Jared continued, words he’d wanted to say for so long spewing out of him. “He cost Molly. If the man wasn’t already dead, I’d kill him for what he did to us! He was such a freaking coward to take his own life!”
“Yes, he was.”
Jared closed his eyes and fought back the bitterness. He wouldn’t let Frank ruin this opportunity. “I was so angry at him for killing himself.”
“You were angry at Frank, angry at me.”
“Angry at myself. I couldn’t mourn him, Emma.”
“I know. I was angry at you because of that. I missed him so much. I lost my brother, and all you could think about was saving the cursed Wildcatter.”
“I’m sorry, Emma.”
“You weren’t there for me when I needed you most.”
“That was wrong of me. I’m so very sorry.”
She smiled sadly. “ ‘I’m sorry’ are such powerful words. Why was saying them so hard for us?”
“Because we’re … How did Molly put it? Stubborn and intractable.” He moved slowly toward his wife, saying, “You are right, honey. ‘I’m sorry’ are powerful words, and we are a pair of fools for not having said them before now.”
Jared knew some other powerful words that they could exchange. Was this the right time? Did he want to hear them? Did he want to say them?
Yes .
“Emma …” He took another step toward her, but she nervously backed away. His heart sank.
“The gifts,” she stuttered out. “What was Molly talking about when she mentioned gifts?”
Jared saw yearning in her eyes, but also fear. She was afraid. Reaching out, he took her hand. “I brought Christmas gifts for you, Emma.”
She licked her lips. “You did?”
“Yep.” His own heart thumped, and he realized he was a little afraid, too. “I have four of them.”
“Four.”
He nodded.
A ghost of a smile flashed over her lips. “I brought gifts for you, too.”
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “How many?”
Her smile returned and stayed. “Four.”
“What are they?”
“It’s not Christmas yet.”
“Isn’t it? I feel as if maybe Christmas has come early.”
Jared pulled her into his arms, and she willingly melted against him. “I know some other powerful words that need to be said.”
They spoke simultaneously. “I love you, Jared Stapleton.”
“I love you, too, Emma Stapleton.”
They stared into each other’s eyes, love shining bright enough to light up the cave. With joy in his heart, beneath the mistletoe, Jared bent his head and claimed his wife’s mouth in a long, passionate kiss.
When they finally came up for air, Jared checked his watch. They had another hour before Molly said she’d return, and there was a handy stack of quilts on the shelf behind his wife. “Speaking of Christmas gifts, gonna let me unwrap mine now?”
A tiny frown creased Emma’s brow. “They’re back at Angel’s Rest.”
His fingers slipped a pearl button on her blouse free of its buttonhole. “Not all of them.”
Emma’s shiver had nothing to do with the cold.
* * *
Twinkle lights blinked on the twelve-foot fir tree that was the centerpiece of Christmas decorations in the downstairs parlor of Angel’s Rest. Emma studied the ornaments—it was an angel-themed tree—and decided that she needed to get some angels for their Christmas tree at the Wildcatter.
A sound in the hallway caught her attention, and she turned to see her daughter wrapped in her fiancé’s arms beneath the ball of mistletoe hanging from the light fixture. Gladness filled Emma’s heart. When Jared’s hand slipped around Emma’s waist, she glanced up with a smile. He, too, was looking at the couple in the hallway. “He’s a lucky young man.”
“The luckiest,” Emma agreed.
“No.” Jared squeezed her waist. “That would be me.”
Emma fingered the angel-wings pendant hanging from a long silver chain around her neck, a gift from Celeste. The Angel’s Rest blazon, she called it, which signified the healing of a broken heart. “I
“Yes, he was.”
Jared closed his eyes and fought back the bitterness. He wouldn’t let Frank ruin this opportunity. “I was so angry at him for killing himself.”
“You were angry at Frank, angry at me.”
“Angry at myself. I couldn’t mourn him, Emma.”
“I know. I was angry at you because of that. I missed him so much. I lost my brother, and all you could think about was saving the cursed Wildcatter.”
“I’m sorry, Emma.”
“You weren’t there for me when I needed you most.”
“That was wrong of me. I’m so very sorry.”
She smiled sadly. “ ‘I’m sorry’ are such powerful words. Why was saying them so hard for us?”
“Because we’re … How did Molly put it? Stubborn and intractable.” He moved slowly toward his wife, saying, “You are right, honey. ‘I’m sorry’ are powerful words, and we are a pair of fools for not having said them before now.”
Jared knew some other powerful words that they could exchange. Was this the right time? Did he want to hear them? Did he want to say them?
Yes .
“Emma …” He took another step toward her, but she nervously backed away. His heart sank.
“The gifts,” she stuttered out. “What was Molly talking about when she mentioned gifts?”
Jared saw yearning in her eyes, but also fear. She was afraid. Reaching out, he took her hand. “I brought Christmas gifts for you, Emma.”
She licked her lips. “You did?”
“Yep.” His own heart thumped, and he realized he was a little afraid, too. “I have four of them.”
“Four.”
He nodded.
A ghost of a smile flashed over her lips. “I brought gifts for you, too.”
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “How many?”
Her smile returned and stayed. “Four.”
“What are they?”
“It’s not Christmas yet.”
“Isn’t it? I feel as if maybe Christmas has come early.”
Jared pulled her into his arms, and she willingly melted against him. “I know some other powerful words that need to be said.”
They spoke simultaneously. “I love you, Jared Stapleton.”
“I love you, too, Emma Stapleton.”
They stared into each other’s eyes, love shining bright enough to light up the cave. With joy in his heart, beneath the mistletoe, Jared bent his head and claimed his wife’s mouth in a long, passionate kiss.
When they finally came up for air, Jared checked his watch. They had another hour before Molly said she’d return, and there was a handy stack of quilts on the shelf behind his wife. “Speaking of Christmas gifts, gonna let me unwrap mine now?”
A tiny frown creased Emma’s brow. “They’re back at Angel’s Rest.”
His fingers slipped a pearl button on her blouse free of its buttonhole. “Not all of them.”
Emma’s shiver had nothing to do with the cold.
* * *
Twinkle lights blinked on the twelve-foot fir tree that was the centerpiece of Christmas decorations in the downstairs parlor of Angel’s Rest. Emma studied the ornaments—it was an angel-themed tree—and decided that she needed to get some angels for their Christmas tree at the Wildcatter.
A sound in the hallway caught her attention, and she turned to see her daughter wrapped in her fiancé’s arms beneath the ball of mistletoe hanging from the light fixture. Gladness filled Emma’s heart. When Jared’s hand slipped around Emma’s waist, she glanced up with a smile. He, too, was looking at the couple in the hallway. “He’s a lucky young man.”
“The luckiest,” Emma agreed.
“No.” Jared squeezed her waist. “That would be me.”
Emma fingered the angel-wings pendant hanging from a long silver chain around her neck, a gift from Celeste. The Angel’s Rest blazon, she called it, which signified the healing of a broken heart. “I
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