Page 14 of Tying the Knot with her Sweet Scrooge

Feeling slightly guilty, Jill had stopped wearing her wedding band last year because it needed to be sized and didn’t fit her finger anymore. Her sweet husband never said a word when he came home. Instead, claiming he didn’t need atrinketto run off other guys, because he’d take care of the job himself if anyone ever approached her. As she looked down at her hand, she hesitated.

Her eyes shot back up to his in disbelief.

“You didn’t…?”

“I did.”

There, on her finger, was her wedding band. He had it cleaned, obviously sized, and it was sporting a new and much larger diamond, as well as the tiny band was bonded to a diamond anniversary band. It glistened in the light above their heads and was utterly lovely.

“This is too much,” she whispered tearfully, looking at him.

“This is not enough to show you how much you mean to me,” he replied sincerely as he brought her hand to his lips, kissing the ring. “You have always been my rock, my reason for living, and I am so thrilled at the idea of spending the second half of my life irritating the heck outta you, woman.”

Jill laughed tearfully, moving forward into his arms again, hugging him tightly. She always knew he was a sweetheart beneath that gruff exterior, but it was these glimpses, these stolen moments, that were the glue that held it all together.

And they heard a slow clap nearby.

Opening her eyes and pulling back slightly, her husband turned and grunted in irritation before leaning down to kiss her cheek. Obviously, he was slightly bothered by the interruption, but if he was actually upset – her sweet Babe would have told their friends to get lost. Seven faces peered into the kitchen from the doorway. Those happy smiles ranged from forty-two years old to three, and sucking his thumb.

“So things are back to normal?” Logan said simply.

“Always were,” Jill replied, feeling her husband hug her in a silent agreement.

“We’re having a baby,” her husband interjected proudly, kissing her temple as Jill chuckled at hearing their teasing words. Yeah, he’d already told his friends, but he was making the announcement official for her, and she knew it.

“You’re making a mess,” John said easily, entering the kitchen and lifting Rose onto a stool at the counter. “Is everyone allowed to make Christmas cookies?”

“They are supposed to be Danish Knots, or Kringlers,” Jill explained, pulling away slightly from her husband, nodding and waving everyone else into the kitchen to join them. Her heart was so full of happiness, love, and friendship that the idea of having the people they cared for nearby, being a part of their world was something she would treasure.

“I think we need someone skilled to sprinkle the red sugar crystals,” Houghton said to Rose, handing her the little container and then looking at Michael. “You wanna be the green-sprinkle-person?”

“And meee?” Griffin asked, yanking his thumb out of his mouth in a sweet high-pitched voice that melted Jill’s heart.

“You are going to put the silver candies on the cookies,” she said quickly, ad-libbing so the child didn’t feel left out as Logan lifted his son and stood behind him on the backless stool.

“Why don’t we open another carton of eggnog?” Lily smiled happily.

“I’ll grab the gumdrops, and we’ll just load the cookies up with gobs of sugar because it’s the holidays,” Juliet volunteered, causing everyone to laugh.

The conversation flowed as they worked around the island, managing to slowly make the mess in the bowl into a mangled version of her beloved Danish Knots. As she pressed out each form onto a cookie sheet, she listened as the children told her about their outing less than an hour ago.

“I made a snowman…”

“I found a rock,” Griffin announced, holding it up. She smiled tenderly at the toddler because it sounded like he’d found a ‘wok’ instead of a ‘rock.’

“I saw the moos…”

“A moose?” Jill hesitated in concern.

“A moo-cow,” Houghton nodded, chuckling. “C’mon hon, we’ve gotta learn the language, you know?” – and winked at her.

“Where’s Panic and Lyndsey?”

“I’m not sure,” her husband replied. “They borrowed the van.”

“Ahhh. Maybe a last-minute shopping spree before tomorrow?”

“Maybe.”

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