secure for the two of you.”
For the first time Zach felt a thread of kinship with this ancestor from generations earlier. Feeling foolish for his emotional reaction to the old letter, Zach continued to read. “I close my eyes and imagine you holding out your arms and smiling at me. Someday, my love, we will be together again. Know that I send my love to you and our son on this Christmas night.” He could be saying those words to Emma. Leaning back in his chair, Zach watched flames dance in the fireplace. He missed Emma. He could imagine the ache in his relative’s life on a cold Christmas night away from his young wife and a baby.
He picked up the letter to continue reading:
“Know you are my life and you and our offspring have my love always. I want this land to be safe for our son and his sons. My family I hold dearest of everything on this earth. I dream of when I can come home and we are together once again. My love, how I long to hold you close to my heart. All my love to you from your adoring husband, Warner Irwin Delaney.”
Zach had a tightening in his chest and he placed the letter in the discard box with the others without thinking about what he was doing. As he finished reading, all his thoughts focused on Emma and the letter. She would have been touched by it.
Was he missing out on life as she had said? Was he missing the most treasured part—a woman’s love and a family’s love?
He had never really thought marriage could be happy and filled with love until he had been with Emma’s family, because he had never seen a loving family in his own home or his oldest brother’s or even in any of his friends. Garrett’s parents seemed the closest and Garrett had been happy growing up, but the Cantrells had not exhibited the warmth and closeness the Hillmans had.
Will had not been married long enough for his marriage to count. Will was in euphoria and still steeped in his honeymoon. The Hillman seniors had been married for years and they were obviously in love. Zach had never thought of marrying or having a child—yet he loved Caroline and he barely saw her. How much more would he love one of his own that he saw often? Surely he would love his offspring deeply, and, if he ever had any, he intended to give them all the time and attention he possibly could.
Emma was a steadying influence, her calm faith in love, her cheer, her optimism—maybe he desperately needed that in his life. He needed her. It was still Christmas Eve morning. He reached for his phone and made arrangements to get the plane ready to fly to Dallas. He had to see Emma.
Christmas Eve at four in the afternoon Emma rushed back to her apartment. It was already getting dark outside with an overcast gray sky and a light snow predicted. Carrying an armload of packages, she hurried into her apartment building to be stopped by the doorman.
“Miss Hillman, you have a delivery.”
Surprised, she waited while he disappeared into the office and returned with a red crystal vase that held several dozen red roses and stems of holly.
“That’s for me?” she said, glancing at the packages filling her arms. “I’ll come back to get it.”
“I’ll bring it up. I didn’t want to leave it in the hall.”
“Thank you.” At her apartment she unlocked the door and stepped back to let him carry the bouquet inside and set it down.
“Merry Christmas, Miss Hillman. You have beautiful flowers.”
“Thank you. Merry Christmas to you, Mr. Wilburton,” she said, tipping him for carrying up her flowers.f
She dropped her packages and closed the door, hearing the lock click in place. The flowers had to be from Zach. She pulled out a card, looking at a familiar scrawling handwriting that she had seen so many times in the past few weeks.
“Merry Christmas, Emma. Zach.” A pang rocked her. How she wished he were here! She missed him more each day and tried to avoid thinking about it if she could. With a glance at her watch, she realized she should get ready soon to join her family.
Hurrying to hang up her coat, she turned on her Christmas lights.
Lights sparkled on her tall green Douglas fir that held sparse ornaments, which she added to each Christmas. She had greenery and candles on her mantel, a wreath on her door and a dining room centerpiece of holly around the base of a large poinsettia that had been given to her by friends from her office.
This year she had added something new. She looked at the sprig of mistletoe she had hung above the doorway into the dining area. The mistletoe made her think of Zach and their mistletoe kisses. She wondered how he was enjoying his Italian villa. For all she knew, he might not be alone there.
Usually Christmas Eve filled her with anticipation and excitement, but this year she missed Zach and she could not keep from worrying about her baby and breaking the news to her family. In spite of her sister’s reassurances, telling the family was going to be difficult, making her worry how they would take it. An even bigger concern was how Zach would accept the news.
She picked up all her packages to carry them to her bedroom and open them. She had been buying baby things because she was excited and wanted to get ready even if it was early. A bassinet stood by the window and she had a new rocking chair that had been delivered two days earlier. She began to open packages and finally had the new baby clothes laid out across her bed where she could look at them. They would all go into the wash, but she wanted to look at them first: the tiny onesies, tiny socks, little jumpers and bibs, rattles and a baby brush, plus small blankets.
She ran her fingers over the blankets. Even if Zach wanted to marry, which she knew he would not, she couldn’t accept his lifestyle. He still wouldn’t put family first. Travel and work would always take first place with him and fulfill the need for excitement in his life. It would never be family that would hold his interest. Sadness tinged her excitement over the baby. Sadness and worry about her baby’s acceptance.
She showered to get ready to go to her parents’ house for dinner and then a midnight service. Her new Christmas dress was a red crepe with a low V-neck and long sleeves. The skirt ended above her knees and she had matching high-heeled pumps. She caught her hair back on either side of her face and had clips with sprigs of holly attached. Last of all, she fastened the gold locket, stepping close to the mirror to look at it and rub the gold lightly with her finger as if she could conjure up Zach by doing so.
Startling her, her intercom buzzed. She answered to hear Mr. Wilburton.
“May I come back a moment? There’s something else here.”
“Sure, come up. I’ll open the door,” she answered, curious what he had. She gathered things to put into her purse until the bell rang. Wondering what he had forgotten, she hurried to the door to open it.
The first thing she saw was a huge stack of packages that hid the doorman.
“Come in,” she said, wondering how Mr. Wilburton could have forgotten a mountain of gifts.
He turned slightly and she faced Zach. “Merry Christmas, Emma.”
Stunned, she could only stare at him. “Zach? You’re here? It’s Christmas Eve. Where’s Mr. Wilburton?”
Zach laughed. “These packages are getting heavy. Can I come in?”
