Love Between the Lines ✔️ DRAFT 1 COMPLETE

Chapter 15

Angus MacLeod appeared from the other room, holding a mug. "Merry Christmas! I am so pleased that we get to spend the holiday together. And with you too, Emilie. I am pleased my son has found someone like you to spend time with. After the last, er, anyway I'm happy that you could join us."

"Thank you," I said.

We all sat down around the table, our plates heaped high with pancakes, sausage, and bacon. Maisie had even gone all the way to make a blueberry compote to go on top of the pancakes.

I lifted a forkful to my mouth, each bite bursting with flavor. It had been a long time since I indulged on pancakes, and this was totally worth it. Chatter fluttered through the room, the air filled with excitement and happiness. Once we finished eating, we adjourned to the family room where the tree stood decorated with shimmery tinsel and ornaments that Fionn and Catriona had made as kids. Under the tree were a number of decoratively wrapped boxes.

"Emilie should open her presents first since she is the guest!" Catriona suggested.

"I like that idea," Fionn agreed. He picked up a small square package and handed it to me. "This one is from me."

I unwrapped the paper and took out a sleek black box. When I opened it, I gasped, pulling out a beautiful silver ring adorned with two hands that surrounded a heart. On top of the heart was a crown.

"Fionn, this is beautiful!" I turned to him and pressed a kiss against his lips.

"It's a claddagh ring," he explained, taking it out of the box and placing it on my right ring finger. "In Irish culture, the ring symbolizes love, loyalty, and friendship. You wear it with the tip of the heart facing inward when you are in a relationship. I hope that, um, as our relationship develops, we will continue to express all three concepts because I don't want to be with anyone else but you."

Tears sprung to my eyes. "Fionn, thank you so much. This is...this is absolutely, um, thank you. I love it." I leaned forward and hugged him to stop myself from crying. No one had ever given me such a lovely gift before.

"Okay! Fionn's gift next." Catriona winked at me before handing her brother another package.

"This is for you," I said, wiping my eyes with the backs of my hands.

Fionn carefully unwrapped the box and pulled out a sleek black frame. "Wow. Em, this is beautiful. You...you did this for me?"

The frame held an image of the first completed sketch I had ever seen from Fionn when I'd found the hidden room through the office. I had told Catriona about it and she'd been able to take the image I sent her and get it framed.

"I thought you might want to hang it in your apartment to show off your talent. I remember seeing this sketch and, well," I bit my lip, "it was when I first started to fall for you."

A chorus of "aww" went up through the room—even from Angus.

Fionn grinned and cupped my face in his hands. "It's perfect. It truly is the best gift I could've ever received."

We spent the rest of the morning opening presents, sharing stories, and laughing. I had never had a more perfect Christmas and I never wanted it to end.

***

Later that day, Fionn and I laid curled up on the couch just enjoying each other's company. My head pressed against his chest as his fingers combed their way through my hair.

"So, it's Christmas," Fionn said.

"Mhm." I closed my eyes.

"Which means that New Years is right around the corner. So I wanted to ask you if you had any plans." His chest rumbled under my head as he spoke.