Page 9 of All I Want For Christmas

Had she put a little bit of naughty emphasis ongiving it to me? Yes she had. This would teach him not to tell her about his homecoming plans.

Matt nodded slowly. “I am.”

“Well, I’m ready.” She dropped her voice. “Reallyready.” She leaned in. Yep, that was Matt’s cologne. How had she not noticed that? Oh yeah, because her brain would have never let her tell herself that he was here. The part of her brain that knew he would tell her about any chance he might be around for the holiday—theirholiday—wouldn’t let her think for a second that he might show up unexpectedly.

Besides, it wasn’t like Matt was the only guy to use that cologne.

“You know my husband is in the service, right,Nick?” she asked.

“I do know that.”

“That means he’s been gone for a long time.”

“I’m aware.”

“So I definitely have some Christmas wishes that might gounfulfilled.Without your help, anyway.”

He cleared his throat.

“But I can tell that it’s really important to you that weallhave a verymerryChristmas.”

“Of course.”

“Santa?” she asked, leaning closer and dropping her voice to a whisper. “Will you please…fill mewith holiday spirit?”

He coughed at that and Lindsey pulled back, fighting a smile. If he knew that she knew who he was, then this could be a really fun holiday-themed role-playing. If he didn’t…well, she was curious how far he’d go playing along, waiting for her to stop things.

Before he could say anything, she took his hand. “Why don’t you show me where my reallybig, mind-blowing Christmas present is?”

“Did I say mind-blowing?” he asked. He looked over his shoulder at Logan as Lindsey tugged him toward the doors that led from the community center’s main hall to the hallway where the smaller conference rooms and offices were located.

“Oh, I just know it will be mind-blowing,” she said, somehow keeping from laughing.

Logan wasn’t going to save him.

She pushed the door open, pulling Matt along with her.

“You know, I don’t really deal with girls on thenaughtylist,” Matt said as the door bumped shut behind them.

Lindsey headed for the first conference room on the left. “Well, you’ve been missing out.” She thought maybe he was starting to realize that she was on to him. She twisted the knob and pushed the door open. “The naughty girls are the ones who really know all about what makes guysjolly. Not to mention what they can do with all the ribbon.”

Matt stepped close, almost on top of her, her back against the door. “Naughty girls don’t get toys.”

She looked up at him, her heart hammering. He was here. In the flesh. Big and hard andhere.

She felt her eyes burning with tears, but she blinked hard. She tamped down all the swirling emotions like relief and joy and longing and just the pure adrenaline coursing through her system. She could give into all of that later. She wasn’t going to let this chance—and this empty, sort-of private conference room—pass.

For the moment, she didn’t have to share him.

That was a crappy thing to think, she knew. Their boys needed to see him. He needed to see them. His mom and dad needed to see him. His brother. His friends. Matt was a lot ofthings to a lot of people. And when he was home, the months went by so quickly. Everyone wanted time with him, of course, and he wanted to pack as much as he could into his time with them all.

There were barbecues and belated birthdays to celebrate. There were school and sporting events to soak up. There were just simple, normal days with dinner around their kitchen table and movies on the couch and bedtime stories read while propped up between the boys on one of their beds. Stuff people took for granted all the time. But for them, everything had an extra meaning.

Every event became something to savor and truly make special because it might be the last time he’d get to do it for a long time. The last time he’d have Kristy’s strawberry cake or Marcus’s smoked brisket, the last time he’d get to see one of the boys score a goal in soccer or perform in a school play. The pressure was kind of amazing. She felt it. Felt the need to make sure everything went well and according to plan so that everyone’s memory of it was perfect. She knew Matt felt it too. The pressure to be there, to laugh and soak it all in, to give everyone his time and attention and energy. And she guessed everyone else felt it too. The idea that Matt would be taking these memories with him to get him through the times when hecouldn’tbe there. Everyone tried so hard to make everything fun and perfect and happy.

So the down time. The alone time. The times when it was just the two of them were rare. And dammit, she needed those sometimes.

“Toys are over-rated,” she finally said. “Especially when you can have the real thing.”

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