The Sheikh's Virgin Bride(120)

“And leave all this behind? Never.”

They sat together on a loveseat, Yvonne’s father pulling out a soft, fuzzy blanket and covering them both with it. Together, they sat and enjoyed their winter beverage, paired perfectly with the beautiful view as they caught up on things.

“How’s work?” her father asked.

“It’s good. I work with great people, so that helps,” she replied, her mind darting to Zadid.

What was he doing in that moment? Was he warm and cozy like she was, or was he alone, in need of someone to hold by a fire, perhaps? Yvonne bit back a smile at her own school-girlish thoughts.

Before they could talk more, Cheryl announced that dinner was ready, and Yvonne and her father made their way back to the kitchen, where a display-worthy setup was laid before them on the table. There was a decoratively-cut ham, a series of breads of all shapes and kinds, cooked vegetables arranged by color in ornament shapes, and, to top it all off, at least four different pies.

“You’ve outdone yourself, my dear.” Yvonne’s father leaned in and kissed Cheryl’s cheek, and Yvonne’s heart warmed at the look of love she gave him.

While she would always wish her parents had stayed together, they had found good people on their own, and Yvonne had to be happy for them in that regard. They sat together, Colton and Emma picking fights with one another as the conversation turned rowdy right away, Yvonne sitting back and repressing a laugh at the din around her.

She sank her teeth into a piece of spiced bread. The outside was perfectly crispy, the inside flawlessly baked and soft. The bread was warm, melted butter adding the perfect touch of flavor as she paired it with the ham. Next to the ham, there was also roast chicken for Emma, who had decided recently that pigs were too cute to eat.

Yvonne absently wondered if she’d get another chance for a wishbone wish.

“To family, friends, life, and love,” her father toasted, lifting his glass high into the air.

“Cheers!” everyone cried out.

There was no ceremony at her father’s house. He had toasted well into the meal, defying tradition while embracing it at every turn.

“Speaking of love…” Cheryl began, turning toward Yvonne.

Here we go again, she thought. The holidays were turning more brutal with each passing year of her single life.

“Have you found a nice man yet?” Cheryl asked, after Yvonne didn’t take the bait on her initial statement.

“Not yet,” she answered, trying her best not to sound annoyed by the question.

“All we want is for you to have a loving home of your own, Sprout,” her dad said, taking a bite of ham. “Everyone deserves to have a family to come to at the end of the day.”

“Yes, well. Tell that to all the single men in Washington,” she replied, shrugging.

Cheryl pulled the wishbone from the chicken, holding it out to her.

“I want to make a wish!” Colton whined.

Cheryl shook her head.

“Wishes are for people who need a little bit of luck and a little bit of love. Let’s see if Yvonne will get hers answered today.”

Yvonne smiled as she firmly gripped the other side of the wishbone.

“Make your wish,” Cheryl prompted.

Yvonne closed her eyes and inhaled.

I wish I had a family of my own.

Might as well keep it the same, she figured. She let out her breath as she opened her eyes and pulled. The bone snapped, declaring her the winner.

“Well, there you have it,” Cheryl said, clearly pleased. “Good things are on the way Yvonne. I’m sure of it.”

“Thank you,” she said, sticking her tongue out at her half-siblings as they grumbled about not getting a turn.

They spent the rest of the evening in the living room. Yvonne’s father started a roaring fire in the little wood burner, and the family toasted marshmallows and ate more pie than they should have as they cuddled by the fire. Putting on their favorite Christmas movie, they sat on the couches together as Yvonne’s half-siblings began to drift off.

Looking at her watch, Yvonne moved to get up, standing and stretching.

“I should get going.”

Cheryl and her father stood, making sure not to disturb the sleeping kids.

“Thank you for coming, Yvonne. I’m so sorry you’ll be alone tomorrow,” Cheryl said.

“I won’t be. I’ve got a work friend to have dinner with.”

“Oh, good. You give them our very best, and we’ll chat soon, okay?” her stepmother said.

With one last hug for her father, Yvonne snuggled into her coat once again, the sting of the wind off the lake hitting her hard as she jogged to her car and headed back home.

She had done so much already, and Christmas hadn’t even begun!





Chapter Five





As Yvonne drove down the length of highway back towards the city, her phone rang through the Bluetooth in her car. Seeing the number on her dashboard, she pressed the answer key.

“Mackenzie Thomas, to what do I owe the pleasure of a phone call on Christmas Eve?”

“Come out with us!”

“What? I thought you were getting engaged tonight or something.”

“Kyle is here with me and we’re going to go ice skating at the park across from work. Come join us, it’s going to be amazing!”