Sam started to steer her from the room toward the kitchen. “We'd better put them in water, Felicity.”
“They are in water.” She held the vase up for Sam to see.”
“It needs more.” Sam groaned, trying to hurry her from the room.
“Sam, what are you doing?” She wanted to make sure her mother was okay with her surprise.
“You said no mushy stuff in front of you.” Sam practically pushed her into the kitchen. “In case you didn't notice, there was mistletoe hanging right above their heads.” Sam's voice was filled with laughter.
“Oh, yuck.”
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Coop tugged a laughing Jenni all the way to her shop. It was freezing outside, but neither of them seemed to care. He had slipped Hope a ten-dollar bill to keep an eye on the boys for a few minutes. He had something very important to ask Jenni.
“We could have gotten our coats,” teased Jenni as she unlocked the door.
“They were in the foyer.” Coop hurried her through the door as soon as it opened. “Eli and Dorothy are in the foyer.”
Jenni laughed. “I wonder if they are doing any of that mushy stuff.” Jenni reached for the lights, but Coop's hand stopped her.
“Leave them off.” There was enough light given off by the low-wattage bulbs Jenni kept on all the time. He pulled Jenni into his arms and briskly rubbed her back and arms. “Warming up?”
Jenni wrapped her arms around his neck and teased his chin with quick kisses. “A little.”
He allowed his hands to rub lower while tilting up her hips against his growing need. “What about now?” He tried to capture her teasing mouth. He hadn't pulled Jenni away from her family for this, but he couldn't let her freeze.
“Getting there.” Jenni's hungry mouth slid over his.
He could never get enough of this woman. He wanted Jenni day and night, and not just in his bed. Letting her out of his bed on these cold winter nights was one of the hardest things he had ever done. He didn't mind sharing her with the boys, Dorothy, or even Felicity, but he wanted something more. He wanted a life with her.
He tenderly cupped her cheeks and held her wandering mouth still for a moment. “I love you, Jen.”
Jenni's smile was beautiful as she whispered the words he had been hoping to hear. “I love you, Coop.”
The soft, dreamy expression on Jenni's face told him she was telling the truth. Jen loved him. His Jenni loved him. There really was a Santa Claus, because he was given the most precious gift of allâJenni's love.
He slowly lowered his head and kissed her.
Jenni opened her mouth and seductively raised more than his body temperature. The more she gave, the more he wanted. He pressed her up against the wall and took it all.
“Coop.” Jenni's mouth was everywhere, begging and teasing him beyond thought.
He cupped her bottom and raised her off her feet. The warmth of her legs encircled his thighs. There were too many clothes between them. He needed her now.
His hands tunneled their way under her sweater. He caressed the warm, silky skin of her back as his tongue tangled with hers.
“Mom!” shouted Tucker from the other side of the door. “Are you there?”
Coop jumped back so fast that Jenni nearly tumbled to the ground. His quick reflexes caught her before his brain could comprehend what was happening.
Jenni's blush was beet red as she tugged down her sweater. “Yes, Tucker, I'm here.” Jenni gave Coop a slow sweet smile that stole his breath. “You're naughty,” she whispered while playing with the clip holding up her hair. “Santa won't leave you anything tonight.”
“He already did.” He grinned as he opened the door to Jenni's son. “Hey, Tuck, what's up?”
“Eli says it's time to leave, or we're going to miss the boats.” Tucker's eyes gleamed with excitement. “Come on.”
Coop and Jenni left the shop, locking the door behind them. “Okay, buddy, we're hurrying.” Tucker was practically running back to the house.
Before they reached the house, Hope came hurrying out the sliding doors of the family room. She came to a sudden stop when she saw Tucker tugging on his mother's hand. With a hopeless sigh she apologized. “I only turned my back for one second.”
Coop laughed. “Don't worry about it. It's fine.”
“Hurry up, Mom!” shouted Chase from the doorway. “Everyone's ready to leave.”
Jenni glanced over her shoulder at Coop. “You ready to go?”
“As soon as we get our coats.”
They hurried into the house, grabbing coats, keys, mittens, and hats.
“Felicity and Sam already left. They said they'd meet us down there.” Dorothy stood next to Eli with a radiant smile upon her face and happiness dancing in her eyes. She was either blushing or having a hot flash.
“Coop,” Eli said, “we might have to park on Spruce or White Pine streets. Anyone who can walk to the docks usually does, but in this weather, most drive. Last year we got there late and ended up on Hamilton Street.”
Jenni undid the clip in her hair and tugged on a hat. Fashionable she wasn't, but she wanted to stay warm. “Boys, last potty call, and grab your scarves before heading out.” As sure as she knew Santa was coming tonight with way too many presents, one of the boys would need a bathroom as soon as they got to the docks.
She dug in her purse and then flipped Coop her keys. They couldn't all fit in Coop's pickup, and, besides, it was filled with the presents Santa would be bringing tonight. Coop had purposely parked away from the boys and their prying eyes. “Why don't you warm up the car while I handle the boys.”
Coop gazed at the mistletoe above his head, wiggled his brow, and grinned.
She shook her head. “Don't even think about it.” Dorothy, Eli, and the girls were already in their car waiting for them. If Coop kissed her again, they would miss the festival.
“Spoilsport.” Coop headed out the door with Chase.
Tucker was already in the powder room.
Corey banged on the door. “Hurry up, Tucker.”
She patiently slipped on her gloves. Knowing those two, this could take awhile. She was pleasantly surprised when not a moment later Tucker sprinted past her and out the door. “Come on, Mom” had been shouted over his shoulder.
“I'll be right there.” A moment later, she and Corey headed out the door to see their first Festival of Lights in Misty Harbor.
