Chapter 22 #2
She squeezed him tightly, and her voice shook when she spoke. “It’s true. Thank you for everything.”
Once the book had been passed around and admired, Charlie looked at Nash and Olivia. “Do we get to find out what’s in the boxes you guys bought now?”
Nash was glad to swallow down the emotions and turn to fun. “We do. Who’s first?”
A game of rock, paper, scissors decided Olivia would go first. “Pass one box to everyone, Charlie. Ella can help with yours. She’s not quite big enough for her own yet. We need to open them at the same time.”
As Charlie passed out the gifts, Olivia’s eyes misted. “This is something for everyone at the farm. I wanted to thank you all for giving me and Ella a safe place to live. A home. And for helping keep us safe the other day. Although I bought them before that.”
Before they opened anything, Nash pointed at the other boxes. “Charlie, why don’t you hand out those, too? They’re labelled with names. Then we can open everything at the same time.”
Despite the protests that neither he nor Olivia needed to buy anything, the group tore into the presents, and exclamations of delight filled the room.
He squeezed Olivia as he realized she’d bought winter equipment for the group as well. “Great minds think alike.”
She laughed. “Thankfully, not exactly alike, or we would have had only one activity. This way we’ve got two to learn.”
Another round of rock, paper, scissors had them deciding to try the skates in the morning and the snowshoes in the afternoon.
Charlie whooped. “Thanks, Dad. Now we get to use the rink for real.”
And erase the memories of Parsons trying to take Olivia.
The Malssums had grown up in Vermont, so they all knew how to skate. The rest of them were beginners.
Ford quickly made benches with boards and bricks, and then Nash brought out the nets, pucks, and sticks he’d bought and hidden in the barn. Charlie’s jaw dropped. “Dad. You got those, too? Thank you. You’re the best dad. The King of Christmas.”
His hug was short but fierce before he sat to pull on his skates.
From her spot in her wagon with Oggie, Ella cheered them on as they stumbled along the ice. Nash wasn’t steady enough to hold her. Not yet, but he’d work at it until he got there.
Charlie was the first to really get the hang of it. He was skating backwards before any of the rest of them were sure they weren’t going to fall.
Olivia wrapped her arms around Nash’s waist. “This was the perfect gift. In the perfect place with the perfect people.”
He laughed and hugged her. “Perfect.”
And it was the perfect time. He pulled the ring box out of his jacket pocket.
“I know we talked about it the other day, but the ring hadn’t arrived yet.
Olivia Gonzalez, will you make a life with me and Charlie at this apple farm in the middle of nowhere Vermont?
Will you and Ella help me and Charlie make a bigger family?
I love you with my whole heart. Will you marry me? ”
Tears streamed down her cheeks, but her smile was wide. “Of course. Yes. Always yes. I love you so much, Nash. Ella and I want to be a family with you and Charlie. Forever.”
He slipped off their mittens and then slid the ring on her finger. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Forever.”
Behind them, Charlie whooped and skated to Ella. “Did you hear that, Ella Mae? You’re going to be my sister, and I’m going to be your big brother. We’re going to be a family. Forever.”
There was more, but Nash tuned them out and leaned down to kiss Olivia. “Forever.”
Olivia’s muscles ached in the very best of ways. Learning to skate had been a blast. She’d never keep up with any of the Malssums, but she didn’t have as many bruises as expected. Mostly because Nash had caught her whenever she’d started to fall. She’d caught him a time or two as well.
Charlie had picked it up quickly, and it hadn’t been long before he’d been skating literal circles around them.
Ella loved being towed with Oggie in the wagon and had laughed hard enough to knock herself over a few times. The dog’s ears flapping in the breeze had tickled her face.
It had been an excellent morning. After lunch, they’d headed out to try out the snowshoes. Nash had taken Ella Mae in the carrier, and they’d all had fun making trails through the orchard.
Charlie had them all stamping down the path leading to the cider cabin and the pond, so they could turn that into a skating path. Olivia figured skating through the orchard with her new family would be the best thing ever. Well, maybe not quite the best.
Ella and Charlie were sound asleep in their Norissamin pajamas, and she and Nash were alone. He locked his bedroom door behind them and turned to tug her into a slow dance. “This is my favorite Christmas ever.”
“Mine, too. I don’t know if Ella will be able to hang onto any memories, but she had such a good day.”
“We’ve got loads of pictures, and Charlie will be talking about it for years. I’m sure she’ll get some of those memories vicariously.”
The thought warmed Olivia as she snuggled into Nash’s strength. “I’m still working to believe all this is real.”
Nash ran his hand up her back and into her hair. “All what?”
She laughed softly. “The farm. These wonderful people. Phail. Adam in jail. A safe home for Ella. Charlie. You. Especially you.”
He kissed her temple. “We’re all very real, and I couldn’t be happier. Why don’t you try out Amber’s bath bomb? While you soak, I’ll run down to grab some wine and a couple of glasses.”
When he started to turn, she tightened her grip. “Why don’t we try out Amber’s bath bomb together?”
He laughed. “I don’t think the tubs here were made for two.”
“Only one way to find out.”
She sent him a sassy grin over her shoulder and walked to the bathroom, peeling off her t-shirt as she went.
By the time the tub filled with bubbly water that smelled like something earthy and sexy, his body was revved to go, and he’d managed to send Olivia shattering over the edge even before they’d gotten all the way undressed.
He lifted her in his arms and stepped into the bubbles while her body still trembled with the first orgasm of the night.
The tub was barely big enough for him, never mind the two of them. He solved the problem by sitting with his back to the edge and Olivia in his lap.
She fluttered her eyes open as he lowered her into the warm water. With a quick shift, she turned to straddle him, and not much had ever felt better.
He ran his hands up and down her torso, spreading the bubbles over her skin. When he did the same to her breasts, her head dropped back, and his name fell from her lips.
It didn’t take long to have her body soaring again. He could spend the rest of his life watching this beautiful woman shatter with pleasure.
She hadn’t had many people to trust throughout her life. Not many had earned her trust.
The fact that she allowed herself to be open and vulnerable with him was a gift he would always treasure. He kissed her shoulder while he held her steady as the aftershocks worked their way through her. “Thank you.”
That had her eyes opening and a grin lighting up her face. She glowed with happiness. “I think that’s my line.”
He chuckled. “Nope. Definitely mine. Thanks for trusting me enough to let me be part of your life.”
Her eyes softened further, and she brought up a soapy finger to trace over his jaw. “And thank you for letting me be part of yours. It’s not easy to trust someone else or in life in general, but you make it easy, Nash. I love you.”
“I love you, too Olivia. Merry first Christmas together.”
Her eyes lit up. “Merry first Christmas together.” Then her hands disappeared beneath the bubbles and her grin turned wicked as she touched him. “It’s already been the best day of my life but I have an idea how to make it even better.”
It was a hell of a good idea.