I watched as she lovingly looked down at Lilly cradled in her arms. “You’re going to make a wonderful mother,My.”
She looked up at me. “And you’re going to be the best auntie in the world to our little ones. To be honest, I think it’s refreshing that you’re so honest about what you want and what you see in your future. More people should be likethat.”
“What future?” Sean asked as he grabbed a few more beers out of thefridge.
Wrapping my arms around his wide waist, I looked up into his glass blue eyes. “I just told Myla that I will never marry you or have kids with you.” I stuck my tongue out as he laughed alittle.
Kissing my forehead, he shrugged. “Jess, you’ve been my partner for a year—don’t you think I know what your views on kids and marriage are? Still here, aren’tI?”
“Aw!” Myla exclaimed as I pecked Sean’s lipsquickly.
* * *
Lyingin Sean’s arms on the couch with everyone else asleep was kind of perfect. Even though our relationship was new, it really wasn’t—it was justevolving.
“So, should we exchange gifts now?” he asked, reaching over the arm of the couch for a gift bag that was on the floor next tohim.
I jumped up, clapping. “Yes! Let’s doit!”
I dove under the lit tree, pine needles falling all around me as I searched for the box I had wrapped for Sean. Finally finding it, I clambered back onto the couch, sitting cross-legged facing him. He brushed a few pine needles off my shoulder with his thumb as he pulled me in for a long, slowkiss.
I threw the small box into his lap. “Open minefirst.”
He grabbed it, shaking it lightly next to his ear. “What could it be?” he teased. “It is keys to a jet? Oh babe, you shouldn’t have. That’s just toomuch.”
“Open it, you goofball!” I pushed his knee as he leaned over and kissed mycheek.
“Thank you,” he said as he tore into the silverpaper.
“You haven’t even seen what it isyet.”
“I don’t care, I’m just thankful that you got mesomething.”
He opened the white box to a hand-stamped copper plate bracelet with coordinates on it. “What location is this?” he asked, eyeing the piece as an excited smile played on hislips.
“Times Square.” I blushed as I identified thespot.
“I love it, thank you again.” Kissing the tip of my nose, he put the gift bag in mylap.
A ridiculous, wide-eyed Santa winked at me while he held his naughty list in one hand as I pulled the green tissue paper out, revealing a framed constellation. I read the date on it, unable to place it in mymind.
Sean tapped on the glass right over the date. “That’s the day I knew I loved you. It was just about two months after you became my partner, and we had gotten street dogs right after responding to a carjacking. You licked mustard off of my cheek because we didn’t have napkins, and that was the night I knew you and I were meant to betogether.”
I blinked a few times while taking in the thoughtful gift. I remembered that night well. The carjacking had kind of rattled me and Sean took me to get food as a distraction after the situation was handled. He had always taken such amazing car of me in those types ofsituations.
“I have no words for how perfect this is.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, scooting into Sean’slap.
“It’s nothing compared to how perfect you are,Jess.”
Chapter 16
Whistler
Christmas dinner was upon us,and everyone was in the dining room and kitchen finishing up the last of the holiday meal prep like it was any otherholiday.
We were acting normal, but I was still completely on edge about the whole stalker thing. It was weird that Gavin and Myla hadn’t gotten any more notes or anything. Chad had been going to check on their condo daily, getting their mail and talking to the doormen—nothing. I really couldn’t put my finger on it, but something was off about thesituation.
“What’s up, Sean?” Gavin asked with a knowing look on hisface.