Midnight Under the Mistletoe (17 page)

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?”

Ten

“C
ome in,” she said, her heart racing as
she took presents off the top of his stack.

He rushed to her sofa to set them all down while she closed the
door and trailed behind him. He was in a black topcoat over his suit. When he
turned, she took one look in his eyes and she was in his arms. He had brought a
rush of cold air in and his coat still was cold and smelled of the outside. As
she slid her arms beneath his coat and jacket, he felt warm, holding her tightly
against him while they kissed.

Her heart thudded with joy. Giddy to see him, laughter bubbled
inside her. She was overwhelmed by surprise.

Desire raged, more than all else, and she pushed the topcoat
away, hearing it fall to the floor. His suit jacket went with it. With shaking
fingers, she unfastened the buttons to his snowy shirt. He held her away to look
at her, taking in her red dress before he kissed her again.

Picking her up in his arms, Zach carried her to her bedroom
while he kissed her. Emma clung to him, wrapped in his embrace and filled with
longing. When he set her on her feet, she could feel his hands at the top of her
zipper as he started to draw it down.

His hands grew still and he raised his head. “Is one of your
sisters expecting?”

Startled, she looked up at him. “No, neither one.” Zach looked
beyond her at the bed and then his gaze went around the room and she realized
why.

“Emma, that’s a lot of baby clothes and a lot of baby things.
More than you’d take to a shower.”

His questioning gaze returned to her. Her heart drummed and her
palms became damp. She hadn’t expected Zach. All the most recent baby things
were laid out. Her mouth went dry and she felt weak in the knees.

“I know only one way to tell you. I’m pregnant,” she
whispered.

“You’re pregnant?” Sounding stunned, he stepped back to look at
her. “You don’t look it. You have all this ready for a baby. Are you sure? When
are you due?”

“I’ve been to a doctor now. When I found out for certain, I
couldn’t wait to buy things. I know it’s too early, Zach. I’m barely pregnant,
but I’m excited. This isn’t the way I was going to tell you, or this soon. I
know you have your life and you’re not the daddy type—”

“And you’re not the single-mom type. I’m going to be a dad,” he
said and silence stretched between them. Suddenly his hands closed on her waist
and he held her up while he gave a whoop.

“A dad! Emma, love,” he said, setting her down and wrapping his
arms around her to kiss her hard and long.

Shocked by his reaction, the last possible thing she had
expected, she stood immobile for seconds until she caught her breath. Wrapping
her arms around him, she held him tightly to kiss him back.

He stopped as abruptly as he started. “You’re sure?”

“Absolutely. The doctor says yes. The pregnancy test was
positive. My body is changing. Ask Rosie. And Mary Kate guessed.”

“Rosie?” he said, looking stunned. “You knew then?”

“I suspected, but it was really early. Rosie did, too.”

He laughed. “Emma, that’s fabulous. We’re going to be parents.
My precious love, I came to ask you to marry me.” He knelt on one knee and took
her hand. “Emma Hillman, I love you and want you to be my wife. Will you marry
me?”

“Zach, get up,” she said, her smile fading because she hurt
badly. He had just proposed, saying words she hadn’t been able to avoid dreaming
about, but there was only one answer. She looked up at him as he stood. “I love
you and I’m thrilled and scared about the baby, but, Zach, we can’t marry. Our
lifestyles are poles apart. You wouldn’t be happy. I wouldn’t be happy with you
gone all the time.”

“Emma, we have to work this out,” he said, framing her face
with his hands. “I’ve been miserable without you. You’ve made me see a family
can be happy and love each other. We’ll work this out.”

“I can’t. You’ll be gone and you do risky things. You won’t be
there to be a dad.”

“Yes, I will,” he said patiently. “And love isn’t in one place
or in a house. It’s between two people. Your parents would have had the same
love if your dad had traveled. You have to agree on that one.”

“I guess they would have, but I don’t want a dad who’s gone all
the time.”

“I won’t be. I can work more in the Dallas office and let
others do the on-site requirements. For heaven’s sake, I own the place. I don’t
have to go out and do hands-on work. I don’t even have to work if I don’t want
to.”

