Oh. My. Goodness!” Gloria squealed when she and Vernon opened their gift from Claire. “This is priceless and way too pretty to be using every day.”
“No, no!” Claire threw up both hands. “You are supposed to use it, not put it on a shelf. That’s what quilts are for.”
“Well, I’m going to use mine. It’s going to lay right over there on my chair, and I’m going to cover up with it while I watch television.” Cade’s eyes twinkled as he looked over at Retta. “You can cuddle under it with me.”
She finished opening her gift and said, “I’ll be glad to, cowboy, but I’ve got one of my own, and would you look at this, there’s a matching one for the baby. I’m taking this to the hospital to use when we bring her home.”
“Her?” Vernon raised an eyebrow.
“Or him,” Retta answered.
“We can pray, honey.” Gloria patted her on the arm. “I would love to have a granddaughter to spoil.”
“And I get one too!” Justin pulled his throw from the box and held it up. “And look at this, Cade, it’s long enough to go from chin to toes. You can’t buy one this long in the store.”
“No, you can’t,” Skip said from the corner of the room. “My mama used to make quilts, and we all loved them so much more than blankets. What do you think, Benjy?”
The young boy wrapped his quilt around his shoulders and smiled at Claire. “Quilts go back to the Egyptian times. The word comes from culcita, which means padded and tied mattress. I looked it up when Levi told me that you liked to make quilts. This is very nice, and I will be careful with it. Thank you, Claire.”
“You are so welcome.” Claire wanted to hug him. Maybe someday he’d be comfortable enough around her to make that possible. For now, she’d have to be satisfied with that cute little grin.
“The colors remind me of all the seasons on the ranch. Green for spring, yellow for summer, orange for fall, and blue for now. I draw pictures with paper and your art is quilts,” Benjy said.
“That’s the sweetest thing you could say,” Claire said. “I’m glad that you could see the reason for the colors. You told me at Thanksgiving that you loved every season on the ranch.”
“But I like this one best of all ’cause we get presents,” Benjy said.
The floor was covered with brightly colored paper, and the gifts were all opened when Cade cocked his head to one side. “I hope this isn’t rude, but didn’t you two get presents for each other?”
Levi smiled and nodded. “We’ll be opening ours later. And speaking of that, we hate to open and run, but we have an appointment to keep. We’ll be going up to Randlett tomorrow morning real early, so we won’t see y’all until evening. So here’s wishin’ everyone a Merry Christmas. And thank you for everything. This has been the best Christmas ever.”
“Awww, shucks,” Benjy said. “I thought we was all goin’ to have Christmas dinner together.”
“How about Christmas supper?” Levi said. “We can be back in time for that, can’t we, Claire?”
“We sure can.” She nodded. “You won’t leave until we get here, will you?”
“Of course not.” Mavis crossed the room to hug Claire. “And this was a lot of work that you’ve done for us. Handmade gifts are priceless.” She whispered softly in her ear, “I wouldn’t mind having a granddaughter either.”
Claire felt the heat rising from her neck to her cheeks. “What did you say?”
“I can see how happy you make him, and that brings me peace,” Mavis said.
“What are you whisperin’ about?” Levi stood up and offered a hand to Claire.
“That, son, is between us womenfolks. Merry Christmas, and we’ll look to see you tomorrow evening. I ain’t never spent a Christmas without seein’ you, and I ain’t startin’ this year.” She gave him a quick hug.
Claire put her hand in Levi’s and took time to look around at the newfound family she’d become a part of. “That’s a beautiful sight.”
“Yes, it is, and I take it for granted too often.” Levi held her coat for her and then pulled her stocking cap down over her hair, taking time to tuck all the errant strands up under it. “We’ve got to get you a cowboy hat.”
“Is that my Christmas present?”
“No, darlin’, that’s a necessity. A present should be something special.” He quickly got into his coat and ushered her out the back door with his hand on her lower back.
“Where are we going?” she asked when she was settled into the passenger’s seat of his truck.
“Back to the future.” He leaned across the console and planted a steamy kiss on her lips.
“That sounds pretty cryptic,” she said.
“It’s the only way to describe it, but you’ll figure it out before we ever arrive at the end destination, I’m sure.” He started the engine and drove past the barn.
“To the cabin?” Her heart beat faster and her pulse raced. Of all the places that she’d choose to exchange gifts with him, the cabin would top the list.
“Disappointed? It’s not a five-star hotel.”
“Not a bit. I remember a cold winter evening when it looked like a five-star to me.” She could hardly sit still. Did he mean that their future was in the cabin?
Warm yellow lights flowed out from the two windows, giving the place a Thomas Kinkade look. That was candlelight, not electricity, she was seeing, and it looked so romantic as Levi grabbed her bags and they walked hand in hand from the truck to the porch.
“Close your eyes,” he said.
