Ruby’s eyes lit up when she saw the bag of presents and they walked hand-in-hand to the library.
“Santa knows that Uncle Douglas stays up late so he left his stocking stuffers with me and asked if you and I could stuff his stocking when we were sure he was asleep,” Julia whispered conspiratorially.
Ruby’s eyes rounded happily at the thought of Julia having a conversation with Santa and being pulled into a Santa Task.
“I think he’s asleep but I’ll go and check,” she whispered back, tugging a bit on Julia’s hand.
Julia held on to the child’s hand more firmly, not wanting an excited Ruby to burst into Douglas’s room. “No, something tells me we’re safe.”
They quickly stuffed his stocking and then Julia had an idea. She carefully selected some gifts from under the tree and with a finger to her lips at Ruby to keep her secret; she ran back to her room and hid them in the closet. She then grabbed the throw off the chaise and went back.
She lay down on her side on the couch, the Christmas tree lights illuminating the room happily and she tucked the child in front of her, pulling the warm throw around them. “We’ll just rest here and wait for the others to wake up.”
Ruby squirmed excitedly. “I think we should wake them up.”
“No, honey, just rest for a bit, I’m sure they’ll be up soon. Let me tell you about the story of Christmas, the real story of Christmas.”
“You mean Jesus?” Ruby asked.
“Yes,” Julia answered and began to tell Ruby about Mary and Joseph but never finished as the child’s breathing evened out and then Julia snuggled her closer against her chest and belly and she herself fell back to sleep.
She felt like she’d barely closed her eyes when her hair was pulled away from her cheek and gently tucked behind her ear. Her eyes slowly opened and she saw Douglas’s face very close to hers. He was fully dressed and kneeling by the couch.
Julia blinked several times and then saw the tree and realised where she was.
It was Christmas, she’d always loved Christmas, any holiday really, and she couldn’t help herself from smiling sleepily.
“Merry Christmas,” she whispered.
A slow, lazy, devastatingly handsome smile drifted across his face.
“Merry Christmas.” His deep, velvety voice rumbled and awakened Ruby who took only a scant second to come fully awake and burst out of Julia’s arms to dance around the room.
Julia noticed Willie and Lizzie were both watching from across the room, both barely containing their excitement while still looking on with confusion (Willie) and triumph (Lizzie).
Julia got up immediately, all business.
“No one touch anything,” she commanded. “Lizzie, you go put the kettle on. Willie, you run and get the camera, do you know where it is?” He nodded and rushed out. “Right. I’m going to brush my teeth and make myself presentable. Let’s go!” Julia clapped her hands and quickly left the room, not allowing herself to spare Douglas a glance.
After she’d washed her face, brushed her teeth and pulled her hair back into a ponytail, she made coffee and then the orgy of Christmas began.
If the children were tormented by their parents not being there, Julia didn’t notice it. They tore into their generous load of presents (and, she noted, it was made doubly generous by Douglas’s significant contribution, or more than likely Sam’s, but it was the thought that counted).
She noted Douglas’s surprise when he realised his stocking had been stuffed somewhere in the night but she ignored it, had to ignore it, or the warm feeling that seemed to be permeating her entire body would get out-of-control.
In fact, she did her best to ignore him altogether and concentrate on the children, sipping her coffee, occasionally taking photos, opening a present here and there and tidying the burgeoning mass of discarded paper, bows and ribbons. Finally, Lizzie put a small, exquisitely wrapped box in her hand and she saw on the card, in the unmistakable, confident handwriting of Douglas, that it was from him.
Her eyes finally met his.
“I thought –” she began, intending to mention the emerald.
“Open it!” Lizzie fairly shouted, almost more curious to see what it held than Julia.
Julia tore into the box carefully and gasped in undisguised pleasure when she found a diamond watch inside.
It was not something hideously ostentatious but so subtle and elegant it could be worn every day. She noticed it was a brand that was often advertised in the most exclusive fashion magazines and she knew it had to cost thousands, maybe tens of thousands of pounds. She felt a lump rise in the back of her throat, not at its worth but that it was absolutely perfect. If she had the money, she would have chosen it for herself. The thoughtfulness and attention to her style took her breath away.
She raised dazed eyes to Douglas’s inquisitive ones and was spared any comment when he read her expression and his curiosity turned to a look of such male satisfaction that Julia felt her stomach pitch dangerously.