathroom first.”
I glance down at my pajamas, unsure of what to do. Back home, we never bother getting ready. We’ll wear whatever we slept in until every last present gets opened. What if they dress up? Or what if I do and they all come out in their robes?
There’s a soft knock on the door. “Come in.”
Dallas peeks inside. “Is the coast clear?”
“He’s in the bathroom. We have a second.”
He pulls me into his arms. “Merry Christmas.”
I weave my arms around his back and hold him tight. “Merry Christmas.”
“The first of many,” he says, making me smile.
The toilet flushes. “Don’t forget to wash up!” I shout.
Dallas reluctantly steps away. Maybe he doesn’t want Charlie to see us embrace. I’m not sure how I feel about that either. We’ll have to test those waters at some point. I’m just not sure when.
Belatedly, I notice he’s wearing sleep pants and a plain blue T-shirt. “Is that what you’re wearing this morning?”
“What kind of freak would I be if I actually got dressed for Christmas morning?”
“Thank God,” I sigh. “I love you and all, but I might have to draw the line at dressing up for presents.”
He doesn’t laugh. He holds me prisoner with his stare. “Say it again.”
I replay the words in my head, understanding what he’s asking.
I step forward and whisper loudly, “I love you.”
His eyes close briefly. “I thought it might have been a dream.”
“Me too.”
Charlie emerges from the bathroom. I hold my breath, because I honestly have no idea what’s going to happen next.
“Dallith!”
“Hey, bud. Are you ready for presents?”
Charlie hops up and down. “Yes! Did you bring me one?”
“Charlie,” I admonish. “That’s not polite. Besides, he didn’t have time—”
“I got you more than one, Charlie.” He holds out his hand. “Come on, let’s go see.”
I swallow the ginormous lump in my throat when Charlie’s small hand lands in Dallas’s large one. I can only hope I’m seeing a sliver of what lies ahead.
Dallas looks at me and nods. It’s hard for him, I can tell. His features draw tight with nervousness. But he’s doing it. And right now, that’s all anyone can ask.
The first person I see when I step into the living room is Asher. I walk over and hug him. “I’m so happy you’re here. Why didn’t you come in with Dallas last night?”
“And steal his thunder?” He laughs. “The man spent some serious cash getting to you. It was his moment. But no way was I going to turn down hitching a ride on a private jet. Bug was thoroughly impressed. We brought all the gifts, too.”
I glance over at the even bigger pile under the tree, knowing Charlie is going to be spoiled beyond belief. Probably on this day and every other, if I’ve learned anything about the Montanas.
Blue hair pops up from the couch where Bug must have been lounging. “Bug!” I head over and squeeze her shoulders. “How was the plane ride?”
“Dope AF,” she says.
I laugh, amused by the way kids these days can curse without actually cursing.
When Allie walks in the room, she and Asher share a look that clearly tells me they were doing the very same thing Dallas and I were last night.
“Morning, Bug,” she says.
Bug shoots her a disapproving look. “It’s Darla.”
Uh oh.
“Of course,” Allie says with a smile, not even looking offended. “Good morning, Darla. And Merry Christmas.”
“Yeah, whatever,” my niece retorts.
I know my brother. I’m sure he and Allie didn’t have the reunion at the door that I had with Dallas. He’d be more discreet than that after Bug has been so difficult the past few years with any woman he’s shown interest in. It makes sense. Her own mother didn’t want her, and then the woman who became her stepmother, and who she thought of as a mom, also left.
I sidle up to Asher. “Trouble in paradise?”
“How the hell does she know?” he whispers.
“Have you seen the way you and Allie look at each other?”
His smile collapses. “My kid is too damn observant.”
More people pile into the room, filling every chair, some even sitting on the floor. Blake, Ellie, and Maisy are here. Lucas is too. And they’re all wearing pajamas—even those who didn’t sleep here.
I’m loving this family more and more.
Chris and Sarah come into the room carrying big trays of pastries and orange juice and place them on the massive coffee table.
“Everything is peanut-free,” Sarah assures me. “In fact, we’ve gotten rid of all peanuts and peanut butter products. It’s all in the garbage, never to return.”
“Thank you so much.”
