Starlight in Her Eyes (22 page)

“You,” she said. “You were in my mind constantly. And my heart.” She lowered her gaze but only for a moment. Her smile seared straight into his heart when she raised her head. “You were actually rather annoying and wouldn't leave me alone. You can be quite tenacious without even being aware. And when you weren't there, Lily took over in your stead.”

He relaxed and grinned. “Another reason to love her all the more.”

“I hope you don't mind, but I called on Jack Preston to help us out. We flew to Des Moines in his private jet. I couldn't think of any other way to get here by Christmas without a very long drive from Philly. But I thought you should know.”

Colin was surprised by her revelation. Her former father-in-law was a generous man, and he loved Serena and Lily. “As I said, you're here now. That's all that matters, and I'm indeed most grateful to Mr. Preston for making my dream for a Christmas with you and Lily a reality.”

Serena moved close enough for him to wrap her in his arms. Colin considered it an encouraging sign when she removed her hands from her pockets. Finally.

“Fair warning,” he said, tugging her close. He teased her by brushing his mouth over hers. “I plan on annoying you for a very long time.”

“I wouldn't expect anything less. Our cup runneth over,” she whispered.

She couldn't begin to know how her soft lips tantalized him.

“I have a special gift for you,” he whispered, stealing a quick kiss on her neck, “but I'm going to make you wait until tomorrow.”

“I have everything I need right here in this diner tonight.”

Cradling her face between his palms, Colin drank in her beauty, loving her with his eyes. “Now, that's quite enough talking.”

“I agree.”

Neither one of them spoke again until Caroline rang the closing bell.

21

Christmas Day – Starlight, Iowa – Dante and Amanda Moretti's Home

Serena held a pecan pie in one hand and slipped her other hand into Colin's as they walked into the Moretti home behind Nikki and Alex. The house was enormous but welcoming with a fire burning in the living room fireplace, lots of family photos, and a huge Christmas tree in one corner.

“Welcome, and Merry Christmas,” Dante said, giving Serena a quick kiss on the cheek. “Amanda and I are so happy you and Colin could be here with us.” Dante signaled to a boy passing through the room. “This is Tyler,” he said with a nod to Lily. “He can take you to play with the other kids if you'd like.”

Lily glanced up at her. “Can I, Mommy?”

“Of course, sweetie. Have fun.”

A tall blonde approached with an adorable infant girl on her hip. “Hi, I'm Amanda Moretti,” she said to Serena after greeting the others. “Make yourself at home. We're a crazy bunch around here, but we're all family. Let me know if you need anything.”

“What can I do to help?” Serena asked as Colin took her coat.

With a quick kiss and a reassuring squeeze of her hand, he told her he'd see her in a few minutes.

“We'll take good care of her,” Amanda assured Colin with a smile. “Some of the ladies are in the kitchen if you'd like to see what they might need.”

“Lead the way.” Serena carried the pie and followed the other woman. With her dark hair and big brown eyes, her daughter looked to be about six months old. Serena felt a tug inside. Not that long ago, Lily had been that age. How quickly children grew. She'd always hoped to have more children, but that dream had died with Graham.

A tall, dark-haired woman was speaking to a shorter blonde woman as Serena followed Amanda into a large kitchen.

They worked side-by-side at a large island in the middle of the room. “So we'll need new homes for Bailey's puppies after they're weaned. With the new baby coming in April, I'd rather not be looking after a litter of pups, cute as they are.”

The women both looked up as Amanda entered the room beside Serena.

“Ladies, give a warm Starlight welcome to Colin's friend,” Amanda said. “This is Serena Monroe.”

“Hi, Serena. I'm Julia Marston.” After wiping her hands on an apron, the taller woman stepped forward and gave her a warm hug. “That hug is also for the woman with her hands currently in the bowl of cookie dough, my sister-in-law, Hannah Sinclair.”

Hannah gave her a bright smile. “Great to meet you, Serena. We all adore Colin.”

“Julia's married to my brother, Jake, Starlight's fire captain,” Amanda said. “Hannah is married to Julia's older brother, Dylan, and he's Jake's sergeant.”

