“And Gramps would come find us in the orchard and make us come home to eat before everything cooled?” Beckett replied, his eyes shining through his smudged glasses. He was proud of himself, not bursting into tears at the memories. Despite the decade-plus that had passed since their deaths, Beckett still mourned his grandparents. Save for the Lawsons, they were his only family.
“I remember you guys were mad at me for weeks when I ate the extra sandwich, because you were too slow coming down the hill.” Mallory grinned, enjoying the trip down memory lane. “In my defense, I waited patiently for you two knuckleheads to come in, but I wouldn’t resist the siren song of cheese and bread.”
Beckett snaked his arm around Mallory’s shoulder, bringing her to his side. “Those were some of my favorite times.”
Beckett, Evan, and Mallory had grown up together. While Evan and Beckett were friends, it was Mallory and Beckett who had formed a tighter bond that grew into love. It may have taken a little longer to find their own happily ever after, but it was worth the wait.
“So, I’m dying to know,” CeCe said, changing the subject as she adjusted her seat.
Mallory didn’t miss the wince when CeCe leaned back, and she reached out a steadying hand. “Do you need anything?” she asked, unable to avoid nurse mode.
Evan sensed the strain in her voice and knelt down beside CeCe. “Babe?”
CeCe threw her arms in the air and groaned. “For crying out loud, I’m fine. I’m just very pregnant and hungry.”
Evan frowned. “But you ate three meals since lunch. I didn’t even get a full bowl of soup.”
That comment earned him a glare from CeCe and a flick to the forehead from Mallory. “Nice, Ev. Want to rub any more salt in the wound?”
“I. Am. Fine,” CeCe repeated. “What I wanted to know was if Beckett was making his famous apple crisp for Christmas?”
Beckett shot a thumbs-up. “Just picked up the ingredients. Fortunately, we have a million apples in cold storage, so I’ve got it covered.” He reached out to wipe a smudge of strained carrots from Maybelle’s chin before adding, “And I hope you’re making cheesy bites, if you can.”
CeCe smirked. “I can, and I did. They’re in the fridge at the diner. I only need to slice and bake.”
Evan checked the time and frowned. “We should probably head out. There’s still a lot to do before the big day.”
Everyone shared their goodbyes and helped Evan and CeCe to their car. The snow flurries had stopped, but Beckett wasn’t convinced that was the end of the snowstorm. “It’s going to be a white Christmas, Mal. I can feel it.”
“The perfect first Christmas for Maybelle.” She sighed and leaned into his side. Beckett kissed the top of her head and enjoyed the moment of peace. He loved hosting their friends and family at the farm, and he thanked his lucky stars he didn’t sell it when he had the chance.
This was home. This was his family’s home, and he knew his grandparents would love to know that Mallory and Maybelle would make a whole new slew of memories on the farm. Life was good, and Beckett was a lucky man.
CHAPTER 9
Visitors of Christmas Present
