Million Dollar Christmas Bride - Holly Rayner Page 0,59
I wanted to keep the house in the Wylde family.”
“Oh, Jackson,” Mary said.
Jackson felt her cool, knobby hand turn in his, so her palm was aligned with his own palm. She gave his hand a squeeze.
It was a comforting gesture, and he returned it.
“I was wrong to be so consumed with my desire to own the house,” he said. “I see that clearly now. It wasn’t the right thing to focus on. I just couldn’t let it go. I think—” He felt himself choke up a little bit.
He had to take a breath in order to center himself again. He had to say what was on his mind. He’d kept it in for far too long. And tonight, I almost lost the opportunity to say it, he thought. I have to say it now. Before it’s too late.
“I think that in some way, I thought that holding onto the house would help me hold onto my childhood,” he said. “But I have to let it go. Mom, I forgive you for everything that happened back then. For a long time, I was angry. When you left, that broke my heart.”
“I’m so sorry, Jackson,” Mary said. Tears pooled in her eyes and then overflowed down her cheeks.
Jackson felt her fingers wrap tighter around his hand. He leaned down over her. He wrapped his arms around her bony shoulders, being careful to avoid the many tubes and wires connected to her body. The faint whiff of her perfume mixed with the freshly laundered smell of the hospital gown she wore. He held onto her as she continued to cry.
“I’ve made many mistakes,” she whispered. “I really have. I’m so sorry.”
Jackson choked up again. It felt so good to hug his mother without reservation. For so many years, he’d believed that he would never embrace his mom in this way again.
He sensed that there was no longer any anger or resentment between them. Only love.
After a moment, he pulled away. She gave his hand one more squeeze, then released it.
Jackson stepped away. He moved toward Bianca, who now had tears glistening in her eyes as well.
“I thought that having the house would give me a way to preserve my past,” he said. “But now I get it…”
“Get what?” Bianca asked. Her voice sounded so soft—barely a whisper.
Jackson stepped in closer to her. “Holding onto the past isn’t as important as living in the present,” he said. “I never should have asked you to go in on that contract with me. I put you in a difficult position.”
She nodded.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I really am. Bianca, you’re the most beautiful, kind-hearted woman I’ve ever met. When I’m with you, I know for sure what it is to be happy. I love you.”
“You do?” Her nose crinkled slightly, and her lips curled up in a spontaneous smile. “You really do?” Her eyes shimmered, reflecting the hospital lights.
“Really,” he said.
“I love you, too,” she told him.
He stepped closer, and she opened up her slender arms and wrapped them around his neck. He leaned down and kissed her, slipping his arms around her waist.
The corset of her dress felt stiff and silky beneath his touch. For a brief moment, he reflected on the irony of the situation. Here he was, finally revealing his feelings to Bianca, while she wore a wedding dress.
Maybe one day, I’ll kiss her like this while she wears the white gown she’ll actually marry me in, he thought. Then, he became lost in the blissful sensations of her kiss.
Her cheeks were flushed when they parted. Her lips were cherubic, glistening pink. Her green eyes alight with energy and happiness.
I’m going to marry this woman one day, Jackson promised himself in that moment.
“Bianca, I want to be with you,” he said. “I want us to try this for real… a real relationship. What do you say?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation. “That’s exactly what I want, too.”
Jackson was surprised when he heard his sister’s sharp, no-nonsense tone. He’d almost forgotten that he and Bianca were not the only ones in the room. “You did all that—the whole fake marriage—just for that old house?”
“It’s a charming house,” Mary countered.
“But it’s not worth much,” Danielle said. “And these two went to so much trouble. Jackson. I don’t get it.”
“You don’t have to,” Jackson said. “It’s all over now. Mom, you can do whatever you want to do with the house. That’s up to you. I know what’s important now.”
He looked back to Bianca. As he looked down