“Don't worry. There won't be a quiz later.” Hannah laughed. “We all pretty much answer to ‘Hey, you!' anyway. For the record, Dylan and I have four kids—Tyler, Andrew, Sophie, and Isabella. Jake and Julia have twin boys—Ben and Daniel—and a little girl, Emma, on the way. The child attached to Amanda's hip is Ana, their firstborn but the first of many, I'm sure. If Dante gets his way, they'll be able to start their own soccer team in a few years.”

Serena laughed. “Thanks for the rundown. Amanda wasn't kidding when she said you're all family.”

“You know it. We hope you'll be able to come and visit us often, Serena.” Amanda's brown eyes shone with sincerity. “You'll get to know all of us soon enough, but I realize it can be a little overwhelming at first. Ask any questions and know you're among friends. Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I need to go check on the kids. Make sure they're not getting into trouble.”

As she helped to do whatever Julia and Hannah directed, Serena listened to their easy banter. In turn, Julia and Hannah asked about her work in Philadelphia. “It must be so exciting to work in television,” Julia said with a warm smile. They chatted for a few minutes and laughed as Serena relayed a few stories of Colin's “Out and About” adventures.

“Here's someone who knows a little something about a career in front of the cameras.” Julia smiled as Nikki came into the kitchen.

Colin had told her that Nikki once dated Julia's husband, Jake, and their friendly camaraderie surprised her somewhat. Serena envied their close friendships. Serena hoped what Amanda said was true and she'd have the opportunity to come to Starlight again and get to know every one of these people much better.

Nikki grabbed a carrot stick. “I'm starving, and the baby needs to eat. How are you feeling, Julia?”

“Great. How about you?”

“Emotional to the point where I'm not sure Alex knows quite what to do with me.” Nikki laughed and winked at Serena. “See what being around Colin again has done? I've already picked up some of his words and phrasing.”

“I know the feeling.” Serena shared a grin with Nikki and the others laughed.

As they finished the last-minute meal preparations, Amanda came back into the kitchen with a parade of the men to assist in carrying everything to the long table set up in the great room. Julia and Hannah introduced their husbands. Jake was the tallest man in the room, and he and Dylan kept up a teasing, fun commentary as they all found their seats. Alex and Colin walked into the room together, and Serena was pleased to see Lily had already made friends with several of the children and was happily chatting with them at the kids' table nearby.

“Having a good time?” Colin whispered as he helped Serena push in her chair.

“The best,” she whispered back. “Fair warning. I may never want to leave.”

He chuckled. “The Starlight charm is already working on you.”

Hannah came up behind them and held mistletoe above their heads. “Tradition,” she explained. “By order of Starlight's Fire Department captain. If you know what's best, just play along.”

“Who am I to protest?” Colin leaned close and kissed her sweetly while the other couples did the same. Fun tradition.

Dante rose to his feet at the head of the table as they all joined hands for the blessing a couple of minutes later. “Father, we thank You for this day when we celebrate Your Son,” Dante prayed. “Let us never forget the significance of the birth of the Christ child in the humble manger and His sacrifice so that we, too, might have eternal life. Thank You for our dear friends and family who are gathered with us here today. May it be one of many days we will join together, thanking You for the earthly friendships we can enjoy. Thank You for this meal that has been prepared and bless the hands that have prepared it. We ask all these things in the name of Your Son.”

A chorus of
Amen
sounded round the table.

As they began passing the food around the table, Serena squeezed Colin's hand beneath the table. “Thank you for inviting Lily and me to join you here for Christmas.”

Colin leaned close. “The first of many holidays we'll enjoy together.”

“Amen,” Serena agreed.

22

Christmas Night – The Moretti Ice Skating Pond

Serena snuggled beside Colin as they sat on a bench in view of the ice skating pond at the back of the Moretti home.

Lily skated with Tyler and Andrew as well as a little girl named Sammie and her brother, Travis, who'd joined the fun.

Alex and Jake circled the pond to lend assistance to any of the kids who stumbled or fell. The sounds of the men's laughter carried to them, filling the night air.

A few light snow flurries floated to the ground and the stars twinkled above them.

