Page 106 of Mountain Protector

But the instant the door shuts behind him, I jump up and race into the office, grabbing the large gift bag I’ve had tucked all the way in the back of the closet. Then I jog back into the living room and set the bag on the coffee table before settling back down on the couch.

Less than a minute later, Knox comes back inside, his arms loaded with presents. He heads to the tree and sets them down, saying, “I still can’t believe how much your dad got for us. He didn’t need to buy that much.”

“He wanted to. It made him happy.”

“And the team,” he continues. “I thought we were just doing small gifts. But I guess my idea of small isn’t the same?”

“Well, I think it was mostly Winter.” I grin as I recall the lengthy gift exchange at Enzo’s house, each of us with a growing pile of presents in front of us. “She wanted to make sure everyone got something special.”

“Well, I love the gift she and Enzo gave us.” Knox picks up the box with an instant camera inside. “It’ll be great for all our trips.”

“I know. I can’t wait.” Pausing, I add, “And didn’t Enzo and Winter look so happy? I’m so thrilled for them. He proposed in the gazebo, and there—” I stop. “Well, obviously you knew, since you helped him build it.”

“Do you want me to build you a gazebo?” Knox gets up from the floor, his expression earnest as he continues, “It wouldn’t be a problem. Once the ground thaws, I can get started.”

“I’m okay. I think the hidden library is plenty of work.”

He sits beside me and loops his arm around my shoulder, tugging me into his side. “Do you like the library idea? Really? Because if you don’t want it, I won’t be upset. I can build something else. Or if you’d rather have jewelry or an expensive bag?—”

“Knox. I love your plans for the library. It’s perfect. And the way you drew up all the plans, and all the samples… it’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten.”

Sapphire eyes meet mine, emotion working behind them. “I would give you anything, Lark. All that matters is making you happy. Making you smile.” He traces his finger down the line of my jaw. “Do you know what I thought about your smile when I first met you?”

“Um. That I must have had braces?”

“No.” He sobers. “I thought you had a smile that men would slay dragons to see. I thought I would do anything to see that gorgeous smile. I looked forward to it every time I saw you.”

My heart squeezes. Expands. My body feels so full of love, I’m not sure how there’s room for all of it.

“You always make me smile. Every day. Just being with you makes me happy.”

“Lark.” He cups my cheek. His lips brush across mine. “You make me happier than I even knew possible. Being with you… it’s the most amazing gift.”

“That’s how I feel about you.” I kiss him again, this time lingering for a second, tasting the hint of sugar and chocolate on his lips. “But. Speaking of presents. I still have one more for you.”

“What?” Confusion wrinkles his forehead. “But I thought we did the whole present thing.”

“We did.” Reaching over to the coffee table, I grab the bag and set it in Knox’s lap. “I thought about giving it to you this morning. But then I thought… well. Maybe it’s silly.”

His gaze moves from the bag to me. “I’m sure it’s not.”

“It’s just… I know you didn’t have a lot of nice Christmases. And I want this one to be special for you. This present… it’s special, too. At least, I hope you think it is. So I thought this might be a good way to end the day. With one more present.”

“Okay… but I didn’t save a gift for you.”

“Knox. That’s not important. And Christmas with you is the best gift. So just… open it.”

Slowly, he reaches into the bag, glancing at me as he feels what’s inside. “This doesn’t feel like any present I can recognize.”

“Well, it’s not a sweater.” I try to smile, but my stomach chooses this moment to start jittering. After being so certain about this gift for weeks, I’m suddenly nervous about it.

As he lifts it out of the bag, I hold my breath.

“Lark. What…”

I take the gift bag and set it aside. “It’s a tree. Carved all in one piece from wood found in the Green Mountains.”

He stares at it, turning the carved tree in different directions. The wood is rough-edged but smooth, the wood grain gleaming from careful sanding. It’s about two feet tall, not a large decoration, but one that couldbe put anywhere—in the bedroom, the living room, or even at Knox’s company headquarters.

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