Page 54 of Unwrapped By the Grumpy Mountain Man
I laugh through my tears, pulling back to include her in the hug. "Very, very happy, Lucy-goose."
"Group hug!" she declares, and suddenly all three girls are piling onto the couch with us.
Hudson's deep laughter rumbles through his chest as he somehow manages to wrap his long arms around all four of us. In that moment, I feel something settle inside me, a piece I didn't know was still missing clicking firmly into place.
This is my family. This is where I belong.
Christmas dinner isa feast to behold. Hudson and I spent days planning the menu, incorporating traditions to blend our families. His mother's special glazed ham sits next to my mom'sfamous mashed potatoes. The table is set with the good dishes, candles flickering in the center.
The girls helped with everything, from setting the table to stirring pots under careful supervision. Even Silvie let herself be fully involved, her usual reserve melting away in the warmth of the day.
As we take our seats, Hudson raises his glass. "Before we eat, I'd like to continue a tradition my parents started. If everyone could share one thing they're thankful for this year."
Lucy's hand shoots up. "Me first! I'm thankful for Vi Vi making our house pretty with Christmas stuff and teaching me how to make cookies that don't burn."
I laugh, touched by her simple joy. "Thank you, Lucy."
Angie goes next, her quiet voice thoughtful. "I'm thankful we all live together now, and that Vi helps me with my reading."
Silvie looks down at her plate, then up at me directly. "I'm thankful that Vi doesn't try to replace Mom, but still loves us like we're hers."
My heart swells as I struggle to maintain composure. Hudson reaches under the table to squeeze my hand.
"I'm thankful," he says, his deep voice steady, "for second chances. For finding a woman who sees the best in me, who loves my girls as her own, who makes this house a home."
All eyes turn to me, and I take a shaky breath. "I'm thankful for all of you. For welcoming me into your hearts and lives. For showing me what family really means." I look at Hudson, love overflowing. "For teaching me that sometimes the most unexpected paths lead exactly where you're meant to be."
Hudson's eyes shine with emotion as he raises his glass higher. "To family. To love. To Christmas."
"To Christmas!" the girls echo, clinking their glasses with childish enthusiasm.
As we eat, laughter and conversation flow easily around the table. I watch each of them, memorizing the moment. Hudson carving more ham for Angie. Silvie helping Lucy with her napkin. The casual touches and inside jokes that weave us together.
Four weeks ago, I was desperate and alone, willing to marry a stranger to save my mother's house. Now that house is secure, but it's no longer the center of my world. These people are. This life we're building together.
After dinner, while the girls play with their new toys in the living room, Hudson and I clean up the kitchen together. He washes, I dry, our movements synchronized.
"Penny for your thoughts, Goldie," he says, handing me a dripping plate.
"I was just thinking about how different this Christmas is from what I expected," I admit, setting the dried plate in the stack. "A year ago, I never would have imagined any of this."
"Regrets?" he asks, his tone light but his eyes watchful.
I shake my head firmly. "Not a single one. You?"
His smile is slow and sure. "Only that I didn't find you sooner."
I nudge him with my hip. "Smooth talker."
"It's the truth." He pulls the plug, letting the water drain. "I've been thinking about our wedding ceremony."
The real wedding we promised each other. The one where we'll exchange vows not out of necessity or arrangement, but pure love and choice.
"What about it?" I ask, hanging up the dish towel.
"How do you feel about Valentine's Day?"
I raise my eyebrows. "Isn't that a bit cliché for you, Mr. Gruff Mountain Man?"
