Page 47 of The Bear's Forever Mat
Dixon blinked. “I didn’t mean I wouldn’t eat it. I’m just regretting that the pecan pie is gone—that was the last piece. Now I have to go find my second favourite.”
He bounced to his feet amazingly quickly considering the amount of food he’d consumed. Laughter swelled again, and it was…right.
It was family. Amber leaned on Cooper’s arm and soaked it all in.
The dishes were stacked and brought to the kitchen, and after a whirlwind of activity, the house was clean and the living space had been transformed.
Amber wasn’t sure whose eyes were wider, Bram’s or Dixon’s.
A stack of presents had appeared out of nowhere. Brightly coloured with ribbons and bows sparkling in the reflected lights on the Christmas tree.
Kaylee settled beside Amber. “Grandpa was delighted to surprise us with the trip here. Then imagine what our faces must’ve looked like when Grandma pulled out two Santa-sized sacks of goodies.”
“We decided to haul everything we had wrapped up along for the ride,” Lara confessed, cuddling in tighter under Alex’s arm. “It does look as if we held up the North Pole, doesn’t it?”
“As long as you didn’t import any elves, we’re okay.” Mason reached into the massive stack and without reading the name, tossed the first gift to Amber. “Merry Christmas, sis.”
The couch dipped heavily as Cooper settled on her other side. As the presents continued to be handed out all around her, Amber paused to read the card on her gift.
Looking forward to making new memories with you.
—Mason
It was a book full of drawings. Sketches Mason had made along the route he’d travelled in search of their parents. During the years apart, she’d wondered what he’d been doing and what he’d been seeing—she now had a record of the places and the people who were meaningful during that time.
It was telling that the most recent pictures included a lot of Marianne, and the final pages, Bram.
She held the book to her chest and looked across the chaos of the room to where her brother sat with his family. He was smiling at her. That smile that went all the way to his eyes.
He mouthedI love youand she said it back.
Then she brushed away a tear and tried to catch up on exactly who had gotten what, but never quite figured out why Dixon had a duck on his head.
There were some mysteries that would never be solved.
Cooper was staring at something in his hand.
“What did you get?” Amber asked.
“You’ll find out soon enough.” He carefully folded and tucked the whatever-it-was into the pocket of his shirt without letting her see, which she thought was kind of mean. But he squeezed her tight and gave her the most delicious kiss, which mostly made up for it.
A sudden bang hit the door, and everyone turned to discover Kaylee and James peeking into the room. They were wearing all their winter gear, and Kaylee’s cheeks were rosy from the cold. She also looked a little tumbled, and Amber figured she and James must have snuck outside to fool around.
“You guys. The sky is amazing right now. Everybody’sgotto see it,” Kaylee insisted.
There was a rush to find winter clothing, but eventually everyone poured outside, climbing the small hill behind Mason’s house to get away from the streetlights. They all stared up at a light show bigger than any Amber had ever seen before.
From one side of the horizon to the other, streaks of blue, green, indigo, and violet danced and wove and slid as if a hand was wiping paint across an enormous canvas. Amber tucked her fingers into Cooper’s and kept her gaze fixed on the heavens. Complete awe left her speechless.
At least until he squeezed her fingers and she turned to face him. The lights continued to dance like a halo around his head, reflecting in his eyes and shining off the silver flecks in his hair.
The words came now.
“I love you.” Amber cupped his face with her hand, and he leaned against it. “I really do,” she admitted. “Even if it seems fast, it isn’t. I’ve been falling in love with you for the past two years, and now there’s just so much of it inside me that there’s nowhere for it to go except all over you.”
Cooper’s face split into an enormous grin. “You’re so perfect. And somehow you’ve managed to jump the gun every single time I try to surprise you.”
Amber paused for a moment, not sure what that meant.
