“Good idea. My presents should have arrived.”
In minutes she put away her phone. “They’ll be glad to see you. And they did get your presents. How in the world did you know what to buy? And how many to buy for?”
“Someone told me how many were eating Thanksgiving dinner. How many adults and how many kids. They’re sort of generic presents. Electronic games for the kids, baskets of fruit for the adults.”
She laughed. “Zach, our house will be buried under baskets of fruit.”
He grinned and hugged her. Emma held out her hand to look at her ring. “This is the most gorgeous, giant ring I have ever seen.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He placed his arm around her. “Emma, I read some of the family letters. I got a touching one that you’ll have to read. I saw what you were talking about. Somehow with that one letter, I actually did feel a tie to my great-great-grandfather.”
“I’m glad, Zach,” she said with another increase in her happiness. “I was going to ask for any of the letters you decided to shred because I’ll be the mother of a Delaney. And this little Delaney is going to grow up with a love and appreciation of family.”
“The mother of a Delaney, my baby’s mother,” he said. “That sounds wonderful to me. You’ve given me the best possible Christmas gift I’ve ever received,” he whispered and pulled her close to kiss her. Pausing, he framed her face with his hands. “Emma, you’ve made up for all those miserable Christmases I had as kid. Will told me once to hang on, that our lives would get better.”
“Zach, that makes me hurt for all three of you. But that’s all in the past. You’ll have so much family stirring around you on holidays, you may miss your solitude.”
“No, I won’t. Not as long as I have you,” he said and kissed her again.
When the limo parked, Zach climbed out to help Emma. “You get whatever you want in here. I’m buying it for you, so don’t even ask a price.”
The second dress they brought out, a white raw silk with thin straps and a short jacket, was the one. The skirt was slim and came to mid-calf. She liked it immediately and in minutes she said that was the one she wanted. She didn’t want Zach to see it until their wedding, so when she came out of the dressing room once again in her Christmas dress, his eyebrows arched.
“What’s this?”
“I’ve picked the dress I want and you’re not to see it until tomorrow.”
“You’ve set a record for the fastest woman shopper I’ve ever seen. I’m falling in love all over again.”
She laughed, but she wondered how many women he had taken shopping. In minutes they parked at her parents’ house.
“This has to be the most decorated block in all of the state of Texas,” Zach said, stepping into bright lights from her parents’ decorations.
“Dad started this and then our neighbors began to get into the spirit.”
“Thank heaven I’ll be able to afford to have someone do ours for us,” he said, eyeing her roof. As they walked to the front door, she felt butterflies in her stomach. “Zach, I feel jittery about tonight and having a wedding so fast tomorrow.”
“Your family will accept what you want to do,” he said. “Would you rather take your time, marry later and have a big wedding?”
She thought a moment. “No, this is exciting and I think marrying tomorrow is a great idea. We’re rushing into this—something I never thought I’d do.”
“We’re getting married tomorrow—something I never thought I’d do,” he said with a broad smile and she laughed.
“Let’s break the news. Get ready for a hullabaloo,” she warned and opened the front door.
“You’re right there.”
As they walked inside, her dad came forward to greet them. Emma grasped her father’s arm. “Dad, get Mom to come here. It’s important.”
With a glance at Zach, Brody turned to send a granddaughter on the errand and in seconds Emma’s mother walked up to greet them and welcome Zach. Family members trailed after her, gathering around them.
“Mom, Dad, before someone notices and asks—Zach has asked me to marry him and I’ve accepted,” she said, holding out her hand to show her engagement ring.
Instantly her mother hugged her while her dad shook hands with Zach and in seconds the whole family huddled around while Emma showed them her engagement ring.
From that moment on she felt as if she were in a dream. She spent an hour on phone calls, making arrangements that she couldn’t believe were happening so quickly. She went through dinner in a daze and felt that way afterwards. Constantly, she was aware of Zach, even if he stood across the room. When they drove to church all the kids piled into the limo with them.
“Your life will change drastically,” Emma reminded him.
“It already has,” he remarked, eyeing the kids surrounding him.
Through the midnight Christmas service Zach sat close beside her. Finally they told everyone good-night and left.
“Emma, you’ve never even seen my home. Not any of them. Let’s go back to my house tonight and I’ll take you home as early in the morning as you want.”
“All right. Is this where I’m going to live?”
“That’s up to you. If you want a new place, I don’t care. I got the Dallas place because it’s comfortable and a good investment. If you want something else, fine.”
“I hope you’re always this agreeable.”
He smiled. “I’ll try. I want to call Ryan and Will. I should call Garrett, too. I want you to meet Ryan and Garrett and Sophia when we get back. I don’t expect any of them to come home tomorrow. When we get back from our honeymoon, we can repeat our vows in a big church wedding if you want.”
She shook her head. “I’m happy. Let’s just have the reception and invite everyone. That’ll be a party for all.”
His limo entered an exclusive gated suburban area with a gatekeeper. As they wound through the neighborhood, through pines and oaks, she glimpsed twinkling lights indicating homes. Finally they went through another tall iron gate with a gatekeeper who waved.
“I guess I didn’t need to worry so much about security.”
“I have security. The family ranch is more open, but we had security around the perimeter of the yard and motion lights outside, with someone watching the grounds at night. You just didn’t notice.”
“You didn’t tell me that,” she said.
He shrugged. “I didn’t expect you to leave in the dead of night without me knowing about it.”
In minutes she could see lights through trees on a mansion and when it came into
