walked on. This was how life should be. She and Jake, hand in hand, walking through life with all its up and downs, together.
Her heart suddenly accelerated. What would Jake do now that his grandmother was gone? Rejoin the air force?
Follow his true dream to fly? Suddenly the night didn’t seem as mystical, the lights not so bright.
They reached the office, and Jake had the key in his hand.
“The office?”
“I want to show you something.”
Unlocking the door, Jake ushered her inside. Switching on lights, he led the way to his desk. Roni paused.
“What’s going on?”
“Grandma’s — and your Christmas gift.” He pointed to the miniature town he’d built. Everything was in place.
Every tour bus and Christmas-related shop. “This, my lady, is Nativity, Missouri. ‘The Little Town That Celebrates Christmas All Year Round.’ ”
Roni’s hand shot up to cover her mouth as she studied the board. Suddenly everything made sense. Jake’s fascination with the game, the endless hours he’d spent moving pieces around. New shops, outside cafés, and stores brimming with bulbs, lights, tinsel, and Christmas paraphernalia. Switching off the overhead light, he drew her close as they studied the board. Lights twinkled from three decorated shrubs around the gazebo area. There was an ice-skating rink, along with hot chocolate and spiced cider vendors with attendants dressed as elves. There were fudge, caramel corn, and funnel cake shops galore.
“I used to dread coming to this town,” he whispered against her ear. “I thought I had everything I needed or wanted. It took Grandma’s gift this year to show me what was missing in my life.”
“Oh Jake. I’m speechless.” The gift was astonishing.
He’d given Roni back her home, her children’s future. “I don’t know why the town hadn’t thought of this earlier.”
He chuckled. “With the Branson tour buses coming through almost year around, we should be able to sail through, even if things do slow down during the off-season.” He flipped the overhead lights on, and moved to the board. “See, there’s plenty of room to enlarge, maybe add a few children’s rides, like a Candy Cane Express and Snow Cone Mountain. In time we can build new buildings and include a live nativity scene and a Christmas pageant. Jolsen’s fruitcakes and rye bread will be a huge draw, and The Dairy Dream can eventually remodel and become a genuine old-fashioned ice-cream and soda parlor. We’ll add fudge shops that sell peanut brittle and taffy, and Nadine will have to hire extra help at the post office to stamp ‘Nativity’ on all the Christmas cards that will be mailed from here each year. God willing, there are numerous ways to grow. We can put Nativity on the map.” He touched her cheek. “Tradition will live on in our children.”
“We’ll fill Mom’s old house to the rafters,” she murmured then glanced up. “Children? We? Isn’t this all rather sudden. You and me … marriage.”
“How long does it take to fall in love?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t think there’s a ‘normal’ time frame.”
“It took less than a week for me to know how I felt about you.”
She frowned. “It took you a week ?”
He quirked a brow. “How long did it take you?”
“Truthfully?” She grinned. “About the same time.”
Overwhelmed, Roni stepped back into his arms. He had given her the greatest Christmas present ever. Love, tradition, and a home. It made the set of sockets she’d purchased for him at Steil’s look puny. At the moment she felt like she would follow him to the ends of the earth, but Nativity was home. Springfield was nice, but this town was her life. Could she leave? Even for this wonderful man?
“Jake. I know this is all so new to both of us, but I love it here. Where will we call home?”
Smiling, he met her expectant gaze. “That’s up to you and the town. I’d like to run the transformation, but folks here might feel
Her heart suddenly accelerated. What would Jake do now that his grandmother was gone? Rejoin the air force?
Follow his true dream to fly? Suddenly the night didn’t seem as mystical, the lights not so bright.
They reached the office, and Jake had the key in his hand.
“The office?”
“I want to show you something.”
Unlocking the door, Jake ushered her inside. Switching on lights, he led the way to his desk. Roni paused.
“What’s going on?”
“Grandma’s — and your Christmas gift.” He pointed to the miniature town he’d built. Everything was in place.
Every tour bus and Christmas-related shop. “This, my lady, is Nativity, Missouri. ‘The Little Town That Celebrates Christmas All Year Round.’ ”
Roni’s hand shot up to cover her mouth as she studied the board. Suddenly everything made sense. Jake’s fascination with the game, the endless hours he’d spent moving pieces around. New shops, outside cafés, and stores brimming with bulbs, lights, tinsel, and Christmas paraphernalia. Switching off the overhead light, he drew her close as they studied the board. Lights twinkled from three decorated shrubs around the gazebo area. There was an ice-skating rink, along with hot chocolate and spiced cider vendors with attendants dressed as elves. There were fudge, caramel corn, and funnel cake shops galore.
“I used to dread coming to this town,” he whispered against her ear. “I thought I had everything I needed or wanted. It took Grandma’s gift this year to show me what was missing in my life.”
“Oh Jake. I’m speechless.” The gift was astonishing.
He’d given Roni back her home, her children’s future. “I don’t know why the town hadn’t thought of this earlier.”
He chuckled. “With the Branson tour buses coming through almost year around, we should be able to sail through, even if things do slow down during the off-season.” He flipped the overhead lights on, and moved to the board. “See, there’s plenty of room to enlarge, maybe add a few children’s rides, like a Candy Cane Express and Snow Cone Mountain. In time we can build new buildings and include a live nativity scene and a Christmas pageant. Jolsen’s fruitcakes and rye bread will be a huge draw, and The Dairy Dream can eventually remodel and become a genuine old-fashioned ice-cream and soda parlor. We’ll add fudge shops that sell peanut brittle and taffy, and Nadine will have to hire extra help at the post office to stamp ‘Nativity’ on all the Christmas cards that will be mailed from here each year. God willing, there are numerous ways to grow. We can put Nativity on the map.” He touched her cheek. “Tradition will live on in our children.”
“We’ll fill Mom’s old house to the rafters,” she murmured then glanced up. “Children? We? Isn’t this all rather sudden. You and me … marriage.”
“How long does it take to fall in love?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t think there’s a ‘normal’ time frame.”
“It took less than a week for me to know how I felt about you.”
She frowned. “It took you a week ?”
He quirked a brow. “How long did it take you?”
“Truthfully?” She grinned. “About the same time.”
Overwhelmed, Roni stepped back into his arms. He had given her the greatest Christmas present ever. Love, tradition, and a home. It made the set of sockets she’d purchased for him at Steil’s look puny. At the moment she felt like she would follow him to the ends of the earth, but Nativity was home. Springfield was nice, but this town was her life. Could she leave? Even for this wonderful man?
“Jake. I know this is all so new to both of us, but I love it here. Where will we call home?”
Smiling, he met her expectant gaze. “That’s up to you and the town. I’d like to run the transformation, but folks here might feel
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