Her mouth quirked into a tiny smile. “She is awful, isn’t she? How’s your hand?”
“Fine. I love how cute you are, just like when you were a kid, and how beautiful you are as a woman.”
She looked down, a pink flush crossing her cheeks. “I’m not.”
“You don’t even know it, and that’s better than being full of yourself, but... I’d be happy to keep reminding you.”
Overhead, the clouds shifted and a ray of moonlight lit their surroundings, with the creek, the path and the church steeple visible in the distance.
She looked flushed and stunned and confused.
“So...” He took a deep breath. “Do you think we should...see each other? Give it a go, see if we can build something together?”
Her troubled eyes met his, then looked away. “Do you mean it, Luke? You’re not just saying it to be nice?”
He laughed, because her reaction was so Hannah. “No, silly girl. I’m saying it because I’m crazy about you.”
She looked at him and it was like the stars shone out of her eyes. Then she lifted her face and walked into his arms.
Holding her was the best thing Luke had ever felt. He wanted like anything to propose, to seal the deal. But there was a part of him that was holding back.
Was he really good enough for someone as wonderful as Hannah?
* * *
The sun was just rising in a swirl of pink and gold clouds when Luke and his father knocked on the Antonicellis’ door.
It was Christmas morning. Luke had spent most of the night thinking about Hannah, what she’d said, how it had felt to hold her in his arms.
Although they’d talked about exploring a relationship, he was sure she wasn’t expecting to start so soon. Would she be glad to see him today, or was it too much?
But Dad had arranged it with Hannah’s mom, that they’d come over early, in time to see the twins’ first Christmas here in Bethlehem Springs. Dad had gone overboard buying gifts, and truth to tell, Luke had, too; in fact, they’d brought the car because there were too many packages to carry.
Luke couldn’t tell Dad they should wait until later in the day, not when there was so much joy in his eyes. Being a grandpa was going to be good for him.
Hannah’s mom opened the door and beckoned them in. “Come in, come in out of the cold,” she said, smiling. “I’m just putting together some breakfast before the girls wake up.” She stepped back and held the door for them. “Oh, my, you men brought so many gifts! You didn’t need to do that.”
“I just learned I’m a grandpa a week ago, Alice,” Dad said. “You can’t blame me for wanting to spoil them.”
There was something about the way his father was looking at Hannah’s mom. Luke took a step back and watched as the two of them arranged the gifts around the lopsided Christmas tree, its ornaments clustered mostly around the bottom third of it. Twin height, he realized.
One by one, Dad handed their clumsily wrapped gifts to Hannah’s mom. At one point, their hands touched in the exchange and their eyes met for a fraction longer than was usual between neighbors. It happened again a moment later.
Wow.
Addie’s loud chortle came from upstairs, followed by Hannah’s laugh.
In the spirit of helping his father along, Luke spoke up. “Dad, why don’t you stay down here and help with breakfast while Hannah and I get the girls up? If that’s okay,” he added, looking at Hannah’s mom.
She smiled at him, her cheeks dimpling. “Perfectly okay.”
Luke trotted up the stairs, and what he saw through the half-open door took his breath away.
The twins sat on a little bed, side by side, dressed in bright Christmas pajamas: red for Addie, green for Emmy. Their blond hair was tousled, curls tumbling over their round faces. Hannah sang a silly song about Christmas, tickling their toes through their footie pajamas, making them laugh.
As for Hannah, she wore snug faded jeans, a red sweater and big fluffy slippers. If he had to guess, he’d say she hadn’t even combed her hair. Definitely no makeup.
She looked gorgeous.
And she’d said last night that she cared for him. That she’d fallen in love with him. This could be his family.
But you’re a Hutchenson.
Hannah looked up and saw him, and blushed. “Why didn’t you tell me you were there! I’d have stopped my bad singing!”
“Luke!” Addie cried, holding out her arms.
“Uncle Luke,” Hannah corrected.
