Page 149 of There's Something about Merry

“Clark!” she gasped, grabbing the ornament off the tree and shoving it into her pocket.

He burst out laughing. “What? This tree chronicles every moment I’ve spent with you. I couldn’t leave it out. Or this one.”

Clark showed her another ornament of a man carrying a woman in his arms.

“You painted these?”

“Actually, I carved and Sam painted.”

“I want this tree.”

Clark hung the ornaments back on the tree, except the one of Butch, and he took her face in his hands. “I figured you would say something like that, but if you want it, there’s a price.”

“Name it.”

“I want forever with you. I want to spend a lifetime making wooden memories of us. You. Me. Jace. Your demon dog. Your family. Sam.” He kissed her lips, whispering, “I love you, Merry. My first love. My only love. You can have the tree if I can keep your heart.”

Merry sobbed, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Yes, my heart is yours. All yours.”

He kissed her again, deepening it, his hands tangling in her hair.

“Dad! Merry!” Jace yelled.

They broke apart in time for Clark to catch Jace on the fly.

“Did she like the tree?”

“I love the tree,” Merry said, running her hand over his hair.

“Can I give it to her now?”

“There’s more?”

Clark reached into his jacket pocket and handed the box to Jace. “He really didn’t want to wait until your birthday.”

“Just like his dad. Has to give the best gifts early.”

Jace handed the box to Merry and she opened it. It was a white gold necklace with three colorful gemstones embedded in the center of a heart.

“It’s our birthstones. Blue is you, red is me, and purple is dad.”

“I told him it might be too much,” Clark said nervously.

“No, it’s not.” She unclasped the chain and closed it behind her neck. “I love it so much. And you…” Merry kissed Jace’s cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” He lowered his voice to a stage whisper. “I did okay keeping her away?”

Clark grinned. “You did excellent, buddy.”

Merry tickled him until he squealed. “I knew you were distracting me, I just couldn’t figure out why.”

“Dad wanted everything to be perfect.”

“It is,” Merry said, hugging them both. “Everything is absolutely perfect.”

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