I laughed outright. “Love it!” I ran a hand along my clean-shaven jaw and grinned. “Does this mean you approve if I grow my beard back?”
“Absolutely. Just keep it nice and trimmed.”
“That I can do.” I chuckled. “Seems we were on the same page when it came to Christmas gifts.” I pulled a small box out of my pocket and handed it to her.
She had a gleeful look on her face as she shook the box and then sniffed it.
“There isn’t food or perfume in there,” I said.
“Just checking it out,” she said mischievously. She opened it and inside there was a magnet. It said: Life is better when you have a redhead in the family.
She immediately started laughing. “This is great. Where did you find it?”
I licked my lips and smiled. “I found it online before you came out for the wedding, and I knew I had to get it.” I tapped her on the tip of her nose. “See? Even back then I sensed on a gut level that I wanted to make you part of my family.”
Her eyes twinkled, and her whole face lit up. “I love it.”
“There’s something else under the magnet.”
Her eyebrows flew up. “There is?” She pulled the magnet out and underneath was a figure eight infinity necklace in white gold with tiny diamonds across half of the design. She inhaled deeply and looked at it for a long moment, her lips parting. “This is beautiful, Clay. I can’t believe you got me this. The ring was enough.”
“Wasn’t sure you’d say yes to the ring, and I wanted you to go home with something from me so you’d think of me and know you’re loved.”
Her eyes misted, and she threw her arms around my waist and nestled her head against my chest. “I love it, and I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetheart.”
After that, we ate breakfast with her family and opened more gifts underneath the tree. I had purchased a set of pajamas for everyone and they all had fun presents for me as well.
The rest of the day we sat by the fire and drank hot cider, just enjoying the company of loved ones and talking about happy memories from the past. Jazmin and I were inseparable—attached at the hip really—but her family seemed to understand our need to be together. Pretty soon she would be flying back to L.A., and we wanted to make the most of the time we had left.
That evening, Jazmin’s father read from Matthew, chapters one and two, and then we had a prayer time. As each person said a short prayer out loud thanking God for what He’d done in their lives over the past year, I had a full heart when it was my turn.
Thank you, Lord for filling my cup so much that it’s overflowing with your goodness. You brought a beautiful woman, inside and out, into my life, and somehow you convinced her to marry me. Don’t know how you accomplished that miracle, but I’m thankful just the same.
There were a few snickers from others in the group and then Jazmin took my hand and squeezed it. She thanked God for my patience and love, and she got a little tearful at one point because she hadn’t expected to be so happy this Christmas. When prayer time was over, everyone left the room and Jazmin and I hung back. I pulled her into my arms and we just held each other for the longest moment.
She let out a deep sigh, the kind that came with sorrow attached. “Sometimes I worry that in years to come, you’ll regret marrying me because we can’t have children.”
I ran a hand over her hair and caressed the side of her cheek. “I could never regret marrying you, Jazmin. You’re the love of my life. When the time comes, we’ll adopt, and I’m genuinely excited about that, but until that day, I want you to know that you are all I need. With God at the center of our relationship, we can’t go wrong.”
Her lips curved upward and her eyes moistened with tears, but they looked like happy tears. “The first day I met you, I knew my life was about to shift. I had no idea at the time how much, and I’m so thankful God brought us together.”
“Amen to that.”
I kissed her and then we went outside and had a good old-fashioned snowball fight. While we laughed and played around, I thanked God for the end of my journey as a single man. There was a lot in store for the both of us, and I couldn’t wait to get started.
***
Thank you so much for taking the time to read, Christmas with an Alaskan Man. If you haven’t read the first in the series, check out Married to an Alaskan Man to learn about Derek and Callie’s story.
Will their marriage of convenience survive the wilds of Alaska?
Callie lives a socially isolated life in New York City with two jobs that leave no time for dating. After meeting her neighbor’s son, Derek, she falls hard but knows he is out of her league.
Derek loves his simple life in the wilderness and is ready to settle down and have a family if only he comes across the right woman. Callie’s kindness makes her stand out, and he believes she will make a great wife.
Derek proposes a modern-day marriage of convenience, and Callie accepts with the hope of his love growing after they marry. But once they arrive at Derek’s homestead, she finds that off-the-grid living is not for the faint of heart.
When his initial interest in her
