“It is for me,” I replied.
My mother laughed. “He’s with someone,” I heard her say to someone on the other end. “He says it’s serious.”
“How are you, Braden?” my father said. He was retired now because of a heart problem, but the force of his personality came through even on the phone. “Your mother is ecstatic that you have a serious girlfriend.”
“I didn’t say…” I sighed. “How’s the vacation?”
“Good. Your mother has guests over. We’re entertaining.”
I wasn’t surprised. My mother knew people on every continent.
“I want to talk to her.” My mother was back on the line. “What’s her name?”
“Her name is Allie.” Allie focused on me when she heard her name. “And I don’t think…”
“I just want to say Merry Christmas, not ask her to take pity and make an honest man out of you.”
“I am an honest man.”
“Who has all the money in the world but won’t settle down.”
I shook my head and handed the phone to Allie. She gave me a questioning look. “It’s my mother, I explained. She wants to say Merry Christmas.”
She said more than that. I listen
ed to Allie’s side of the conversation, hearing her laugh and respond to questions I couldn’t hear.
“I like her,” my mother said when Allie handed the phone back to me.
“Good to know,” I replied, still nervous as I wondered what they’d talked about.
“She’s so nice,” Allie told me when I ended the call. “You’re lucky. My parents aren’t the affectionate type. They give their love to their work.” She sighed. “I don’t mind—they save a lot of lives.”
I could tell she did mind, and I ached to make her feel better. “My mother likes you.”
Allie chuckled. “Mothers always love me.”
How many mothers? I wanted to ask. The surge of possessiveness surprised me. I bit back the words and followed her into the living room. She stopped at the entrance, taking in the white tree we’d put up while she was asleep. It was impeccably decorated, and with the fire crackling merrily in the stone fireplace, it brought Christmas into the house in a way that had been missing before.
“How did you do this?” Allie exclaimed, her delight spilling into me like bubbles of joy.
“With Sam’s help,” I told her. “It wasn’t that hard. I didn’t expect to be here today, but that’s not a good enough reason for you not to have a tree at Christmas.”
She laughed. “I’m sure I could have survived.” Her eyes went to the large gift-wrapped package under the tree. “Is that a present?”
I nodded. “Everybody should have something to open on Christmas morning.”
“You shouldn’t have,” she said, going to sit on the rug in front of the tree. I joined her and helped peel off the wrapping on the package. I watched her open it, waiting as her face relaxed into a smile. The present was a big cuddly bear, almost half as tall as her.
She hugged it close. “I love it! It’s perfect. How did you…?”
“I made some calls.” I didn’t tell her I’d purchased a lot more than that: a diamond bracelet, a miniature model of one of the historic homes she loved so much. I didn’t want to give her the wrong impression—that I was trying to buy her affection with presents—so I kept the more expensive items to myself for the time being.
She gave me a sweet pout. “I didn’t get you anything.”
“That’s okay.” I chuckled. “I’m a big boy.”
“No, it’s not okay.” Her face lit up, and she rose to her feet, running upstairs only to come back a few minutes later holding her purse. She pulled out a polished green stone and handed it to me. “That’s my good luck charm. I picked it up at a thrift store when I was in high school, but it’s worth a lot to me. I take it everywhere, and now, I’m giving it to you.”