Nothing Short of a Miracle (23 page)

“It wasn’t. It was so right. I was afraid you didn’t love me as I love you.”

“I think I’ve loved you and fought it since the first day we met,” he said, lifting her fingers to his lips, kissing each fingertip in turn. “I’ve wanted to do this to these lovely fingers of yours since you jabbed them in my chest when I bumped into your car.”

The sensation sent erotic waves through her overheated body. What this man could do with his tongue was driving her wild. Gabby threw herself back into his willing arms, and together they slipped to the floor. Chad gathered more pillows as they went. He grabbed the afghan at the last minute.

As the afternoon sun descended over the hilltops, Gabriella nestled in Chad’s arms—a lethargic, sensual cocoon enveloped them. Candles flickered against the windowpanes and as Gabriella lay on the floor next to Chad, she looked up to find one of the biggest kissing balls she’d ever seen.

“Chad?”

“Hmmm.”

“Did you hang the mistletoe up there this afternoon?”

“Hmmm.”

“Why?”

He stirred and rolled her around to face him. “I wanted you to have good memories under a mistletoe, not the mistakes of the past.”

She kissed him and nuzzled into his chest, her hand leisurely rubbing her fingers over his tight abs.

“Thank you,” she choked.

He chuckled. “Did it work?”

“Oh, yes. You know it did.”

Gabby smiled, happy to be in his arms again. Right where she wanted to be—forever.

“Come with me to New York,” Chad whispered. “We can fix up a room for Nina until we decide where we want to live. The city is no place for a baby. Do you like horses? I was thinking maybe we need to find somewhere in the country. Someplace where we can raise horses.”

“Horses?”

“Hmmm. My grandfather used to have a horse farm out in the country. I loved it.”

Gabriella let him ramble, enjoying the pictures in her mind of a large house, kids playing in the yard, a horse ranch—a family of her own. With her own family gone, just thinking about one with Chad was like an answer from the gods above. Yes. She’d love to have a family with him. But she wanted to finish her degree first, and hoped he’d understand.

“I can’t go to New York. I need to stay here and finish my Master’s degree. I only have one semester to complete.”

“I don’t know if I can be away from you that long now I’ve found you,” he said, sitting and settling her spoon-fashion between his outstretched legs. He wrapped the afghan around her, tucking it snuggly up under her arms. He kissed her head as it lay nestled under his chin, heady, protected, safe, warm, and thoroughly loved.

“I know. I don’t want to be away from you, either. But I do want to finish my degree and get everything squared away with Nina.”

Chad placed his hands on her shoulders and gently squeezed them. “We’ll find a way.”

When the sun set in the winter sky, with the wind whipping at their backs, they made their way back to the house. White flakes swirled down around them. Gabriella snuggled into Chad’s arms, but her spirits had dropped along with the outside temperature—Chad hadn’t said a word about marriage.

****

Helen and Ethel beamed when Chad joined them in the library for drinks before dinner. The Christmas parties were over.

“So, Junior, I see you and Gabriella have patched up your differences. How nice. About time, too. Why, I’m so pleased I found her for you. She’s just what you need.”

“Mother, you didn’t find her for me. She fell in your lap and you were given the opportunity of a lifetime. Admit it, you had nothing to do with it at all.”

His mother smiled mysteriously, but nodded. “If you say so, dear. If you say so. Ethel, why don’t you go see what’s keeping our Gabriella while I have a talk with my son.”

“Don’t be too hard on him, Helen. He’ll do the right thing. Just you give the boy a chance.”

“No doubt he’ll do the right thing. After all, he’s a Hempstead and the Hempsteads always do the right thing.”

“Stop talking about me as if I’m not here. Of course I plan to do the right thing. I love the girl, for crying out loud. Why wouldn’t I?”

Ethel grinned on the way out of the room. His father entered seconds later.

“What right thing are you talking about, Son?” Chad’s father asked. He held the door for Ethel, moved to his wife’s side and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “You look very festive this evening, my dear. Am I missing something? What’s our son been up to now?”

“Nothing. Can we change the subject?” Chad took a deep breath. His parents were exasperating. He didn’t want to share his feelings for Gabriella with them quite so soon.

“Why, Chad just told me he and Gabriella are in love. Isn’t that wonderful, dear?”

“It’s about time he acknowledged it,” his father said, smugly.

Chad wasn’t about to encourage the two of them any further. But during dinner, his mother couldn’t keep her excitement to herself.

“My dear. It’s such wonderful news about you and Chad. Love is so romantic this time of year, don’t you agree?”

Gabriella choked on her chicken.
Helen thought there was going to be a wedding.
Was there going to be a wedding?
She looked at Chad over the rim of her glass, wondering just what he had told his parents.

Chad shrugged his shoulders. Helen kept right on talking.

“Now, I know your sisters are going to be so excited when I tell them the news. They’ve seen this coming, too. Right, Chadwick?” Helen turned to her beaming husband.

