Chapter Nineteen
Eric made room for Anya beside him on the couch, grinning at the two women as they walked into the living room, each of them most obviously buzzed.
Brian laughed when Ashley sat on top of him. “What’s going on, wife?”
“I think I need to eat a few snacks,” she admitted.
Reaching for the dip and chips on the tray beside him, he scooped some dip on some chips for her, half shoving them into her mouth.
“Okay, okay. I’m not that bad,” Ashley said before biting down on the chips.
Brian kissed her forehead. “I kind of like it. You’ve been too worried about making everything perfect for our parents. You know they’re going to love whatever you’ve got to eat.”
She grimaced. “Whether it’s good or not.”
Anya laughed, after shoving a bunch of cheese and crackers into her own mouth. “Everything turned out great. There’s no need to worry.”
After she was finished, she stood, reaching for one of the bags she’d brought along with her from the kitchen, handing it over to Ashley, still seated on Brian’s lap. “I picked these up for you guys yesterday. I know it’s only your second Christmas in the house, so I thought you might like some pretty ornaments to get you started since the tree is kind of bare.”
Ashley looked into the bag, her eyes going wide as she began removing the boxes and resting them on the end table. “Anya, these are exquisite.”
“I brought you a mixture of some fancier ones along with some plain colored globes,” she said. “I get to do the ordering for a lot of the things we stock in the shop, and I’ve always thought those silver and crystal Christmas angels were so pretty.”
“Come on, Brian, Eric,” Ashley said, carefully climbing off Brian’s lap. “Help me and Anya put them on the tree while Arielle is still asleep. She’s probably going to be stirring soon.”
After they finished adding the three dozen extra ornaments, the tree looked much more decorative, Eric decided.
“That’s much better, isn’t it?” Ashley said, her hands on her hips. “Angels and ballerinas.”
“And Santas, reindeer and snowmen too,” Brian said. “Everything looks great. We’ve got room for a pretty big tree, so every year, we’ll add even more.”
“I think it looks beautiful,” Eric said approvingly. He’d bought a few special ornaments too, but his were engraved and ready for family pictures.
Just then, Brian’s cell phone rang, and he pulled it from his pocket, checking out the caller ID. “Uh, oh. It looks like one set of parents will be arriving soon.”
“Hello,” he said. “Mom. How are things going? Another thirty minutes then. How soon would you like to eat?”
As he listened, Brian grinned at Ashley, who was getting ready to run into the kitchen.
“Okay, we’ll do that,” he said, disconnecting. “She said that they ate before they left home. She talked with your mom and they’re about an hour behind them, so she thinks that you might as well wait a little longer.”
“Okay, Ashley. Don’t panic,” Anya urged. “I guess we could slice the roast beef right away and get the gravy going in about an hour. We can heat the roast beef while the other things like the potatoes and wild rice casserole are in the oven.”
“Okay, I’m leaving it up to you, Anya. Let’s have another wine cooler before they get here,” Ashley said.
“Don’t get plastered,” Brian advised, laughing. “You don’t want to feel bad tomorrow. You’ve got a turkey that needs to go in the oven too.”
“I won’t be as worried then. Mom will insist on taking over, and I think I’m just going to let her do it for a change,” Ashley said, grinning as she held her wine cooler bottle in the air.
“Give me about five or ten minutes to slice the beef and I’ll be right back with more wine coolers. All you need to do is take it easy,” Anya said, grinning.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Ashley agreed, sitting in one of the chairs near the fireplace.
Eric stood, giving Brian and Ashley a wink after Anya left the room. “I’m going to give Anya her Christmas gift. When would you like yours?”
“You didn’t have to get us anything,” Ashley said, pursing her lips.
“Sure, I did. You guys are putting me up for the next month,” he said, heaving a sigh. “I’ve got to report back to base in three to four weeks though. They’re going to let me know the date after the holiday.”
Brian frowned. “That’s too damn bad. Afghanistan?”
“More than likely. Everything is up in the air at the moment,” he admitted. “Let’s not mention that yet in front of Anya, or even Mom.”
“I hear you,” Brian answered.
“I’ll give you two your gift after dinner,” Eric said with a smile. “I’m pretty sure you’re both going to like it.”
Heading into the kitchen, he gave Anya a smile where she stood over the stove. “We need some Christmas music out here, don’t we? I’ll be back in a minute. I have something for you.”
“I’ve got something for you too,” she called out.
When Eric went downstairs, he paused when he noticed that the kitty was resting on his bed. “I haven’t seen you around at all, but I know you’ve been sneaking in bed with me. I suppose you’re waiting right now.”
Looking up, his eyes meeting Eric’s, the kitty answered, “ Meeeoooooow. ”
Eric rolled his eyes, reaching for the gift bag that held Anya’s ring.
“See you later, kitty,” he answered.
He halted at the base of the staircase, when the kitty let out another long meeeooooow .
“You’re sure talkative. I wonder why you’re always hiding?”
Laughing, he headed back up the staircase, where Anya was just finishing up in the kitchen after slicing the roast beef.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“You probably haven’t seen their cat? He likes to sleep with me at night. He’s already in bed, waiting,” Eric said dryly.
She laughed, transferring the roast beef neatly onto a tray and covering it up, leaving the remains in the pan on the stove.
“Okay. We’re good to go for gravy in about an hour,” she said, washing her hands in the sink and drying them on a paper towel. “Let me get your gift too. It’s there in a bag on the kitchen table.”
“Open mine first,” he said softly, handing her the gift bag.
She peeked inside, reaching into the bag and pulling out the wrapped box inside. “It’s from the gift shop at the Inn?”
He smiled. “It is.”
She carefully unwrapped the box, folding the paper back up and putting it inside the bag.
Inhaling a deep breath, she opened the box.
Tears filled her eyes when she looked up at him. “Is this a mystic topaz?”
“It is,” he replied.
“You remembered,” she huffed out softly.
“Here. Let me have that,” he said, gently tugging the ring from the box, and reaching for her left hand.
Tears were running down her face.
“I know it’s too soon to ask serious questions. We need to get to know each other again. But…” When he slipped the ring over her finger, it was a perfect fit. “Even when I’m not here with you, I’ll still be with you. Alright? I don’t know how we’ll manage when I return to Afghanistan.”
“If other women are brave enough to get through it, Eric, I can too,” she said gently in an unsteady voice. “This ring is so beautiful. I couldn’t have asked for anything more perfect.”
He tugged her into his arms for a moment, kissing her sweetly.
“Now, you need to open mine before your parents arrive,” she said, reaching for a package on the table and handing it over. “Here.”
When he unwrapped the package, he was surprised to see the picture that had been taken of the two of them at Christmas, years ago. She’d had the silver frame engraved with their names along with the year the photo had been taken.
“How did you manage to get it engraved so quickly?” he asked, definitely emotional.
“I have my sources here in town,” she answered, obviously pleased by his response.
“I should show you something,” he said, pulling out his wallet from his back pocket.
He gazed into her eyes when he brought out the well-worn photo that he’d been carrying with him since high school.
“Oh, Eric,” she said, staring at it in disbelief. “You’ve had that same old picture all this time?”
“I have. I take it everywhere I go,” he admitted, searching her eyes.
Stepping into his arms, she clung to him, and Eric just stood there, holding her.
Until he heard honking outside in the driveway.
Kissing her mouth, he gently disentangled himself, reaching for her hand.
When his mom walked into the kitchen, she did a double take when she saw Anya.
“Anya?” Mom smiled widely as she approached, tugging her into her arms. “I’m so glad to see that you’re home where you belong.”
Eric realized that his mom couldn’t have said anything better to put Anya at ease.