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Forty minutes later, she spotted the first boat off in the distance. A soft, light snow had begun to fall, giving everything a peaceful and quiet feel. She moved closer to Coop. It felt like Christmas Eve.
“I see a boat,” shouted Tucker as he jumped up and down on the dock.
“Shhh . . . you're not supposed to yell, hon. Everyone can see the boat.” Her hand reached out and pressed his shoulder downward so he would stop jumping and people would stop staring.
“What are we supposed to do?” Tucker frowned and glanced around.
“Just watch the boats come in, hon. That's all.” She gave her son a big smile. “Enjoy how pretty they look on the water all lit up like that.” The first boat was all decked out in white and green lights that reflected off the sea.
Tucker gave her a look that expressed what he thought about that. Her middle son didn't do “pretty.” “Where's Grandmom?” Tucker asked.
“With Eli.” She had seen Eli's daughters walk off with a bunch of teenagers when they had first arrived at the docks. Eli and Dorothy had headed in the direction of the restaurant, the Catch of the Day. She still hadn't caught sight of Felicity and Sam, but she wasn't looking that hard.
“Can I go with them?”
“No, you are to stay with us.” Coop had wanted to find a quiet place along the shoreline that might block some of the wind. The boys had taken one look at the wooden-planked dock with all the other kids and families on it and insisted that was where they wanted to be.
“There's another one,” whispered Chase, who was closer to the edge than she liked.
“It's all yellow,” Corey said. Her youngest son was holding Coop's hand and keeping his distance from the edge.
“It's gold,” Chase said. “They don't make yellow Christmas lights, only gold.”
Leave it to Chase to point that one out.
“How many lights do you think are on that boat, Chase?” Coop gaze was off in the distance. “Has to be thousands, I would think.”
Chase frowned. “Maybe.”
“Here comes another one,” Tucker said in loud voice. It wasn't a shout this time, but it wasn't a whisper either. “This one is all white.”
She watched as the boats slowly and almost silently made their way into the harbor. It was one of the most perfect sights she had ever seen. “It's beautiful.”
“That it is.” Coop wrapped his arm around her waist and tugged her closer. “Are you warm enough?”
“Toasty.” She stuck out her tongue and caught a big fat flake. She closed her eyes and tasted the drop of water that had been the flake. She opened them again and grinned. “I love the taste of falling snow.”
Coop's eyes were dark and full of promises as he followed her every move. “You're playing with fire, Jen.”
“That's why I'm toasty.” She loved the way Coop made her feel, all hot and needy.
In her quest for the snowflake and to tease Coop, her hand had released Tucker's shoulder. The boy now was standing next to Chase, much too close to the edge of the dock. There was a good six-foot-drop before a person would end up in the frigid water below. Before her feet could follow the warning her brain was screaming, Tucker saw another boat come into view.
Tucker twisted around to tell her and lost his footing. With flailing arms he teetered on the edge of the dock, about to go over into the darkness below.
She opened her mouth to scream, but before a sound could emerge, Coop had a hold on the back of Tucker's jacket and was pulling him to safety. Jenni had never seen anyone move that fast in her life.
“Hey, Coop,” someone about ten feet down the dock shouted, “nice catch.”
“Thanks,” Coop shouted back.
“Still has the hands,” shouted another.
Coop shook his head and looked pale as he frowned down at Tucker. “You stay away from the edge.”
Chase, who had witnessed his brother's near fall, took two giant steps back away from the brink.
Tucker's eyes were still wide and round from his near mishap. “Okay.”
She grabbed the back of Tucker's jacket and suppressed the urge to hug him. He didn't deserve to be hugged. Tucker had just taken another year off her life, a life she wanted to spend with Coop. Using her low, no-nonsense mother voice, she whispered in Tucker's ear. “If you so much as move a muscle, I will personally see to it that Santa does not come down our chimney tonight.”
Corey moved closer to Coop.
“Hey, Corey, can you see okay from down there?” Coop asked as he squatted to the boy's height.
Corey shook his head.
Coop swung Corey up and placed him on his shoulders. “There are perks to being the youngest.”
“What's perks?” Corey asked, in awe of his new height.
“It means you get to ride on Mr. Brown's shoulders, where your brothers can't.” She grinned up at her youngest.
Corey seemed quite pleased with himself.
Coop glanced out over the water and watched as another boat came into sight. This one was lit up in red and white lights that seemed more powerful than the other boats. He hadn't realized until tonight how much he had missed this over the years. Somewhere up on one of the hilltops his parents were in their car, drinking their coffee and enjoying the view. It was a yearly tradition with them.
He wanted to start a yearly tradition with Jenni and the boys.
He wanted candlelight and champagne tonight. Jenni deserved them and a whole lot more. There was a question on his tongue burning to be asked, and a jeweler's box scorching a hole in his pocket. He noticed the death grip Jenni had on the back of Tucker's jacket and prayed that wouldn't be part of their yearly tradition. His heart had stopped when he spotted Tucker about to go into the water.
He tugged Jenni closer and whispered in her ear, “What do you think of the lights?”
“It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.” Jenni leaned her head against his shoulder and continued to stare out onto the harbor. “Thank you for saving Tucker.” Snowflakes were melting on Jenni's cheeks.
“I'll always save Tucker.”
Jenni turned her head and looked at him. A snowflake clung to one of her lashes. “Will you?”
“If you let me.” He could see forever in Jenni's gaze and knew her answer before he even asked his question. “Will you marry me, Jen?”
Jenni's smile was radiant.
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That night over a dozen boats made it into the harbor and Santa was extra generous at the Wright house on Mistletoe Bay.