Mia still felt thrown off by the sheeramount of vampires there, but she had to admit the family made herheart swell with joy. As did David. The endless patience he showedher, and the care he gave her, were things she’d never expected tofind again in her life.
She smiled as she recalled going with him tosee his boat the day before. They’d driven into town where thesailboat had been stored for the winter. Placed on stands inside awarehouse, they hadn’t been able to go on the boat, but he’d stillwalked her around it, telling her all about it and how much heenjoyed being at sea. The excitement in his voice as he spoke hadenthralled her.
Mia didn’t know much about boats, but shehad to admit his was pretty from what she could see of it. Runningher fingers over its blue sides, she’d realized she couldn’t waitfor spring, when the two of them could go sailing together. She’dthen realized she was thinking about things in the future withDavid, not focusing on the day-to-day like she’d been doing for thepast seven years.
Instead of panicking over it, she’d foundherself smiling as she’d listened to him talk about knots andwinds. Afterward, they’d gone to the beach and settled in to watchas the stars came to life in the night sky. He’d stretched his legsout beside her and rested his hands on his thighs as she leaned herback against his chest.
She’d rattled on about the stars with thesame enthusiasm he had for his boat. He listened to her, just ashe’d listened to her all the other nights they’d stared up at thesky together since arriving in Maine. They had stayed on the beachuntil she’d been unable to take the cold anymore. Then they hadreturned home and locked themselves in his room for the rest of thenight.
She couldn’t deny that she was falling inlove with him, even if it made her feel as if she’d jumped out of aplane without a parachute. She’d plummeted headfirst into thisrelationship with him, and she could only hope she didn’t end upsplattered in the end. However, she knew if there was anyone whocould catch her before she hit the ground, it would be David.
She still hadn’t been able to be embraced ortouched by him for extended periods of time, but over the pastweek, she’d gradually withstood more and more contact with him.
A squeal drew her attention back to thegroup as Darius bolted through the crowd of vampires gatheredaround him. Ian bent to scoop his son up. Darius’s tiny fangs wereextended, his golden hair tumbled in disarray. He laughed when Ianplopped him onto his shoulder.
“Kyle! Cassidy!” Sera called down thebasement stairs. “It’s time to open the Christmas Eve presents!Aiden, Abby, and Brian are leaving soon!”
Mia heard the last two of Liam and Sera’schildren bounding up the stairs before Cassidy emerged with hertwin brother right behind her. Cassidy was a little younger thanKyle, but she was the leader of the two as the twins jostledagainst each other to the front of the crowd.
Liam walked over, grabbed the plug for theChristmas lights, and held it into the air. Everyone followed hismovement as he bent to light the fifteen-foot tree that filled theroom with its pine scent. Despite the height of the tree, the angelon top didn’t reach the living room’s cathedral ceiling. When Liamplugged the cord in, applause erupted as red and green lightsblazed to life around the tree.
A smile tugged at Mia’s lips as she gazed atthe colorful tree and the vast array of mostly handmade decorationscovering it. She guessed most of them had been forged by the handsof Sera and Liam’s children. The papier-mâché angel on the top litup to reveal her broken wing and her twisted tilt to the rightside. All of the many imperfect and loving crafts on the tree madeit even more beautiful.
Sadness tugged at Mia’s heart as sherecalled the Christmas trees she’d had with her parents over theyears. Like this one, many of the decorations on it had beencreated by her. Others were reminders of the years her parents hadexperienced as humans, before they’d met each other. More of thedecorations had been from her parents’ time together. Each ornamenton their tree had told a story, and Mia had known all of thosestories as they’d been retold every year while the three of themdecorated the tree together.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath torein in her grief. It was a time of celebration, not of sorrow, andshe was determined to celebrate.
David felt Mia tremble as she opened hereyes to gaze at the tree. Unable to stand the distress in her eyes,he decided to give her Christmas present to her early. “I have asurprise for you,” he told her.
“What is it?” she inquired.
“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise,”he teased and bent to kiss the tip of her nose. Rising, he tookhold of her hand. “But I’ll show you now.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
“What about everyone else and thepresents?”
“They’ll understand. Besides, the kids onlyget pajamas or slippers tonight. They won’t start jumping for joyuntil tomorrow.”
He gave her hand a subtle tug and led herout of the living room that comprised more than half the downstairsof Sera and Liam’s home. The wide pine floors creaked beneath theirfeet as they walked to the hall. Stopping by the front door, Davidpulled her thick winter coat from the closet and handed it to her.He removed her scarf from the hanger afterward, wrapping it aroundher neck with deft fingers and securing it into place.
Mia rested her hand over her right breast,where the stake pressed against her chest. Even there, with all ofthe security and protection, she couldn’t bring herself not to havethe weapon on her.
David opened the door for her. She walkedoutside, and he stepped out behind her into the blustery wind. Theocean waves crashed against the shore and rolled back out again ashe clasped her hand. The salty tang of the sea called to him asthey hurried across the frozen snow toward the house he shared withMike, Jack, and Doug.
If all went well, David intended to startwork on a house for him and Mia in the spring. She didn’t complainabout sharing a home with his friends, but he wanted a place forthem alone. There were many things he planned to do to her in everyroom of that house that he couldn’t do without risking his friendswalking in. Mike and Doug would both exit in a hurry, but Jackwould probably sit down to watch the show.
Mia’s head tilted back to gaze at the vastsky as the first star burst to life in the velvet night. She smiledas more of them illuminated the darkness. She’d assumed he wastaking her home, but he detoured around it to the woods beyond.
“Where are we going?” Mia asked.
“You’ll see.”
She frowned at him as he led her toward apathway in the woods that she hadn’t known was there. The branchesof the trees clicked over their heads as the wind blew through themwhile they climbed a hill. At the top of the hill, the tressthinned out a little and he led her toward the ocean.
They were almost to the edge of the cliffswhen she spotted a small building that looked like a large shed,sitting a few feet away from the edge of the drop-off to the seabelow. Her brow furrowed as she glanced up at David. He’d beenrelaxed through most of their walk, but she sensed an oddnervousness in him as he remained focused on the building.
