Page 73 of Welcome Home for Christmas
Epilogue
The friends and family holiday party at the Veterans’ Center had been going on for hours. All of Allison’s favorite people surrounded her on the Christmas following a whirlwind year. Well,almostall.
“Everything seems to be winding down,” Julie said, coming up on Allison. “Henry is starting to pack up the food. I told him to take it home with him.”
“Great idea. He’s been a great help with the Veterans’ Center since we hired him on,” Allison said. All Henry had needed was a little help. She’d given him a job after he’d gotten out of jail last year. And a nice couple from Val’s father’s congregation had given him a place to stay while he got back on his feet.
“I dare say, this was the best holiday party yet,” Julie said.
“This year’s auction raised over fifteen thousand dollars for local charities. Next year we’ll raise even more,” Allison told her.
“Let’s do it,” Julie said.
Lawson approached and wrapped his arms around Julie from behind. “Ready to go, sweetheart?”
Allison waved a hand. “Go. We can clean this up later.”
Julie’s eyes widened. “I have never known you to be one to clean things up later.”
“Things change,” Allison told her in a singsong voice, as Troy came up behind her.
“That’s my influence on her,” he told them.
Allison laughed. Since the time she’d met him everything had changed. “Who would have thought this time last year that I would be married to you this Christmas?”
Julie raised her hand. “I would.”
Lawson raised his hand, too. “I would, too.”
Kat and Micah joined the group as well as Val and Griffin. “We all thought you two would be married by this Christmas.”
Allison looked around the group. Finally, her gaze landed on Troy and he raised his hand. “I would have thought we’d be married, too. In fact, I knew from the moment I met you that you would be mine someday. Mrs. Troy Matthews.”
Allison beamed at the sound of that. She loved being Mrs. Troy Matthews.
“Your mother warned you about me,” he said then. “I like Adventure. Excitement.”
Allison nodded. “And this year was definitely all that and more. Speaking of my mother,” she said, turning to him, “we have to get to the annual family Christmas party soon. I’ll come back tomorrow and clean this place up.”
Kat, Julie, and Val agreed. “We’ll come, too,” they said.
“Maybe we’ll have our own little party, just the girls.”
“In that case,” Micah said, turning to Troy, Lawson, and Griffin, “maybe we should have a guys’ party.”
They all agreed.
Troy reached for Allison’s hand. “Are you ready?”
She took a deep breath and nodded. It was true. Life with Troy had been an adventure so far. Once they’d decided to marry, they couldn’t wait. They’d eloped to San Francisco and married at the justice of peace. Then they’d spent the next two weeks exploring the West Coast and dreaming of their life together. And today, one of the things they’d dreamed of was about to officially come true, just in time for Christmas.
“I’m ready,” Allison said as a smile swept over her face. Her throat started to tighten as tears filled her eyes. Looking at Troy, she could tell that he felt the same way. She loved this man of hers so much. Flaws and all.
They headed out to his truck and stepped inside, where the back cab was full of Christmas presents wrapped in princess-themed paper.
“I’d say we got a little bit carried away,” Troy said, glancing back.
“It was your sister-in-law who got carried away.”
