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DECEMBER 25th
12:19 A.M.
“Okay, I got another one,” Brady announced.
Everyone groaned.
Brady had been reading out lame Christmas jokes from his phone for the last hour, each one cheesier and cornier than the last.
“How is the alphabet on Christmas Day different than every other day?” Brady asked.
They all looked around, none of them sure of the answer.
“Anyone?” Brady asked. “No? Okay, on Christmas Day it has Noel.”
Samara laughed.
Michael couldn’t get enough of hearing that.
They sat side by side on the couch, holding hands, she was pressed right up against him as her brother and Chloe sat on her other side. They’d all been laughing, and playing charades, and reminiscing about past Christmases. The kids were all asleep, and it was after midnight. As much as he wanted to have Samara all to himself—preferably naked and upstairs in bed—he was enjoying seeing her having fun like this.
It seemed like they had both grown a lot in the last twelve months. Maybe his decision to leave had ended up working out for the best. As much as he hated that he’d hurt Samara, he knew they were both now in the right place to begin a relationship. Although begin seemed too strong a word, they'd been friends for years, he’d been in love with her for years, she’d loved him for the last twelve months, it felt like they had been together for years rather than just beginning their lives as a couple.
“We better get going,” Sawyer announced. “The twins are going to need feeding again soon, and we have a big day tomorrow.”
“You’re on tomorrow, Sis,” Fin said to Samara as he stood up. “We’ll all be back here in twelve hours.”
“I can't wait,” Samara said, her eyes sparkling with glee. The last thing Samara had mentioned when they’d discussed her perfect Christmas last year was everyone gathered at her house celebrating Christmas lunch together.
“We’ll bring the food,” Brady said, “you just need to try to find places for all of us to sit.”
That was going to be no easy feat.
It wasn't just Samara’s family coming, but Brady and Aurora and their kids, Sawyer and Ashley and their kids, Sawyer’s sister Savannah and her family, Tom and Hannah and their kids, and their other bosses Paige Hood and her family, and Ryan and his entire extended family. There was going to be over fifty people here at lunchtime tomorrow.
Samara laughed again. “As long as some of us don’t mind sitting on the floor I think we can manage.”
They exchanged hugs and kisses and Merry Christmases, and then everyone piled out into the snowy night.
Then they were alone.
Michael slipped his arms around Samara’s waist and drew her up against him. “I've been waiting all night to have you to myself.”
“I can never thank you enough for all of this.” Samara rested her hands on his chest and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “It was amazing. It was everything I ever longed for when I was a little girl. I’m never going to forget tonight. Ever. It was perfect. Just perfect. And just sitting around with everyone, talking and laughing and playing games, I think that was my favorite part.”
“Oh?” He nibbled on her earlobe. “Your favorite part? Ithought the best part of the night was still to come.”
She giggled but pushed him away. “We have to clean up, and then we have to be up early tomorrow to get everything ready, so we should probably—”
He cut her off with a kiss. “Don’t finish that sentence,” he warned. “The mess can wait until the morning, and between the two of us, it won't take long to get everything ready. Besides, we can sleep tomorrow night, tonight is about us, and I don’t want to do anything but make love to you over and over again.”
“How can I say no to that?” Samara threaded her fingers in his hair and kissed him.
There was so much more to the kiss than just a kiss. It was full of emotion, hope for the future, safety and security, but also passion, and most importantly love.
Michael scooped her up, intending to carry her up the stairs, but she stopped him. “Let’s stay down here. The tree, and the garlands, and all the lights, it’s so pretty and magical.”
“That we can do, I’ll grab a blanket.” He set her down in front of the tree and ran to the linen closet to get a blanket to lay out on the floor.
