Lucky in Love (Southern Bride 4)

Before I knew it, my mother was bringing out a large cake with a candle on top.

Saryn smiled and Liliana jumped up. “Cake!”

“I know your birthday isn’t for another two days, but we’re all together, and I didn’t want to miss this opportunity to celebrate.”

I stood and walked over to the dining room table. Saryn had one of my hands, while Liliana tugged for me to pick her up. I reached down and picked her up and held her while I closed my eyes and made a wish, hoping that I wasn’t dreaming.

Saryn

LILIANA RUSHED INTO my bedroom just as the sun began to rise and jumped on my bed. Truitt had snuck out only an hour before and headed to the guest room. Once Liliana had me awake, she bounded quickly to Truitt’s room.

She calmed down some so that Rus didn’t get too excited and hurt his leg more. It had been almost three weeks, and he was getting around a lot better, but I had been a very overprotective doggy mom and still made Truitt use a leash when he took him out. It only took Truitt explaining to Liliana that if Rus got too excited he’d have to have another surgery for her to know she couldn’t get him too excited. I looked at him with my brows raised and wanted to say that the same thing went for him.

Liliana climbed carefully up onto the bed, then looked back at me and giggled. I stood in the doorway to the guest room, watching them. Truitt was asleep, his arm over his eyes as he breathed softly.

“Twuitt!” Liliana whispered shouted. “Twuitt! Santa came!”

Truitt and I had been up until almost two in the morning wrapping presents and simply talking. At one point we sat on the back porch, cups of hot chocolate in our hands, lost in conversation. We talked about everything and anything. Truitt even offered me a job with Imaginations Unlimited doing the interior design work, as well as drawing out plans. I’d never thought about doing anything other than nursing, but the idea of doing something different and working alongside Truitt left me feeling giddy and excited. It didn’t take me long to tell him yes…I’d take the job.

Liliana nudged Truitt harder. I saw him peek an eye open and then close it.

“Go away, Rudolph, I’m still sleeping.”

With her hand clasped over her mouth, Liliana giggled.

“It’s not Wudolph! It’s me! Liliana!”

Truitt moaned and said, “No, Rudolph, it’s too early!”

My daughter fell into a fit of laughter on the bed. When Truitt leapt up and started to tickle her, Rus got up. I bent down and gently pet him to keep him calm.

“Shh, they’re only playing, sweet boy. Let’s go potty and get something to eat.”

I glanced over my shoulder once more and saw Liliana sitting on the bed, crisscross applesauce, as she explained to Truitt how Santa had come in the middle of the night and left presents. His attention was one-hundred percent focused on her.

My heart couldn’t have felt fuller. After taking care of Rus, I walked into the living room to find Liliana nearly jumping out of her skin.

“Mommy! Mommy! Pwease!”

I tried not to laugh as I asked her, “Can you find the ones with your name on them?”

“I can!” she declared and promptly set out to find them.

Truitt and I sat on the sofa and watched Liliana open her presents one by one. Every now and then I would drop to the floor and help her with one or explain what something was.

After Liliana opened all her presents, she looked between me and Truitt.

“Did Santa not bwing you any?”

Truitt turned and looked at me, a smile so sweet that it made a warm sensation travel over my skin.

“Your mommy was my present this year,” Truitt said before he leaned over and gently kissed me.

Liliana giggled, then asked, “Do you wuv Mommy?”

His eyes sparkled, and even if he didn’t answer, I saw it.

My phone rang, interrupting the moment.

“Saved by the ring!” I said with a chuckle.

“Hello?”

“We’re dying over here, sweetheart. When are we going to get to show Liliana the playhouse?” my mother pleaded.

“How about right now?”

“Yes!” I could hear my father say in the background.

“Did Ryan stay the night?” I asked.

“He did, and we just finished biscuits and gravy.”

Truitt waggled his brows and licked his lips.

“Is there more? We haven’t eaten breakfast yet. Liliana was too excited to wait,” I said.

“Of course, I can make more up.”

“Then we’re on our way.”

I hit End and looked at Liliana. “We need to go change really quickly, Liliana. Granddad and Grammy said Santa left you something in their backyard!”

Liliana gasped. “What is it?”

Truitt laughed. “Let’s all get dressed and go see!”

As we walked toward my folks’ house, Truitt carried Liliana, even though I argued against it. I knew his knee was healing nicely, but the man never stopped, and I’d seen the way he limped on his leg last night.