“The meal was fabulous, the nativity pageant poignant, and now—if it wasn't so cold—I believe I could fall asleep right here in your arms,” Serena said. “I haven't felt this content since the night of the Liberty Bell Ball.” She nestled her head on Colin's shoulder and gloried in the strength and warmth of his arms around her. Pulling back a bit, she studied Colin's handsome profile. “You're being awfully quiet tonight. Care to share your thoughts?”

“Thanking the Lord for the blessing of today.” He smiled and pressed a kiss to her temple. “For one, I still can't believe you went to the Christmas Village and bought the cuckoo clock. It's quite spectacular. Thank you, my love.”

“I'm glad you liked my surprise.” She'd been touched and surprised that Nikki and Alex had gifts for both her and Lily. “Thank you for our gifts, too.” Colin had given her a bottle of her favorite perfume as well as
The Complete Adventures of Curious George: 70th Anniversary Edition
in hardcover, and he'd given Lily a beautiful doll that came with a storybook.

Earlier in the day, he'd hinted again that he had another gift for her but wanted to wait for a private moment. This was the first opportunity they'd had to be alone all day, and Serena hoped he might take advantage of the privacy.

“I talked with Caroline a few minutes after the nativity pageant while you were still helping behind the scenes,” she said.

Colin had been coerced into taking part in the pageant as an angel with a memorable line of dialogue. He'd performed admirably, and the townspeople had applauded him wildly.

“She invited us to come to Barney's Diner for breakfast tomorrow.”

Colin chuckled. “Did Caroline tell you about the new addition to the menu?”

Serena giggled. “Bangers and mash? Yes, I saw that. Maybe one day Caroline will even name a dish in my honor. Or Lily's. Who knows?”

“Stick with me and it could happen.” Colin waggled his brows.

She laughed with him. “She wants to introduce me to more of the town's citizens. She mentioned Henrietta, Martha, Angie and Harry, and Starlight's mayor and his wife.”

“Yes,” Colin said. “That would be Marge and Tom. He'll be Starlight's leader into eternity, I believe, although I caught wind that Alex is considering a run at some point in the future. Then there's also Karl and Sandy Hines, parents to Sammie and Travis skating there on the pond with our Lily.” He angled his head toward the pond where the children all laughed together. “So much energy.”

Serena straightened on the bench. “Speaking of Lily, I have an idea. Jake and Julia's dog, Bailey, is expecting puppies soon. I asked Julia a few questions when we cleaned up in the kitchen after dinner. Bailey's a yellow lab, and they're looking to find good homes for the pups once they're weaned.”

Colin turned on the bench, facing her, his eyes reflecting the overhead spotlights surrounding the pond. “Might one of Bailey's pups possibly be a rich, chocolate brown color?”

Serena nodded, pleased he'd caught her meaning. “Yes. A puppy that could be called Truffle.” She grinned. “What do you think of the idea?”

“I think it's fabulous. Or we could call him Wilford. Maybe even Archie?” Colin laughed when Serena playfully poked him in the ribs. “I suppose Truffle could be any color, love. Or male or female, for that matter. Did you discuss with Julia the possibility of taking one of the pups off their hands in a few months?”

“I did,” Serena said, giving him a quick kiss.

“Tell you a secret.” Colin's grin was broad. “I discussed the same idea with Jake. Now, it's time. I have something for you.”

Serena's pulse skyrocketed as Colin dug deep into the pocket of his down jacket and then pulled out a small, square box.

With a serious expression, he slid to one knee in the snow at the base of the bench and gently took both her hands in his. “Serena Claire Monroe, I love you. You accepted me for the man I once was, the man I am today, and the man I hope to be. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever known in every way. If you'll have me, I want to marry you and be your husband. I want to be Lily's father and the father of any future children the Lord—in His infinite grace—may give to us.”

Serena moved one hand over her heart as Colin opened the box to reveal a sparkling marquise diamond that reflected the moonlight as well as the overflowing joy in Serena's heart. “I know you like vintage things, so if you'd rather have an antique ring, or a ruby since I know you like all things red—”