Chapter Thirty-Six

Mark and Laurie Gallagher's home was a charming ranch at the end of a curved driveway, woods stretched out around it. Harper pulled up in front and shut off the engine, looking over at Jak, who sat next to her, his palms flat on his thighs. The first time she'd seen him in the sheriff's office—what now seemed like a decade ago—he'd been sitting the same way. She now recognized it for what it was—nervous body language. He was grounding himself.

She reached over and put her hand over his, linking their fingers. "This is going to be fine."

He gave her a nervous smile. "What if I do something wrong? I don't know about going to someone's house for dinner."

"Jak, these people know that. They want you here. They're not going to judge your table manners. Just do what everyone else does."

He nodded but still looked doubtful. She squeezed his hand and then grabbed the bags she'd placed in the back seat. "Come on. I'm with you."

He glanced at the bags the same way he had when he'd first seen them, a mixture of curiosity and uneasiness, but followed her lead when she opened the truck door and got out.

Harper smiled when they stepped onto the porch, decorated with two potted evergreen shrubs flanked in twinkle lights on either side of the porch and a large wreath on the front door. She knocked and then took Jak's hand in hers again, giving him another encouraging smile. If he was going to begin stepping out into the world, he had to start somewhere, and the best place—she thought—was the home of people who understood his situation and would strive to make things comfortable for him.

So far, the only thing he'd done was to ride through town with her as she pointed out the different shops and businesses. She knew he had a million questions; she could see it in his expression that morphed from shock to bafflement, to delight, back to shock. He didn't ask her anything though, and she figured he was taking it all in, attempting to figure things out for himself—or perhaps bring back memories of what he already knew and put them back into context. Not only that, but he also had to be struggling with the fact that he'd been given up, used, lied to in ways she still didn't understand. There were so many unanswered questions remaining about what happened to him. Not to mention what happened to his mother and Driscoll. It was all so much. She didn't want to rush him. He had to be completely overwhelmed.

The door swung open, and Agent Gallagher stood there, smiling out at them. "Come in. Jak, Harper. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Agent Gallagher," Harper said, stepping over the threshold, Jak behind her.

"Merry Christmas," Jak mimicked, and Agent Gallagher smiled more broadly, giving him one of those manly shoulder pats as he entered his home.

"Please, you're in my home. No Agent Gallagher." He smiled. "Call me Mark. And come meet Laurie. She's in the kitchen."

They followed Mark through the foyer and down a short hall. "I'll put these under the tree real quick. Hold on." He took the packages from Harper's hand and stepped into the living room, a beautifully decorated, brightly lit tree in the corner, and then met them again in the hall. "Right this way." He smiled and led them into a large, open kitchen at the end of the hall. A pretty woman with straight, shoulder-length blond hair wearing a red apron was taking something out of the oven, and she turned, placing the tray on the counter and smiling when she saw them.

"Laurie, this is Harper and Jak," Mark said, as Laurie took off the oven mitt and came around the island.

"Mrs. Gallagher," Harper said, taking her hand. "Thank you for having us to your home."

"Thank you for coming, dear. We're so happy to have you." She shook Harper's hand and then held her hand out to Jak, who took it tentatively. "Merry Christmas. Please, call me Laurie." She smiled again, and though her smile was bright, there was a sadness in her eyes that was unmistakable—a very slight rim of red that made Harper think she'd cried recently.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Mark asked. "I've mixed up a special batch of my eggnog."

"Sure," Harper said. "I'd love some."

"I'd love some too," Jak said, looking unsure. Harper grabbed his hand discreetly between them and squeezed.

"You three go on in to the living room while I finish up the appetizers," Laurie said.

"Can I help you with anything?" Harper asked.

Laurie hesitated, glancing back at the counter. "Oh sure, if you don't mind. I just need to lay a few things out on trays."

"Great. I can definitely handle that."

"Come with me, Jak," Mark said. "The drink cart is in the living room. Harper, yours will be waiting."

Jak glanced behind him as he followed Mark out of the room, and a warm flush of tenderness washed over her at the uncertain look on his face. He felt comfortable with her over anyone else. Anyone else in the world, she realized, and the thought caused a feeling of deep honor to fill her.

Laurie told her what she needed done, and they chatted easily, getting to know each other, Laurie telling Harper how the adjustment between sunny California and snowy Montana was going. Laurie Gallagher was warm and kind, and Harper liked her immensely after only ten minutes. Her heart broke to know that such a motherly woman had lost her only child.

They each carried two trays of appetizers into the living room, where Mark and Jak were standing by the Christmas tree, both holding a glass of eggnog. Mark helped them set down the food and then handed them each a glass. "Merry Christmas. Thank you both for joining us and brightening our home." He looked at his wife, and a flash of sadness moved between them before they both smiled, raising their glasses. Harper and Jak raised their glasses as well, and then Harper took a sip of the rich, creamy drink with the barest hint of alcohol. She was glad it was subtle. She wasn't much of a drinker, and anything more would have been too strong for her.

