her side in an instant, corralling her back to Santa, and then it was time for the photo with all three children. I took some with my camera, same as Paul, and I could see that between us we’d captured a ton of photos for next year’s card.
“Can Paul ask you for something?” Anna asked loudly.
“Is he too old?” Aden added.
Santa glanced over at me but I shook my head and thumbed at Paul. “Go talk to Santa,” I teased, wondering what any grown-up would wish for if he thought Santa was real. I’d want hope for the future for my children, adventures for Aden, technical challenges for AJ, and a worthy adversary to keep Anna on her toes. I’d want Paul to somehow know I loved him, and to stay without me having to say it or thinking I was stopping him from seeing the world and living his life. I needed that so badly, but Santa wasn’t asking me for my wish, he was talking to Paul.
“And what would you like for Christmas, Paul?” Santa played along with another ho ho ho, and patted his knee with a laugh. Paul didn’t sit but he crouched by the children and gave AJ a kiss on the forehead.
“I want AJ to draw and make the best kinds of houses.” He ruffled Anna’s hair, and kissed her hand. “I want Anna to have all the frosting she ever wants and to always ask questions.” He kissed Aden on the top of his head, “and I want Aden to one day be able to fly to the moon.” He smiled up at Santa. “And I never want to miss any of it. So, that’s what I want for Christmas.”
Emotion burned my eyes.
“But what about for you?” Santa pressed.
Paul stood. The kids hugged his legs and all of them were looking at me.
“I have a list,” Paul murmured.
“Don’t we all!” Santa chuckled with another ho ho ho.
“Mine’s an easy list, Santa. I want Austin to know that when I visit these new places I planned it’ll be with him and the kids by my side. I want him to know I was awake when he told me he loved me at Thanksgiving. I want him to know how much I love him and I never want him to tell me again that it’s okay for me to leave. I want the five of us to be a family. For real.”
Paul stared at me as he spoke, and everything hung on that moment, every emotion that I’d forced down rose in one single surge of happiness.
“You love me?” I asked, because maybe I’d heard wrong.
“Since forever,” Paul said firmly.
“I love you,” I blurted.
“I know,” Paul grinned.
“Kiss him Daddy!” Anna demanded.
“Kiss him,” Aden added.
But it was AJ who came to me and held up her hands for a carry. I scooped her up on instinct and she cuddled in close. “Kiss him Daddy,” she murmured, and I stepped forward.
Paul reached out and cradled my face. “Austin, I love the kids, I love our life, I love you. Don’t let me go.”
“I won’t let you go.”
He kissed me and the touch was love-you and a promise all rolled into one. It didn’t matter who was watching, or where we were, or that I didn’t have a ring, or flowers, or anything I’d thought would make this moment perfect.
“I love you,” I whispered. “Will you marry us?”
And he smiled the widest of grins.
“Yes.”
THE END
Meet RJ Scott
RJ is the author of the over one hundred published novels and discovered romance in books at a very young age. She realized that if there wasn’t romance on the page, she could create it in her head, and is a lifelong writer.
The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn't like it one little bit and has yet to meet a box of chocolates that she couldn’t defeat.
What happens when your Secret Santa is less intriguing than the delivery man who brings the gifts?
When Paul begins receiving package after package of gifts at Christmas time, it takes him a while to figure out his secret Santa is doing the Twelve Days of Christmas. It takes him less time to get friendly with hunky UPS guy who delivers said packages. The game intrigues Paul, then worries him. Who is sending all the gifts? What do they expect from him? And what if he falls for someone else in the meantime? Because Dan, the UPS guy, is gorgeous