“Merry Christmas,” she called, her breath visible in the frosty air. “Come in from this frigid cold.
Rawley ducked to kiss her cheek. “Merry Christmas, Mom.”
She patted his stubbled face with a warm hand, then turned to Skylar with arms outstretched. “Skylar, we’re absolutely thrilled you’re here. Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
“Merry Christmas, Darla.” Skylar embraced her.
Skylar’s parents stood by the granite island, her father in a cable-knit sweater, and her mother wearing a blue blouse that matched her eyes.
“Merry Christmas, everyone,” Rawley announced.
“Same to you, Rawley,” Jane McCoy replied, her eyes twinkling with maternal affection.
“Ed, Merry Christmas,” Rawley said, extending his hand for a firm handshake.
“Same to you, son.” Ed McCoy’s weathered face creased into a smile beneath his salt-and-pepper mustache.
Rawley inhaled deeply, savoring the mingled aromas. “Everything smells incredible, Mom.”
“Skylar, how are you doing?” Rawley’s father asked.
“Wonderful, J.B. I’m hungry though.” She patted her stomach.
“Well, we’ll have to take care of that,” he said as he enveloped her in a bear hug.
“Let’s take these to the living room, Skylar.” Rawley cradled a tower of gifts as he navigated toward the living room. The floors creaked beneath his boots as he set the presents on the braided rug in front of the tree.
“What’s that?” She pointed to a box large enough to hold a microwave, wrapped in crimson paper with a gold bow that caught the light from the fireplace.
“Another gift for you. My mom had to pick it up for me and she went ahead and wrapped it.”
“What is it?”
“Do you really think I’m going to tell you?” He raised an eyebrow.
Skylar slipped her slender arms around his waist. “I could make you.”
“Stop.” His voice dropped to a husky whisper. “You’ll see soon enough.” He pulled her tight against his chest and kissed her lips.
“Enough of that you two. Open your gifts.” Darla’s hair caught the light as she smiled.
“You have to do that too.”
The family gathered in a semicircle in the living room as Darla, wearing a festive red cardigan, distributed gifts with theprecision of a card dealer. The Christmas tree in the corner cast multicolored shadows across the room, and the scent of cinnamon and pine hung in the air. When Darla set the enormous box on the floor in front of Skylar, her eyes sparkled with shared secrets.
Paper tore with satisfying rips, revealing treasures within. Ed’s face lit up like the tree when he unwrapped the ornate glass stein with his initials engraved on it. Jane clutched the ceramic coffee mug to her chest, tracing the hand-painted flowers with her fingertip. Darla’s eyes welled with tears when she opened Skylar’s gift, then pulled her into a tight embrace. J.B. whistled appreciatively at the anniversary bottle of whiskey from Skylar, holding it up to catch the light. Skylar’s parents had given Rawley several shirts and a few pairs of jeans, which he definitely needed.
When Skylar finally attacked the crimson paper on her box, she lifted the lid and gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
“It’s the lamp I wanted,” she said, her eyes wide as saucers as she gazed at the beautiful hurricane lamp. “How did you know?”
“I went into Timeless Treasures to get my mother’s gift and Maggie mentioned that you’d been drooling over that lamp for months.” He shrugged. “So, I got it.”
“Rawley, it was expensive.” Her voice quavered as she ran her fingers over the intricate pattern.
“So? I can afford it. You wanted it and I will do my best to get you everything you want.”
He watched her blink back tears that made her eyes shimmer, then laughed when she threw her arms around his neck, her vanilla scent enveloping him as she pressed her warm lips against his cheek.