There was no need for anyone to respond. Helen wasn’t looking for an answer—she had it all figured out.

Finally, Chad interrupted his mother. “If you’ll excuse us, I think this is the part where Gabby and I want to be alone.”

Taking Gabby’s hand, he led her out of the room and up the stairs out of earshot.

“You look done in. Why don’t you have an early night.”

He kissed her, deeply, thoroughly, and sensually. He opened her bedroom door.

“I’ll see you in the morning.”

Gabby was disconcerted and confused by his simple goodnight kiss before he turned and walked to his own room.

Chapter Fourteen

Everyone attended Midnight Mass, including Helen, who had rested most of the day so she could handle the strain of getting to and from the house to the car, to the church, and back again. During the candlelight service, Chad sat next to Gabby, his presence a comfort. Gabby held Nina in her lap, and reflected on her sister and brother-in-law, her parents, and the family that would never get to celebrate a holiday with Nina, or see her grow to be a young woman. She sent up a silent prayer for them, and one for herself that she would be able to do right by her niece.

Chad wrapped his arm around her, as if he read her mind. She leaned her head on his shoulder and accepted the reassurance he provided. His strength gave her the courage to be strong.

When they returned home after the candlelight service, Nina had fallen asleep. Gabriella tucked her in bed for the night, making sure the baby monitor was turned on before joining the others downstairs. A fire blazed in the grate while soft Christmas music played in the background. The entire family, including all the children, were gathered around the tree.

“Come. Join us for a Christmas toast,” Helen said.

“We get to open presents tonight,” Constance said. “I want to open this one first.”

“Only one present tonight,” Helen reminded her grandchildren.

Chadwick began handing out gifts from under the tree to his grandkids.

“Tomorrow we open Santa’s presents, but tonight we share ours with each other.”

Chad sat beside Gabriella on the couch, and handed her a small box.

“For you,” he said. “I couldn’t resist.”

The package was too large for a ring box. She chided herself for being so indulgent with her dreams. Of course he wasn’t giving her a ring. She put on a brave face and took her time opening the present. Once opened, she couldn’t contain her laughter.

“My slipper socks. Where did you find them? I’ve been looking all over for them,” she said. “Oh.” She remembered when Chad first kissed her under the mistletoe.

A devilish grin spread across his face. Embarrassed, she looked around the room only to find everyone ignoring them as they busily opened their own presents.

“Here, this goes along with it,” he said, handing her another box, bigger this time.

Gabriella hid her disappointment again. She took the larger box from Chad and opened it. Inside was another wrapped package. Curious, Gabriella lifted the smaller box out and tore the brightly colored paper off it only to discover yet another smaller container. This one was an unwrapped velvet jeweler’s box. The smaller box was locked, but there was no key to be found.

“I think this is what you’re looking for,” Chad said, handing her a small gold key. “The key to my heart. Go ahead. Open it.”

Gabriella’s hands shook, making it hard to insert the key in order to turn the lock. Once opened, she stared at the glistening diamond nestled in the jeweler’s box. Stunned at the significance of it and his words, she looked from the ring to Chad, then back down at the ring.

“Oh, Chad. It’s beautiful. I was so afraid you…that is…you only…”

“Will you marry me, Gabby?”

She looked into his eyes and was overjoyed at the love shining there.

“How can I say no with your entire family waiting with bated breath? Yes. Oh, Yes, Chad. I’d love to marry you.”

Chad kissed her in front of the family while they all clapped and cheered in unison.

“Uncork the Champagne so we can celebrate,” Chad’s father said to no one in particular.

“I didn’t say a word. Honest. No one here knew I was going to ask you to marry me tonight. I swear.”

Chad’s father passed around the Champagne for the adults and sparkling grape juice for the children. Everyone raised their glasses and toasted the newly engaged couple.

Chad kissed her again, sipped from his glass, all the while drinking in her happiness before whispering in her ear. “I love you, Gabby. I don’t want a long engagement. Let’s plan a New Year’s Day wedding. We’ll live here until you finish your master’s degree, then we’ll take an extended honeymoon while we wait for Nina’s adoption papers to be finalized. What do you think, love?”

“I love you,” Gabriella sighed. “It sounds wonderful. New Year’s Day can’t come soon enough.”

This time Gabby kissed Chad. The entire family sent up another round of cheers as Chad slipped the ring on her finger.

A word about the author...

Carol Henry is an author of Destination: Romance—Exotic Romantic Suspense Adventures (
Amazon Connection
;
Shanghai Connection
), as well as contemporary romance and historic women's fiction. She is an international traveler and travel writer of exotic locations for major cruise lines' deluxe in-cabin books.

Carol lives with her husband in the beautiful New York State Finger Lakes region where they are surrounded by family and friends. The holidays are special occasions at the Henry household, especially Christmas—so it's no surprise that
Nothing Short of a Miracle
is full of many memorable family gatherings and events.

You may visit Carol's website at:

http://www.carolhenry.org
.

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