As she was lowering her glass from her lips, she glanced at Jak, who had just taken a drink. A look of pure horror crossed over his face before he sputtered, a spray of eggnog raining from his mouth as he coughed and retched and tried to catch his breath.

Harper took the cup from him, as Mark began patting his back and Laurie rushed forward with a napkin. He took it, wiping at his mouth as tears from coughing filled his eyes. "Oh dear," Laurie said. "Are you okay? Let me get you some water. You must have swallowed it down the wrong tube."

She rushed off, and Mark ceased pounding on Jak's back as he coughed once more, taking a deep breath. "What is that?" Jak asked, eyeing the glasses in Harper's hands as though she was holding two big goblets of poison that he'd just drunk from.

"Just cream and eggs and well…" Harper looked helplessly at Mark who glanced back at her, sheepish.

"I should have realized that this might be a taste you're not quite used to," Mark said. Laurie came back into the room and handed Jak a glass of water, which he took, a grateful look on his face before he tipped it, drinking it all in three quick gulps. Jak let out one final shudder as Harper placed the two glasses on the table, looking at the trays of food with new eyes. There was an array of cheeses, but there were also vegetables and crackers and a few nuts and dried berries. She let out a sigh of relief. He had plenty of options there of foods that wouldn't cause his stomach to protest. Hopefully. She wasn't a medical professional, but she knew his diet had been limited and his body would probably react poorly to things it wasn't used to.

Damn, I should have thought of that sooner, she admonished herself. By the look on Mark's face, she could tell the same thought was crossing his mind.

"Why don't we open a few gifts before Laurie's sister, Pam, and her boys get here," Mark said, leading them to the tree and, Harper knew, trying to ensure Jak didn't feel awkward about spitting out the eggnog. He didn't look awkward exactly—yet—more aggrieved that they'd all tried to poison him on Christmas. But Jak was self-conscious, and as soon as he had a moment to wonder if he'd reacted wrongly, he would. Not that he had done anything inappropriate, considering they should have thought a few things through—but, regardless, Jak would wonder, and she was glad Mark was moving on quickly to something else.

"Great idea, Mark," Laurie said, heading toward a grouping of bags under the tree near the back.

Harper grabbed the pile of gifts she'd brought, and when she went to hand Jak the gift she'd gotten for him, he was standing at the tree, a look of utter bafflement on his face as he rubbed the "needles" of the fake tree between his fingers. He leaned forward and tentatively sniffed at it.

"It's not real," she whispered, leaning toward him.

He glanced at her. "Not real?"

"Right, it's, um, made of…" Plastic? Nylon? Harper actually had no idea.

Jak's brow wrinkled, but then his fingers found one of the twinkle lights, and he touched it lightly as though he thought it might burn him. "They're like tiny stars, cold enough to hold in your hand," he murmured. He seemed pleased by them, and Harper's lips tipped as she watched him. She gazed at him, studying the look of childlike wonder on his strong, handsome face. I'm in love with him, she thought. It was too quick, too much too soon, too risky in so many ways, too…oh, so many "toos," but it was true and real. I love you, she thought as he gazed at the fake tree, a look of awe and perplexity mingling in his open expression. The strength of the feeling almost brought tears to her eyes.

When did it happen? she wondered, trying to pinpoint the exact moment she had fallen. It should have been… momentous, wasn't that true? But no, she realized dreamily, it hadn't been one singular stopping of time. It was a beautiful string of moments, each one opening her heart to him little by little. And this was one. Watching Jak under the twinkling lights of his first Christmas tree, it was suddenly clear. Sometimes miracles—like love—arrived gently. Softly. Without fanfare. Without a lightning strike. For true miracles needed no such thing. Their eyes met, and her heart sang. I love you, she thought again. And it was as simple and as wondrous as that.

"Here," she whispered, and his gaze moved downward as she placed a wrapped gift in his hands.

He blinked at her and then considered the package wrapped in bright-red shiny paper, tied with a white-and-red bow, a look of pure delight coming over his face. "Thank you," he said. "I love it."

She laughed softly. "There's something inside."

"Inside?" He turned it over.

"Have you never received a gift before, Jak? Even when you were a child?"

"No."

Her heart squeezed—even she, a foster child, had received a few Christmas gifts—but she didn't want to make him feel strange, and so she smiled. "I'm honored that I'm giving you your first one then. Let's sit and you can open it."

Laurie had collected her bags and was seated on the couch, and the rest of them joined her, passing gifts around. Jak watched them, the first hint of uncertainty coming into his eyes. Harper knew what he was thinking: he had nothing to give to them. I should have helped him with the whole gift thing . She hadn't anticipated that he'd feel bad for not reciprocating. God, she really needed to start considering his situation more. Considering that he watched everything so closely, that he wanted so much to fit in. She was just really getting to know him, but she should have realized that.