“Unca Luke.” Emmy said it almost thoughtfully, studying him with big blue eyes.
His heart full, he walked into the girls’ bedroom then, patted Emmy’s leg, picked up Addie and swung her until she squealed with laughter. “I got sent up to help,” he said to Hannah as he landed Addie safely back by her sister’s side. “Or rather, I volunteered. I got the feeling Dad and your mom could use a little privacy.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I got the same feeling last night. She called him Stan.”
They worked together to comb the girls’ hair and brush their teeth. In the midst of it all, in between admiring how pretty Hannah was and how well she did the mothering tasks she’d only recently undertaken, Luke’s mind raced.
He’d instantly decided to support his dad in pursuing Hannah’s mom. But Luke’s dad was more of a Hutchenson, with all that entailed, than Luke was.
Luke was being more generous and forgiving with his father than with himself.
They carried the girls downstairs. A cinnamon scent wafted through the air as the girls ripped at their gifts, clumsily, seeming as interested in the ribbons and paper as in the toys and outfits inside. Dad sat on the couch, beside Hannah’s mom, with a small but respectable space between them.
Hannah seemed to be everywhere, scrambling around on the floor to distribute the packages, helping Emmy with one that was wrapped too tightly, stopping Addie from putting a pretend potato from her new plastic food set into her mouth. She was so agile in her movements, so patient in her dealings with the girls, so quick to smile and laugh.
So beautiful.
When the girls started to get overwhelmed with their many gifts, Hannah helped them carry presents to her mom and his dad: plaster handprint ornaments on ribbons, red for Addie’s, bright purple for Emmy’s.
Dad got too choked up to thank them, but when Emmy held out her arms, he pulled her into his lap and hugged her gently. Addie climbed into Hannah’s mom’s lap and told her, excitedly, how they’d made the ornaments as a secret surprise.
Hannah watched and wiped a tear. Luke’s own throat felt a little tight.
Hannah cared for him. This could be his family. But did he deserve it?
He looked at the crèche then, displayed on the hearth. Gaudy plastic figures, safe for the girls, but it was what it symbolized that mattered.
Luke had made plenty of mistakes. So had his father, for sure. His brother was practically the king of mistakes, and if he was the king, Marnie was the queen. Even Hannah, such a good person, had made a big mistake.
But through the baby born on Christmas, they were all forgiven, made as innocent as these little ones now playing on the couch between their grandparents.
Suddenly, he couldn’t wait another minute. “Want to come walk Goldie with me?” he asked Hannah. They’d left the dog at home, knowing the morning’s activities would be too chaotic for her.
Hannah tilted her head to one side, eyes curious. “Um, sure, if it’s okay with everyone.”
“Do it,” her mom said.
“I’d grab any chance to play with these little sweethearts.” Dad tickled Emmy’s hand with the tip of his finger, and she smiled and leaned against his side.
Luke and Hannah went out into the bright Christmas sunshine and walked through the woods to his house, making the first footprints on the pristine snow. Goldie w
as ecstatic to be let out. She bounded around the now-fenced backyard, ears flopping, sniffing at deer tracks, barking at a bold squirrel.
Luke snapped a leash on her, and they took a snowy path that ran back behind their houses through the woods and fields. The crisp air felt good to Luke, who was a little overheated.
They’d agreed to take their friendship to a new level, but what would that entail? Despite all his experience with women, Luke felt as awkward as a high-school boy on his first date.
But there was no use giving in to fear, so he plunged in. “I’ve been thinking about what you said last night.”
“Yeah?” She glanced up at him, eyes wide, maybe a little insecure.
“Yeah. Look, I’m a Hutchenson. That carries a stigma in this town.”
He figured she’d reassure him, because that was her nature. But she didn’t. Instead, she took Goldie’s leash from his hand. “Goldie, sit,” she said.
Goldie sat instantly in the snow, tail wagging.
Luke was confused, and a little worried. Why wasn’t she answering?
