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“Okay,” her voice came out shaky. “Have at it. Show me what you got.”
ChapterThirty-Six
LANDON
Why was I nervous?
It was Christmas Day, and we were headed over to Braxton and Jurnee’s. Alley and I had spent Christmas Eve alone together and exchanged gifts as a couple, but I had one other little surprise for my wife, and everyone needed to be there for it.
For some reason, I was feeling anxious about what I had planned. Me, a lawyer who had gone up against some ruthless opposing counsel in the courtroom. But they didn’t mean anything to me as Alley did.
All I wanted to do was take care of and make the most important person in my life happy. I had been trying to do that, but over the last week, she was having a hard time. Her hands and feet were swollen from retaining fluids and she’d been having frequent headaches. I’d been hoping her morning sickness at the beginning would be the only thing she’d have to worry about and once that was over, it would have been smooth sailing. But it looked like that wasn’t the case for this last stretch of her pregnancy.
I was glad she had an appointment coming up in the next week to check things out and maybe that would bring a little peace of mind.
“I’m ready,” she said walking into the front room.
My gaze landed on her. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Alley had always been stunning, but add in being round with my child, she was knock-out gorgeous. She glowed with happiness and even when she was being her normal smart-ass self, there was a softness that had crept in as motherhood settled into her soul.
She wore a red turtleneck dress that showed off her newly enlarged pregnancy assets, just enough to tease me, and black leggings. I thought she’d bought ten pairs of the things, mostly in black, to live in while she was pregnant. Something was missing from the outfit, but I would rectify that soon.
“Are we going to go or are you just going to stare at me all night?” she asked me.
“You are so damn beautiful,” I told her, walking over to where she was standing. A rosy, pink blush tinted each cheek and I thought it was endearing that she could still get embarrassed or so touched when I said things like that to her. “So damn beautiful,” I repeated and leaned in and gave her a quick, soft kiss.
Anything more and we wouldn’t make it out of the house.
* * *
ALLEY
With everyone in attendance, the gift-giving took a long time.
After eating we started handing out presents. Embry had gotten her wish and Landon had painted a mural on her bedroom wall as one of her Christmas gifts from him. She loved it and had got to watch him while he worked since they couldn’t really hide him being there and doing it, but she found that amazing. I was pretty sure she thought he walked on water at that point.
After that, it went on and on. Taking in the huge tree, twinkling lights, and joyous faces all around me, I couldn’t help but think that just last year was when things started between Gyth and Summer, and that by next year they would have their own son to celebrate Christmas with, just as I would have my little girl.
A girl that Landon and I still had not chosen a name for yet. We had kicked around names we both liked but decided that we would choose when I gave birth. When we saw her for the first time, it would be clear. That was probably insane, but it felt right.
When we finished opening gifts, Landon and I told everyone we had one last thing we wanted to share. My stomach was a bit queasy over the last couple of days, but I chalked it up to the busy holiday season and last-minute touches on the secret surprise we were telling the group about that night.
Landon walked over to the door and grabbed the box we had left there and brought it back into the front room. As he opened the top, I held my breath. What we were about to share was so special to me and I couldn’t believe we made it happen. The two of us, as a team, had created something spectacular.
Bringing enough for every person in the room, Landon walked around the room and placed a book in each person’s hands, even the kids. Tears formed in my eyes as I watched it register as to what they were looking at.
“Oh my God,” Jurnee gushed. “This is beautiful. I can’t believe the two of you have a children's book!”
“This is so cool!” Embry screamed, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Can you read it to me now, Mommy?” she asked Jurnee.
“We will do it at bedtime, angel,” she told her.
Then I heard Gyth ask Summer why she was crying and looked over to see my friend had tears streaming down her face. With the very front of the book open, I knew what she was seeing, and my own tears gathered in my eyes and dripped down my cheeks.
Gyth looked so concerned for his wife as he stood over her, rubbing her shoulders, not sure why she would be so upset. Then his gaze landed on the page she was opened to and understanding dawned. Everyone noticed what he was looking at and opened their books. Within a minute, except for the kids, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
In my head I said the words that Landon and I wrote together, remembering them word for word.
To our beautiful baby girl, Hannah Nicole...
