Epilogue
Mitch
ONE YEAR LATER
On Christmas morning, I wake to the sound of Allison playing the violin. When I fell in love with her, I’d known she was a musician, but I had never heard her play.
Now, it’s how I start every day.
I’d never realized how much I hated the beep of an alarm clock until I’d had the benefit of waking to the sound of my sweet Allison practicing in the morning.
It’s one of the best perks of being her husband.
Another unexpected perk is the French press coffee that’s waiting for me in the kitchen.
I still chuckle every time I remember the look on Allison’s face when she’d discovered that I drank instant coffee before moving in with her.
“You’ll happily pay $100 for a nice bottle of bourbon, but you drink instant coffee?” she’d said.
I shrugged. “I’m just drinking it for the caffeine, anyway.”
“What would you say to someone who drinks bourbon just for the alcohol?”
“Touché.” Then I’d gently pushed her onto the kitchen table, and said, “But right now, I don’t want coffee or bourbon on my tongue. I want to taste my wife.”
Wife. The word still thrills me. Allison is my wife, and I’m the luckiest man in the world.
We’d stayed in Mercury Ridge for the rest of her holiday break, celebrating New Year’s with my friends at Mercury Slice. My boss, Mikki, wasn’t pleased to hear I was leaving, but she happily accepted my resignation after seeing how in love I was with Allison.
Mikki is a believer in true love if there ever was one.
Allison and I originally planned to elope to Hawaii during her summer break from school, but we couldn’t wait that long to marry. On Valentine’s Day, we were married by a Justice of the Peace.
Allison wore a cherry red dress and matching lipstick. She was the perfect combination of sugar and spice… and naughty and nice.
We sent a marriage announcement to her mother, and Allison laughed as she dropped it into the mailbox. “She’s going to hate the dress.”
“She’ll hate the groom more,” I said, planting a kiss beneath her ear.
Some people say we shouldn’t have rushed to get married. That we should have gotten to know each other before committing to love each other for the rest of our lives.
It’s true that we discover new things about each other every day. But it’s fun continuing to get to know her better. And it’s just details. We knew the essence of each other—the important, big-picture things—before we married.
Our love will last a lifetime. Of that, I’m certain.
Clutching my coffee in my hands, I walk into the living room where Allison is playing her violin. Her eyes are closed as she pulls the bow across the strings. When she finishes the piece, she opens her eyes and sees me watching her.
Her face lights up, and she jumps up from her chair to run to me. “Merry Christmas!”
I bury my face in her hair, inhaling the scent of her strawberry shampoo. “Merry Christmas, my love.”
“I have a gift for you,” she says.
I chuckle. “I have gifts for you, too. It’s Christmas, after all.”
A dreamy smile stretches across her face. “This one is special. I just got it this morning.”
This morning? Did she leave the house without me knowing?
She reaches into the pocket of her bathrobe and pulls out a white stick. I stare at her blankly for a moment before realizing that the stick is the gift. A pregnancy test.
My breath catches in my throat. “Are we…?”
Happy tears fill her eyes. “I took the test this morning. We’re going to have a baby. Merry Christmas, Mitch.”
I shake my head in wonder. Last year, she gave me her heart. This year, she’s giving me a child.
“You give the best Christmas presents.” My voice is thick with emotion.
A mischievous smile plays on her lips. “I have a few more gifts to give…”
She slowly opens her robe, giving me a teasing glimpse of her naked body. Her large, round breasts are the first thing I see, and then my eyes dip down, taking in the rest of her magnificent body. Sweet Jesus.
“I hope you’re ready…” I growl, stalking toward her.
She giggles. “Because here comes Santa Claus?”
I wrap my arms around her, lifting her from the ground, and sprinting toward the bedroom. “Absolutely. But only after Mrs. Claus does.”