A Fairytale Christmas (14 page)

One Year Later…

O
UTSIDE
the snowflakes had begun to fall. It looked as if Towering Pines would get a white Christmas after all. Curled into a corner of the sofa, Gill sipped her ginger tea with a smile. Across from her, this year’s Teaberry tree glistened magically.

The sound of slippered footsteps drew her attention. “Took five readings of
Santa Mouse,
but Claire finally fell asleep,” Gwen announced. “She wanted to know if Santa would leave the baby in her stocking.”

She eased herself onto the sofa, sighing happily. Eight months pregnant, she glowed with maternal expectancy. “I swear she’s as eager for the baby to arrive as Drew and I are. Of course part of me thinks she’s confusing getting a baby sister with getting a pony.”

“Knowing Drew, she’ll get both.”

“As well as a puppy, a kitten, and half the West Virgina Zoo. I swear that girl has him wrapped around her little finger.”

“That a bad thing?” Gill asked.

“No,” her twin replied, her eyes filling with love. “He’s such a wonderful father. I can’t wait to see him hold this baby.”

It was true. Since meeting Gwen, Drew had turned into the consummate family man.
Just goes to show what love will do to a person,
Gill thought to herself, absently pressing a palm to her belly. She had her own Christmas secret she was planning to share tonight. “Where
are
the boys anyway?” Gwen asked. “Still delivering trees?”

“Apparently so.”

With Gwen so far along in her pregnancy, Drew had insisted she cut back on her work at the farm this season, so Oliver and Gill had flown down early to help out. True to his nature, Oliver had convinced Drew to have the leftover trees donated to local needy families.

“Shouldn’t we spread some of the Teaberry magic around?” he’d teased.

She must have smiled—she’d been doing that a lot lately—because Gwen asked, “Penny for your thoughts?”

“I was thinking about the Teaberry legend. How we used to think the trees were magical.”

“Well, they certainly brought
us
magic, didn’t they?”

Gill shook her head. Even after four years of marriage, Gwen was still a hopeless, whimsical romantic. Before she could correct her, however, the front door opened and a trio of handsome, snow-covered men tromped in. All three were handsome as sin, but only one made her pulse quicken. She palmed her belly again while she watched Oliver untie his boots.

“Man, but I miss California,” Brody said, shaking the snow from his baseball cap. Nearly twenty, he was the spitting image of his father. “You don’t have to worry about getting your car stuck in snow out there.”

“No, just traffic,” Drew teased back.

“Very funny, Dad. I’m going to go call Susan; see if she’s more sympathetic.”

“You better hurry. Something might have happened since her last text message.”

Brody stuck his tongue out before disappearing upstairs.

“I swear,” Drew said, joining them in the living room, “those two are joined at the hip.” He sat next to Gwen and gestured for her to raise her feet. “Did I miss storytime?” he asked, slipping off her slippers and massaging her feet.

“’Fraid so, but I won’t be surprised if there’s a round two.”

“I’ll take that one. You better get some sleep. She’s going to be up at the crack of dawn.”

“Urged on, no doubt, by her Christmas-loving daddy.”

Gill was watching the exchange when she felt a pair of strong hands rest on her shoulders. “Miss me?” a voice whispered in her ear.

“Always,” she whispered back.

Oliver nuzzled the crook of her neck, instantly sending tingles through her. They’d been married eight months now, and his touch still thrilled her as much as it had that first time. She suspected the sensation would never change.

“Did you get all your trees delivered?”

“Every one. Teaberry magic has now been distributed.”

“Gill and I just were talking about the Teaberry legend,” Gwen said. “She was going to tell me, like she does every year, that there’s no such thing as magic trees. Right, sis?”

Looking around the room, Gill saw nothing but love and happiness flowing from the people in it. She looked at Drew and Gwen, expectant parents who’d found love and trust here at Teaberry Farms. Then there was the man standing behind her. Her husband. It was Christmas that had led her to his doorstep. Her life would be so empty had she not met him. She
thought of the life they had created together, and how thrilled he would be when she told him he was going to become a father. Tonight, under a Teaberry Christmas tree.

“I don’t know,” she replied, her gaze traveling to the tree across the room. “Maybe there’s some truth to that old legend after all.”