Days later, Harmony's kids couldn't stop talking about Jasper taking them sledding, making snow angels, the snowball fight, and witnessing Harmony and Jasper kissing. Amelia thought this was Santa's work, and she hoped her plan of asking Santa for a daddy was working.
Amelia was also crossing her fingers, hoping Jasper was the dad she's been wishing to have.
Harmony herself had been thinking about the day Jasper spent with them. Starting the day by waking to giggles, happy squealing, then to come out of the room to see her girls helping Jasper cook breakfast. For Jasper to keep her girls smiling throughout the day, including herself, was an eye-opener for her. He also had her feeling like a kid again.
While Harmony was getting ready for work, her babysitter called, informing her she was sick and wouldn't care for them. She frantically called everyone she knew, and nobody was able to help her out. Including Nick's wife, who claimed she'd be there to help if needed. Unfortunately, she was at her kids' school Christmas program.
As she sat on the bed, she stared at the phone in her hand, debating on calling the one person she knew who wouldn't let her down. Jasper. The only thing was, she thought he was working tonight.
Harmony: I need help.
After sending the text, she facepalmed, wishing she would have worded her message differently, knowing that could mean so many things, especially with him and the way his mind thinks sometimes.
Jasper: What's wrong? Are you okay? Or is there another problem you need help with... wink-wink?
Harmony: Of course, you would come off sounding worried, then end it with a perverted mind.
Jasper: <laughing hard> Anyway, where do you need my help?
Harmony: Do you work tonight?
Jasper: Tomorrow night, I do. Otherwise, my shift here ends in ten minutes. What's up?
Harmony: I'm stuck. My babysitter called saying she isn't feeling too well, and she didn't want to get the kids sick, and everyone else I know is busy tonight.
Jasper: If this your way of asking if I'd watch the girls, my answer is... of course, I will. See you in about fifteen minutes.
Harmony hated asking Jasper to watch the girls, thinking he's got better things to do than watch kids on a Thursday night. But she knows how much he adores them and hopes he's not hurt that he was the last person she contacted. It's not that she didn't want him watching the girls, she was just hoping to see him sitting at the bar and doing his usual, and that's making sure other men left her alone all night.
But for someone to care for her girls, it had to be someone she trusted and knew if she asked Jasper to drop everything for her, he would. As she set her phone back on the bed, she smiled, knowing, either way, she'll see him. When he gets there, and when she gets home from work.
Harmony wasn't going to tell the girls who were coming over to watch them for the night, and as they played in their playroom, she finished getting ready for work.
Fifteen minutes went by, and Jasper was there when he said he'd be. Instead of answering the door, she thought Amelia would like to see who would be watching them, and yelled, Amelia! Can you answer the door for me, please?"
"Okay!"
Amelia ran out of the playroom and to the door. When she opened the door and saw Jasper, her mouth dropped, and her arms immediately wrapped around him. "Casper! Why are you here when mommy has to work?"
He picked her up after taking off his boots and chuckled while playfully pinching her nose. "Because. I have a date with you and Zoe tonight." He leaned close and whispered. "Tonight's the night we make your mother jealous. Sound like a plan?"
She giggled and whispered, "Okay."
"Where's your mother?"
"She's in the bathroom getting pretty for work."
"She is, is she?" He chuckled.
"Mommy always says she has to make sure she looks good for someone," she said, then shrugged. "Whoever that is."
"Well, she should know she doesn't have to make herself pretty for someone; she's already pretty."
Amelia's eyes widened. "That's what I said. She told me I wouldn't understand, but when I get older, then I would."
Jasper set her down. "I'm going to let your mom know I'm here, and after she leaves for work, we're going to have a little party," he quietly said, holding his finger to his mouth, not wanting Harmony to hear and not wanting Amelia to tell her. "It'll be a surprise for your mom." A big surprise, he thought.
He walked to the bathroom and stood against the door frame, watching her put on mascara. "Expecting to see someone tonight?"
"No, why?"
He shrugged. "Just curious."
She sensed a little jealousy in his voice and turned her head to look at him. "Originally, yes. I thought I'd be seeing someone all night, but plans changed because he's here. And he'll be causing trouble with my girls."
"Trouble?" He asked, pushing himself away from the doorframe and taking the few steps toward her. "You don't have to beautify yourself for anyone. Your perfect just the way you are."
She smiled and looked at the mirror. "Thanks, but it's a woman thing. I enjoy wearing my makeup. And yes, trouble. I can see it now. He'll have them up way past their bedtime, eating all sorts of sweets before bed, and you'll probably be doing stuff I would disapprove of."
His lips twitched, then he chuckled. "Maybe. You talk like you know me so well."
"I have learned and gotten to know who you are. And whenever you're here. The kids are up later than they should be, you've given them sweets before bed, and I saw what you and the girls did to my kitchen the other day. So yes, you're up to something tonight. I can feel it."
"Mom's intuition is spot on tonight," he teased.
"Don't push it, mister," she pointed.
He smiled, grabbed her finger, placed it in his mouth, and sucked on it. "Now you'll smell trouble all night. That is, if you don't wash it," he winked. Then he reached and pulled her to him, quickly locking his lips with hers before she told him to let her finish getting ready for work.
"Your kids will be in good hands tonight," he said as he broke the kiss.
