Page 12 of Wrapped in Love

She sighed. “Yes.”

“My family are awesome. Honestly. They’re going to love you.”

“They are going to wonder what kind of weird woman shows up with their relative on Christmas Day, having only met him the night before.”

“They’re going to wonder where you have been all my life.”

Her quick intake of breath made me smile.

“Relax, love. Enjoy the day. I promise it’ll be a good one.”

She regarded me with wide eyes. “Love?” she repeated.

I smiled. “Since you personify it, yeah. It just came out. You okay with that?”

She glanced out the window, remaining silent. Then she nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay with that.”

I picked up her hand and kissed it. “Good.”

I withheld the information that my phone had been blowing up in my pocket. It had started about ten minutes after my conversation with Elly. My family was equally as curious as they were shocked. My mother was demanding to know all about Callie, wanting as much information as I could give, while my father’s texts were slightly more cautious. Alan sent me a thumbs-up and some rather rude emojis, and Elly’s messages were constant. I ignored them all after sending one group text.

You’ll meet her soon. Be nice. She is going to be around the rest of my life.

That caused another frenzy of texts to which I didn’t respond. I was driving, and Callie was with me. They could sate their curiosity soon enough.

And they would love her—of that, I had no doubt. She was sweet, warm, and genuine. My mother would react to the quiet need in Callie’s eyes. My father would feel a protective instinct. Alan would tease her simply to see the rush of color on her cheeks. Elly was going to want to be her best friend. John would be John—sit back and observe, all the time forming his own opinion. Tracey would recognize how alone Callie was and respond positively. She was as tenderhearted as Callie. And my nieces and nephews were going to go mad at having another aunt to love.

And I was going to enjoy watching them all fall under Callie’s spell the same way I had.

We pulled into the driveway as the first of the heavy flakes began to fall. I eyed the sky with worry. “It is looking bad again. You might be stuck here with me for the entire week.” I had hoped she’d stay the whole time, but I was prepared to drive her home sooner if she insisted.

Callie blushed. “I asked Mrs. Cooper to post a sign on the shop door when she goes to check on Jake. So, I’m not seeing a problem with that unless you change your mind. Or your family dislikes me.”

“Neither is going to happen.” I glanced toward the porch with a grin. “In fact, I have a feeling I’m going to lose you as soon as we walk up those steps.” I indicated my sister and mother waiting by the door with a tilt of my head. I leaned across the console and captured Callie’s mouth with mine, kissing her fast and deep.

“What was that for?”

“It’s gonna be a while until I can do that again.” I kissed her again, this time my lips lingering on hers. “Stocking up.” I winked. “Get it? Stocking up?”

She slid her hand around my neck and kissed me in return. Regretfully, I pulled back and groaned. “I should have thought about that a mile back. I could kiss you for hours.”

Her cheeks flooded with color. I found it sexy, especially knowing I had put that color there.

I chuckled. “Let’s go, love. We’ll meet them head on and endure it together.”

She peeked at the crowd gathering on the porch and sucked in a long breath. “Okay.”

I sipped a cup of coffee, watching with amusement and delight as my family fell under Callie’s spell as quickly as I had. She was shy and sweet. Caring and inquisitive. Gentle and kind. She listened as people spoke. She paid attention to my nieces and nephews, giving them her full concentration when they wanted to monopolize her time. She asked questions of my father, praised my sister’s home, pleaded with my mother to allow her to help cook the Christmas dinner, and blushed every time she met my eyes.

Which was often because I couldn’t tear my gaze away from her. Callie was artlessly beautiful, her mahogany hair tumbling over her shoulders and her beautiful eyes lit from within. She sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by my family, looking as if she was exactly where she belonged.

I had a sneaking suspicion it was.

Elly stood and clapped her hands. “Okay! We’ve been waiting for Uncle Shane, and now he’s here so you can open presents!”

For the next while, gifts were handed out, paper torn, and delighted shouts filled the air. How they did it, I had no idea, but my family had a few parcels for Callie waiting under the tree. Her shock and delight were evident and her thanks heartfelt and enthusiastic. The gifts I had bought from her store were met with great enthusiasm, and I was touched by the ones she had picked this morning. She had even taken the time to put each in a gift bag, adding candies and bows to make them look even prettier. She had done it in the car as we drove, staying busy the first while, her nervousness coming in handy as her fingers put together the packages.

We took a break—the adults needing more coffee, and the kids already knee-deep in gifts and wanting to explore what they had received. My mom stood.