Page 81 of Meet Me at the Christmas Cottage
Bronte couldn’t be more excited for him.
“Hurry up, you guys, I’m ready to open more presents!” Holland called over her shoulder.
“What do you mean you’re opening more presents?” Bronte asked, bending to pick up her suitcase but stopping when Jonah beat her to it.
“We decided we wanted to redo Christmas so you could enjoy it too,” Renee said, putting an arm around Bronte’s waist and leading her to the door. Renee only came up to Bronte’s chin and smelled as if she had been baking cookies all day. “Jonah told us how you haven’t ever had a real Christmas.”
Bronte felt her face heat. “Oh, you don’t have to do that.”
“You’re right, we don’t have to, but we want to,” George said, blue eyes sparkling. He gave Bronte a quick side hug as he walked by with Holland’s suitcase that she’d left on the sidewalk. “Come in and meet the rest of the family! We’re all here!”
Letting herself be pulled through the house, Bronte tried to swallow down her nerves. When she’d agreed to fly back with Jonah and Holland, she’d thought she’d just be meeting Jonah’s parents, but apparently when Jonah had asked her to come meet his family, he’d meant all of them. True to George’s words, when she and Jonah walked through to the kitchen and living room, a cheer went up from everyone who sat gathered around the tree.
“You must be Bronte.” A woman with freckles sprinkled across her nose and the same blue eyes as Jonah stood and pulled Bronte into a hug. Bronte was too shocked to do anything but hug the woman back.
“Bronte, this is Mika Beth,” Jonah said, stepping up behind her. “And that’s Halle.” Jonah pointed to the woman with chocolate-colored eyes and the same color hair as him, sitting on the hearth in front of the fire. She smiled and waved. “And I think you’ve already met Amy and Ruby.” Amy and Ruby waved from their spot on the floor next to the tree.
By the time Jonah had started introducing her to his sisters, Bronte had forgotten to be nervous. Everyone was so welcoming.
“I hope you don’t mind, but we invited Nova to join us as well,” Renee said, motioning to the doctor, who was sitting on the yellow velvet couch. “She spent Christmas alone, and we found out she was going to be spending New Year’s by herself as well, so we decided she needed to come celebrate with us.”
“I love it,” Bronte said, lifting her hand in greeting and smiling at the doctor.
“Can we open presents now?” Holland asked.
“The ten-year-old has more self-control than you do right now, Holland,” Mika Beth chided.
Someone had put a cup of tea in Bronte’s hands, and she was glad for the familiar scent of Earl Grey. But then a panicked thought shot through her. “Jonah, I didn’t get anyone anything.”
“It’s fine,” Jonah whispered back, his breath tickling her ear. “They’re all presents I ordered that didn’t come in time for Christmas, and I put both our names on them. When everyone found out you would be coming home with me, we decided it would be perfect to have another Christmas.”
Bronte ducked her head to hide the fact that her face turned red. She couldn’t believe someone would do that for her. And here, not only one person was making her feel welcome and wanting to make sure she experienced stuff like Christmas, but an entire family.
Everyone oohed and awed over Jonah’s gifts. Blankets for his sisters, and there had even been an extra one for Nova as well. A book of poetry for his dad, and a hand-pottered mug for his mom.
For Bronte, there was a Jonathon Island stocking filled with trinkets and souvenirs from shops around town. More fudge from the Fudge Shop on the Corner from Amy and Ruby, a new leather notebook from Halle, and a tin of tea from Mika Beth—all of which she had a feeling, even though his sister’s names were on them, had been purchased by Jonah.
She thought they’d opened all the gifts, until Ruby crawled out from under the tree, a small box in her hands. “This one’s for…” The girl paused to find the tag. She pushed her glasses up on her face, read the tag, and looked at Bronte. “Bronte.”
Bronte barely had time to register that Ruby had said her name before the package was placed in her lap.
“This one’s from me,” Jonah said, the huskiness of his voice causing Bronte’s neck to flush.
“Of course it is.” She nudged him as she carefully unwrapped the gift to reveal an old Bible, the wordsLittle Stone Bible Churchengraved on the front. Bronte looked up at Jonah, eyebrows pulled into a question.
“Don’t worry, I asked before I took it, but you said the last place that had felt like home was a church, and I wanted to give you something to remind you that, well…you can read the inscription inside.”
Bronte ran her hand over the worn red cardboard cover before opening it to the front to read the inscription.
Bronte, even if you never make it to another church building again, may this book remind you that you will always belong in the Kingdom of Heaven. God didn’t make any mistakes, and He will always pick you. Forever and ever.
“Jonah…” Bronte couldn’t say anything. She hugged the Bible to her chest, knowing that she would treasure the book for always. “This is perfect. Thank you.” Her eyes burned with the prick of tears, but for the first time in a long time, they were happy tears.
Jonah leaned in close and let his lips brush hers.
“How romantic.” Ruby sighed from across the room. “Although Mom does tell me that kissing spreads germs.”
Laughing, Bronte and Jonah broke apart. “Well, Ruby, that’s right, and you should be an old lady before you decide to spread germs to anyone,” Jonah said before once more kissing Bronte, apparently not caring about spreading germs at all.
