As You Are at Christmas
Page 9
“You know you’re welcome here, but even though you left your drafting table, you didn’t leave any extra clothes.”
He grinned and finished his sandwich before answering. “My duffle bag’s in the truck. In case you ladies decided to let me stay.”
His candor and their laughter warmed Angela’s heart. He could stay forever as far as she was concerned.
“Should we let Roady in for the gift exchange?”
Angela’s shock at her grandmother’s question caused the woman to lift her chin in defense. “I saw a few things under the tree that he might like. And Matthew, he’ll be your responsibility. Don’t let him get out of hand.”
Matt threw Angela a doubtful look and shrugged. “I’ll do my best.” He stood and headed toward the kitchen.
Roady surprised everyone when he quietly padded in and lay at Mollie’s feet.
“Hmph.” She patted the top of his scruffy head. “Guess he knows whose house he’s in.” She signaled Angela with a wave of her hand. “Well, let’s get started. I can’t stay up all night you know. I’ve got a turkey to cook in the morning.”
It wasn’t hard to know where each gift belonged, and Angela piled several next to Roady who immediately started gnawing on an oversized rawhide bone. Mollie beamed as she accepted a large ribbon-wrapped basket, and Matt took his with a look of surprise.
Angela settled back with a box from Mollie and the red bag on her lap. “OK, one at a time. You go first, Mollie.”
The woman chuckled sweetly as she pulled one gift after another from the deep wicker basket but gave Angela a heartfelt look when she unwrapped a high-end electric can opener.
“It’s not a very fancy gift, but I knew you wouldn’t use it if I gave it to you any other way,” Angela said.
Her grandmother examined the pictures on the box. “I have to admit I’m glad you got it, Angie. My hands aren’t what they once were, and lately they’ve bothered me quite a bit. Thank you, dear. You’re always so thoughtful.”
Angela turned to Matt. “You’re next.”
He shifted his weight and extended one leg. Two boxes sat before him, and he reached for the taller one.
“That’s from me,” Mollie said as he tore away the paper to reveal a gourmet bag of ground coffee. “You can enjoy that when you’re not here. It’s what I serve my guests.”
“Thank you, Mollie. You must have known you’ve gotten me hooked.”
He set the bag aside and picked up the next gift. The parenthesis popped into place as he pulled at the paper. He quirked an eyebrow at the lid of a plain cardboard box, but complete puzzlement followed when he lifted out a large, hand-thrown pottery coffee mug.
Mollie’s blue eyes twinkled, and she quickly answered his unspoken question.
“She had my permission, Matthew. We’ll just have to keep it out of sight of the guests.”
A deep laugh tumbled in his throat, and Angela felt it run along the back of her neck.
Cradling the mug in his hands, he leaned slightly toward her. “Now it’s your turn.”
From the size and shape of the silver paper-wrapped box, she guessed Mollie’s gift before she pulled out two of the latest novels from her favorite authors. “Oh, Mollie. You always know.”
“I know you need a break sometimes from those little rascals you teach, and reading is a wonderful way to get away when you can’t get away.”
Angela’s fingers tingled in expectation of her last gift. She drew green tissue from the sparkling red bag and her breath caught at what she saw. Carefully she lifted out a painted glass ornament—Beauty in a golden ball gown. One hand lay delicately in the massive paw of the Beast, the other against his cheek as she smiled at him.
Stunned by the significance of Matt’s gift, she reached for his arm. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
“Let me see dear.” Mollie stood and held out her hand. “Why, Matthew, you amaze me.” Approval hovered around her twinkling eyes. She returned the ornament to Angela and kissed her cheek. “I hope I can count on you two to clean up and put Roady out. I’m suddenly very tired, and I’m going to turn in.” She bent down and planted a peck on top of Matt’s head. “This has been a wonderful evening. Good night dears. See you tomorrow morning.”
After Mollie closed her bedroom door, Angela stood to hang the ornament as close as possible to the lumberjack. She shivered as Matt wrapped one arm around her from behind and with the other hand took the figure and suspended it near the shimmering angel. Then he gently turned her to face him.
“You once asked Roady a question that I’d like to think you meant for me.”
She laid her hands on his chest and smiled at the memory, recalling her words in the cab of his pickup. “If I say I love you, will you become a handsome prince?”
“That’s it.” His eyes darkened, and he traced the line of her cheek with a finger. “There’s not much hope of me turning into a handsome prince, but would you settle for a happy husband?”
Tears pooled against her lashes, and she wrapped her fingers around his and kissed the palm of his hand.
“I love you Angela Murphy. Will you marry me in June?”
“June?” She laughed and swiped at the tears on her cheek.
“Sooner?”
“No, June will be perfect. Even if it is six months away.”
Mollie’s music had been cycling through the play list all evening, but Angela suddenly caught the familiar line of a favorite song.
“Go tell it on the mountain…” And that was exactly what she wanted to do—stand on the tallest mountain and tell the world she was finally at home in the arms of the man she loved.
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