She didn’t dare breathe as her whole being tingled and hope
flared. “You might not be happy with a desk job,” she said, wondering if she
dared accept his complete reversal of his lifestyle.

“I don’t want to be away from you.”

“You would do that?”

“Of course. Emma, you’ve made me open my heart and trust
someone to return my love. Don’t turn around and crush that now. I love you and
I want to marry you. Besides that, it’s been pure hell without you.”

She trembled, wanting to believe him, scared to do so. “Rosie
said you couldn’t change.”

“Well, there are some things Rosie doesn’t know about me. She
doesn’t know I have fallen in love with the most wonderful woman in the
world.”

Unable to smile because of the moment for a life-changing
decision, Emma stood looking into his eyes. They were both taking chances, but
they loved each other and love was too precious to toss aside. As her decision
came, she trembled. “Yes, I’ll marry you,” she answered, wrapping her arms
around his neck to kiss him. Excitement and joy blossomed, enveloping her. Tears
of happiness spilled down her cheeks.

“Don’t cry. Not even happy tears,” he said. “Darlin’, this is
too fabulous for even one tear. Marriage to you will be the most wonderful thing
in my life. You’re right, Emma. What counts in life is the people you love.”

After a moment he raised his head. “How far along are you?”

“Just barely pregnant,” she answered, smiling at him.

He looked beyond her at the bed covered in baby clothes. “Isn’t
this really premature?”

“It is, but I’m excited.”

“And your family? They may not be happy with me, but when they
hear we’re getting married, they should be okay. Do you think?”

“They don’t know. It’s early, Zach. Mary Kate knows. She
guessed and we’re close so she asked me. No one else knows.”

“Then don’t tell them yet,” he said. “Tonight let’s announce
we’re getting married. Let’s marry on Christmas.” He smiled. “I don’t want to
wait any longer anyway.”

“That’s not possible, Zach. That’s tomorrow.”

“I know when Christmas is. Unless you have your heart set on a
big wedding, we’ll marry tomorrow with just your family. That’s enough people to
fill the church.”

“What about your brothers and your half sister and her husband,
whom you’re close to?”

“Listen to me,” he said. “We marry tomorrow. Then we’re off on
a honeymoon and I’ll get you out of the state of Texas. First, the Italian villa
and then Paris and back to New York, Niagra Falls and then home. How does that
sound?”

“Impossible.”

“No, it’s not. We can get a church and just have the family and
get married tomorrow afternoon. Then when we come back from a honeymoon we can
have a big reception and invite everyone, including my family. We can announce
the baby whenever you’re ready.”

Too thrilled to plan anything, she laughed. “It still sounds
impossible. As a matter of fact, I have to be at my folks’ home at six tonight.
It’s already after five.”

“We have time to make some decisions. If you run late, you can
call and tell them you’re on your way.”

“I go for the evening. We all eat there and then we go to
midnight church service together. Will you go with me?”

He kissed her lightly on the forehead. “Of course, I’ll
go.”

She smiled. “Why didn’t you call me?” she asked, running her
fingers over his shoulder.

“I should have, but I was going as fast as I could. I just
decided to come this morning.”

“You came from Italy?”

“No, I never did go to Italy,” he said. “I missed you too much.
Italy seemed empty and unappealing. My heart was here in Texas.”

Her heart missed a beat as she gazed up at him. She combed her
fingers through his thick hair. “I feel as if I haven’t seen you for a long,
long time.”

“I know. That’s the way I feel about you,” he said. “I couldn’t
wait until New Year’s Eve.”

“I’m stunned,” she said. “I thought you were in Italy. You said
you were going.”

“Italy lost its appeal and I kept putting it off until it
seemed pointless to go. I’ve missed you,” he said solemnly and another wave of
happiness swamped her. She kissed him lightly on the lips.

“Zach, no one will marry us on such short notice, and not on
Christmas.”

“Sure they will,” he replied. “Maybe you’re not the optimist I
thought you were. I think I can get our minister to do the ceremony. I’ll call
him unless you want to ask yours first.”

