Laces and Lace (Assassins #6) (76 page)
Kissing his beautiful wife’s forehead, he said, “Wanna open my gift?”
“You got me something?” she asked sweetly and he smiled.
“You know I did. You probably already know what it is,” he said, getting up and going to the tree to retrieve the gift.
“I really don’t,” she reassured him as he handed her the large box. “Shelli, baby, hand me Daddy’s gift.”
“Got me something?” he teased and she shot him a grin.
“You know I did. I love Christmas.”
That she did. It was her favorite holiday, and that was one of the main reason he wished they weren’t going to Michael Fisher’s house. He didn’t want her sister and mother to ruin Elli’s favorite holiday.
When the kids stopped opening their gifts and gathered around them, Shea nodded toward Elli for her to go.
“No, you go first,” she said, basically jumping in her seat. “I’m so excited for you to see what it is.”
To please her, he nodded and opened the box. It was a watch box, and when he opened it to the expensive-looking watch, he smiled. “Thank you. I needed a new watch.”
“That’s not even the best part, look at the base.”
His brows pulled together as he focused on the watch to see that it not only had the time but a picture of Elli and the kids. “And the inscription,” she added.
He smiled as he read the inside of the watch:
To the best daddy in the world. We love you. So much.
His grin grew as he put the watch on, looking over at Elli. “I love it. Thank you.”
He then leaned over, kissing her lips as the kids giggled and some said ew. Parting, she grinned as she bounced in her seat.
“Your turn.”
“What is it?” she asked as she pulled the wrapping off.
“A horse,” Shea deadpanned and she giggled. “Open it and see.”
Her grin was unstoppable as she torn open the box. When she looked inside, he smiled when a perplexed look came over her face. Pulling out a smaller box, she glanced at him and he chuckled.
“You thought it was that mixer, huh?”
“Maybe,” she said slowly as she started to unwrap the smaller box.
“It’s under the tree,” he answered and her face lit up.
“Then what is this?”
“Open it and see.”
The kids were basically bouncing off the walls in anticipation. Everyone knew what he had gotten her, and it had taken almost a year to plan. He was excited to see what she thought, though. Opening the box, her brows came together as she took in what she was looking at.
“Are these plane tickets?”
He nodded as she pulled them out.
“To Fiji?” she asked but then separated the tickets. “There are only two here.”
“Because only you and I are going. For a week.”
“What? I can’t leave the kids or even the team! You’re crazy.”
“Mom and Dad are going to come stay with the kids, and I already cleared it at work. We are leaving after New Year’s.”
“What!” she gasped, looking at him in disbelief. “Really?”
His hand came down on her thigh and he smiled. “We haven’t had a vacation since Shelli was born. I think it’s time we had some us time, don’t you think?”
When she looked up at him, tears gathering in her eyes, he knew he had done good. Great, even. “Yeah. I think so,” she agreed, wiping her eyes. “A whole week? Just us? No yelling, boogers, or hockey?”
He laughed. “Just us and the beach. We are staying in a hut with no one around but a guy to give us food and drinks.”
“Sounds like paradise.”
“It will be.”
“Oh my God, I can’t wait! Thank you!” she cried, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him hard on the lips. When she parted, she was frowning though. “I only got you a watch.”
He scoffed. “Baby, you’ve given me the world and then some. Now it’s my turn to give you everything you can dream of.”
“You do that every day, Shea, just by loving me,” she said, tears rolling down her beautiful face. Her eyes still hit him straight in the gut, and her lips could knock him to his knees. She was everything and more. He would give her anything she asked without even really thinking.
“I love you,” she whispered, her lips ever so close to his. “More than words could express.”
“I love you.”
“Group hug!” Shelli exclaimed, and soon all five of their children jumped in where they could fit in. With Shelli in his lap, Quinn on his back, and Evan around his waist, he looked into the eyes of his forever and smiled. Elli was holding Posey and Owen close but still holding him too, a beautiful, happy grin on her face.
“Daddy, I love you,” Shelli said, kissing his cheek. “I love you too, Momma.”
“Yeah, I love you,” Quinn said.
“Me too, I love y’all,” Owen said.
“I love you so much. Thank you for my presents,” Posey said softly.
“I love you more than they do,” Evan informed them, ever serious but the instigator of the family. Soon everyone was protesting on who loved whom more.
Finally, Elli said, “Guys, stop. I love you all. The exact same. You are all the world to me.”
They all grinned and seemed content with that. Looking over at Elli, Shea smiled, holding her jaw. “You happy, baby?”
She nodded, kissing his nose. “So much so, it hurts, Shea. You’ve given me everything I could have ever asked for.”
His heart pounded in his chest as he got lost in her eyes. How did he get this lucky? To find his soul mate and not only marry her but make beautiful children with her. Kissing her nose, he said, “And to think, I still have the rest of our lives to give you even more.”
Her grin grew as her eyes clouded with tears and she said, “Merry Christmas, my love.”
“Merry Christmas.”
Copyright © 2014 by Toni Aleo
This book, Tangled in the Laces and Laces and Lace is a work of Fiction. Any names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.
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