Page 122 of Once Upon a Holidate
“Thank you for that, but we’re going to wait to live together. The wedding is only a few weeks away.”
They were getting married at the end of January, hopefully right around the time they closed on their new house. They would get settled and then take a delayed honeymoon in February or March. Hunter would stay with Jasper and Renee while Wynn and Garrick were gone.
Until then, she and Garrick would steal their moments together. Once Joylyn and Chandler returned to San Diego, Garrick would have his house back and they could have a little privacy.
Not that she minded having the young family with them. She and Joylyn had become friends, and Chandler was good company. Elijah was an added bonus, giving Wynn a little baby practice. She and Garrick had agreed they would start trying to get pregnant over the summer. They wanted a few months to settle into married life before the excitement and yes, stress, of a baby.
“Garrick and I have been talking about what kind of car I’m going to get when I turn sixteen,” Hunter said.
“Have you.”
Her son grinned. “Uh-huh. We talked about buying an old junker and restoring it, but decided that wouldn’t be the best choice. We’ll get something safe for me and then get an old junker to restore for fun.”
She sipped her coffee. “This all assumes I’m ready to think about you learning to drive. You’re still only fourteen.”
“And a half. I can get my learner’s permit in a year.” Hunter gave her a winning smile. “You said I could work for you this summer. I’m going to save all the money and put it toward a car.”
He was a kid with a plan, she thought, both pleased by his maturity and horrified that he was that old. What he didn’t know was that she and Garrick had already talked about enrolling himin a driver’s education class over the summer, so he could get the twenty-five-hour requirement out of the way before he joined JROTC in the fall.
As for buying a car, Garrick had some ideas about a safe vehicle for a sixteen-year-old. And when she’d started to hyperventilate about her little boy being all grown up, he’d reminded her that they still had plenty of time.
But she knew how quickly that time would pass. With luck, a year from today, she would be several months pregnant. Even if she wasn’t, she would still have Garrick, and that was more than she’d ever hoped for.
There was a knock at the front door, then the sound of a key in the lock. Garrick let himself in. He smiled when he saw them on the sofa.
“Merry Christmas,” he said as he walked toward them. “Joylyn and Chandler have just put the baby down and are hoping to grab a couple of hours of sleep before breakfast, if that works for you.”
“I said about eight thirty or nine,” Wynn told him, coming to her feet as he pulled her close. “They must be exhausted.”
“They are, but they’re happy, too.”
Mindful of Hunter in the room, Garrick kissed her lightly, then greeted her son.
“Excited about your presents?” Garrick asked.
Hunter eyed the impressive pile. “I am.” He yawned. “Maybe I’ll go back to bed for a couple of hours, too.” He glanced at her. “If that’s okay, Mom.”
“Sure.”
He got up and ambled toward the hall. When his bedroom door closed, Garrick pulled her close again and kissed her with a little more passion.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Happy. What about you?”
He smiled at her. “The same. So much so, I woke up early and couldn’t get back to sleep.”
“Me, too.”
“Let me get a cup of coffee, and we can go look at more real estate listings together.”
His offer might not sound romantic to some women, but for her, it was magical. Garrick took care of the details and worried about the people he loved. He’d promised to always have her back, and she knew that he would.
“Real estate listings sound like fun,” she said.
He put his arm around her and together they walked into the kitchen. Behind them the Christmas tree lights glowed, and in front of them was a happy future full of promise and love.
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