“Down,” Hannah said, and Goldie lay down.
Was she trying to avoid a serious discussion? Had her feelings about him already changed?
“Stay,” she commanded the panting dog. She dropped the leash and backed away.
Goldie stayed, watching Hannah intently.
Luke was watching her, too, increasingly concerned about the way she was ignoring him.
“Okay, good girl, come!” Hannah pulled a treat from her jacket pocket—apparently dog trainers always carried them—and fed Goldie, then praised her extravagantly.
Then she looked at Luke. “Goldie’s a Hutchenson,” she said, “and look how far she’s come.”
“Look how far...” And then, when he got it, Luke threw back his head and laughed. “Oh, Hannah,” he said. “I don’t want to wait.”
She stopped patting and rubbing Goldie and tilted her head to one side, studying him. “What does that mean?”
This was the moment. Go for it. “It means,” he said, “I want you to be my wife.”
She blinked, and a funny little sound came from her throat.
“I know it’s soon, and we said we’d just try all this out.” He gestured from his own chest to her and back again. Now that he’d started, he had to convince her. “But I want to be with you every day, to help raise the girls, to have Dad and your mom close by. I want a family, a good family, and I want it now, not later. With God’s help, we can make it work. I know we can.”
She bit her lip, and then the biggest smile broke across her face. “Oh, Luke...” She sucked in a breath. “Wow. I just...” She hesitated, and then spoke in a rush. “I can’t believe a girl like me could be married to someone as cool as you.”
That made him laugh. “I’m far from cool. In fact, I’m sweating.” Because she hadn’t really answered him.
“You are cool,” she insisted, “and handsome, and kind, and hardworking. And fun, fun to be with.”
“Then...” He realized what he’d left out, and sank to his knees. “Will you marry me?”
Both hands flew to her mouth and her eyes got shiny. And then she grasped his hands in her gloved ones. “Nothing could make me happier.”
Fireworks started going off inside him, but it felt too easy. “You know it’s because I love you, right?” He squeezed her hands. “Because you’re warm and beautiful and good, and I just want to hold you forever.”
She opened her arms, a little like Addie, and he stood and pulled her close and kissed her.
Later, they headed back toward her house, holding hands, Goldie trotting alongside them.
“We can wait if you want,” Luke began, making himself say the words. “Have a real, long courtship, like you deserve.”
She looked at him sideways through those long eyelashes. “Actually,” she said, “I’m ready anytime. As soon as possible.” She paused, then added, “Actually, I can’t wait.”
He felt like pumping his fist and shouting to the skies, but instead, he put an arm around her and pulled her close to his side. “I’ll get you whatever kind of ring you want,” he said. “You deserve diamonds. Way more than diamonds.”
“Oh, Luke.” She turned into his arms, and it was way, way more than he deserved, this woman, this joy that filled his heart to bursting.
He shut his eyes, clasped his wife-to-be close and, in his heart, whispered a Christmas prayer of thanks.
EPILOGUE
They did marry soon, in fact, on Valentine’s Day, in the most romantic and wonderful wedding Hannah had ever experienced. It was simple, because she and Luke were simple, but it was perfect.
Luke’s father was still rough around the edges and always would be. But he was healing from his surgery, and his strong desire to be sober for Addie and Emmy had improved his lifestyle. To Hannah’s surprise, the girls adored him, and he’d made a special connection with quiet Emmy.
Addie was Luke’s girl—when he threw her up in the air she screamed with delight, and she was always jumping into his arms—although Hannah truly couldn’t say that he favored one girl over the other. Their hands were full, but with the support of their community, they were able to do it all and still have time for romantic nights in front of the fire or walking in the woods. They’d moved temporarily into Hannah’s old house, but were planning to buy the property just across the street from Mom’s so that the girls could grow up close to both their grandparents.
And now, three months after the wedding, they were taking the twins to see Bobby for the first time.
