Christmas with the Mountain Man (Log Cabin Christmas)

Epilogue

Tate

It’s almost midnight and it has been another wonderful Christmas Eve. Now that we all have our own families there are so many kids running about, so much food and love and laughter. My lot are exhausted and I glance at them in the rear vision mirror as I pull into the drive. Twelve year old Andrew is still awake but everybody else is asleep. I smile across at Lacey in the passenger seat. We both know it’s going to be a mission to get them all inside.

As I cut off the engine Andrew shakes his sister awake. Kyra is ten going on sixteen but tonight she is bleary eyed and just wants to go to bed.

I scoop up the other two smaller kids while Lacey gathers up baby Emily. Five kids and I couldn’t be happier. There is always something. Andrew struggles in school. Kyra is too smart for her own good. Little Davy has asthma and there are always things that need fixing or talking about. But there is so much love. And we go out of our way at Christmas time. It’s the anniversary of meeting Lacey.

The four kids came to us two years later. Siblings who would have been lost in the system but have given us everything we ever dreamt of. And of course, because I can’t keep my hands off my wife we eventually had little baby Emily, who at 3 months old is having her very first Christmas.

When the other kids are tucked in I go in to say goodnight to Andrew.

“Looking forward to tomorrow, kido?”

He nods and gives me a sleepy smile. “I like Christmas. I’m glad we came to live here…dad.”

He adds the dad on the end tentatively and it fills up my heart to bursting. It’s the kids second Christmas with us and Andrew has only just started referring to me as dad. I love him like my own and want him to feel that we are a family now.

“You know I would do anything for you and your brother and sisters?”

“Yeah I know. Merry Christmas dad.”

I give his hair a ruffle as he tucks himself down into the covers. He is growing up so fast but there is still a lost little kid in there. But already he has come out of his shell and grown so much over the past year.

Feeling chuffed up with love and pride I make my way down stairs. Stopping, I take a moment to gaze at Lacey who is humming happily to herself as she wraps the last of the presents. Under the tree is filled with gifts for the kids. All things they had specifically wanted and then a few other things we thought they might like. For Lacey I had gotten her an online course to help with her blog that she writes. It’s all about moving on from the past and being happy and she interviews experts and writes from her own experience. But the best gift for me is just seeing her so happy.

Our lives are very full and very busy but we are both happier than we could have ever dreamt. And even though it’s a full house, we always make time for each other. We have a tradition of our own now that we always get away to the cabin for a night somewhere in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Our special anniversary.

With that thought in mind I make my way down the rest of the stairs and give my wife a wicked grin. It doesn’t take much to turn her on and she bats her eyelashes at me and bites her lip.

“Oh, Officer Tate, I’ve made such a mess here. I sure hope I don’t get in trouble with the law.”

Her words hit me right in the cock. It’s not the first time we’ve played what she likes to call Good Cop, Bad Cop. I’m more than happy to play along. But tonight I’m full of Christmas cheer.

“Little Miss. Trouble at it again. I suggest you come over here and sit on my lap and tell Santa what you want for Christmas.”

With a giggle she comes and joins me on the armchair, her legs straddling mine.

But then there is a tender look in her eyes as she reaches out and touches my face.

“You know that you have given me everything I could possibly want and so much more.”

“I know.” I grab her hand and put her fingertips to my lips. Sucking each finger slowly into my mouth as her eyes get wider.

“Pants off, young lady. Santa’s going to give you one hell of a ride!”

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Thanks so much for reading.