Page 40 of Christmas Secrets

“Are ye ready?”

Dottie was so excited she started dancing on her toes. “I’m ready,” she giggled.

Ben grabbed the doorknob and flung it wide open. “Ta-da,” he announced eagerly watching her face.

Dottie was stunned. There in front of her sat her dream machine with a huge white and pink striped bow attached to the chassis. “Oh. My. Gawd.” She slapped her palms to her face and turned to stare at him. “Ben, how can we afford this?”

“It’s not brand new, honey, but it’s like new. My cousin bought it and then never really used it. He was going to sell it and he gave me a great discount because we are family. I squeezed it out in payments. Maybe I can find one fer me some time, but fer now, I’ll just use the Artic Cat of Dads.”

Dottie danced on her tiptoes. “It’s beautiful, Ben. I love it...I love it...” She jumped up into his arms and started kissing his face all over.

Ben supported her with his arms crossed under her small butt and enjoyed her gratitude. “I’m glad ye like it, honey,” he said when she leaned back for air. “We can take a ride whenever ye want to go. There’s new snow out and we can try it out.”

Dottie felt the time was right for her surprise. She slid out of his arms. “I have one more surprise fer ye, Ben. Wait right here.”

He closed the door behind him with a big grin. “Okay...waiting right here.” He folded his arms and stood perfectly still.

“Crazy man,” she said with a giggle. “Ye can move around the room if ye want, just wait fer me.” She ran down the hallway and into her office. Grabbing the envelope out of her desk, she rushed back to where Ben had decided to sit by the Christmas tree again to wait for her. She dropped down beside him on her knees and handed him the envelope. “This came in the mail earlier this week and I wanted to wait until Christmas to show ye.”

“Ye mean ye kept a Christmas secret this long?” he teased.

“Hey, I kept how much those dumplings cost a lot longer than this.”

One eyebrow shot up. “That was one secret ye shouldn’t have kept, brat.”

“Just hurry up and open it,” she urged. “My discretions have been dealt with, lets get to the fun stuff.”

She watched as he took the paper out of the envelope and she could barely contain her excitement. Watching his eyes widen as he read, she could tell when he got to the bottom line because he looked up at her with a stunned expression.

“Is...is this fer real, Dottie?” he asked hoarsely.

“Aye, it’s fer real. I’ve already asked my lawyer about it and he verified that it’s an authentic offer.” She clapped her hands together, bouncing on her knees.

Ben whooped and jumped up, drawing her up with him. He picked her up and whirled around with her in a circle. “Dottie, ye are amazing. Ye sold one of the programs ye wrote. I’m so incredibly proud of ye.”

Dottie laughed with delight as she slid down his body. “Aye, the potential to make a lot of money is there, I just need to get a professional to help me with the contract. But this company wants to market my design and I’ll get royalties on every sale. Not to mention the original purchase price. If this all goes through, I can get ye a snowmobile next Christmas! I’m so excited, Ben. We can do some of the things ye have been putting off. Like repairing, or even building a new barn. Together we can make Thistlewind grow and prosper.”

Ben frowned suddenly. “But this is yer money, Dottie. Ye earned it.”

She folded her arms and tapped her foot. “Okay, then the money ye earn is yours. Ye shouldn’t be spending any of it on me.”

“That’s not the same thing,” he argued stubbornly. “It’s my responsibility to take care of my wife and family.”

“And it’s not mine to take care ofmyfamily?” She pointed a finger at his chest and poked. “Is that what ye are telling me, Ben Sangster?” She poked again. “I thought we were in this together.” She poked harder this time.

He looked conflicted as he grabbed her hand. “Stop that,” he growled. He rubbed his chest with his other hand. “When ye put it that way I can see yer point,” he added ruefully. “I’m just old fashioned, Dottie.”

Her gaze softened. “Times have changed, honey. Women are no longer dependent on their husbands to take care of them financially. Most women today work and contribute to the household income, as they should.” She held up the letter he’d dropped. “This is my contribution. It may be my only contribution, so we better make it count. Not every deal works out and the program might be a complete flop and never make a single sale. So, guard that lump sum with yer life,” she added with a giggle.

He smiled then. “Well...if it does work out, ye need to talk to Poppy about investments. She’s very good with business.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I have to admit, Dottie, this is the best Christmas secret ever.”

Dottie slid her arms up and around his neck. “Nay, it isn’t. The best Christmas secret is ye deciding to help me with cooking. Ye have no idea how much that means to me, Ben. That ye would do something that ye never wanted to do just to make me happy tops every other gift this year. Ye are the best husband ever and I love ye fer it.”

Ben leaned down to kiss her. “Ye are my wife, Dottie Sangster. I would do anything to make ye happy.”

When Ben finally lifted his head, Dottie was almost limp in his arms and her heart was racing like a steam engine.

“Do ye want to go fer a ride on yer new snowmobile?” he asked thickly.

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