Was it wrong to hope they got a shotgun for Christmas? Probably was.
Em wipes away a tear and smiles at dad. Peeling back the paper, she opens a small box and laughs. In her hands is a necklace with a ball and chain hanging off it.
“It’s perfect,” she gasps between laughs.
“Wait, who’s the ball and chain?” I ask and dad shrugs.
“That’s for you to figure out,” he chuckles.
Next, I open mine. It’s smaller than Em’s, flatter. Opening the envelope, I stare at it. My mouth drops open in surprise. “Dad?”
Dad nods. “I bought it when you were you were born. Planned to give it to you on your wedding day, but it seems fitting now.” He grinned.
I stared at the paper in my hands. “You have to be kidding.”
“Nope. It’s yours. Do what you want with it. Sell it. Grow it. Build on it. It’s yours.”
I shove Em off my lap and stand up. Dad rises to his feet as well. Tears in his eyes, he pulls me in for a hug. “Love ya, kid.”
“Love you, too.” I hug him back, squeezing tighter, holding him longer. I didn’t know how else to say how much I loved him, how grateful I was for his gift.
Land.
He’d given me land. One town over from his home. Right where I wanted to live.
I released him and sat back down. Em climbed off the sofa and crawled across the floor to three where she retrieved another package. It was a perfect square.
She handed it to me, pressing her lips to mine. “Happy Christmas, Colt,” she whispered and kissed me once more.
I tore into the wrapping, my heart beating with excitement. It could have been a loaf of bread and I would still be this excited. It doesn’t matter what it is. All that matters is she gave me something. She thinks about me. She cares about me. She loves me.
My heart leapt into my throat as my fingers wrapped around the rough rubber. I pulled the ball out of the box and examined it. There was a faded black scribble on one side.
“No fucking way,” I breathed.
“Way...” Em said, leaning into me, holding onto my arms and resting her head on my shoulder.
“An MJ signed ball? What the fuck? How?”
Em shrugs and winks, “I know people.” She points into the bottom of the box and it’s there I find a signed piece of cardboard with no less than ten players scribbles.
I drop the ball and the box to the floor and lunge for her, pushing her back into the sofa as I kiss her with as much love, passion and gratitude as I can muster.
She is fucking perfect.
This time it’s Jody who clears her throat. I pull back, falling into the sofa as Em tries to right herself.
Sweeping a hand over her hair and taking a deep breath she plastered on a fake, composed smile. “Thank you,” I say quietly, accepting the ball from dad who picked it up after it rolled away.
My nerves are shot as I lift Em’s gift and hand it to her. It means so much more than what it initially appears to be and I’m so fucking nervous. Scared. My stomach rolls. My lip trembles.
“Your hands are shaking,” she says softly, placing them over my mine. “Relax.” Her lips press against mine briefly before she pulls back and tears into the wrapping.
Opening the small box, she lifts the lid to find the key.
Dad stands at the same time I do, pulling Jody to her feet. I tug Em to a standing position. She frowns at the key in her hand but lets me drag her outside to the garage. One of the reasons why I didn’t want her to take the turkeys out there was the fact I was hiding her Christmas gift out there.
I pull open the doors. They’re heavy and moving slow from the build-up of snow o the ground but the moment the light fills the dark room Em gasps. Her hands cover her mouth and she squeals.
“No way?”
“Way.” We say almost echoing mine and dads conversation minutes ago.
“A car, Colt?”
“A car.” I grin, tucking my hand in my pockets as she runs her fingers over the cool metal, exploring every smooth, sleek line of the cherry Impala at her fingertips.
She stops and turns to face me, her smile falling slightly. “Don’t get me wrong, I love it. I do. But we can’t afford it.”
I wince and shrug sheepishly. “We can.”
Everyone stops. No one breathes. No one utters a word. All eyes are on me. It has been absolute hell keeping this quiet for so long.
“We can.”
“How?”
“Can’t you just accept it?” I ask her.
“No.” she shakes her head.
I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. I knew this would happen. REaching for her, I pulled her into my arms. “I signed a deal.”
Her eyes widened. “With New York?”
“BAck home,” I said, unable to hide the grin.
I hadn’t told anyone about being approached a month ago because I was so nervous, so unsure. It seemed like a deal that was too good to be true. “I finish out my school year. With you. On weekends during the season, I head home for training and games. The travel isn't ideal, but it’s the best of both world. I can stay at school with you, live with you, train with the guys, but at the weekend, I’m the new point guard for the Lions.”
Em lunges for me, her arms wrapping around my neck, legs around my waist as she kisses me. “I’m so proud of you. I love you so much,” she says.
Dad comes over and wraps me in a hug, pushing Em aside. “Good job, kid.” I hug him back, Em’s hand at my waist, dad’s arms around me and Jody nearby cooing happily.
Best Christmas ever.
Books by Mackenzie Lane
Want to read Colt and Em’s story? Check it out Blurred Lines, book 1 in the FU series here:
https://www.writerlustpublishing.com/blurred-lines
Still craving more? Book 2, Crossed Lines is available for preorder now!
https://www.writerlustpublishing.com/broken-lines
About the Author
Mackenzie Lane enjoys long walks down the wine aisle and watching Supernatural on repeat. She’s in a long term one-sided relationship with Chris Hemsworth, though he’s not aware of it.
Author of sexy contemporary romance, as well as dark and sci-fi romance. If you like your books steamy and gritty and raw, then you’ll love Mackenzie Lane.
It’s a no holds barred romance and comes with an overall general trigger warning of bad language, adult scenes, drugs, alcohol and violence.
Mackenzie Lane also writes lighter, young adult and new adult romance under the name R. Linda.
You can find those books here: https://www.writerlustpublishing.com/r-linda
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Sweet Christmas
A Sweet Dandelion Christmas Story
Micalea Smeltzer
Chapter One