“Ooh, I thought that gum would never come out,” said Mira as Branch emerged from the shower.
He had spent a good three hours giving rides and allowing the kids to pet the hell out of him. After that, he had shifted, begged her to talk to him, and crazy or not, she had agreed. He had somehow hustled her to his house – she was a little unclear on that part – and she agreed to wait while he showered to rid himself of the sticky finger marks and yes, bubblegum.
“Yeah,” he agreed running his hand through his hair.
“Sorry. Little Junie does like her pink bubblegum.”
Branch stared at her for a moment, and Mira fidgeted under his intense gaze.
“Do you want another drink?”
Mira shook her can of soda. It was virtually full. She’d been too nervous, too distracted to drink it. She had merely waited for him to return, worrying more and more about what he was going to say and occasionally chuckling at the state of his half-assembled Christmas tree.
“I’m fine.”
“Mira, I’m sorry…”
She sighed and put her can on the coffee table. “I know, Branch, can we not do this again?”
Branch surged forward to kneel in front of her. Her heart was damn well trying to beat itself right out of her chest.
“I was wrong,” he said firmly. “I thought I only had one chance at happiness, and I thought that was gone. But I was wrong. You showed me that. I want to be with you. Can you ever forgive me?”
Mira blinked at him for a few moments. “Yes,” she murmured before she even realized she was saying it.
She wasn’t really expecting him to say that, but boy, she wasn’t about to do anything crazy like say no. She loved him and she wanted to be with him. Sure, he had hurt her, but not on purpose. He made a mistake, and not one she wasn’t very prepared to forgive.
Branch stared at her in disbelief, almost as surprised as if she’d just slapped him with a glove and challenged him to a duel at high noon.
“R-really?” he spluttered.
“You seem surprised?” she chuckled.
“I am; I thought I was in for at least a couple of months of hard groveling. I had a whole plan worked out involving jewelry and wooing…”
Mira shook her head and smiled sadly.
“Branch, we met less than two weeks ago – I don’t blame you for having some doubts about us. But I don’t want to have any regrets. I already lost one man I love this year; I don’t want to lose the other.”
His face lit up.
“Though, there’s no need to abandon the jewelry or the wooing – I’m open to both,” she added hastily.
She’d heard diamonds were a girl’s best friend but was yet to put that to the test.
Branch took her face in his hands and gave her a thorough kiss. “I love you, too.”
“You don’t have to say it,” she mumbled a little woozily. His kisses really could knock the stuffing out of a girl – in a good way, naturally.
He smiled crookedly. “No, I do.”
Just about every part of her shimmered with joy.
“I still think we should take it slow,” he said.
Branch wrapped her in his arms and inhaled her scent sending delightful shivers through her body.
“I agree,” she murmured. “Also, there’s something you should know about my name – and I only admit this to people that I trust…”
“Oh?” he grunted distractedly.
He was far too busy sniffing to pay much attention.
“Yeah, Mira is short for something…”
“Mmmm?”
“It’s Miracle, okay? My full name is Miracle Hope Destiny Orlando Minnie Jones.”
Branch paused. She was expecting a burst of laughter. She always got a burst of laughter. He merely pulled back to look at her.
Mira shrugged. “My mom is… nuts.”
Her mom was always a bit of a hippy and well, Mira had been conceived at a certain theme park in Orlando, and Minnie was her mom’s favorite animated character from said theme park…
“Miracle,” he virtually purred.
“Yes, it’s silly,” she said as she tried to duck her head in embarrassment.
Branch cupped her chin not allowing her to hide even for a second. “I like it. You’re my Christmas Miracle.”
Mira beamed. “Does this mean you actually like Christmas, now?”
“Well, it’s certainly growing on me. By the way, I have your bra.”
She snuggled against him. “Good, I was wondering how I was going to get it back.”
“I was considering ransoming it back to you if you didn’t give me another shot.”
“You monster,” she teased. “That’s my favourite bra. I’ve been unsupported for the last two days.”
“Really?” He perked up even more at the news. “Now that is something I have to see…”
Mira giggled as Branch ineffectively tried to tickle her out of her clothes. It was going to be a good Christmas after all.