Page 13 of The Bear's Christmas Wish
Holly did a double-take at his restraint, then burst into laughter when Michael’s serious expression cracked into a wide grin. He swept his mother into a bear hug, lifting her slightly off the ground.
Daniel joined in, wrapping his arms around them both, and suddenly Maisie and Teddy were there, too, piling onto the group hug.
“Why are we hugging?” Teddy asked, his voice muffled against Michael’s coat.
Daniel laughed, squeezing his son’s shoulder. “Do we need a reason?”
“I guess not,” Teddy decided, snuggling deeper into the huddle.
Michael closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the warmth of his friends and family around him. When he opened them again, he was already calculating how quickly he could finish his tasks and load Sarah’s tree onto his truck.
“Come on, Dad. Let’s get our tree loaded.” Teddy grabbed Daniel’s hand and tugged him away with Maisie skipping along beside them.
“I should get this tree stowed away, ready to go out on the next delivery,” he said, reluctantly breaking away from the group hug.
“My advice?” Holly’s eyes twinkled with ill-concealed amusement.
“You’re going to tell me anyway,” Michael said affectionately.
“Get the other trees dropped off first,” Holly said. “That way you won’t have to rush off when you deliver Sarah’s tree.”
“Now, that is good advice,” Michael said as he carried Sarah’s family tree to his truck.
His father chuckled, falling into step beside him. “Don’t worry, we can take care of things here.”
“Are you sure?” Michael asked, not wanting his dad to overdo it.
“You know how your father always loves to help people choose the perfect tree,” Holly said. “He always finds an excuse to come on over.”
“And our son finding his mate is the best excuse ever,” Noel said.
“I can’t argue with that,” Michael replied as he placed the tree on the back of the truck.
“And so here is my advice,” Noel said.
“I’m listening.” Michael turned to face his dad.
“I’m just going to say,” Noel began, “some things are worth taking your time with. Getting to know someone special...that’s one of those things.”
Michael nodded, absorbing his father’s wisdom as he grabbed the rope and they worked together to secure the tree. “I know. I don’t want to rush her. She’s been through enough.” He secured the tree with careful attention, making sure it was perfect. “But I also don’t want to waste a single moment of a single day now that I’ve found her.”
Noel clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Then don’t waste today. But remember, trees that grow too fast don’t put down deep roots.”
“I remember,” Michael said, smiling at the familiar advice. His grandfather had taught him the same thing when he was a child. That same advice had helped him plenty of times in the past.
Now he would use it to help him create a perfect future.
As he secured Sarah’s tree with extra care, Michael felt a profound sense of rightness settle over him. The path ahead might not be straight or simple, but for the first time in years, he could see it clearly.
And it led directly to 212 Maple Lane.
Chapter Six – Sarah
Sarah was unexpectedly nervous as she heard the rumble of Michael’s truck coming down the street. Her hands fluttered to her hair, smoothing it, though it was already perfectly in place. Why was her heart beating so fast? It was just a Christmas tree delivery.
“He’s here! He’s here!” Emmy’s voice rang through the house as she darted to the front window, breath fogging the glass. She spun around, eyes wide with excitement. “Can I open the door, Mom?”
Sarah nodded, trying to compose herself. “Go ahead, we don’t want to keep Michael waiting. I’m sure he’s got plenty of other trees to deliver.”
