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Giving her a side glance, Lex noticed she appeared sheepish.
He cleared his throat, wrapping an arm over her shoulders, squeezing her gently. “I would have never guessed. But what you’ve just said to me is something I’m going to walk away with and be thinking about wherever I go.”
She nodded. “I’m glad. Maybe we’re each going to meet someone else we’re going to fall head over heels in love with someday, but I’m thinking that even if that’s the case, the guy that I fall for is probably going to have to be a lot like you.”
“Oh, yeah?” he muttered, squeezing her harder. “I don’t think I’ll ever meet anyone who I’ll love as much as I do you.”
When Lex realized she was crying, he gently laid her head against his shoulder, just holding her.
But then he sighed. “I guess we’d better get back to the house and say our goodnights.”
“I know,” she answered softly.
As they stood, turning under the light of the full moon to head back to the house, Lex held Amy’s hand as they slowly made their way along the pathway, with Brownie following closely behind.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Four Years later
Amy and Lex had kept in touch as much as they could. Although the words had never been spoken aloud, they had a definite understanding. Lex had already been deployed several times overseas as a member of search and rescue. Temporarily stationed in Germany, he would soon be returning to the states.
Now a sophomore at Northwest Community College, Amy was still living at home after deciding to become a social worker. Mom and Dad had been urging her to attend college at the state university for her remaining two years, but since she was considering studying for her master’s, something she hadn’t mentioned to them yet, that would more than likely be the time she would think about leaving home.
Although Amy hated the idea of spending another Christmas without Lex, it was hard not to get in the Christmas spirit because of the exuberance of her family when it came to all things holiday related.
They’d celebrated Thanksgiving last week, and in a couple more days, they would begin their yearly Christmas traditions and head to the tree farm to pick out their trees.
Currently, Amy was studying for her last two finals, her laptop and books spread across the bed in Lex’s room. With Lex’s permission, she’d made the room her sanctuary, since sometimes she needed some peace and quiet to get things done. She’d never moved out of the room she’d had since childhood. It had been easier to help Mom with the twins when they were young, and truthfully, she’d always felt a little sentimental about that room. It held all her treasures, including the few things she’d brought along with her when she’d first arrived.
Brownie suddenly whined from where he laid at the end of the bed.
“Do you need to go outside, boy?” Stretching, Amy stood from the bed, waiting as Brownie climbed down the small staircase that Lex had built for him years ago, since the bed was so high off the ground. “I think I’m prepared. I have a feeling that everyone else is already asleep. After I take you out, I might just come back upstairs and we can both sleep in here since it’s already nice and warm.”
They walked down the back staircase and through the hallway toward the solarium so Amy could grab her winter coat from the coat rack near the door. Dad must have still been awake, because she could see that the light was on in the study, where Dad had left the door open wide.
Amy had Brownie out and in within ten minutes, and after she hung her coat back up and locked the door, she made her way through the hallway.
Although Peanuts sometimes insisted on sleeping with Amy and Brownie, she and Millie and Lily usually slept with Dad in the study these days near the fireplace. They were getting older, so Dad would run them outside quickly before he went to sleep.
As Brownie settled in again on the foot of the bed, Amy stacked up her notebook and books, slipping them into her backpack along with her laptop. Her finals weren’t until tomorrow afternoon, so she’d probably go to school a little earlier and take a few moments to review all her notes beforehand.
Removing her robe, she kissed Brownie on the nose before slipping under the thick down comforter covering the bed.
* * *
It was going to be a real Christmas homecoming this year. Lex could hardly wait until he reached Crystal Rock. He was running a little late since the roads had been kind of rough driving through central Wisconsin because of heavy snowfall, but after a few delays he was probably going to arrive home around midnight.
Snow was dropping lightly by the time he was cruising through town. The storm that had hit southern Wisconsin earlier today appeared to be moving across the northwest tonight.
With Christmas decorations lit and already on display, Lex couldn’t help noticing how the town looked so picturesque as he drove through. He’d sure missed Crystal Rock. Most likely there’d been a gathering of the townspeople held right before Thanksgiving so that everyone could help out with the decorating downtown because there wasn’t a single place without Christmas lights all along Main Street. A few of the bars were open late, and there were several cars still parked along the street since it was Thursday night, and the weekend was quickly approaching.
Ten minutes later, Lex drove into the driveway of the Giordano winery, pulling up close to the house. He’d given Dad a call about an hour earlier when he’d stopped to get gas so that the electronic gate would be left open.
And as he stepped out from the rental car and reached for the bag that he’d left in the backseat, Dad came outside to greet him.
“It’s so good to see you, son. I did what you said and didn’t tell anyone that you were coming.” Dad looked like he had tears in his eyes as he slapped Lex on the back. “Let me take one of those bags.”
After reaching for Lex’s duffel, he headed toward the solarium door.