“You get your minister. I can’t imagine calling any minister on
Christmas Eve and asking him to marry us on Christmas Day. That’s wild, Zach,”
she said, dazed and unable to believe she was marrying him. “We don’t have a
license. We don’t have what we need.”

“I’ll call my attorney and get him moving. He’ll get it worked
out. We can still marry in the church tomorrow.”

“This is crazy. What’ll I wear?”

“You’ll look beautiful in whatever you wear and we can go from
here to a dress shop and then to your parents’ house. I know the perfect store
and I’ll see if they’ll stay open until we get there.”

She listened as he talked to his lawyer and her incredulity
deepened. Everything seemed impossible. It was turning into a magical Christmas
where the impossible became possible. Mrs. Zachary Delaney. Was she rushing
headlong into disaster or into paradise? Right now, she viewed it as paradise.
Zach had already made astounding changes in his life.

He called a store and talked briefly. “Grab what you need,” he
said to Emma. “They were just about to close, but she’ll wait. You can find
something you like there.”

“What store?”

He told her the name of an exclusive shop that was far beyond
her budget and she had never crossed the threshold even to look there.

“Zach, are you certain? We’re really rushing into this and you
just blithely said you’d change your whole way of living.”

“I sure did. That’s how much I love you. Wait a minute.” He
rummaged through the mound of presents he had brought with him and returned
swiftly to hand her a gift in a small box wrapped in green foil paper with a red
ribbon and sprigs of artificial mistletoe in the bow.

“It’s too pretty to open.”

“Open it. What’s inside may be prettier.”

She opened it with shaking fingers and he caught her hand.
“You’re shaking.”

She looked up. “I’m thrilled and happy and so in love. And my
whole life is changing before my eyes. I’m scared.”

He hugged her. “I love you, Emma,” he said quietly and firmly
in his deep voice. “Truly love you with all my heart and want to make you happy.
You think I want to be off blowing up some building when I can be home in bed
with you every night?”

She laughed while tears stung her eyes. He tilted her face up.
“Don’t cry, love. I love you and I don’t want to ever hurt you.”

“Tears of joy, Zach,” she whispered, wiping her eyes. She
opened the box and a dazzling diamond glittered in the light. “Zach, it’s
magnificent,” she gasped.

He removed the ring and placed it on her finger. “Emma, will
you marry me?” he asked again.

“Yes, Zach,” she said and kissed him.

In seconds he released her. “We better run.”

“Let me think. You’ve got me so rattled. I’m supposed to be
taking something to my parents. It’s a chocolate cheesecake from the fridge. Let
me get it.”

She hurried to the kitchen and returned to the living room
where she stopped to look at her sofa. “Zach, what are all these presents?”

“They’re your Christmas presents from me. I had the ones for
your family sent out to your parents’ house.”

“How’d you know you’d even be invited?”

He grinned. “C’mon. Someone’s holding open a store for us.”

She shook her head as she pulled on her coat. He carried the
chocolate cheesecake that was in a plastic container.

He had a limo waiting and she climbed into the back. The limo
gave her pause, a sobering moment, because it brought back how much Zach was
worth. “Zach, you are part of the Delaney fortune that has been well publicized.
I don’t see a bodyguard.”

“I have one at times. He’s not with us now because our driver
can cover if needed, but Will’s the one in the limelight. I’m not in papers and
haven’t been in the country lately. Ryan could pass for any cowboy in west
Texas. He’s not in papers a lot either. Besides that, Ryan’s a tough cowboy and
he looks like the type to be packing. If I were going after a Delaney, I’d put
Ryan at the bottom of the list. Ryan and I are both low-key and I don’t feel
threatened.”

“I’m thinking about your baby.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll have all the security you and I
both feel we need. A baby is different. We’ll have plenty of security.”

She realized her life was changing drastically as she looked at
her fiancé whom she loved with all her being. She pulled out her cell phone. “I
want to call and let Mom and Dad know you’re coming with me. Then it won’t be a
surprise when you walk in.”

“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.”