Jared barely waited for them to nod. He pulled her against him and kissed her thoroughly.
When he released her, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a small wrapped present and handed it to her.
She nervously tore the paper, removed the velvet box and opened the lid. Inside lay an exquisite emerald-cut engagement ring and a platinum wedding band. She squinted to read the tiny inscription inside the band, ‘My unchanging love. Always, Jared'.
“They're beautiful, darling,” she said to Jared, lifting her head and looking at him.
He coughed, and placed the engagement ring on her finger. “I hope Grace and Thomas don't mind keeping Matt for two weeks."
“Can't I go with you?” Matt pleaded.
“Who's going to look after Sweet Pea and Star?” Grace asked. “I thought we'd spend that time at your ranch in Katy."
Jared winked at Grace.
Matt squealed, jumping up and down and Star joined in the fun making circles. Star barked as Matt ran and placed another present in Katherine's lap along with two envelopes.
One envelope contained shredded paper and a letter from her business partners Roger, Ethan and Christopher. They had torn up her sales agreement and treated the money she had received from them as an advance against future earnings. The letter went on to say, ‘Don't argue with us’ and they wished her a Merry Christmas.
Katherine sniffed and grabbed a handful of tissues.
The second envelope contained a picture of Jared's ranch in Katy, and Matt riding Sweet Pea. The caption read, ‘Future home of Mr. and Mrs. Randall and their son Matt Randall."
Katherine wiped tears from her eyes.
Matt's arms went around her neck as he scrambled onto her lap. Star whimpered at their feet. Matt's eyes filled with concern. “Aren't you happy about us going to live on Dad's ranch? I love his ranch."
“I'm happy. That's why I'm crying."
Matt scratched his head. “Are you sure?"
“Oh yes, sweetheart, very sure.” Hearing a gasp, she spied the risqué pajamas Matt had given her mother and stifled a giggle. Thomas rolled his eyes and her mother blushed.
Matt gave Katherine a kiss on the cheek, and he crawled down from her lap to hand out more gifts.
When Thomas unwrapped the present from her mother containing his silk bathrobe and the silk sheets, Katherine smiled at the tender look they exchanged.
Her gaze flew to Jared. She bit her thumbnail and watched as he opened one of her gifts to him, the framed photograph that Mrs. Taylor had taken of Jared, Matt and Katherine at the birthday dance. Jared touched the picture. He smiled and glanced her way. Her breath caught at the love that reached across the room and enveloped her.
“Open this one,” Matt interrupted, poking a finger through the paper.
“What have we here?” Katherine asked playfully, ripping it open. Out popped hundreds of squiggly, squirming, squishy plastic worms. They covered her lap like a wiggling gelatin mold.
“We got everything to go with the worms,” Matt explained, pointing to one corner where fishing equipment sprawled against the wall. “Dad owns a boat and we're going fishing soon as it warms up. Aren't we, Dad?"
When Matt called Jared ‘Dad', unprompted and with complete sincerity, her heart overflowed with joy. As happy voices drifted around her, tears ran down her cheeks again.
“Dad, Mom's crying bad now,” Matt said with concern again.
Jared's arms wrapped around her and pulled her back against his chest. She went, and listened as her lover spoke over her head to her son, “Your mother's happy, son. Women cry when they're happy, too."
Matt folded his arms and studied the situation. “I'm really happy, but I'm not crying. Women should cry only when they're sad so we don't get confused. They're weird sometimes, aren't they, Dad?"
“Sometimes, but we love them anyway,” Jared agreed.
Everyone chuckled, except Katherine, who sniffled and elbowed Jared indignantly in the ribs.
“I bet we can make her laugh,” Jared said with mischief lighting his eyes. He bent and whispered something to Matt, who giggled.
Her mother and Thomas's eyes widened. “Oh, Katherine, you're in for it now. Run!” her mother yelled.
Katherine stood and Jared pretended to tackle her like they were on the football field and she was trying for a touchdown. His arms folded around her waist, and as they went down, he twisted his body to cushion her fall. She sprawled atop him gleefully and Matt jumped on them both. They wrestled playfully and their hands reached out to tickle her sides and under her arms. Katherine giggled and rolled, trying to escape, but Jared and Matt followed. Soon all three of them lay on the floor, laughing and hugging.
“Wait!” Katherine yelled from out of the melee. “You haven't opened your special presents from me.” She jumped up and handed each of them a gift.
Matt tore his gift open to find a pair of knight in shining armor pajamas like King Arthur in his storybook. His grin spread from ear-to-ear.
Jared tore his gift open. When he spied the Superman pajamas she'd picked out for him, his face softened with tenderness and desire. His eyes promised her his love for all of their tomorrows. As he reached to kiss her, her heart melted.
She knew every day of her life with Jared would be a perfect affair.
