D rew waited to a respectable six thirty before springing onto the bed between them and announcing that he had been waiting on them to get up for hours .
He hadn’t, of course, but to a six-year-old, minutes probably did feel like hours on Christmas Day .
Ember stretched slowly, pretending to be especially tired .
Or maybe she wasn’t pretending. They had been … energetic last night .
Zeke grinned and rolled out of bed, glad that Ember had suggested he put sleep clothes. No need to teach Drew more than he needed to know about life on this Christmas morning .
Finally, giggling at Drew’s desperation, Ember rolled out of bed and followed .
Zeke knew she would be right there in the thick of ripping off paper and exploring. Her birthday had been in October, so he’d already gotten a glimpse of the way her enthusiasm took over. Christmas wrapping paper was shredded, and all that careful wrapping obliterated as the room echoed with squeals. It was like she regressed to being a ten-year-old kid, gushing and exclaiming over everything he received. Zeke had to laugh, because she had bought almost everything there .
Drew loved the bike they had gotten him, and kept returning to it between unwrapping other gifts. More than once, Zeke saw him glance outside. The snow was still falling softly but steadily. They’d gotten almost a foot overnight. There would be no biking today .
“I th-think it may have to wait until we can clear a s-s-sidewalk, buddy .”
“I know,” he sighed. “Can I keep it in my room ?”
“No,” Ember told him calmly. “Bikes go in garages .”
“But Mom,” Drew said. “Dirty bikes go in garages. This one is brand new and clean .”
She blinked, her expression turning thoughtful. “You’re right, Drew. It can stay in your room until you ride it outside, then it has to stay in the garage. Deal ?”
“Deal!”
He jumped into her arms, giving her a neck-cracking hug. Then he turned to Zeke and did the same thing before heading back to the wreckage under the tree .
Ember walked over to him and he opened his arms automatically. This had become a favorite position of theirs, curled together on the same piece of furniture .
“You did good, babe,” he whispered, voice soft .
Ember nodded a little. “I think so. The bike is the hit, though. Well done !”
Zeke grinned and dropped a kiss to her dark hair. In response, she dropped her head to his chest, lightly kissing his neck, before tucking under his jaw .
* * *
E mber couldn’t imagine a more perfect Christmas. Zeke’s heart beat strongly beneath her cheek and his massive arms cradled her like she was the most precious thing in the world to him .
The light glinted on the stone of the engagement ring he’d bought her. She’d kind of expected the ring months ago, but he’d never popped the question. She understood why now, though. He’d wanted to do it while all of his friends and LNF work family were present. Zeke’s real family certainly wouldn’t have come out for the holiday or the excitement of an engagement .
Ember understood about having a work ethic, but damn. They’d flown out to meet his family once, and the difference in lifestyles was very evident. His parents loved Zeke, but they just didn’t understand why he needed to be away from home on the family farm. Right in front of her, his mother asked him why he stayed out there ‘so far from home ’ .
She sighed, running her hand over his chest. There was nothing they could do about it now. He and his family just didn’t see eye to eye. They loved him, but they just didn’t understand him anymore. He’d made his own life in Denver, the job at Lost and Found and the friends there who’d become family even before he and Ember had gotten together last year. Now, he was going to have a wife, son, father-in-law and no doubt more kids somewhere along the way .
Drew looked up to show them something, and Ember’s heart almost burst with pride. Her little man was growing up so fast. He’d started Kindergarten this year and already seemed to be charming the teachers. He needed another haircut already… and his feet suddenly seemed to be so big !
One of the boxes he received was full of clothes, a size larger than he wore now. Looking at the pjs flashing his ankles, she was extra glad she’d done that. Poor kid was outgrowing things faster than he could wear them out .
Her little man …
And her big man …
She looked up at Zeke. His bright, ice blue eyes connected with hers in shared joy and love. Ember couldn’t ever remember feeling so fulfilled. Zeke had become everything to her and Drew .
In the past year, he’d become a parent and live-in partner. They’d moved out of the apartment and into a house not too far from her dad’s. Drew stayed in the same school district and the drive to LNF and Frog Dog was an equal distance away from home. It had been a little strange buying a house before they were married, but the realtor had shrugged and told them it was no big deal anymore .
Ember kind of wished the woman had urged Zeke to marry her, but it hadn’t happened. Stretching her hand out, she looked at the ring again. It sparkled in the light, and seemed very natural there on her finger, like it was meant to be there. The men had chosen well .
Sometime soon, she would broach the subject of when …
* * *
A s soon as the day lightened, Drew wanted to go outside and go sled riding. There was a park less than a block away that had a decent hill on one side of it. Maybe that would be enough for him .
After gulping down some pancakes and bacon, all three of them bundled up to go outside .
The snow was actually too powdery for good sledding, but Drew was set on trying out the new toboggan. And when Zeke looked into the boy’s brown eyes, eyes that looked so much like his mother’s, there was no denying him .
When they got to the park, other kids had apparently had the same idea. The snow was already packed down on the hill and judging by the kids at the bottom, it appeared to be fast .
