Page 99 of Catching the Mistletoe

I could barely talk for the next few minutes as everyone crowded around me, and it was all tears and hugs and laughing. But now, “Mack! Where’s Mack?” My voice rose above the din and the crowd parted, so I could see him. He was standing with Noah, and the look of doubt on his face had my heart lurching a little. But this was home, this was family. Without hesitation, I went to him and slipped my hand in his. “So, everyone. We’ve got some news.”

Before I could say even one more word, Aunt Rosie cried out, “I knew it! Didn’t I say they’d get together?”

“You sure did.” Uncle Rhys smiled at her indulgently.

“Well, I guessed first, when I saw the footage of them at Reno.”

“Come on, Mom, it wasn’t until Twin Falls that you really believed it,” Genevieve put in.

“Hard not to believe it with that kiss after the jump. And by the way, young lady, if you think a bit of‘Sorry, Mom!’before you jump headfirst from a bridge is going to cut it, we’re going to have to have a big talk. But either way, I definitely knew before you did, Rosie.”

Rosie opened her mouth to argue some more, but then Gran’s voice, surprisingly clear, given her advanced age, cut everyone down. “Well, I always knew. Since the hospital last year.”

Everyone stared at her for a long, drawn out moment, then Sylvie said, “Yeah, okay, Mom. You win.” Then she stepped forward and hugged us both at once. “I couldn’t be happier.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Um, yeah, thanks.”

“Mack, I knew you’d look after my girl, and you did. Thank you.”

“He sure did.” Maybe Mack was a little overwhelmed, since all he seemed to manage was a quiet nod. But he slipped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close, and there was no tension in him now.

Then Lisa, the show’s host, stepped forward, grabbing our attention. She was just as high energy as I remembered. “Welcome home, you guys. How about we get some pictures and footage of you all together? Then we can kick off the gift giving.”

Within seconds, we were herded into position, Mack and I in the middle, surrounded by my family and the kids.

Lisa was literally jumping up and down, her hands clasped together. “Perfect! Perfect! America has loved watching you guys through this whole journey and this is just the perfect end to it all. Now how about we move on to the business end of things and let everyone know how much you raised. And then it’s time for the kids to get their gifts!” The cheer the kids let out was deafening.

Before I could even process what was going on, we were being led over to a table where a scale model of the RV was displayed. Mack and I took our seats, side by side, as Lisa started her spiel.

“Firstly, huge thanks to the generosity of everyone watching at home and the sponsors who supported us through this journey. Secondly, of course, to Mack and Arabella, for driving for miles and miles over this great country, bringing Christmas cheer to everyone. You guys are truly amazing. And now, for the big reveal.” She lifted the roof off the RV, reached in, pulling out an envelope. “Let’s see.” With a perfectly manicured nail, she ripped the envelope and pulled out a slip of paper. “And the total raised through the Caravan of Christmas is... drumroll please...” The kids were stomping their feet and my heart was thumping hard. Time to find out how much our hard work was going to pay off.

“One and a half million dollars! Wow! You guys are amazing! What an effort!”

I had to blink back tears. “Holy shit. Mack! Can you believe it?”

“No. That’s...wow.”

Lisa was beaming at us. “And now it’s time for the kids to get their gifts. Let’s get started, shall we?”

“Yes! Let’s!”

The next few hours passed in a blur, with the gift giving. Then Jenna and some of the other camp leaders got the kids settled in for the night and we all went to Genevieve and Noah’s for dinner.

Finally, everything was winding down and Mom was watching me from across the table. “You look worn out, darling.”

I tensed a little, ready to argue, but then I realized I was very fucking worn out and, of course, it showed. And that I hadn’t just stepped on one of those landmines where Mom was coddling me or babying me. “I sure am.” I pushed to my feet and started stacking the plates, smiling at Mack when he did the same.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. You two head on.”

“I don’t mind.”

Genevieve smiled. “We’ve got it. Off you go.”

Yeah, I was too tired to argue. “Okay then.” Thankfully, the goodnights were all pretty quick. Probably a testament to exactly how tired I must have looked. Then we were out the door and walking to Mack’s cabin.

As we crossed the threshold, I could feel the difference, like a little bubble had formed around us, isolating us from the outside world. Mack flicked on the lights and the cozy warmth enveloped us. “I can’t believe we’re actually here.”

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