Page 26

The snow globe was beautiful. Shining glass with a solid russet base and gold engraved letters that had my heart stopping in my chest, only to start again on a race that was so fast and so intense, it was nearly painful, stared up at me.

Inside, white imitation snow swam through the liquid as I lifted the globe from the box.

The snow swirled down around a ramshackle cabin that was surrounded by trees and mountains, but what I couldn’t stop seeing were the words that had been engraved. I promise you, one day.

My mind flashed back to when I’d told him about my dream of being in the mountains, secluded, and safe. And then my heart clenched on a beat in my chest.

“Beckett,”

“It says everything I wanted to say to you before you let me in, Amara. Before you let me see your smile, kiss you, hold you—this says everything I wanted to tell you, but didn’t feel like I could.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I want to be the man who gives you safe. You said you’d feel safe surrounded by mountains in a little cabin in the woods.” His eyes were so soft and so true; it took away my breath and seized my heart. “I want to be the man to give all that to you—and I promise, if you let me, I will. One day.”

How had I gone from the hurt woman who was so wounded and lost only months ago, to this woman who sat before a warm fire with a beautiful man she trusted, in such a short time? How could I be so lucky? And when the floor fell out from beneath me, how was I ever going to survive?

Beckett continued when I said nothing in reply, “The cabin looks broken, but it’s not.

It represents you—and everything you think you are.

You see yourself as broken, Amara, but you’re not.

You’re perfect. You’ve been wounded and it shows, but even if you take yourself back down to the studs, you can always be rebuilt. You’ll always be strong.”

Right now, I wasn’t feeling very strong. Right now, my insides were quaking and my heart was—my heart was falling. Yes, you heard it. My heart was falling head over heels for Beckett Davis, and there was no stopping it. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to stop it.

Falling, when done right, and with the right person, was a beautiful thing.

So it was looking down into my globe of dreams and wishes for one day, that I whispered, “I really hope you always feel that way about me, Beckett.”

His warm hand slid beneath my thick hair to cup the back of my neck.

When he tugged, forcing my eyes to meet his, I’d thought he was going to kiss me.

He didn’t. Instead, he looked deep into my eyes and vowed.

“I’ll always feel for you, Amara. But it won’t be the same way I feel now.

” My heart squeezed. “Every day, I feel more for you. So I know that as the days pass, my feelings for you will only keep growing. They’ll keep getting stronger. ”

I didn’t know if it was because of the snow globe, or his declaration, but he’d just obliterated any and all sense of reservation I’d been clutching, white knuckled, onto.

It was as I threw caution to the wind, letting my heart soar for the first time since I’d caged it tight all those years ago, that I finally felt his lips on mine.

Christmas morning was filled with merry celebration, love, and a dash of crazy.

We’d decided to do a Christmas exchange rather than giving gifts to everyone.

So it was around a crackling fire, laughter, and coffee that we opened our presents.

Maddy had drawn my name, and she bought me the most unattractive and yet adorably cozy lavender onsie.

It had a big fluffy hood and fluffy booties at the feet. I loved it.

So it was on that, I lifted it high and declared, “It’s perfect.”

That was when Beckett demanded. “What is that thing supposed to be?”

“You’ll love it when it’s on.” Raina said, winking.

“Already know I like it when it’s off.” Beckett countered and Isabelle Andrews, Raina’s mother, gasped.

“Beckett!”

“What?” Beckett asked, feigning innocence. “It’s true. I don’t know what Maddy was thinking buying that thing.”

“I was thinking it looked like something Amara would love. I also bought one for myself. It’s pink.”

“Where’s mine?” Raina asked, suddenly affronted.

“It’s a Christmas exchange,” Kaiden explained. “You don’t get one.”

“But my two besties have matching jammies.” She pouted, but her lips twitched just enough to let us all know she wasn’t serious.

“Yours is in my suitcase.” Maddy said, shrugging. “I couldn’t resist. By the way, it’s yellow.”

Raina clapped. “Squee!”

“You had to indulge her, didn’t you?” Kaiden asked.

“Now you feel my pain.” Beckett mumbled. “Try getting her out of that once she’s bundled in.”