She puts a hand on my shoulder. “You’re family now. It’s what we do.” Sarah turns to the ridiculously large display of presents and says, “Who wants to open the first one?”
Charlie and Maisy both raise their hands, Blake having signed every word for his wife and daughter.
Sarah picks up two gifts, handing them each one.
For the next two hours, people open presents, the pile of wrapping paper in the corner growing so large the kids could get lost in it.
Charlie has never gotten so many toys. Sarah really came through. So did Dallas. I’m floored. He got him an inflatable backyard spaceship playhouse, an AI robot, and a state-of-the-art ride-on electric car. I can’t believe he hauled all of it to Orlando—and back.
He hands a gift to me. My eyes drop to my lap, feeling guilty because I don’t have anything for him. When I hesitate, he says, “Go on. Open it. Believe me, it’s not what you think.”
That piques my curiosity and I tear into the package, laughing when I see what’s inside. It’s a bouquet. But it’s not flowers. This is a bouquet of EpiPens.
He explains, “One for your car. One for my car. One for my parents. The school he’ll attend. There’s enough here so that anywhere we go in this town, there’ll always be one within reach.”
I make sure Charlie’s busy and then I kiss his cheek. “I’m not sure I’ve ever been given such a thoughtful gift. But how did you get a prescription? And how did you get so many?”
He shrugs. “I’ve got connections.”
“That reminds me. I know you paid his hospital bill. I really appreciate it. With the added expense of everything that happened around Charles’s death and my accident, your generosity came at a good time.”
He brushes off the compliment. “It was the least I could do.”
“You really have no idea how charming you are, do you?”
“I’ll show you charming,” he whispers, then bites my earlobe. “Later, when we’re alone, I’ll charm you with my snake.”
I laugh and hold up one of the many EpiPens. “Thank you so much for these. I don’t have the insurance money yet, so I haven’t gotten a car to put one in.”
He leans close. “I’m getting you one. That’s going to be your real present.”
“Dallas, no. You’ve already done so much.”
He pushes my hair behind my shoulder and whispers, “I’ve got money, Marti. I’m going to spoil you and Charlie, so you’d better get used to it. We’ll go car shopping as soon as we get you moved up here.”
I shake my head. It’s all so surreal. “I don’t have anything for you. I had no idea what to give a man who has so much money he can buy anything.”
“You,” he says. “You can give me you. Move in with me.”
My eyes go wide. I’m excited, yet terrified. “Hold on, space cowboy. I’ve got more than just me to think about. We’ll move here. We’ll move here tomorrow if that’s what you want, but we’ll rent a place of our own. Charlie just lost his dad. He needs time to process that before having another significant father-figure in his life.” I try to gauge his reaction. “Does that scare you?”
“Not anymore.”
He pulls out his phone.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Looking for rentals. Short-term ones. One for you and Charlie. And one for me.” He glances up. “They’ll be close. I never plan on being far away from you again.”
Lucas sits down and looks over Dallas’s shoulder. “Rental properties, eh?” He turns to me. “So about that offer…”
“I accept,” I say without hesitation.
Dallas’s smile grows even wider as he continues to scroll on his phone.
“Fantastic,” Lucas says. “Welcome to the Montana Winery family.”
“I’m happy to be a part of it.” I look around the room at their large family. “All of it.”
~ ~ ~
After a long day of playing, eating, and socializing, I tuck Charlie into bed.
He pulls Grumpy close. “I like it here, Mommy.”
“I like it here too, Charlie. In fact, we’re going to move here. Not to this house. I mean we will probably come over here quite a bit, but we won’t live here. We’ll get an apartment. What do you think?”
“In Calla Creek?”
“Yes, we’re going to move to Calloway Creek.”
“Are Unca Asher and Bug coming?”
“No, buddy. They aren’t. But I have a feeling we might be seeing them often, especially Uncle Asher.”
“You can fly down to Orlando to see them anytime you want,” Dallas says from the doorway.
“I like planes,” Charlie says through a yawn.
“Me too.” Dallas stares at me. “What about you, Marti? Do you like planes?”
I roll my eyes. “Let’s just say my aversion to them isn’t as strong as it was before.”
