Page 26 of Holiday Surprise

“Who says I’d regret it?” I yelled after him, greeted by his deep laugh.

I got up with a smile on my face and got dressed. When I walked back into the bathroom to apply my makeup, I was mesmerized by my rosy cheeks and puffy, thoroughly kissed lips. I sighed. I could get used to waking up like this.

Finally, ready to start the day, I followed my nose to the kitchen and the delicious smells of breakfast. Luke Larken was standing barefoot in my kitchen cooking eggs and handed me fresh cup of coffee.

“I could definitely get used to this,” I admitted.

He smiled and plated some eggs, added a piece of toast, and set it on the bar in front of me looking pleased with himself.

“What are you doing tonight?” I asked.

He considered it for a minute and shook his head. “No plans.”

“No plans? It’s Christmas Eve.”

He shrugged. “Christmas has never really been a big deal to me. It’s just another day.”

“It’s like the greatest day of the entire year, Luke,” I said a little dramatically. “Look around you,” I said motioning towards my decorations.

He laughed. “Oh, I’ve noticed.”

“How is it possible that God would mate me to a scrooge?”

“I didn’t say I hated Christmas. I’ve just not had anyone to celebrate it with for a very long time. So, it becomes just another day,” he confessed, and my heart broke for him.

“Well, not anymore,” I announced. “I’m having dinner at my parents’ tonight. We always celebrate on Christmas Eve. Basically, the same time I became an adult, they changed the holidays saying I would thank them someday when I had a mate and children of my own. My sister Jessie was probably still too young for them to do that, in my opinion, but she always seemed okay with it, too.”

“Is that something you want?” he asked curiously.

“What?”

“Well I’m hoping yes to the mate part, or else I’m screwed, but I was really wondering about the kids. Do you want children, Sydney?”

“This is a conversation that could go on for longer than I have right now. Short answer, yeah, sure, I guess. Maybe not an entire litter of pups, but one or two down the road, sure.” I wasn’t ready to admit that what I really wanted was a son and a daughter, in that order, my own perfect little family even though I realized I had no real control over these factors. I was obsessed with the idea of the perfect family.

“Come on, you need to get to work,” he said, taking my empty plate from me and quickly washing it as I put on my shoes and grabbed my coat. Leaving my house with him should have felt awkward, but it didn’t. Having Luke there felt like the most natural thing in the world.

He walked me to my car, and I turned to kiss him before sliding into the driver’s seat.

“So tonight?” I asked, not wanting to push my luck.

“Something tells me your parents aren’t going to be thrilled with your mating choice, sweetheart. Are you sure you want to drop this on them during the holidays?”

“I’m sure I don’t want you spending Christmas alone.”

There was a twinkle in his eye when he spoke again. “Will you come home with me tonight?”

I scrunched up my nose. “You don’t even have a Christmas tree, Luke, and it’s Christmas.” I pointed out.

“I know, but if I spend too many nights away, it won’t be long before everyone starts taking notice and gossiping about it,” he said.

“Fine, we’ll stay at your place tonight,” I conceded knowing I didn’t have time to argue with him.

“Have a good day at work,” he said, leaning in to kiss me one last time before shutting my door.

I put the car in reverse and then rolled down the window. “Meet me back here around five.”

He gave a thumbs up as he climbed into his pickup.

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