She shut them tightly. Funny, she didn’t remember the door making that screeching sound when she opened it or when he first appeared looking like a snow-covered grizzly bear either.
“Keep them shut.” He led her inside.
Warm air, the kind that comes from a real fire, wrapped itself around her body. He’d started a blaze in the fireplace. She could smell it and hear the crackle.
“Okay, now open them,” he said.
She tried to take it all in at once, but it was impossible. The bunk beds were gone, and there was a queen-size four-poster in their place. Two nightstands with burning hurricane lamps flanked the bed, which was covered with a colorful, worn quilt. A small real Christmas tree stood on one side of the fireplace with only one pretty red ornament on it. She looked closely to read the writing that said, “Our First Christmas.”
She retrieved something from her bag—her gift to him—and placed it under the tree, noticing there was already a small box there. Her gaze traveled to the mantel to find half a dozen new photos. Most of them were of her, taken when she didn’t even know it. One with Gussie in her lap, another of her and Zaylie, and one of her with Little Bit.
“This is amazing,” she said. “I can’t think of a better present, Levi.”
He drew her into his arms. “You haven’t opened the one under the tree yet.”
“Can we always have a little tree like this and add an ornament every year?” she asked as she sat down on the floor in front of the fireplace. “And not turn on the lights but only have hurricane lamps?”
He sat down beside her. “Whatever you want, darlin’. It sounds like we’re making our own traditions, and I love it.”
She handed him her gift and watched his face as he tore the paper from the box. It seemed like so little after a present like the cabin for a whole evening and night. She glanced at the bed again, and a sweet little shiver danced down her spine.
He pulled the quilt out of the box, and his eyes brimmed with tears. He quickly wiped them away, and she wanted to throw the damn quilt into the fire. He was disappointed.
“Darlin’, this is the one you designed right here. I can’t believe you’ve given me something this…” He stammered, trying to find the right word. “It’s priceless. A cowboy doesn’t cry, but this is our life right here. It started in the cold snow, and it’s gotten warmer and warmer until this moment. I can’t think of anything I’d like better. I’m glad it’s not a big one that would cover a whole bed. I want it to be small enough that you have to snuggle up next to me until the first baby comes along, and then you can make us one big enough for three.”
“Baby?” She thought of what Mavis had said.
“Back to the future,” he reminded her. “That’s what I see in our future. What do you see?” He reached under the tree and retrieved the small, long box.
“You. That’s what I see in my future.” She threw her arms around him and brought his lips to hers.
“Okay, sweetheart, it’s time for you to open your present or else we’re going to skip the rest of our tradition and wind up under my new quilt on that bed over there,” he said.
She sat up straight. “Sounds good to me, but I do want to open my present.”
He put the box in her hands. “It’s sure not as amazing as what you’ve done, but it’s the best this old cowboy could think to do. Remember now, I got it when we weren’t nearly as serious as we are tonight.”
She opened it carefully and popped open the long velvet box to find the necklace with the three charms—a snowflake, a tiny set of longhorns, and an open heart. “Levi, it’s beautiful, and it means more knowing that you got it even before.”
“A cowboy can always hope.” He took the necklace from the box and fastened it around her neck. “A snowflake for the time when we met, longhorns to remind you of the ranch, and an open heart that says my heart is always open for you—anytime, anyplace.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I love you, Levi Jackson.”
He kissed away the tears one by one and then led her to the bed. “I’m glad to hear you say those words, just like that. I don’t have much to offer a woman, Claire. And you deserve more than I’ll ever be, but…” He paused as he sat down on the bed and patted the place beside him.
She eased down, not knowing what to expect next. “Levi, if you know me at all, you know that…”
“I know but it doesn’t change the fact that you could do better than an old ranch foreman or that I love you so much I want the best for you. But this is what I am, and, well, yesterday I asked Cade and Justin to sell me this cabin and the five acres around it.”
“You did what?” she squealed. “Did they say yes?”
“They said no,” he answered.
Her heart fell. If they wouldn’t sell it to Levi, then they sure wouldn’t consider selling it to her.
“They gave it to me and told me to use the money I’ve saved up to build on to it someday or else build a new house somewhere back here. Justin is a pretty good draftsman. He’s designed a couple of barns for us. Thought I’d ask him to help us draw up house plans, and we’d start building real soon,” he told her.
She jumped into his arms. “For real? Are you askin’ me to live with you?”
“No,” he said. “I can’t do that.”
Once again her heart dropped all the way to the floor.
He got down on one knee and took both her hands in his. “I want more than for us to move in together, Claire. I love you. Will you marry me? I thought maybe we could live together in your new house until…” He paused.
“Yes, darlin’, yes a thousand times, yes to everything.” She covered his face with kisses. “What a wonderful way to start a new year.”
“Beginning right now.” He grinned as he flipped her back on the bed.