Silver Linings (Collier’s Creek Christmas)

17. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Cam

The suds swirl in the sink as I hum softly to myself while scrubbing the casserole dish. Greg sidles up beside me with a tea towel.

“Thanks for giving me a hand with this. You must be sick and tired of taking care of dishes,” he says, taking the pot.

I chuckle. “Hey, I’m not complaining. Especially when my husband put such a delicious meal on the table. You cook, I wash… seems like a good deal to me.”

He pulls me in for a quick kiss, his lips soft and familiar, and tasting vaguely of the red wine we’d shared with our meal. I try to deepen the kiss, but he steps back with a tsk. “Not until we’ve finished here.”

I pout and turn back to the sink, twisting the faucet handle to shut off the water. What follows is blissful silence—no drops, no leaks. I beam at him.

“Can you believe it? The new faucet is the best Christmas present ever!” I turn it on and off again just to marvel at the lack of dripping.

Greg laughs. “Gee, you’re easy to please.”

“Hmm. Not that easy.” I look around the newly completed kitchen. With the freshly painted walls, pale cabinets, and new blue tiles, it’s bright and inviting. The reclaimed wood shelves hold our eclectic mix of mugs and cookbooks. It’s perfect—cozy and rustic. The kitchen is the heart of our home, the place where we cook together, laugh together, and dance together like crazy idiots. I catch Greg’s eye and smile. “It’s everything I dreamed it would be. You’ve done an amazing job with this reno, babe. I mean, look at this place. It’s stunning. And you managed it all on a minimum budget while still taking care of your clients.”

Greg shrugs, a small smile playing on his lips. “You helped with the painting, Cam. And I know you would’ve done more if CC’s hadn’t been so busy with the Christmas rush, the markets, and the Bash.”

“Well, I absolutely love it.” I step close, sliding my arms around his waist.

“And we got it finished before Christmas, so that’s another win.” He leans in and presses another kiss to my lips. When he pulls back, there’s a mischievous glint in his blue eyes. “Hey, you ready for your Christmas present?”

I blink, surprised. “Now? But it’s only Christmas Eve.”

“I know, but I can’t wait any longer.” His grin widens, and he waggles his brows. “So, what do you say? Want your gift?”

My heart flip-flops in my chest, as he puts on a display of puppy-dog eyes. God, I love his playful side, and I can never say no when he looks at me like that. “Absolutely,” I say. “Bring it on.”

“Wait right here.” After a quick peck to my cheek, he disappears into the hall, leaving me standing in the kitchen watching his retreating back.

With a chuckle, I hang up the tea towel. I can’t wait to see what he has for me, although I assume he’s finally doing the bathroom reveal. The anticipation has been killing me—I’ve been forbidden to look for all these weeks. Now I finally get to see the results of his hard work. Greg’s always been thoughtful with his gifts, putting care into choosing things that are meaningful to me, to us. I think back to last Christmas, how nervous he was handing me the carefully wrapped present. The way his face lit up when I opened it and immediately looped the hand-knitted scarf around my neck, pulling him in for a kiss. It was an honor to be the recipient of his first ever knitting project even if it was just a bunch of colored squares sewn together. And now, standing in our dream kitchen, I’m reminded all over again of how lucky I am.

I hear his footsteps coming back down the hall and I turn, a smile already spreading across my face for whatever surprise he has planned.

He appears in the doorway, a grin on his face, as he reaches out his hand. “Come with me.”

I take his hand, and he leads me down the hall. We pause outside the bathroom door where the handle now bears a huge read bow. Greg turns to me, his eyes sparkling. “Ready?”

I nod, reaching for the handle and pushing open the door. I step inside, my breath catching in my throat. Greg promised me the bathroom of my dreams and he’s more than delivered.

