Page 77 of Merry Little Sugar Rush
“Come on, sleepyhead,” he says, pulling the comforter back and taking my mug. I slide my feet into my favorite slippers and grab my robe. It’s a big fluffy, warm one with sleeping cats all over it. I got it from my sister right before her cat, Miss Snowflake, delivered kittens fathered by John’s cat, Biggie.
I reach for my coffee mug and duck into the bathroom. Burk doesn’t say a word as I take a minute to pee and brush my teeth. When I’m finally ready, I slip on my warm robe and open the door to find him waiting for me. “All right, let’s do this, Burkey Turkey.”
He flashes a wide smile and takes my hand. We settle on the floor in the living room so we’re close to the tree. It’s lit up and looking magnificent, if I do say so myself, and Burk even has Christmas music playing. What’s best, the front window shades are open, and you can see the fresh falling snow outside. It’s so peaceful and beautiful out there, combined with the coziness and familiarity of the holidays in here.
It’s perfect.
“You first,” he says, handing over a small, boxed gift.
I rip off the paper and smile at the bottle of my favorite perfume. “Thank you.”
“Now you,” I state, setting my perfume to the side and reaching for one of his gifts.
Burk dives in, flashing me a grin when he opens a box containing a wood branding iron. When he pulls it out and sees the inscription, his face turns serious. “This is amazing,” he informs me, taking in the words. It says ‘Handcrafted by Burk Whitman, Snowflake Falls, CO’ with an image of his business logo in the middle. “Thank you.”
One night over the summer, he mentioned that he saw one online and thought they were cool. He always marks his pieces, but nothing like this. I found someone to custom make this design, and I’m super happy with how it turned out.
Leaning forward, he presses his lips to mine. “I love it.”
We continue opening our gifts one by one. I get a few new sweaters, some kitchen gadgets I added to my wish list, and even a new pair of ice skates. Burk opened some clothes, more goodies for his home woodworking shop, and a new winter coat for working at the tree farm.
When he gets to his final gift, I start to get a little nervous. I purchased it on a whim, but now that it’s time to give it, I’m not sure what he’ll say.
Burk slowly removes the tissue paper from the bag and reaches inside, removing the folded piece of paper from within. He reads over it before his surprised eyes clash with mine. “Seriously?”
I nod, holding my breath as he glances back down and rereads the information.
Does he not like it?
Did I overstep?
What if he doesn’t want to go?
My heart is hammering in my chest as I wait for his response.
ANOTHER EPILOGUE
Burk
All I can do is readand reread the words on the paper. I can’t believe she did this.
When I look up once more, I see worry filling her stunning green eyes, and I realize she doesn’t know how much I love this gift. Setting the paper down, I move to my knees and pull her in for a kiss. “Thank you. I love it.”
“Yeah?” she asks, hesitation still evident.
“Absolutely. When do we leave?”
She clears her throat. “New Year’s Day.”
“I can’t wait to show you around and have you see my parents again after all this time,” I confirm, excited to return to South Carolina for the first time since moving back to Colorado.
I’ve thought about going back for a quick visit, but it just didn’t work out. My woodworking business took off, especially during the summer. I was making outdoor patio furniture day and night, everything selling before I could even get it on the showroom floor. Then fall hit and the tree farm picked up and has stayed busy through the holidays.
But now we can relax a bit and enjoy a week away.
“You’re good with taking the time off from the bakery?” I ask, knowing this is a huge deal for her too.
“I am. I’ve worked out the details with Jan, and Krista is going to take some paid time off from her job to help too. Plus, Eve and Mom volunteered to work when they can. We’ll have a smaller pastry menu that week, and there are no cake orders to worry about. It’ll be just fine.”
