“I want AJ to draw and make the best kinds of houses.” He ruffled Anna’s hair, and kissed her hand. “I want Anna to have all the frosting she ever wants and to always ask questions.” He kissed Aden on the top of his head, “and I want Aden to one day be able to fly to the moon.” He smiled up at Santa. “And I never want to miss any of it. So, that’s what I want for Christmas.”
Emotion burned my eyes.
“But what about for you?” Santa pressed.
Paul stood. The kids hugged his legs and all of them were looking at me.
“I have a list,” Paul murmured.
“Don’t we all!” Santa chuckled with another ho ho ho.
“Mine’s an easy list, Santa. I want Austin to know that when I visit these new places I planned it’ll be with him and the kids by my side. I want him to know I was awake when he told me he loved me at Thanksgiving. I want him to know how much I love him and I never want him to tell me again that it’s okay for me to leave. I want the five of us to be a family. For real.”
Paul stared at me as he spoke, and everything hung on that moment, every emotion that I’d forced down rose in one single surge of happiness.
“You love me?” I asked, because maybe I’d heard wrong.
“Since forever,” Paul said firmly.
“I love you,” I blurted.
“I know,” Paul grinned.
“Kiss him Daddy!” Anna demanded.
“Kiss him,” Aden added.
But it was AJ who came to me and held up her hands for a carry. I scooped her up on instinct and she cuddled in close. “Kiss him Daddy,” she murmured, and I stepped forward.
Paul reached out and cradled my face. “Austin, I love the kids, I love our life, I love you. Don’t let me go.”
“I won’t let you go.”
He kissed me and the touch was love-you and a promise all rolled into one. It didn’t matter who was watching, or where we were, or that I didn’t have a ring, or flowers, or anything I’d thought would make this moment perfect.
“I love you,” I whispered. “Will you marry us?”
And he smiled the widest of grins.
“Yes.”
THE END
Meet RJ Scott
RJ is the author of the over one hundred published novels and discovered romance in books at a very young age. She realized that if there wasn’t romance on the page, she could create it in her head, and is a lifelong writer.
The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn't like it one little bit and has yet to meet a box of chocolates that she couldn’t defeat.
Website: www.rjscott.co.uk
Newsletter: rjscott.co.uk/rjnews
What happens when your Secret Santa is less intriguing than the delivery man who brings the gifts?
When Paul begins receiving package after package of gifts at Christmas time, it takes him a while to figure out his secret Santa is doing the Twelve Days of Christmas. It takes him less time to get friendly with hunky UPS guy who delivers said packages. The game intrigues Paul, then worries him. Who is sending all the gifts? What do they expect from him? And what if he falls for someone else in the meantime? Because Dan, the UPS guy, is gorgeous and sweet, and he just might be what Paul really wants for Christmas.
Twelve Days of UPS
Copyright © 2020 by Eli Easton
Chapter One
December 10
"Another package for you today. Someone must love you."
Surprised, I met Hunky UPS Guy's eyes. With his black mask in place, his eyes were about all I could see--well, aside from his dark chestnut brown hair which was cut short and was thick enough to make me, with my own wispy hair, envious.
This being December, I was unable to admire the tan forearms, impressive biceps, and muscular calves on Hunky UPS Guy. They'd been nice eye candy during the summer, making the brown UPS truck an even more welcome sight in the neighborhood than usual.
Naturally, in the summer, I'd hardly received any packages at all. Now that the delivery guy was covered up like a maiden aunt from California visiting relatives in Alaska, I was swimming in them.
In packages. Not maiden aunts.
"Uh... yeah. Someone's playing a joke on me, I think," I said, taking the package.
"Playing a joke?" His dark eyebrows raised curiously.
I was certain Hunky UPS Guy didn't really care about what was in my packages. Or my package, unfortunately. But I'd apparently started a conversation, as out of practice at it as I was.
"Yes. The packages I've been getting every day--someone's sending me anonymous gifts."
"Huh. No idea who they're from?"
"I haven't the foggiest." I chuckled awkwardly. "Whoever they are, they're persistent. I'll give them that."
I'd mentally run through the likely senders of my mysterious packages, to no avail. I thought my mom and dad might be feeling sorry for me, being home alone this year for the holidays. But when I'd called to ask, Mom swore it wasn't them. My sister Ally was in grad school and had neither the money nor the temperament for such games. My friends in Seattle? Most of them were still miffed that I'd moved across Puget Sound and left the old neighborhood, and they were busy with their own little dramas. My ex-boyfriend James? It was possible. Perhaps he wanted to get back together. But James had never had a romantic bone in his body. It was hard to imagine him sending anonymous gifts, or that he was eager to win me back given how cold he'd been when he dumped me.
"Maybe you have a secret admirer," Hunky UPS guy suggested. His tone was serious even though the suggestion was ridiculous.
"Well, I wish I had suitors beating down my door but, alas, no."
"I dunno. You're new in the neighborhood, Maybe you've caught someone's eye." Hunky UPS Guy's own chocolate brown eyes twinkled. "You have a good day now."
I was too perplexed to respond as he walked back to his truck. I was not, however, too perplexed to watch him go. His firm ass could still be admired in his brown uniform pants, even in the winter. My, he wore them tight. When he was seated in his truck, he glanced back at me. I stupidly waved, trying to cover up the fact that I'd been checking him out.
Nice going, Paul. You letch.
I took today's package inside, stripped off my mask, and hung it on a hook by the door, conveniently placed for deliveries. I decided to ignore my work for another five minutes to satisfy my curiosity. I cut the box open. Inside was a blu ray of Bird with the Crystal Plumage.
Interesting. I loved old giallo movies. Who would know that about me? It had to be family and friends. I didn't think I'd ever mentioned it in an interview.
Next, I looked over the packaging carefully. As with the previous gifts, the package was from Amazon with UPS delivery selected and the sender listed as "Anonymous." There was no message.
This was the fourth one I'd received, and it seemed just as random as all the rest. But was there a pattern? I fetched the other three gifts--or what was left of them--and placed them on the table.