Page 107 of Christmas with the Elkin Billionaires

“Really?”

“Yeah,” she said lightly. “I don’t visit my parents at Christmas anymore, and the friend group was celebrating on the evening of Christmas, so we missed it. But we’ll go next year.”

Scott picked up a crouton from his plate and chewed it.

“No, that’s not good enough.”

She whipped her head around, eyebrows raised. “What’s not good enough?”

“You need a real Christmas.” Jonas had never been surer of anything in his life.

“This coming from the guy who has no decorations in his house?” He could tell she was teasing but he didn’t have a chance to respond.

“I hate to cut this short,” his grandmother said, regret lacing her voice. “But I’m tired. It’s been a busy few days and I need to rest.”

They all got up in a chorus of reassurances. Rachel thanked everyone for the meal and the company. She headed for the door with graceful speed, but Jonas caught her by the elbow.

“Meet me at my place in two hours?”

A curious light came to her eyes, and she glanced behind him to where the rest of his family was beginning to filter out. “All right,” she said. “See you then.”

It was the busiest two hours of his life. Starting with a quick inventory of any unused holiday decorations that were easily accessible, and then a quick meeting with some of his staff to coordinate the details for the crazy idea he wanted to put into action. He rushed back to his house to prepare things on his end.

Jonas barely made it. Rachel knocked just as he put the star on the top of the tree he’d found in storage.

“Come in,” he hollered. “It’s unlocked.”

Rachel came in on a stiff breeze, Scott in her arms, his cheeks pink from the cold. “I’m dying to know. What did you—oh.”

She’d come into the living room, and all the decorations he’d set out reflected back to him in her eyes. The twinkling lights and shimmering ornaments on the tree. The little pile of gifts underneath. The soft Christmas music playing from his sound system.

“It’s a few days late.” He held out a hand to her, ushering her farther into the room. “But I hope this will do.”

“Jonas,” she said in hushed tones. “You didn’t have to do this. Our Christmas was completely fine. It was—”

“Down,” Scott demanded. “Down!” He struggled out of Rachel’s arms and went to the tree, his little face shining with awe. He cupped one of the lights on the branches in both hands, then crouched down to look at the wrapped gifts. Scott reached out with one hand to push at the paper, then spun to look questioningly at Jonas.

“Go ahead, kiddo.” He dropped to the carpet next to Scott, and Rachel followed. The three of them were sitting in the glow of the tree while Scott tore into the gift that Jonas handed him. He ripped the paper away piece by piece, then hugged the cardboard box to his chest.

“Can I help you open that up?” Jonas asked, laughing, but Scott wouldn’t let him have it. “It’s a ball,” he told Rachel. “I have something for you, too.”

“Jonas, you really don’t—”

He reached across Scott and pulled a package from underneath the tree. “Open it.”

She bit her lip and ripped open the paper, revealing a cozy sweater with an elk across the front. Rachel threw her head back and laughed, gorgeous in the twinkling light. “I’m putting this on right now. Thank you.” Her eyes met his with incredible warmth, and then she was pulling it on, tugging it down over her shirt.

“Give me a sec.” Jonas stood up and reached for the sweater he left on the chair and quickly pulled it on before he changed his mind. Turning back around, the look of absolute delight on her face made his day. “We need a picture,” Jonas announced.

She pulled Scott into her lap and grinned, and he turned to sit next to them. He knew in that instant that he would always remember the sound of Rachel’s laughter as he took the photo.

“Aww, it’s good,” she said, leaning close as they looked at the photo on his phone. “We look happy.”

Nobody was happier than Scott, who marveled at the two other gifts. The paper held a certain fascination for him—probably the sound of it ripping—and he demolished the gifts down to their wrapping. One was a teddy bear that sang when you pushed its foot, and it was still in its cardboard packaging.

Scott wouldn’t let Jonas have it long enough to cut it free of the plastic ties. Instead, he tucked it under his arm and carried it around, cardboard and all, while he ran in circles around the living room. Every second or third pass, he stopped again by the tree to lean in and see the lights.

Joy.

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