He stood, pulled me tightly into his arms, and held me. I hugged him back, rested my head against his chest, and took comfort in the feel of his arms around me and his heartbeat in my ear.
“You have so many good parts,” he said. “But I love all your parts. Good, bad, sexy, stubborn.”
“I love all your parts too.”
We stood like that for a while, both of us seeming to soak up the feel of the other, as if Luke had missed me as much as I’d missed him the past two days.
“I have something for you,” I eventually said, pulling away enough to look at his handsome face.
He looked puzzled. “A present? Christmas isn’t until tomorrow.”
“Two presents, and you’re getting them tonight.”
“You’re getting yours tomorrow.”
I smiled up at him, taking it as a good sign he’d gotten me a gift. I couldn’t care less about the present itself, but you didn’t give Christmas presents to someone you were planning to break up with.
“Sit,” I said, pointing at his chair again.
I hurried over to where I’d set his gift bag out of sight and took it to him.
“This is heavy.” He went for the handles, but I stopped him.
“Before you look inside, this is part one of your Christmas present. It’s for when I screw up again, because I probably will even though I’m going to do everything in my power to try not to.”
He looked at me with amusement in his eyes. “Are you trying to tell me you’re not perfect?”
“Not quite yet,” I said lightly, then went serious. “I’m trying my best though.”
He grabbed my hand and tugged me down close enough to kiss me. “That’s all any of us can do.”
I kissed him again, reveling in the taste of him after two horrible days of no kisses. I managed to pull myself away, straighten, and gesture to the bag.
Luke reached into the folds of tissue paper and drew out the bottle of whiskey. A grin broke out across his face. “You think I’m going to need this, huh?”
“I think we’ll have some champagne moments but probably some whiskey ones too.”
“Sounds about right,” he said, grinning. Then he pulled me onto his lap. “I’m here for both kinds, Mags.”
“So am I. Let’s hope there’s more champagne than whiskey though.”
I put my arms around his neck and kissed him again. It was sometime later that we surfaced and he said, “You said there’s a part two? Does it include sexy lingerie with a bow for me to undo?”
I laughed. “This didn’t seem like the time or place for that, but maybe later?” I sat up straighter on his lap. “It turns out you’re really hard to buy for. All we’ve done since we’ve been together is work and sneak out so we could spend some time together.”
“That’s the truth.”
“My second gift is time for you and me to spend together. I talked to your dad and Scotty and arranged for you to take three full days and two nights off around New Year’s Eve. We’re going to a quaint little inn in the Smoky Mountains where we can focus on us and nothing else. Your dad will take care of Addie, and the Holloways are going to have her out for a sleepover for one of those nights to give him a break. Scotty’s got the farm covered. There will be no working for either of us.”
He closed his eyes as if savoring the thought of some time away. “That’s literally the best gift you could ever give me,” he said, his voice husky. “Time. With you.” He pulled me closer. “I can’t wait. Thank you, Mags.”
“You’re welcome,” I said, hugging him again. “Confession: It’s not exactly a selfless gift. I want you all to myself for as long as I can have you.”
He pulled me in for a kiss. “You’ve got me, Mags. I’m all yours.”
I repositioned myself so that my legs straddled his lap. “I’m all yours too. But probably not right here in the middle of the barn. Any chance you can get away to my place?”
He laughed. “Have you looked outside lately?”
