Michael finally stopped the sleigh at the frozen pond, releasing the bridles as he leaned back on the bench and smiled at Jessy. The glow of the moon gave his face a bluish cast, but his eyes sparkled like diamonds as he gazed at her.
“That was wonderful, what you did for the kids.” Jessy took his cold hand and held it to her lips, pressing a warm kiss against his palm.
“My dad always used to play Santa for us. Every year.” Michael tugged off the hat and beard and scratched at his chin. “Itches like you wouldn’t believe.”
Jessy laughed and stroked his cheek, guiding him close for a quick kiss. “I missed being alone with you today,” she said softly.
“I don’t know if I could’ve been trusted alone with you,” Michael said with a devilish smile. “We wouldn’t have gotten a single thing done.”
Jessy smiled and nuzzled up to his throat. “And that would be a bad thing?”
“Lord help me,” Michael said softly, giving in to her soft, sweet kisses. “I
have
created a monster.”
“Shut up and kiss me, Santa.”
“Whatever you want, babydoll.” Grinning, Michael settled in closer to Jessy, wrapping them both in the blanket. They kissed as if it had been months instead of hours since they were last together.
“I didn’t forget your gift, Jessy,” Michael finally whispered, pulling away from Jessy long enough to reach behind the seat and withdraw a large, beautifully wrapped box. “Merry Christmas, baby.”
Jessy smiled as she held the present on her lap, looking up to Michael and seeing the anticipation in his eyes. “Michael—you didn’t have to—”
“I know. But I wanted to. Open it.”
Jessy undid the ribbons and bows, tearing the paper carefully to reveal a plain white box. With a quick glance up at Michael, she lifted the lid.
It was a collection of “Bridal Tree” ornaments, each one cradled in a nest of tissue paper. And in the center, a small velvet box.
Jessy’s breath caught for a moment, her heart hammering in her chest as she looked up to Michael’s eyes again.
“I realize that we haven’t known each other for years,” Michael said softly, gazing at Jessy with a tenderness that made her feel almost dizzy, “but I love you so much—and I honestly don’t know what I would do without you in my life.”
“Oh, Michael—” Jessy’s voice trailed away as tears raced hotly down her cheeks. She didn’t even bother to try to stop them.
Michael’s smile slanted slightly as he gazed at Jessy, his own eyes shining in the moonlight. “I want you to stay here, with me and the kids, forever.” He touched her cheek, still smiling. “And if you’ll have me, I promise I’ll never stop trying to make you happy.” He paused a moment, gaze never wavering from hers. “Will you marry me, Jess?”
Jessy couldn’t find her voice for a moment. She nodded sharply, smiling and laughing and crying all at once. “Yes,” she finally managed to whisper.
“Open the box,” Michael whispered, and Jessy managed, with trembling hands, to raise the lid of the tiny velvet box. Tucked within the folds of velvet was the most beautiful ring Jessy had ever seen: a gold band with a small diamond and pearl setting.
Michael held her trembling hand in his, gently slipping the ring on her finger, then turning her hand to press a soft kiss against her palm. She met his gaze again, saw the tears shimmering in his eyes, and knew that wishes could come true. Miracles could happen.
“So how do you feel about kids?” he asked, surprising her into a laugh. “I say we have at least five more, give or take.”
Jessy grinned and snuggled in closer to him, pulling his arm around her shoulders so that she could gaze at their intertwined hands, at the ring sparkling on her finger. “And how many of these kids will
you
be carrying?”
Michael grinned. “Heck, I’ll carry all of ’em—it’s just the delivery part that makes me nervous.”
Jessy craned her head back to look up at him. “I can see the next fifty years with you are going to be fun.”
“Lady—” Michael waggled his eyebrows and grinned devilishly. “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
“Good,” Jessy murmured, managing a quick smile before Michael kissed her again, cradling her in his arms as he pulled the blanket up to their shoulders and they shared the silence of the starry night.
An hour later they returned to the house to find that Lyssa had dinner on the table, waiting for them.
The scent of baked ham and fresh bread filled the room, the table laden with even more food than there had been for Thanksgiving.
“It’s about time you two got back for dinner,” Lyssa said as she entered the dining room. “I thought I’d have to send Frank out to track you down.”
“Jessy and I had a few things to discuss,” Michael said and smiled, lifting Jessy’s left hand to show off the ring.