"This is from me and Jak," she said quickly, handing the gift she'd brought for the Gallaghers. It was a beautifully photographed coffee table book of Montana, done by a local photographer.

Laurie ran her hand over the top of it. "Oh, Harper, Jak, it's lovely. It's the perfect addition to our new home. Thank you."

She smiled. "In the summer, if you'd like, I'd be happy to show you some of those spots. There's a beautiful waterfall a short distance from here. You can see a picture of it in there."

Laurie glanced at Mark, and Harper thought she saw something that looked like hope in the older woman's eyes. Had Harper's gift made her glad—even for a moment—that they'd moved to Montana? Oh, she hoped so. "We would absolutely love that."

Harper turned toward Jak. "Open yours," she said softly.

Jak looked down at the gift in his lap and then slowly, so slowly and painstakingly, removed the bow and then the wrapping paper, turning over the book she'd picked for him. The Montana Wildlife Guide. "I…thought you could look up the names of the things you've come to know," she said very softly.

Jak stared at it, touching it lovingly before looking at her. "Thank you," he said, and the absolute and utter joy on his face made her heart skip a beat.

"You're welcome."

"I…don't have anything for you."

She took his hand, squeezing it. "Oh, Jak, you've already given me so much. You gave me my life back." She smiled at him, tears springing to her eyes, and he smiled back, so sweetly it broke her heart. This big, strong, and competent man was so very out of his depth.

The Gallaghers gave Harper and Jak gifts next—a beautiful handmade scarf each—that Jak touched delightedly and then put around his neck, smiling at them and not removing it. They all grinned and then talked and laughed and snacked on the appetizers for a while before the doorbell rang and Laurie jumped up. "Oh, goodness, time got away from me. That'll be my sister, and I need to check the turkey. Mark, will you grab the door?"

Once they were alone for a moment, Harper took Jak's hand in hers and leaned over, kissing him quickly on the mouth. "You okay?"

He nodded, his gaze lingering on her lips and making her wish they could leave right that second. She wanted him. In a way she'd never wanted anyone before. And the joyful anticipation of making love with him set off a burst of fireworks in her belly.

The twinkle lights sparkled more brightly, the candles on the mantel glowed so warmly, and joy glimmered and danced inside Harper.

This Christmas was the first in many years that she'd felt true happiness, something she hadn't thought she'd feel again. Having this time with the Gallaghers was also feeding another part of her soul. Family. Parents. Not hers, not Jak's, but a home she felt so welcomed into.

She was startled from her ambling thoughts when a boisterous group of three burst into the room, the woman who looked like a slightly younger version of Laurie talking exuberantly as two boys followed her, also talking excitedly. "It wasn't supposed to snow today, and I could barely see out of the windshield driving here. I swear, those weather people should—" They all quieted as they caught sight of Harper and Jak sitting in the living room, but after a moment's pause, they rushed over, introducing themselves. Jak and Harper stood, and Pam gave them each a big hug, smothering them against her chest for a moment before letting go and making Harper laugh in surprise at the enthusiastic show of affection.

The two boys—or, rather, young men—Oliver and Benji, introduced themselves, grinning and then giving Jak curious glances as they moved aside. Oliver looked to be in his late teens, and Benji looked to be about eleven or twelve. They both had their mother's blond hair and open smiles.

Mark got everyone drinks, and then they chatted for several minutes, laughing and getting to know each other. Pam was as kind as Laurie, but with more of a boisterous, outgoing personality, and her boys were polite and friendly. The Gallaghers had obviously told them a little bit about Jak's situation because they skirted around introductory questions that would have been awkward. But after they'd been chatting for a while, Benji obviously couldn't help himself and blurted out, "Have you really lived in the woods all your life?"

There was a moment of silence as all eyes turned to Jak. Jak nodded, seeming slightly tense, but then Benji let out a laugh and said, "That's so cool. Was it cool?"

Jak nodded very seriously before answering, "Yes, in the winters it was always very cool."

Harper wanted to simultaneously laugh and shed a tear, and by the looks on the other adults' faces, they felt the same way. Benji shook his head and looked confused, although his eyes were still shining with interest. "But did you, like, make friends with wolves and stuff?"

A look that Harper couldn't read passed over Jak's face, but as quickly as she'd seen it, it was gone, before he answered. "Yes. My best friend was a wolf. His name was Pup."

"Pup," Benji repeated, a note of awe in his tone. "Will you tell me about Pup?"

Jak seemed to struggle with the decision for a moment before finally answering, "Yes, I'll tell you about Pup." Benji grinned, and then Pam asked Harper a question, and her attention was drawn away from Jak.