The room is awash in the warm glow of candlelight, the flickering flames casting dancing shadows on the tiled walls. The air is fragrant with the scent of lavender, and soft music plays from a Bluetooth speaker in the corner. The bathtub is filled to the brim with steaming water and topped with a fluffy layer of bubbles. I take a step forward, feeling the heat of the floor through my socks, perfect for the cold winter weather.

I run my hand along the smooth tiles, admiring the gorgeous pattern, and turn to him in awe. “Greg, I can’t believe you did so much of this yourself. This is incredible.”

He leans against the doorframe, smiling. “You deserve a little pampering. What do you think of the shower? Is it what you imagined?”

My gaze falls on the massive shower in the corner, the glass gleaming in the candlelight.

“I might miss our old shower in the laundry room,” I joke, grinning at him. “We had some good times in there.”

He laughs, pushing off the doorframe and pulling me into his arms. “We’ll just have to make some new memories in here.”

“Sounds good to me.” I lean into him, savoring the solid warmth of his body. I shiver as his hands slide under the hem of my shirt, his fingers skimming over my skin as he lifts it over my head.

I reach for him, unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it off his shoulders. We undress each other slowly, taking our time, exploring the familiar planes and curves of each other’s bodies. When we’re both naked, he takes my hand and leads me to the tub. As we step in and sink into the steaming water, I’m grateful for the oversized tub.

I lean back against Greg’s chest, relishing the feel of his skin against mine. His arms come around me and I close my eyes, letting the warmth of the water and the comfort of his embrace envelop me. I sigh, my head falling back against his shoulder. “This feels amazing.”

He hums in response, his hands stroking gently along my arms in a way that’s meditative and soothing. We stay like that for a long while, the candles burning low, the soft music washing over us. Eventually he stirs, gesturing for me to scoot around. The water swishes as I move to the other end of the bath and lie back. After a moment, his hands are on my feet, his thumbs pressing into the arches, massaging away the tension. It feels heavenly.

“God, I love this. I could stay in here all night,” I say with another blissful sigh.

“On the topic of baths,” Greg says, his fingers working their magic on my feet, “I was thinking of another trip for our bucket list. Perhaps to Japan to visit a bathhouse. We could make it happen one day.”

I smile, the idea taking root in my mind. “I’d love that. If we went in winter, we could see the snow monkeys bathing in the hot springs… it would be incredible.”

“We could take a whole month. Really make a proper vacation of it.”

“A month sounds perfect,” I agree. “Something to look forward to, to plan for together.”

We’re madly saving all our spare pennies for our future family, but it’s nice to have other dreams, even if it takes forever for them to come true. His smile is soft as he holds my gaze and my heart swells with love, for both this man and for the life we’ve built together. I’m so lucky to have someone who just gets me.

“I’m so grateful for you,” I say as I sit up, water splashing and bubbles taking flight. “For this, for us… for everything.”

He cups my cheek, his thumb brushing across my skin. “Me too. Every day, I’m grateful. For the big things and the little things… for all of it.”

I lean into his touch. We’ve both built profitable businesses, and our house is amazing, but it’s not the trappings of success that make me content. It’s Greg. It’s us as a couple. We’ve triumphed over accident and illness, and things that could have derailed our relationship, but we’re strong, and even stronger together.

Later, as he dries off, I steal glances at him, marveling at the play of candlelight over his bare skin, the way it glints off the droplets clinging to his shoulders. Even after all these years, the sight of him still takes my breath away and his scars only make him more beautiful. I’m disappointed when he puts on a robe.

I slip my own robe over my shoulders, the fabric warm from the heated towel rack—a decadent touch. As I tie the belt around my waist, I look up to find Greg watching me, his expression soft with affection. My heart flips in my chest.

“What?” I ask, a smile tugging at my lips.

“Nothing,” he says, shaking his head. “Just… I love you.”

The words, so simple yet so profound.

I step closer, drawing him to me. “I love you too. Thank you for the most awesome Christmas present ever.” And thank you for being you.