Lyssa gasped softly as she saw the ring. Her gaze went from the ring to Michael and then to Jessy, her eyes suddenly glistening.
“Oh, sweetheart—welcome home.” Lyssa embraced both Michael and Jessy at once.
“It’s about time, Monk-boy!” Frank said as he gave Michael a playful shot to the shoulder and swooped Jessy up in a hug.
No one noticed Ann standing in the doorway.
“Michael?”
Her voice was unnaturally soft, unusually meek. Michael turned, his smile fading as soon as he saw her standing there, holding bags of wrapped gifts in her arms.
Ann tried a weak smile. “I rang the bell, but no one answered.”
The room fell into a deadly silence. Lyssa began to speak, then thought better of it and walked away, disappearing into the kitchen. Frank glowered for a moment, then joined Lyssa.
Jessy glanced over Ann’s shoulder, suddenly afraid that she had brought the Child Protective Services to take the children.
“I’m alone,” Ann said quietly, sensing Jessy’s worry. Her gaze ticked back to Michael. “Can we talk?”
“I don’t know what’s left to say,” Michael said tonelessly.
“Please, Michael.”
The pleading tone in her voice hit its mark. Michael glanced to Jessy and she could see the indecision in his eyes, the anger tempered with sadness. She gave him an almost imperceptible nod.
“Let’s go into the living room,” Michael said, taking Jessy’s hand before she could object. Michael and Jessy sat together on the couch. Ann remained standing, awkward as she studied the ornaments on the tree.
“I remember this one,” she said, gently touching a glitter-covered blue dove. “Libby made it in third grade—she swallowed the glitter and scared us half to death, remember?”
Michael sat stone-faced. “What do you want, Ann?”
Ann took a deep breath, releasing it in a deep sigh. “I just—I thought I’d stop by. To see the kids before I go.”
“Before you go?” Michael said, his expression dark, unreadable. “So you’re taking off again?”
“I just found out today—a magazine in New York is looking for an editor. They want me. I’m leaving for my interview with them tomorrow.” Ann’s voice faded away as she turned her attention back to them. Jessy saw her gaze go to their entwined hands, saw the almost imperceptible tightening of her mouth when she saw the ring.
“Do the kids like her?” Ann refused to look at Jessy, keeping her eyes on Michael only.
“The kids love Jessy,” Michael said quietly.
“I
love Jessy.”
Ann nodded, a quick jerk of her head, and finally looked away from Michael back to the decorations on the tree. She touched a gingerbread man made of salt-dough, smiling faintly.
“We made these before—before I left,” she said softly. “Libby helped mix the dough and Marie painted the buttons on. Ben couldn’t understand why we couldn’t eat them—”
She looked back to Michael and Jessy again, her eyes shining with tears. “I never knew,” she said, voice little more than a whisper. “I had everything but—I never knew—”
Michael’s grip on Jessy’s hand tightened, but he didn’t get up to comfort Ann. He simply watched her, a muscle jumping in his jaw as he clenched his teeth.
“I shouldn’t have done it,” Ann said softly. “I shouldn’t have threatened you like that. I don’t know what I was thinking.” Her gaze found Jessy’s again. “I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry.”
Jessy nodded, not trusting herself to speak. It was the best she could do.
“I’ll be moving to New York,” Ann said, turning her attention to Michael again. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for me—”
“Of course it is,” Michael said tightly.
“Can’t you at least be happy for me?”
“What about the kids, Ann?” Michael’s voice rose for the first time since Ann’s arrival. “What am I supposed to tell them when they ask about you?”
“You tell them that I love them—”
“No.”
Ann flinched slightly. “What?”
“I’m not making excuses for you any more, Ann.” Michael released Jessy’s hand and stood, stalking over to Ann. “It has always been about you. What you wanted. What you needed. Your job. Your career. Your life.”
“And what was I supposed to do, Michael? Settle for a life here on this farm? Never going anywhere or doing anything or making anything of my life? That might be good enough for you, but I deserved better!”
Michael visibly recoiled. He said nothing, and for a few long moments he and Ann simply stared at each other, as if daring the other to look away first. Jessy saw the pain in his eyes, knew that Ann’s words had cut even deeper than she’d intended. And she saw that Ann realized it as well.