When Laurie entered the room ten minutes later to tell everyone dinner was ready, Jak and Benji were still standing together, Jak speaking slow and seriously and Benji gazing up at him with such a blatant expression of hero worship that Harper almost laughed. But with happiness.

They all helped bring dishes from the kitchen and place them on the large mahogany table in the dining room and then joined hands as Mark said a prayer. Harper swore his eyes got just a little misty as he held up his glass, wishing everyone merry Christmas.

They all began conversing again as dishes were passed around, Harper helping herself to thick slices of turkey, fluffy mashed potatoes, rich gravy, and—

She halted, a serving spoonful of stuffing suspended in midair as Laurie let out a sound of distress. Harper looked at Jak, whose fork was also frozen in front of him. And when she looked at his plate, her eyes widened as she tried to make sense of what he was eating, understanding dawning about the sound Laurie had made. On his plate were the half-eaten, raw turkey innards.

"I…I left those aside for the dogs," Laurie said helplessly. Oh God, Harper realized, in the hubbub of the group effort of bringing the food from the kitchen to the dining room, Jak had brought the plate of uncooked meat.

Harper swallowed. The table grew quiet as they all sat frozen, staring at Jak. And then suddenly, a giggle erupted. Benji. Jak's eyes flew to the boy, and Harper saw Pam look sharply at him too. But then her own lip shook as she tried to hold back a laugh, and suddenly more laughter joined in, and it was all so ridiculous that Harper felt a giggle rising in her own chest. Jak looked around one more time, and then his own lip quirked upward and he started laughing, softly at first but then more loudly, his deep chuckle filling the room, warming Harper's heart as they all collapsed in a fit of giggles.

"Well, what the hell?" Oliver said, breaking off a turkey leg. "If he can eat that, I'm taking the leg. No one's telling me no this year." And with that, he brought it to his mouth and took a huge bite, beaming at all of them, to which they only laughed harder.

Two hours later, after eating and more laughing and talking, Pam and the boys left with hugs all around. Harper excused herself to use the bathroom before she and Jak left, and as she was on her way back to the living room, she spotted a portrait hanging in the hall. She stopped, gazing at the beautiful blond girl who looked so much like her mother.

"Abbi," Laurie said, coming up behind her. Harper turned, slightly embarrassed though she wasn't sure why. "She died of leukemia."

"Yes." Harper nodded. "Agent—Mark told us about your daughter. I'm so very sorry."

Laurie looked surprised but then nodded. "Nothing is quite the same without her."

Harper heard the small break in her voice, and the words resonated with her. How often she'd had the same thought about her parents. Nothing, all her life, would ever be the same as it would have been had her parents still been with her.

"Mark was a little worried about having Jak here. Not because of the life he's led, but because he was worried about how it might look as far as the case. We talked about it." Happiness came into her eyes, and it made Harper wonder if she'd seen the conversation as a move back toward their connection as a couple. She remembered Mark saying how far they'd drifted, and she hoped very much she was right about it being a small step. "We decided it didn't matter. Our hearts, our souls, would not and could not allow a person without any family to experience loneliness when we could prevent it."

Harper's heart warmed at the words. They'd saved her from loneliness too, when she'd felt alone so often in her life, and she was grateful. She once again gazed at Abbi's picture, taking in the smile of the beautiful girl on the wall who was still so very, very loved.

"You might know, because of your husband's work, that I lost my parents when I was seven."

"Yes," Laurie said, taking Harper's hand in hers and squeezing it. "I'm so sorry."

Harper gave her a sad smile, nodding. "I was just wondering if maybe…" She shook her head, suddenly feeling silly when she started to put her thought into words. Feeling like she might be stepping out of bounds to say what had entered her mind. Her heart.

"What, dear?" Laurie squeezed her hand again, spurring her on, looking at her with hopeful eyes.

"Well…I guess it sounds sort of fantastical, but do you think that if people meet here on Earth, the people they've loved and lost meet too because they're watching over their loved ones? Does that make any sense?"

Tears came to Laurie's eyes, but there was happiness— hope —in her expression. "Yes. Yes, I'd like very much to believe that."

Harper expelled a relieved breath. "Good, because my parents, they were wonderful, and I'd really love to believe they're meeting Abbi right now and making her feel as welcome with them as you've made me feel here with you tonight." She blushed, hoping the woman didn't take what she was saying as a desperate—and perhaps unwanted—attempt to make her invite Harper back again or something like that. She laughed, feeling awkward. "I hope—"

"Oh, my darling girl." Laurie's voice broke as she pulled Harper to her in a big hug. "I can't tell you how much you've filled my heart by saying that. Thank you."

Then they returned to the room, tearful but smiling, where the men were waiting for them, both with equally perplexed looks on their faces, to which Harper and Laurie responded with another bout of giggles.