A Mountain Springs Christmas

Chapter 18

eighteen

JACK

It hadn’t mattered that Jack had spent twenty-seven Christmases not ever experiencing a Christmas Eve that he enjoyed. In a single night, tonight had made up for all of them. Aches from the car crash and all.

After the festivities had started to die down, Noelle had grabbed a thick blanket off the back of the couch and motioned for him to follow her out to the back patio. He’d picked up the present he’d brought for her and followed her into the snowy night, setting it on a small table. He would follow her anywhere.

They had been standing at the edge of the patio, blanket wrapping them both, for a good twenty minutes, watching the snow softly fall, their breaths making little puffs of clouds. The moonlight shone across the snow, giving everything an unearthly, magical glow.

She looked up at him from where she was snuggled in at his side. “I thought this Christmas would be terrible. Thank you for making it the best.” Then she leaned her head against his chest, and he just wanted to stay like that forever. It didn’t even matter that it was cold or that his back still hurt from the wreck.

“Oh!” She said, turning in the blanket he held around the two of them so that she was facing him. “You brought out a present for me!”

He chuckled and removed the blanket from around the two of them before placing it around her shoulders and walking to the small outdoor table shielded from the snow and picking up the package.

He leaned in close to her and whispered, “Happy birthday,” before placing the package in her hands.

“Oh. It’s heavy.”

She set it back down on the table and started carefully opening the wrapping paper to reveal a plain brown box. She looked at him in question, then lifted the lid and gasped.

She pulled the snow globe out of the packaging and held it up to admire it. The globe itself was set in a red lantern-shaped housing. It had a small motor that constantly set the water inside in motion, and with its interior light, the swirling glitter looked as if the snow was falling like it was just beyond the roofed patio where they stood.

She didn’t seem to have any words, so he stepped in close, pointing out the figurines in the globe—it was of the two of them, decorating their snow and stars Christmas tree during the Mystery Santa Hat activity. “I figured that since your gran-gran and you had made a snow globe-themed tree that snow globes were important to you. I found someone who custom makes these, and she was more than willing to do an extremely rushed order.”

She brushed her fingertips along the curved glass. “Jack,” she breathed, “this is incredible. It’s our own little scene!”

He smiled at the look of wonder on her face, thrilled that she liked it as much as he hoped she would.

He placed a kiss on her temple. “And I hope we have many more in our future together.”

She carefully set the globe back into its packaging, then turned and brought her chilly hands to his face, letting the blanket fall to the patio floor.

Her kiss earlier had been quick and sweet. When she kissed him this time, she seemed to pour everything into it. Her kisses were soft and tender. When he put his arms around her and pulled her in close, she wrapped her arms behind his neck, her kisses became something more. A thank you, a promise, an acceptance of everything that he was.

From somewhere around at the front of the house, they heard jingle bells ringing, and Noelle broke the kiss just enough to whisper against his lips. “That would be my dad.”

A sound erupted from the family room, just beyond the closed patio doors, and, keeping their arms wrapped around each other, they turned to look. All the kids were running around, grabbing things, all the parents were standing up, and everyone started hugging each other.

“We should probably go back inside,” Jack said, but not before placing one last kiss on her cheek, just in front of her ear.

As soon as they opened the door, Aiden came rushing up to Jack. “Santa is nearby! We need to get home and get to sleep because he’s going to be coming really soon!” The excitement coming off of Aiden was palpable and contagious. Rachel was right—he was at the perfect age for Christmas. He was glad that Rachel had pushed Jack to help Aiden experience it all.

“Okay, buddy. Get your shoes and coat on, and make sure you’ve got all of your stuff.”

Then he turned back to Noelle. “I don’t want to leave.” He leaned in close enough that his lips were brushing her ear and whispered, “But I’ve got to go be Santa.”

“I don’t want you to leave, either. But I am going to enjoy picturing you doing that tonight.” Noelle gave him a smile that made his chest soar. “You go. We’ve got forever ahead of us.”

He gave her one last smile and kiss. “We do.”