Big Man for Christmas - Penny Wylder Page 0,61
on full blast, it’s still chilly.
The music starts to play from the barn, blaring classical music. Everything should go to plan so the cows will be fine again this year. But some of the younger ones are still nervous, so we decided to stay close by this year just in case.
This year, too, the festival at the Christmas village went all day, and Casey and I had our fill of walking around and eating the treats. Especially the amazing hot chocolate that I’m absolutely addicted to. It was a beautiful clear day, and we thought about going back to the woods this year and continuing our tradition, but I’m happy to be home. Away from our still inquisitive neighbors and curious eyes who are continuously looking to see if there’s any sign of us starting a family.
The first firework fires into the sky and explodes. It’s time.
Not even five minutes later, Casey joins me on the porch, pulling out his ear plugs.
“They okay?”
“Yeah, they seem good. Didn’t even flinch when the first one went off.”
I smile. “Perfect.”
Opening the quilt, Casey slips underneath it with me and puts his arm around my waist. His hand splays over my stomach as it usually does when we sit together yet. I’m not showing yet, and we want to keep the news as possible for as long as possible for obvious reasons. It won’t be practical to hide it forever, but for now it is our little secret. One that gives me a thrill of joy whenever I remember.
We don’t know if it will be a boy or a girl, and it doesn’t matter. I can imagine us having either and being completely blissed out either way. But I do want to know as soon as we can. I am too impatient to wait to be surprised.
Too much happened this year for me to want any more surprises. We didn’t waste any time with the wedding, a small ceremony surrounded by the budding mums. Of course we were the talk of the town, and everyone wondered if the shotgun wedding was like Jessica’s because I was already pregnant.
The truth was that we just knew. I’d spent four years engaged to the wrong person and neither of us wanted to do that. We were it for each other, there was no point in waiting longer.
The whole town showed up, even though they were only invited to the reception. It had been a beautiful day in May, and the whole thing was sunny and shiny in my mind. Every person we knew and some we didn’t wished us well and brought us gifts and food and flowers. The house was nearly buried with all the well wishes from Elgin.
But the highlight of the day was Casey. When he slid that ring on my finger and said I do. My heart had never been so full. I couldn’t stop crying happy tears as he kissed me. Even through the reception and cake, I only had eyes for him. He was mine. I couldn’t believe it.
I still can’t believe it.
Casey swept me away to a honeymoon in New York City—a big city with no bad memories for either of us, and enough to do to keep us busy. It gave us both a little taste of the city. But it was so wonderful and so exhausting that we were both relieved to come home.
To our house. My heart warms whenever I think about it that way. Our house.
Casey gave me a blank check to redo the kitchen however I wanted, and banished himself from the room entirely. I laughed at that for a long time, and didn’t change a thing. Except to fill the house with plants that I actually keep alive. Casey loves them.
And I finally found what I want to do. I told Casey that I loved sticking roses in vases. But it turns out, I really loved the roses. I threw myself into cultivating new roses, and my father and I are working on a few hybrids that look really promising. The afternoons that I spend with him in the greenhouse working are some of my favorite.
Things with my mom are still…touchy. But we are speaking, even if she doesn’t agree with my choices. She came to the wedding, and that spoke volumes.
But the best thing about this year—and my very favorite times—are the nights with Casey, followed very closely by the days. He loves me in the way I’ve always wanted to be loved.
Each