Play It Safe(131)

After that, I told him to look in the bottom of the box and muttered, “You preempted my instructions.”

I said this because there was a note at the bottom of the box on which I wrote, “Your real gift comes after a kiss.”

Even though he’d already earned his present, after reading the note, Gray gave me another kiss immediately.

That one was softer, shorter but no less sweet.

It also wasn’t closed-mouthed.

Then I gave him his real present, a kickass, to-the-hip leather jacket with warm lining. He had the same one he’d had since I met him and I noticed the lining was ripped, worn and some of it had come out entirely.

He loved it.

Then he gave me my presents.

First, a beautiful, soft wool knit cap and scarf in gray with the barest hints of black, the scarf wide and long and gorgeous. Second, a pair of gray suede gloves with fantastic stitching and lined in soft fur. And last, a matching hip length, hide coat that was like no coat I’d ever seen. The sleeves were belled and both sleeves and hem were jagged following the natural lines of the hide. The lapels also fell in the natural lines of the hide but they fell wide and deep exposing the thick, super-soft fur that was mostly gray with an undercoat of cream and wisps of black hairs that was the inside of the coat. It tied closed with a hide belt.

It was unusual, it was sophisticated, it was classy, it was cool, it was stylish and it was Colorado.

It was the perfect coat for a macho man rancher cowboy’s stylish soon-to-be wife.

I opened it, put it on, felt that soft fur against my skin, loved it instantly and my eyes drifted to Gray.

Then I burst into tears.

In turn, Gray burst out laughing. Then he held me as I cried and multitasked by ignoring it and continuing to hand out presents.

“Let’s see, dollface,” he muttered, breaking into my thoughts. “Got me an ex-con whose smile scares me a little and whose also my woman’s long lost Daddy snorin’ on my couch. Got my Gran in a rented hospital bed, also snorin’. Got my estranged Mom lyin’ in the guest bedroom, luckily not snorin’. And got no beer left in the house because my uncles drank it all.”

“I know,” I whispered, “isn’t it awesome?”

I saw his grin in the moonlight but he said, “Not fond of a house without beer.”

“I’ll go to Plack’s tomorrow,” I promised.

“Know you will, my woman takes care of me,” he whispered and I sighed happily.

I did, I took care of him. And I loved doing it. But I also loved knowing he noticed and liked it.

Then his arms gave me a gentle squeeze.

“You have a good Christmas, baby?”

I pressed closer to him. “Yeah, honey.”

“Good,” he murmured.

“You?” I asked.

“Best ever,” Gray answered.

Oh yes.

Yes.

I loved Grayson Cody.

“Good,” I said softly.

Then I dipped my chin, moved in and kissed his chest.

There, my lips against his skin, I whispered, “It’s been a wild ride and I can’t say over the years that I didn’t wish I’d made a different decision. But right now, in this bed with you, our family in this house, your ring on my finger, I’m glad that when I was on the sidewalk on the square in town with you and Casey all those years ago, I decided for the first time in my life not to play it safe.”

Gray’s arms gave me another squeeze, this one so tight I was forced to take my face out of his chest, tip my head back and look at him.

“I’m glad too, Ivey, seriously f**kin’ glad you took a chance on me.”

Yeah, I loved Grayson Cody.

He dropped his head and touched his mouth to mine, giving me a light kiss then ordering against my lips.

“Say you love me, Ivey.”

My lips smiled against his. “I love you, Gray.”

His lips smiled back.

Epilogue

Him and Me. Mr. and Mrs. Cody

Five and a half months later…

“Thanks Jeb,” I said quietly into the phone, my eyes looking out the window over the sink to the barn.

“Thought you and Gray’d wanna know, Ivey,” Jeb said quietly back.

I pulled in breath then asked, “You okay?”

“My wife misses her grandbabies,” he answered meaning he did too. “But she doesn’t miss the headaches.” This meaning he didn’t either. Then he stated, “Right,” in a tone that said the conversation was imminently over. “Candace told me to tell you to talk to Gray about you and him comin’ over for dinner again. She liked that. You talk to Gray, give her a call, let her know.”

I’d talk to Gray but he didn’t overly enjoy our last dinner with Candace and Jeb Sharp. He got what they were trying to do, apologize for the behavior of their son, and he was trying to be a good guy. He didn’t blame them. Still, he didn’t enjoy it.

“Will do. Take care, Jeb.” I gave my farewell.

“You too, Ivey,” he replied then he was gone.

I bleeped the phone off and looked back out the window.

Then I smiled.

Then I walked to the backdoor and pulled on my cowboy boots even though I was wearing a tight tank, a pair of cutoff jeans shorts and no socks. I also nabbed one of Gray’s raggedy baseball caps off the hook and tugged it on my head, tucking my hair behind my ears.