How could it be? One of those planes brought me back to him. And him to me.
“Goodnight, Charlie,” Dallas says, and disappears.
Charlie’s eyes grow heavy as I read him The Night Before Christmas one last time. Then Bex hops up on the bed and protectively settles in next to him.
It warms my heart that Charlie’s world has expanded so much over the past twenty-four hours.
We’re moving here. I have a… boyfriend. And a lucrative new employment contract. One that will allow me to scale back on all my other clients and focus mostly on the winery and my son. I glance at the empty doorway. Well, and other important people.
I give Bex a pat and kiss Charlie. “Sleep well.”
Dallas is sitting alone by the fireplace when I enter the living room. Lucas has long gone, as have Blake and his family. Chris, Sarah, and Allie took Asher and Bug on a tour of the Calloway Creek holiday lights.
Dallas pats the couch cushion next to him and hands me a glass of red wine.
“Thanks,” I say and take a sip. My eyes snap to his at the familiar robust flavor. “This is the wine from… oh, you shouldn’t have.”
“We never got to finish the bottle. And I told you, I only drink it on special occasions.”
I scoot next to him and he pulls my legs up onto his lap, giving me a foot massage.
I take another drink and savor it, eyes closed. “Mmm. I’d say today is definitely one of those. And not just because it’s Christmas.”
“You can say that again.”
“So you don’t want to live here with your parents until we figure things out?”
He shakes his head. “I haven’t lived with my parents since I went away to college when I was eighteen. I’m only here temporarily. I was serious about getting a place close to yours.” He squeezes my foot. “Very close. I found some decent properties. Nothing special, but nice enough. When we decide to move in together, that’s when we’ll go all out.”
“I don’t need a big fancy house, Dallas. Everything I need is right here.” I touch his chest then gesture to the back hallway. “And in there.”
“I know you don’t. But you’re going to get it anyway.”
“You don’t need to spoil me.”
“Need and want are two different things. I’m sorry, Marti, but you’re going to have to humor me on this one.”
“Fine.” I roll my eyes dramatically. “If you insist, I’ll live in a castle on a hill surrounded by a moat. But just so you know, Dallas, I’d love you if you had nothing and we lived in a one-room shack without power.”
He doesn’t laugh as I’d hoped. “So about that.”
“Don’t tell me you sold the cabin already. Because I really think you should keep it. We could go up there from time to time and try to recreate the magic, minus a few near-death experiences.”
“It burned to the ground, Marti.”
I cover my mouth, shocked. “Were you there? Were you hurt?” I quickly scan him from head to toe even though I’d have noticed any injuries last night. “What happened?”
“I wasn’t there. It was a few days after you left. I stopped staying there and only went back to keep the fire going so the wine wouldn’t freeze. I don’t know how the fire started, and I’m not really sure it matters, because in some strange way, I feel like it had to happen. It allowed me to finally let go and realize there was nothing left to hold onto.” He looks guilty. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t recover your bracelet. I promise I’ll get you another one.” He tickles my left ring finger. “I’ll get you all kinds of jewelry.”
“I’m sorry about the cabin.”
“I’m not. There’s nothing I needed there. Everything I want is right here.”
“You really lost everything?”
“There’s a ceramic vase Phoebe made. It came out totally unscathed. That’s it. It was the only thing.”
“I’m glad you still have that small piece of her.” When the words come out of my mouth, I’m surprised at just how much I mean them.
“You were right the whole time, Marti. I didn’t need all that other stuff to remember them. I have pictures. The vase. And my memories.”
“And birthdays,” I say. “You’ll have their birthdays.”
“Thanks to you, yes I will. Now listen, I know you want to sleep in Charlie’s room. But until then, I thought maybe…” He nods to a book on the table. A very thick book.
A tingle of anticipation runs down my back. “Yes.” I move my legs off him, set my wine glass on the side table, and pick up the book.
I turn to page one, then pat my lap. He wastes no time lounging on the couch and putting his head on my thigh. And as I read to him, I weave my fingers through his hair. I clear my throat, having a hard time forming words, because this is something I didn’t expect to ever do again. But now… now I think it’s something we might do every day for the rest of our lives.