Page 60 of Holiday Star
He’s been asking all day, and all day I’ve said no.
“Caleb,” I chide again gently. “Wait until Christmas.”
He stares into my face, eyes earnest. “Come on, Gwen. I’m so excited for you to see your gift. I need to know if you like it or not.”
“If it’s from you, then I’m sure I’ll love it.” I’m incredibly curious to see what it is. Caleb had done all of his shopping online. For the past week, whenever a package had been delivered he had snatched it away and taken it upstairs so I couldn’t see what was inside.
Leaning closer, Caleb takes my lips in a long, breathless kiss. “Please,” he draws out the word, murmuring it one last time against my mouth. My resolve wavers…and breaks.
Who can resist this man?
Not me.
Besides, it’s been sensible, predictable, responsible Gwen telling him no all along. I’m not that woman anymore. The new spontaneous, fun Gwen is the kind of person who goes crazy and opens presents a day early.That’swho I am now.
“Okay.” My smile melts into his lips. “I can’t wait for you to open your gift, too.”
He whoops and pulls me to my feet, grinning recklessly. We sit down on the floor in front of the Christmas tree, where only two presents remain. I had given Jenny hers before she left for Hawaii, and we had mailed the rest to our families days ago.
“Here you go.” Caleb hands over mine. The bright paper covering is wrinkled and secured with multiple heavy layers of tape. A red bow sits off center. “Sorry,” he winces. “It was my first time wrapping.”
My heart melts at this beautifully imperfect gift given to me by this beautifully imperfect man.
The box I hand him is smaller. I had taken extra care when I wrapped it, thinking of all the Christmases he had missed out on and wanting so badly for this one to be special.
“Let’s open them together,” I suggest. “On the count of three. One, two, three.”
Wrapping paper is shredded, ribbons are pushed aside.
“Oh, Caleb,” is all I can say as I stare at the box in my hands. It’s a paint set, watercolors in every color of the rainbow. The kit includes fresh paintbrushes and a palette for mixing. Tears blur my vision as I lift my gaze to him. “How did you know?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice?” he asks me tenderly. “How every time you would get out those old paints. The way you looked at them, with such longing, it wasn’t hard to figure out they meant something to you. You’ve accepted me. The past versions of me and new versions, too. I’ll do the same for you. If you want to paint, then I say paint. You can be anyone you want to be. My beautiful, strong, lion-heart Gwen.”
I go to him then, crushing my mouth against his, trying to lock this moment in my memory. Put it next to that other room, the one when I first started to fall in love with him, when he sat in the sun with Pip in his lap. How lucky am I? To have rooms full of Calebs in my heart?
When we break apart, he asks, “Does that kiss mean that I guessed right? That you wanted the paints?”
“You guessed perfectly.” I take his hand in mine and look down at it, loving how our fingers intertwine. “After my dad died, I gave up so many pieces of myself. When Jax left, I swore off happiness because I thought it only led to pain, but then you came along and everything changed.”
Another kiss, this one searing through my body like a bolt of lightning.
He inspects his present as I explain, “It’s a portable speaker. A small one that connects to your phone, so you can take it with you anywhere. I made sure to get one with good sound quality.”
He’s delighted, immediately jumping up to try it out. Within minutes, Caleb has music flowing out of the speaker. It’s amazing. Each note is clear and true. The melody winds around us, as Caleb holds out his hand to where I sit on the floor. “Dance with me?”
His hand is warm in mine as he pulls me close. He guides my arms up to his neck and settles his hands at my waist, the position reminding me of my mom’s wedding all those months ago.
“Remember when I first came to this house?” Caleb murmurs against my temple.
“You mean when I hit you with the wrench? Yeah, it was kind of unforgettable.” I chuckle, resting my cheek on his chest.
“You said the only present I would get here was you.” He pulls back slightly, and the way he looks at me, as if I’m something precious, gives me the sense that I’m not just dancing butflying.
“Turns out you were right,” he whispers huskily. “You’re the best gift I could ever have. I love you, Gwen. When we’re together, I feel you with my body but also my mind and my heart. You’ve got me all wrapped up, every part of me obsessing over you.” He grabs my hand and places a soft kiss on my palm, before curling my fingers in like he wants me to hold his love there forever.
With relief, I release the words that have been on the tip of my tongue so many times. “I love you too, Caleb. I have for a while now.”
Love.