The guard led them to a grassy area with a couple of plain benches, surrounded by a high chain-link fence with barbed wire at the top. Hannah had a moment of misgiving when she saw that. Was it right to expose the girls to Bobby?
Luke, seeming to read her mind, put a reassuring arm around her shoulders. “They’ll be fine.”
She nodded, closed her eyes and seemed to see Marnie’s face. How many times had her big sister laughed at her fears?
She remembered that last hour of Marnie’s life, too, and the promise she was breaking. I’m sorry, she whispered internally, just to Marnie. But Luke’s here, and Mom, and their grandpa, and I think it’s gonna be okay.
Her heart ached a little. If only Marnie could have beaten her addiction and come back home, she, too, could have been surrounded by love and support as she raised her girls.
“There he is.” It was Mr. Hutchenson’s voice, and Hannah opened her eyes to see Bobby.
The expression on Bobby’s face, as he saw his children in person for the first time, was priceless, and it told Hannah, for sure, that they were doing the right thing. He pressed his hands to his mouth and walked a little closer, then sank down on his knees—either to make himself smaller and less intimidating, or because his legs wouldn’t support him, Hannah wasn’t sure which.
Addie tugged Hannah’s hand. “My daddy?”
Hannah’s throat tightened. “That’s right, sweet pea. That’s your daddy.”
Addie nodded. The twins had grown so much in the past few months, but Addie was still the leader. She took Emmy’s hand, and slowly, they walked to Bobby.
Hannah reached blindly for Luke, her vision blurring, and he put his arm around her. When she looked up at him, she saw that his eyes were brimming over, too.
She heard a sob behind her—Mom—and reached back a hand, and Mom came forward, Mr. Hutchenson on her other side.
And they watched as two little girls and one flawed, repentant man became a family.
There were hugs afterward, and more tears and even some laughter, and the visit was all too short. Exhausting, too. In the car on the way home, the twins, Mom and Mr. Hutchenson fell asleep.
Hannah reached out and put an arm around her husband, touched the back of his neck.
He smiled over at h
er briefly before his eyes went back to the road. “Do you think it was the right thing to do?”
“I do,” she said. “Almost as right as marrying you.”
She took his hand and kissed it.
“Hey now, that’s not very nice of you to start something I can’t finish because I’m driving,” he groused playfully.
She squeezed his hand. “We’ll finish later,” she said, her heart brimming with thanks and love. “We have the rest of our lives.”
* * *
For more sweet romance by Lee Tobin McClain
featuring dogs, look for First Kiss at Christmas,
on sale October 26, 2021 from HQN Books!
And if you enjoyed this story, be sure to pick up
these previous titles in Lee Tobin McClain’s
Rescue Haven miniseries:
The Secret Christmas Child
Child on His Doorstep
Available now from Love Inspired!
For preschool teacher Kayla Harris, Tony DeNunzio’s arrival in town with his young nephew just before Christmas could be what fills her holiday stocking with everything she’s always dreamed of. Don’t miss First Kiss at Christmas, the next book in Lee Tobin McClain’s The Off Season series, available November 2021 from HQN Books!
Read on for a sneak peek!
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading the third novel in my Rescue Haven series. I love stories about overcoming the past, so writing about Luke and Hannah felt natural to me. Luke learns that he’s not defined by his family’s reputation and difficult history, and Hannah realizes she doesn’t have to miss out on love because a teenage incident made her uncomfortable with dating.
We all struggle with something from the past. But just like Luke, we can embrace Christ’s love and the sacrifice He made for us. We can be healed, and Christmas is a wonderful time to reflect on that beautiful reality.
Do you like “seasoned” romance? You may have noticed that after they become grandparents together, Luke’s father and Hannah’s mother started to develop feelings for each other. If you’d like to see how their story turns out, visit my website and sign up for my newsletter, and you’ll gain access to their short and sweet romance. It’s a small holiday gift to you, my wonderful readers.
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