A Little Country Christmas - Carolyn Brown Page 0,33
ranches who had become her friends. And now Landon had brought her to the cabin for Christmas—that was enough to bring tears of joy to her eyes. She swiped at her cheeks with her coat sleeve and picked up the last box of cookies.
“What’s that?” Landon asked.
“Your present from me and Sally,” she told him.
“You didn’t have to do that,” he said. “I’ve eaten at least a dozen cookies every night all week, and I got mine right out of the oven.”
“It’s just a little something to remember us by.” She carried the box to the porch. “It’s nothing fancy.”
He swung the door open and the aroma of fresh bread wafted out to greet her. “You made bread?”
“No, I baked bread this evening. It came in a roll and all I had to do was put it in the oven. The lasagna came from the frozen food department. I can make a mean breakfast and a fairly good pot of chili for the bunkhouse, but I’m not a good cook,” he admitted as he sat down on the sofa with Sally. He removed her coat and carefully set her on the floor. Then he got up and slid the pan of lasagna into the oven. “I put up a little fence so she can’t get close to the fire. Let’s have presents while supper heats up. Sally can have hers first.”
The baby didn’t know what to do with the gift that he brought out from under the tiny tree that sat in the middle of the kitchen table. Finally, Landon helped her remove the paper and opened the box for her. She grabbed the stuffed yellow dog and held it close to her chest.
“Doggie!” she said and kissed it a dozen times on the nose.
“Now yours.” Dixie handed him the box.
“But you already gave me cookies,” he said. “What’s this?”
“Open it.” She was so excited to see his reaction that she didn’t even think about the other gifts that were still sitting under his tiny tree.
Landon tore into the box and brought out the throw. His eyes widened and he shook his head from side to side. “I can’t believe you did this for me, Dixie. It’s too pretty to use. Maybe I’ll use it for a wall hanging right above the fireplace.” He wrapped his arms around her and tipped up her chin for a long, passionate kiss.
When he ended the kiss, she thought of what Claire had said, and yes, sir, her toes had curled.
“What did you just say?” she asked.
“I said, I would hang it above the fireplace.” He got up from the sofa and brought two gift bags back to Dixie. “Neither one can match the quilt.”
She slid a piece of wood with a big red bow tied around it from the first bag. She looked up at him, and he sat down beside her. “I didn’t know what to give you, darlin’. That’s just a single piece of the firewood that’s stacked against the back of this cabin. It’s ready for the fireplace and will keep us warm this winter when you come to visit or if I’m lucky enough to have you live here with me. I’ve found that home is where the heart is, and mine is right here with you and Sally.”
“For real?” she asked.
“Yes, darlin’, for sure. I’d be miserable without you in my life. I’m hoping that when we’ve been together fifty years our kisses are still hot enough to burn cookies. Now open the other one,” he said.
She tossed a couple of pieces of tissue paper from the bag and brought out a small box. Inside she found a bracelet with a tiny red heart charm attached to it. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
“I can’t take my heart out of my chest and give it to you, so that will have to do. I don’t want to rush you, but I want you to always be in my life. I’m giving my heart to you for Christmas, and each year we’re together I’ll add another heart to it,” he said as he fastened the bracelet around her wrist.
“Oh, Landon.” She didn’t even try to stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks. “This really is a perfect Christmas, and I love my presents, but most of all I love the fact that we don’t ever have to say good-bye.”
He picked her up and set her in his lap. “Now we’re the perfect little family for real, and I want it