She zipped up her bag and carried it down to the living room before she looked through the window next to the door.
To her complete astonishment, Ryan stood on her porch holding a couple of gift bags.
She opened the door. “Ryan! What are you doing here?”
He held up the gift bags. “I had a few little things I wanted to give you and Lydia. It’s not much. Just a couple of books I thought you both might like. I planned to leave them on your porch since I thought you would still be at your folks’ place, but then I saw your light.”
She was deeply touched, not only that he had bought giftsfor them but that he had traipsed through the snow to deliver them.
“I decided to stay overnight there. We’re all staying, except maybe Micah. He’s our oldest brother and he likes his creature comforts. I only came home to grab a few things.”
She looked up and down the street in vain for a vehicle. “How did you get here? Don’t tell me. You parachuted from Santa’s sleigh.”
He smiled and she couldn’t seem to look away. Something seemed different about him. He seemed... lighter, somehow. She couldn’t explain it.
“Nothing so exciting, I’m afraid. I needed some exercise after our huge dinner so I decided to take a walk. It’s a beautiful night and you’re only a few blocks from Kim’s place.”
Itwasa lovely night. She was ashamed that she had been so caught up in missing her daughter that she hadn’t paid nearly enough attention.
Christmas lights twinkled along the eaves of neighboring houses, their warm glow reflecting off the fresh snowflakes drifting lazily from the sky. It was the kind of night that felt like magic, the kind she used to dream about as a little girl. Peaceful, perfect and full of hope.
“Come in,” she said. Even as she issued the invitation she questioned the wisdom of it. She had already fallen hard for him and her feelings only deepened with every moment she spent with him.
“Kim fixed dinner? Was it only the three of you?”
He shook snow off his coat and stamped his boots. “Dad and Diane came, too.”
“Is that why you felt the need to take a walk on a snowy night? You needed an excuse to escape because your dad was there?”
“Actually, no. The opposite. Things are... better between us.”
“Oh, Ryan. I’m so glad!”
“We cleared the air a little. It’s going to take me time to release all that pent-up bitterness, but I’m working on it.”
She was genuinely delighted to hear that. “I’m happy for both of you. Clearly, your father wants a better relationship with you.”
“We still have a lot of work to do.”
“You can’t expect everything to be fixed after one good, honest conversation between you.”
“Exactly. But at least we are talking. That’s a big step, right?”
“Huge.” She smiled. “Does that mean you might be spending more time here at Lake Haven?”
He angled his head, giving her a searching look. “What would you think about that? If I were to spend more time in the area?”
She blinked. “What does it matter what I think?”
Ryan was quiet for a moment, his gaze steady. The air between them felt taut, as if the slightest movement might snap it. Then, his voice, low and rough, broke the silence. “It matters.Youmatter. I can’t stop thinking about you, Holly,” he said.
Her breath caught and she could feel her pulse hammering in her ears.
Before she could respond, before she couldthink, he stepped closer, his hand brushing her cheek, his touch warm against the cool air lingering in the doorway.
His lips found hers, soft and insistent, and the quiet night outside seemed to vanish, leaving only the two of them in the golden glow of the Christmas lights on her tree.
Ryan’s kiss was everything she hadn’t let herself admit she wanted: warm, certain and full of an aching tenderness.