This time, when Isabelle gasped, the room erupted in laughter.

Incidentally, I drew Raina’s name. Knowing Raina, I bought her a massive bag of colorful marshmallows, wine, and white chocolate.

Kaiden gave me a look and Raina giggled hysterically, because apparently he’d bought and given to her the same thing before they’d left home to join us at the cabin for Christmas.

But honestly, it was no secret the girl loved her marshmallows and white chocolate.

The wine was just insurance for the next time Raina was feeling a little crazy, we would dance it up in Maddy’s apartment instead of at a club.

Raina shopped for Beckett. He warily unwrapped a soft charcoal gray housecoat I knew, instinctively, that I would be stealing.

The thought made me warm inside. The housecoat came with a pair of slippers, that if my feet weren’t unbearably tiny and his ungodly huge, I would have considered stealing as well.

I knew Beckett drew Maddy’s name, because he’d whined for days until I’d joined him at the mall where he bought the books I selected, knowing she’d love them. She was ecstatic as any true book lover would be as she declared, “It’s going to be an early night for me.”

The only person left was Kaiden, which Raina decided she and Maddy would shop for together. I was a little stunned to watch him unwrap a shiny blue fishing rod and tackle box filled with fishing paraphernalia.

Kaiden raised a brow, “Fishing?”

Clearly, Kaiden didn’t fish. “I thought we needed something more than,” Raina’s cheeks turned pink as she avoided her parents’ eyes. “More than skinny dipping to get us to the lake in the summer.”

Isabelle muffled a chuckle and Daniel shifted, but they both knew they’d raised a wild child, who even though she was wild, had a good head on her shoulders.

“Maddy?” Kaiden asked, “You agree?”

“While I know Raina can get pretty much anyone to agree that skinny dipping can fix pretty much anything, I personally believe that fishing is good for the soul.”

“Well, in that case,” Kaiden shrugged on a grin. “Thanks.”

The next were the parents. Kaiden and Raina had given both their moms family birthstone rings that blended their family colors together.

Seeing that had my heart feeling silly in my chest, because I ached for it in a way that sucked, because I’d never have it.

Never. Still, I was happy my friend did.

She deserved to have all the beauty this world could offer.

The men, as Raina had been involved in the shopping of their gifts, received fishing rods.

Again, the room erupted in laughter and Keith, when his laughter had died, looked to Beckett and announced. “We’ll need to get you a rod so you can join, son.”

Maddy’s breath caught and Beckett stiffened, but only slightly. “I’d like that, Keith.”

Keith smiled, surely thinking of the son he’d lost as well as the beauty he was gaining in his continued life, “Me too.”

After, we all opened our gifts from the parents. Everyone got pajamas with slippers and the girls all got scarves and baileys while the boys were given flashlights and whiskey.

I had to admit, while reflecting later that night after board games and Gracie’s famous Christmas popcorn with red and green M I didn’t like it for him. “I like Christmas.”

Whiskey eyes were soft as he looked over his shoulder. “I can tell.”

“I didn’t always like it.” I admitted, feeling as though he should know this. “But I do now.” And then I added, “I’m sorry I didn’t get you anything. I wasn’t prepared . . .”

“Don’t be sorry.” He grinned. “You’ve given me more than you know.”

“I have?”

“I’ve seen you smile.”

“That’s not me giving you anything. That’s me giving me something.” Or more accurately, it was me taking happiness from him. So again, something more he’d given to me.

“That’s not true. I’ve wanted to make you smile since I met you.” He grinned and it made me feel all kinds of melty. “Finally, I did it.”

“Taking credit, are you?”

“Definitely,” his hand snagged me by the waist, tugging me in close as the new fire crackled low behind him. “I’m taking all the credit. I also intend to continue taking the credit.”

“For how long?” I whispered, unable to stop the revealing words in their tracks.

For a moment, I felt naked. Entirely stripped bare and vulnerable as he looked down into my face. And then he revealed himself in a way I didn’t know I wanted with the desperation I wanted it.

“Forever,” he vowed. His voice was deep and gravelly. “If you’ll let me.”

I never would have guessed that when I met this man in July the past summer, that I would be standing in his arms on Christmas Day, in love.