by Marla Monroe
Now she couldn’t wait for morning to come to see what they thought of her presents. They weren’t much since she didn’t have a lot of extra money, and they really didn’t need anything. They had everything they could possibly want. She’d picked these items out based on the personality of the two men.
After dinner, they watched some Christmas movies then made love before falling asleep. Lacy couldn’t remember a better Christmas Eve.
* * * *
“Wake up, Lacy. It’s time to get up,” Jet said, tickling her nose with the tip of his finger then kissed her forehead.
“What time is it?” she asked without opening her eyes.
“Six,” Jet said.
“What are you doing, Jet? Let her sleep,” Tanner mumbled next to her.
“We’re opening presents this morning. We need to get up and get going,” Jet reminded them.
“At six? We can open them at ten just as easily,” Jet said around a yawn.
“I agree,” Lacy said, cracking one eye open.
Jet had on jeans but no shirt. She wanted to giggle at how excited he looked but wasn’t quite awake enough yet. She yawned and rolled over to bury her face in the pillow.
“Fine, sleep another couple of hours then I’m getting you guys up. I’ll fix breakfast,” Jet said.
Lacy’s eyes flew open. What? No! He’d make a complete mess, and she had Christmas dinner to cook. “I’m up. I’ll make breakfast.” Lacy groaned, then rolled back over to try to wake herself up.
The glare of the overhead light almost had her closing her eyes again, but the eagerness in Jet’s eyes stopped her. A warm feeling enveloped her at the sight of his excitement. She grinned up at him, then pushed up to scoot closer to the edge of the bed, so she could climb off and hurry to the bathroom.
Once she was dressed in sweats and an overly large T-shirt, Lacy padded down the stairs and walked into the kitchen to begin breakfast. Jet dogged her every step as she prepared a coffee cake. By the time the omelets were done, Tanner had joined them. He was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. His hair hadn’t been combed so he looked like a little boy wakened too early and pouting about it.
They ate, with Jet inhaling his food while she and Tanner ate at a more leisurely pace. Now she was enjoying watching him even more than she was anxious for them to open their gifts.
“What are you doing?” Jet asked when Lacy began to gather the dishes.
“Cleaning up,” she said, narrowing her brows.
“You can do that after we open presents.”
“Nope. I don’t want to wait. The food will stick to the plates. This won’t take long. All I’m going to do is rinse them off and load them into the dishwasher,” Lacy said, biting back a smile.
“I’ll help,” he said.
Finally, everything was done, and they walked into the living room where the tree was. Lacy beamed at how pretty it looked. They’d even taken pictures of it to memorialize their first tree together.
“Sit down. I’ll bring your gifts to you,” Jet said.
“I want you guys to open your gifts first. It isn’t much, but I thought you might like them,” she said.
Jet nodded and handed Tanner his present before picking up his own. Jet tore into the packaging, then stopped when he saw the paracord bracelet with his name engraved in a steel plate on it.
“Lacy, it’s perfect. Thank you.” He immediately fastened it on his wrist, then pulled her into his lap and kissed her as if he couldn’t get enough of her.
“Are you sure you like it? I wasn’t sure if I should get the black one or the camouflaged one,” she said, running her hand over it.
“You got it right. Thank you so much, babe. I love it.” Jet hugged her again.
“Your turn, Tanner,” Lacy said, wringing her hands.
Tanner opened his at a much slower pace than Jet had. When he opened the box, he smiled. Inside was a money clip with his initials on it. He pulled it out and immediately pulled out the one he’d been using that was partially sprung and replaced it with the new one.
“It’s absolutely the perfect gift. I’ve been putting off getting one, and this one is personal. Thank you, Lacy. I love it.” Tanner pulled her out of Jet’s lap onto his. He brushed her lips with a kiss, then deepened it before slowly letting her loose.
“Now it’s time for yours,” Jet said with an eagerness that had her laughing.
Tanner set her on the couch while Jet retrieved three colorfully wrapped gifts. Jet set the first one on her lap.
“This one is from me,” Jet said.
Lacy grinned and tore into the paper much as he had. When she pulled out the box, she narrowed her eyes at him. The box said The Home Depot. What had he possibly gotten her from there, and when had he been to the city to get it. They didn’t have a Home Depot there in Cozy.
She popped open the box and gasped at the beautiful scarf and gloves inside. The scarf was the softest one she’d ever owned. She immediately draped it around her neck and squeezed the material.
“Jet. This is wonderful. That old ratty one I’ve been wearing isn’t nearly this soft. Thank you so much.” She wrapped him in a hug, then pulled back and put on the gloves, as well. They felt soft as a baby’s skin.
“I’m glad you like them. I didn’t know what else to get you that you needed and might want,” Jet said.
“Okay. Now it’s my turn.” Tanner shoved his present into her lap.
Lacy kept the gloves and scarf on as she carefully unwrapped Tanner’s present. Inside the box she opened was a lovely cashmere sweater. It was the warmest blue she’d ever seen and just as soft as her scarf and gloves.
“I love it, Tanner. It’s lovely. Thank you.” She hugged it to her and couldn’t stop the tears that leaked from her eyes.
“Why are you crying?” Jet asked, an anxious expression on his face.
“You both got me such perfect gifts. I love them. I can’t help it.”
“Women cry when they’re happy,” Tanner said with a chuckle.
“Well stop it. I don’t like it when you cry,” Jet said, hugging her.
“I’ll try.” Lacy wiped at the tears on her cheeks and smiled.
Next Jet set a small box on her lap. “This is from both of us.
Lacy tore off the paper only to find another wrapped smaller box inside. She unwrapped it and realized it was a jeweler’s box. She felt her chest tighten even as her heart raced. What was in the box?
“Go on and open it, Lacy,” Jet said.
She opened the box. Inside was a beautiful diamond solitaire with two sapphires on either side of it. Jet took the ring out of the box, and both men went to their knees on the floor in front of her.
“Lacy, will you marry us?” Tanner asked.
Jet held the ring in one hand as he looked at her with an eagerness she couldn’t ignore. Could she marry them? It would be forever. Did she love them enough to live with them day in and day out? Were they it for her?
Yes. She couldn’t think of ever being without them. They’d managed to get under her skin and sink into her so that she knew she’d feel empty without them near her. Yes, she’d marry them.
“Lacy?” Jet asked, his face slowly losing the smile that had been beaming only seconds before.
“Yes. I’ll marry you. I love you both and can’t imagine ever being without you. I don’t know how it works, but I want you both as my husbands,” she said.
Jet’s face broke out into a smile even bigger than the one before and settled the ring on her finger before wrapping her in a hug so tight she had to gasp for air. He quickly released her with a sheepish grin.
Then Tanner had her in his arms and held her as he rocked from side to side. He leaned back and took her hand with her engagement ring on it and brought it to his lips where he kissed her fingers before pulling her back into his arms.
“We promise to love you and care for you for as long as we live,” Tanner said.
“I can’t believe it. You want me to marry
you. I’m so happy,” she said with tears once again rolling down her cheeks.
“She’s crying again,” Jet said with a frown.
“Happy tears, Jet, happy tears,” she said, wiping them away.
“Those are the only kind we ever want to see on your face, darling,” Tanner said.
“Me, too,” Jet said, kissing her forehead. “Me, too.”
THE END
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