Page 87 of Christmas Wish
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“You … but not funny—just fucking adorable,” he whispered in her ear. “I gotta get you home now, woman.”
Timmy fell asleep on the drive back and Savannah rested her head on his shoulder while they listened to Twisted Sister’s rendition of Christmas carols on the radio. Ryder craned his neck and brushed his lips across her forehead.
“Did you have a good time?” he asked.
“Yes, it was wonderful. I’m glad I came from a big family, otherwise I never would’ve been able to keep up with all of you.” She laughed.
“Yeah, we’re a pretty rowdy bunch. It probably also helped that you worked in an Italian restaurant.”
“It definitely did with the food. I’d forgotten about how much of it there is at Italian get-togethers.”
“My mom loves it. My sisters come over along with my aunts and cousins and they bring out the Chianti, gossip, and bake or peel peppers or do whatever they do. By the end of the afternoon, they’re drunker than fuck.” Ryder laughed as an endearing memory from his childhood played through his mind: his grandma, mother, and aunts elbow high in flour, kneading pasta dough and filling the pizzelle iron.
“My mom’s the same. My aunts come over and we all spend all afternoon baking, although our drink of choice is Bailey’s.” She chortled.
“You must miss your family like hell, especially today.” He pressed his lips on her forehead again.
“I do. It was good that Timmy got to talk to them this morning. I have to admit that it feels a little weird not being with my family on Christmas. Do you know this is the first one I haven’t been with them?”
“We’ll go to Boston next year for the holiday,” he said.
Savannah tilted her head up and tugged his face toward her. With his eyes fixed on the road, he met her lips. “Thank you,” she said after breaking away.
The garage door opened, and Brutus’s steady barking welcomed them home. Savannah slipped out of the car, and Ryder unbuckled Timmy and scooped him up in his arms and took the tired boy straight to his bedroom.
A half hour later, Savannah came into the room wearing that clingy, fuzzy robe that drove him fucking crazy with lust the second day she and Timmy were with him—it now seemed like that was a lifetime ago.
“Come to me, darlin’,” he said, and she pressed next to him, her legs tucked under her ass.
He’d changed into a pair of flannel pajama bottoms—a gift from Timmy—and a long-sleeved T-shirt. He’d taken off his prosthesis and Savannah’s hand rested on his limb.I never thought I’d allow a woman to touch me the way Savannah does, or to see me with all my faults and fucking demons.But he had, and she’d let him in too. They both had suffered in their lives before becoming each other’s comfort from the storm of life. Ryder loved Savannah with all his heart and he knew she loved him. They came together on a dark, snowy night: a meeting of two souls who fully accepted the dark and the light within each other. They were bound by the commitment and courage to grow and support one another through struggle into bliss.
Ryder squeezed her hard and she yelped. “Sorry, baby, I just can’t help myself.” He chuckled.
Savannah lightly swatted his hand. “I’m breakable you know.”
“I’m here to pick up the pieces.”
She sighed. “It’s going to be quite the fight.”
“It’ll be worth it, and you won’t be fighting the battle alone—I’ve got your back … always.”
“There’s no way Bret’s giving up this easily, and his mother will pull out all the stops to make sure he gets sole custody of Timmy. I’m pretty sure Bret’s headed back to Boston because he knows he can’t fight on your turf, but there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s already called his parents and they’ve retained a top-notch divorce attorney.” She sighed. “I just want Timmy to be happy, but they’re going to make sure to drag him in the middle of all this shit. I have to be strong for him. What a fucking mess.”
“He’s got both of us fighting for him. And you’ve got me to lean on,” Ryder said.
“I know.” She brought his hand to her mouth and kissed it. “Timmy had a great day.”
“Yeah, and he’s happy he’s staying here.”
“He loves it here. He has a group of friends, and after the first of the year, he’ll be starting at the same school Braxton is in, and he adores you and, of course, Brutus. My first trip back to Boston to meet up with the attorney, I plan to take Timmy so he can see my parents and Bret’s parents. I don’t want to shut Corinne and Wayne out of his life, I hope they understand that. I’d like it if you could come with us to Boston.”
“I’ll be with you every step of the way, darlin’.” He played with her hair, letting the silky strands fall through his fingers like golden sand. “Have you ever wanted any more kids?”
Savannah looked up at him. “Yeah. What about you?”
“Definitely.”
