Page 78 of Meet Me at Christmas
She opened the door to find Henry with a mischievous look in his eyes.
“You busy? I have a Christmas gift for you.”
“You do?”
He nodded. “Come with me.”
She swallowed, trying unsuccessfully to slow her heartbeat. “Actually, can you come in for just a second?”
He gave her a curious look. “Sure.”
Stella took his arm and led him into the living room. “Look who showed up.”
Lily turned around. “Oh! Hi, Henry.” She got up and gave him a hug. “It’s so good to see you.”
He stared at her for a tick, a smile emerging, and then said, “Lily. It’s so great to see you.”
Lily introduced him to Mateo, while Mama turned on the TV to football highlights while the men shook hands. They started talking about sports, Mateo explaining how he’d missed the last two playoff games he’d wanted to see due to their travel.
Stella cut in. “Henry wants to show me something. Is it okay if I leave for a little bit?”
“Of course,” Mama said.
“Okay, I’ll be back soon.” As they walked to the door, Stella said, “I wish I’d known. I haven’t gotten you anything.”
“Youare my gift,” he said, his blue eyes sparkling.
Stella popped up on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss. Then she put on her coat and walked with Henry to his truck. “Where are we going?”
Henry put it in drive and bumped along the dirt path leading to the main road. “My house.”
They drove the short distance, but before turning onto his street, he pulled over and put the truck in park. “I need to put this on you.” He produced a red handkerchief. “To cover your eyes.”
She turned so he could slip the bandana over her head and tie it in the back. “You’re full of surprises these days.”
“You inspire me.”
The truck began to move again, and Stella guessed by the turns and then the terrain that they’d entered the main road to the farmhouse and were stopping in front of it. Henry put the truck in park and got out. Stella clasped her cold hands in her lap and waited. Her door opened and his warm fingers caressed hers as he guided her out. Then he walked her across the cold ground. She stumbled over something—a tree root?—but he quickly caught her. “I’ve got you,” he whispered in her ear.
They came to a stop and Henry moved behind her. “I remember that you like to sprinkle sugar on your strawberries,” he said, the scent of him nearly intoxicating. “I remember that you have to flip your pillow in the night because you prefer the cold side. I remember that you’re silliest first thing in the morning.” He took off her blindfold.
Stella’s vision, cloudy at first from being obstructed, cleared, and she tried to figure out why this particular object was leaning against the old oak tree. “A door?” It was stunning—even prettier than the one before—a Craftsman with three beveled glass windows at the top and a decorative wooden ledge underneath them.
“I promised you a farmhouse,” he said. “And I never got to make good on that promise.”
She looked at him, still trying to connect the dots.
“You know all those things I remembered about you?”
“Yes…”
“I also remember how you always wanted a farmhouse exactly like this one.” He turned her around, and her knees almost buckled. Somehow, he’d managed to wrap an enormous red ribbon all the way around the main house and then tie a massive bow the size of his truck at the front door.
“What does this mean?” she asked, breathless.
“I spoke to my sister. She’d love it if we took the farmhouse. She thinks it would be the perfect place for us.”
Stella’s mouth fell open. When she’d collected herself, she asked, “Where will Mary Jo live?”