“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” Ember muttered. “Those kids look older than Drew .”
“I th-think it’ll be all right, they’re grade school kids, not high school or anything .”
Zeke was attacked by a case of nerves, though. His ugly, scarred mug was probably not what kids wanted to see on Christmas morning. “M-m-maybe you should g-go up with him .”
Ember stopped and looked at him. “Why ?”
He grimaced at her and wondered if he needed to say it out loud .
“Oh,” she said softly .
He hated that sound. It was like she was humoring him or something, or pitying him. No, in his mind he knew she didn’t, but she didn’t always know how to deal with his tendency to stay in the background. Though he was generally okay with being in public, this might be a little too much exposure for his comfort level .
“I d-d-don't want D-drew picked on because of m-m-me .”
Her eyes softened and she nodded slowly. “Okay, if that’s how you feel .”
She took the nylon cord from his hand and started walking up the hill. “Come on, Drew. Let’s test this baby out !”
Drew looked back at Zeke in disappointment. “I thought Zeke was going to go with me .”
“He’ll catch you at the bottom,” Ember promised, lifting a brow at Zeke .
He nodded, hearing the warning in her voice .
“I’ll g-get you at the bottom, b-buddy. Promise .”
That seemed to appease Drew. Running up the hill ahead of his mother, he kept looking back to make sure she was coming. He slipped and fell on his face once, then bounced right back up, giggling. There was enough snow on the ground that he probably couldn’t be hurt .
Just then, one of the older boys came screaming down the hill and wiped out at the bottom. Zeke suddenly had second thoughts about sending the two people he loved the most up the hill to hurtle down it on a quarter-inch thick piece of plastic. What the hell had he been thinking ?
A sled flew free from its owner and glided toward Zeke. Putting out a booted foot he caught the purple projectile and handed it back to the kid running after it. A red-cheeked boy of about nine or ten said “Thanks!” then looked up at Zeke with a smile that slowly faded into surprise as he cocked his head to the side .
Yup. There it was. That lovely, stupefied look people got on their faces when they couldn’t decide what to do when they saw him. He knew it would happen. Now the boy would either cringe or gasp—maybe both—before he ran away .
But the boy did neither. He held out his hand like a little gentleman and smiled up at Zeke excitedly .
“You’re Drew’s dad, right? He talks about you a lot , like all the time. He’s in my little sister’s class at school .”
Zeke took the boy’s gloved hand, blinking in surprise. “H-h-he does? He is ?”
“Oh, yeah,” the kid nodded. “He told us you’re this awesome Marine and how you went to war in Afghanistan, but you got injured. Nice to meet you, I’m Adam. Our dad’s in the Army. He’s over there fighting now.” The boy smiled up at Zeke, his face open and friendly .
Zeke let go of the boy’s hand, shocked at the easy acceptance on the kid’s face, and in his words. Drew had talked about him to his friends at school. And called him Dad .
“When he gets b-back I’d l-l-like to meet him,” Zeke told the kid .
Adam nodded as he started back up the slope. “Yeah, he should be back in a few months. Gotta go again !”
Zeke watched the boy run up the hill, dragging his sled behind him .
He heard familiar laughter and turned to see Drew and Ember flying down the hill toward him. Adjusting his position, he squared himself in case he needed to catch them, but they glided to a stop right in front of him. Snow had sprayed up and all over Drew’s face, and he giggled as he wiped it away. Ember’s grin was so broad it looked like it would split her face. She huffed out a laugh as he pulled her up into his arms .
Then her gaze sharpened on his face. He probably did look a little dazed, he still felt a little dazed, to be honest. Shaking his head, he pressed a kiss to her lips. “I’m okay. G-g-gonna go sled with my son. I’ll t-t-talk to you about it later .”
Ember’s eyes filled with tears and she nodded, a dazzling smile lighting up her face as she looked at him .
Drew looked shocked when Zeke held out his hand, but clambered to his feet happily. “You’re going to take me now? Really ?”
“Yup. Is th-that all right? Do you m-m-mind if the kids see me ?”
Drew looked at him, head cocked in confusion. “Yeah, it’s all right! I don’t mind if the kids see you. You’re my dad. I want everybody to know you’re my dad.” Then Drew smiled up at Zeke with the same dazzling look on his face as Ember and Zeke’s heart turned over in his chest .
His throat closed tight at the matter-of-fact way Drew said it and he had to nod in reply as they started walking up the hill. If it was that easy for Drew to accept him, he needed to be the man the boy thought he was and the father Drew needed him to be .
With a final glance back at Ember, they marched up the slope together .
He cocked an eye at the sled that had looked plenty big in the store but suddenly seemed awfully short and narrow. Well, all he had to do now was see if he could fit his six foot six ass on the damned thing. Kids would sure be talking about something other than his looks if they crashed and burned. But as he wrapped his arms around Drew to keep his son safe as they hurtled down the hill, he couldn’t imagine a more perfect day .
The End …