Charlotte smiled in surprise and handed over the book, then got up so that Maya could scramble up next to Alonso, whose eyes got big as he looked up at Maya.
“I’m going to read this story to you,” Maya told him. “The best stories have aonce upon a timeand ahappily ever after.”
Across the room, Ash put down his coffee cup and turned to his daughter, an expression of wonder on his face.
“Once upon a time,” Maya began. “It was the night before Christmas. Isn’t that exciting?”
Allie smiled.
Maya might be making up a lot of the words instead of reading them, but that was just fine. She was showing that she was interested in books, and that she enjoyed them. And she was also demonstrating that when the book had been read to her, she had really paid attention.
By the time Maya was finished telling her version of the story of a man waking up to find Santa in the house, you could have heard a pin drop in the farmhouse kitchen.
“And then Santa flew away,” Maya said at last. “And he and his reindeer livedhappily ever after.”
“Again,”Alonso said immediately.
The adults applauded lightly, and Ash turned to Allie, his expression joyful, yetquestioning.
She nodded to him happily, tears prickling her eyes.
Yes, that was good,she tried to tell him in her mind.That was really, really good.
The timer finally dinged, and she pulled out the first batch of gingerbread men. The bigger kids were all playing in the snow out front, and Tripp jogged off to get them. The cookies had to cool before they could be frosted, but it was a family tradition to eat some warm right out of the oven.
Ash grabbed his coffee cup and headed over to the counter with them.
Allie bent to put another batch of cookies in the oven and by the time she straightened, he was already filling the sink with warm, soapy water.
“Is Ash Tailor really washing dishes in my parents’ kitchen?” Allie asked teasingly.
“I don’t see anyone else lined up to do them,” he teased her, arching a brow.
Her heart fluttered like it always did when he was near, and her cheeks heated.
“Soon,” he murmured.
She realized he must have caught the blush on her cheeks, and she felt them heat even more.
The wedding was in just a few days. Somehow, Ash had worked a miracle with the paperwork, so they didn’t have much longer to wait.
Though Ash and Maya liked their little house, they had immediately decided that they’d rather live in the big blue house on Lawrence Farm, to be near the whole extended family.
There had been a time when Allie wondered if thehouse her parents had set aside for her would stand empty forever. But now she knew it would soon be filled with happy memories.
“It was incredible to see that,” Ash said, nodding toward the sofa, where Maya was looking at the pictures in the book with Alonso. “She seems so confident.”
“It made me really happy too,” Allie agreed.
“But she wasn’t really reading,” Ash ventured. “Is that a problem?”
“It’s normal for kids who are just getting started,” Allie told him. “For now, we mainly want to see an interest in books, which she definitely has. And I noticed that she really remembered the story from when my mom read it to her. She has great story comprehension—she understands what’s being read to her. It means she’s going to be a strong reader once she has the skills.”
“She’s interested because of the time you spend with her,” Ash said, his voice deep with emotion. “She’s going to be a good reader because of you.”
“She’s interested because she’s super bright,” Allie amended. “And I’m going to be there to support her every step of the way, so maybe she’ll pick up her skills a little faster. But she’s incredible all on her own, Ash. You knew that already.”
“She’s even better with you,” he said softly. “Both of us are. I spent so many years competing, chasing after the feeling that I never had enough—enough money, enough success. With you, I finally feel content with what I have, and with who I am.”