“Michael—” Ann spoke just as he turned away from her. He sat stiffly beside Jessy, bracing his forearms on his knees, keeping his head down. Jessy hesitated for a moment before touching his arm, expecting a rebuff, but he took her hand almost eagerly, holding it tightly between both of his.
“I wasn’t meant for this,” Ann said softly. “I wasn’t meant for this kind of life.”
“Because you deserve so much more,” Michael said bitterly, looking up again.
“Because I
wanted
more.” Ann looked around the room, shaking her head slightly. “I’m sorry, Michael.”
“What do we do about the kids?” Michael asked quietly. “Obviously we can’t share custody—”
“I want you to have full custody.”
Michael studied her for a moment. “Do you realize what that means?”
“Yes.”
“You’re willing to give them up?”
“Well, I’d hope you’d let me borrow them occasionally.” Ann tried a small smile, but couldn’t sustain it. “They belong with you, Michael,” she said softly. “You’ve made a home for them here. You’ve given them all the things that I never could.”
Michael nodded, that muscle still ticking in his jaw.
Ann laughed bitterly. “Hell, I didn’t even know that my own daughter had food allergies. Does that make me mother of the year or what?”
Jessy could see tears shining in Ann’s eyes. Michael still seemed unmoved, as still as stone.
“I hope we can work out a good visitation schedule,” Ann continued, her voice trembling slightly. “I’ll come here, of course, if you’ll have me. And maybe I can take the kids to visit New York once I get settled—it could be like a vacation for them—”
“We’ll see,” Michael said quietly, looking up to Ann again.
“Good—great—” Ann nodded, awkward again.
“When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow night.” Ann smiled thinly. “Nobody likes to travel on Christmas day, so it’s a cheap flight.”
Michael looked at Jessy and she knew exactly what he was thinking. She gave his hand a squeeze.
“Why don’t you—” Michael hesitated, sighing as he looked up to Ann again. “Why don’t you come over in the morning. Spend Christmas with the kids before you go.”
Ann’s smile bloomed, then faltered as she glanced at Jessy. “Are you—I mean, is it okay? Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” Jessy said quietly. She gave Michael’s hand one last, quick squeeze and went over to Ann. “You’re their mother. The kids will never forget that. I will never forget it. I’ll love them and take care of them when you’re not here, but you’ll always be their mother.”
Ann nodded, her eyes shining with tears again.
“I’d like for us to be friends someday,” Jessy said softly. “Not just for the kids’ sake, or for Michael’s sake—for
our
sake.”
“Even after everything—?” Ann’s voice trailed away, tears trailing over her cheeks.
“Especially after everything.” Jessy slowly smiled. “We’ll start slow, though. See if we can get through Christmas without a cat-fight or hair-pulling and then go from there.”
Ann laughed quietly. “I think I might be able to restrain myself.”
“Me too.” Jessy’s smile brightened a little. “Would you like to stay for dinner?”
“Yes,” Ann said softly, nodding. “I’d like that very much.”
Michael stood and joined Jessy, slipping his arm around her shoulders as he pressed a quick kiss against her temple. “Merry Christmas, Ann,” he said quietly.
“Yeah,” Ann whispered, managing a faint smile through her tears. “Merry Christmas.”
The lights of the Christmas tree blinked in its own rhythm, casting shadows of red, blue, and green over the darkened room.
Curled up together on the couch, wrapped up in one of Lyssa’s afghans, Jessy and Michael watched the lights of the tree in silence. Everyone else in the house had long since gone to bed.
The grandfather clock chimed, struck twelve.
“It’s midnight,” Michael said softly, kissing Jessy’s temple as she snuggled closer to his chest. “Merry Christmas, baby.”
Jessy raised her head to smile at him. “Merry Christmas.”
They kissed again, lingering sweetly, taking all the time in the world. As Jessy settled against Michael’s shoulder again, she marveled at the realization that this was only the first of many Christmases together.
And that she finally belonged somewhere, with people who loved her as much as she loved them.
“I wonder what Charlie will say when I tell him we’re engaged.” Jessy smiled, idly unbuttoning the top button of Michael’s shirt to stroke his chest. She loved the feel of his skin, the wiry softness of the dark hair.
Michael laughed quietly, a rumbling sound that widened Jessy’s grin and sent a pleasant shiver down her spine.
“He’ll probably kick himself for losing you,” he said, smiling down to Jessy again. “And then I’ll kick his ass for hurting you.”