mean to say it, but it's not a lie. You were the first girl I loved."
"But not the last," she said sharply.
He actually wanted her to be the last, but she was already rattled by what he'd just said. "Who knows who'll be the last?" he murmured.
She stared back at him. "You don't have to hang out. Brett and I can finish the tree together."
"No way. I want to see the end results. My lights are on there. I'm part of it."
"Fine. You can stay, but no more talk of the past."
"Deal. How do you feel about tinsel?"
"What?"
"Tinsel or garlands? It's usually one or the other, but I don't see either in your boxes."
"We never used tinsel or garlands. We had a dog when I was little—Tiger. He would either eat the tinsel or pull the garlands down, so we just stopped putting them on. It was all about the ornaments."
"Is Tiger in heaven?" Brett asked.
"He is," Hannah admitted.
"Stormy is in heaven, too." Brett said. "He's with my dad. Mommy says they can still see us. Daddy knows when I'm being good. He's proud of me."
Hannah gave her nephew a sweet, tender smile. "I'm sure he's always proud of you, honey."
"He liked me a lot," Brett added. His expression shifted. "Russ liked me a lot, too."
Hannah stiffened, shooting him a quick look.
He was as surprised by Brett's comment as she was. From what they'd learned about Kelly's boyfriend, Russ, it didn't seem like he was a good guy or a man who would like children.
"He said he'd always protect me and Mommy," Brett continued. "We didn't have to be afraid. He would take care of us."
"Do you know where Russ is?" Hannah asked carefully.
"He's camping. He's going to catch a big fish. Mommy said he had to stay and wait for the fish to come. I wanted to wait with him, but she said we couldn't." He paused. "Can we turn the lights on now?"
"We're just about there," Hannah said. "We need to put some ornaments on the top of the tree first."
Jake jumped to his feet. "That's my cue." For the next few minutes, he filled out the tip-top of the tree while Hannah worked on the middle, and Brett gave them suggestions on where to put the ornaments. They ended their decorating when he placed a beautiful angel on top of the highest branch. "Now we're done," he said. "Hannah, do you want to do the honors?"
"They're your lights. Go for it. But wait—let me turn off the lights in the room."
As Hannah darkened the room, he hit the switch and the tree lit up. Brett's expression of amazement made Jake's heart flip over in his chest. They'd created a magical moment for this little boy, and in light of everything going on in his life, that was a very good thing.
"Is Santa coming tonight?" Brett asked.
Hannah shook her head. "He won't be here for two more days."
"I hope Santa brings me my present."
"Do you want to tell me what you asked him for?" Hannah asked.
Brett shook his head. "It's a secret."
"Sometimes Santa needs a little help with shopping, so maybe you could whisper it to me," she said.
He thought about that suggestion. And then he motioned for her to lean over.
His whisper was so loud that Jake could hear it across the room.
"I want my mommy to come back," Brett said.
Hannah put her arms around Brett. "So do I."
"Will Santa bring her back?"
"I think he'll do everything he can to make that happen," Hannah said. "But right now, it's time for you to go to bed."
"Can Jake tell me a story?" Brett asked, looking in his direction.
"Sure, I can do that," he said.
Brett clapped his hands with delight.
"Let's get you in your PJs," Hannah said.
He followed them up the stairs, thinking this was how it would feel if he and Hannah were married, if they had a kid, if this was their Christmas as a family. The thought shook him to the core. This wasn't the kind of life he led. He was an adventurer, an explorer, a guy who liked to live on the edge and push himself to the limit. But he had to admit that he'd had more fun tonight than he'd had in a long time. And it wasn't over yet.
Chapter Sixteen
Hannah listened to Jake's story of ships and pirates from the hallway, impressed with the animated impressions he put into his tale. He really brought the story to life. And Brett was