"I know," she quietly breathed. "Just, please don't let them stay up too late, okay?"
"Don't worry. I won't keep the girls up, they won't have any sweets before bed, and as for the kitchen, you can't complain because I cleaned up the mess. But to ease your mind, I'll keep them out of trouble," he devilishly grinned, enjoying the looks she gives him when he teases her. "I'll go play with the girls so you can finish making yourself look beautiful for someone who won't even be there tonight," he winked.
Harmony had a feeling Jasper would be keeping them up past their bedtime. With the way her kids think the world of him and how she has a hard time putting them to bed lately whenever he's around, she had an inkling she'll be dealing with some crabby and tired kids in the morning. Before leaving for work, she warned them to listen and go to bed when they're supposed to. And before she walked out that door, she sensed Jasper was up to something. She could see it written on his face, but what it was, she didn't know, and it had her mind racing.
Jasper waited a good twenty minutes after she left before he grabbed the car seats Harmony had by the door and put them in his car. Then, he gathered the kids, got them dressed in warm outerwear, and got them into the car.
"Where are we going?"
Jasper smiled as he buckled Zoe in, turned his head to Amelia, and smiled. "I'm taking you girls' Christmas tree shopping. And you girls are going to pick it out."
"You mean those trees I see with lights on them? Like the ones in that green monster movie?"
Jasper chuckled and walked around the car to buckle Amelia into her car seat. "Yes, just like that."
He knew what he was about to do might cause a fight between him and Harmony, but Jasper felt it'll be worth it since he really wanted the girls to experience Christmas and because he noticed the changes in Harmony's thinking. She still hasn't mentioned her hatred for Christmas was dissipating from her life, but in his heart, he could feel it was.
While driving, Jasper kept debating if he should get them a real tree or an artificial tree. He always loved real trees because of the fresh woody pine smell they have, but he worried if that would create fear in Harmony, as they're messy and that she does have a fireplace. Then, he thought about an artificial tree. They look real, and he knew you could buy scents to make them smell like a real one, but they just weren't the same.
The more he thought, the harder it was for him to decide.
He pulled into the parking lot of the shopping center, parked, then turned around. "Do you girls want a real tree or a fake one?"
Amelia's mouth raised into a big smile. "I want a real tree!"
"I want a fake one," Zoe said.
"How about we go inside, look at the fake ones, and if we can't find a decent tree, we'll go to the Christmas tree farm and pick one out," he said, then quietly groaned, "Either way, your mother is going to kill me."
They walked up and down the aisle, looking at all the trees, with the girls pointing at each one and excitedly saying, "I want that one!"
Of course, they were out of each one, Jasper found to look decent, and when he asked if he could buy the display model, they said no. They went to another store, looked around, and none of the trees were worth buying. They were small, and a lot of them looked like they could be a Charlie Brown tree. He looked at the girls and said, "Looks like we're going to the tree farm."
Before going to the tree farm, he went back to the first store they went to and grabbed everything they needed to put on the tree with him, also having the girls pick out the ornaments. Seeing the smiles on their faces as they filled the cart with ornaments warmed his heart, and he captured the moments by snapping pictures with his phone, wanting to show Harmony how excited they are, and hopes she doesn't take it the wrong way by thinking he's showing her what she's missing.
They finally got to the tree farm, and to keep Zoe from running around and disappearing on him, he set her on his shoulders. Then he grabbed hold of Amelia's hand and started walking the line of the different trees.
"I want a big fluffy tree like that one over there!" Amelia pointed.
Jasper looked and shook his head. "That I know, your mother would disapprove of. The needles are extra long, and I'm sure those are extremely messy."
Amelia stuck her finger in her mouth and continued looking until she saw one she liked. She let go of Jasper's hand and ran to it, showing him. "Will this one work?"
He stopped in front of it, looked at the needles, then stepped back, and looked up and down. "Now that one is perfect. It's tall, wide, and full." He looked around, saw a worker, and walked over to him, asking for his help.
While securing the tree to the top of his car, Harmony's face kept flashing before his eyes and kept saying, please don't be mad at me. The tree is for the kids. Then he added, and you...
After they got home, he set up the tree and let it rest while he got the ornaments ready for the kids to put on. Next, he put on the lights, and then he set up his phone into video mode, wanting to capture the moment of the girls placing the ornaments on the tree. Again, it was for Harmony to see, hoping to put a smile on her face when she views it.
While the girls excitedly put the ornaments on the tree, Jasper couldn't help but laugh and smile. But it also had him feeling guilty; Harmony wasn't there to witness the girls their first time decorating a tree.
After the girls finished decorating the tree, he thought they would enjoy doing one more thing. Something he, himself, hasn't done since he was a kid, and that was making a popcorn garland. He found the popcorn, and while that was cooking, he had Amelia show him where he could find string. And when the popcorn finished popping, he dumped it into a big bowl, had them sit on the floor, and then he showed them what to do.
"Mommy is going to be so impressed!" Amelia happily said.
"I sure hope so," Jasper sighed, still feeling worried about what Harmony will think once she sees what he's done.
******
Harmony kept looking at the clock. All night she wanted to contact Jasper to see how the night was going and see how her kids were doing. But then she felt if she were to contact him, she feared he would feel like she didn't trust him with her kids, and decided not to. However, Harmony kept her phone next to the register, checking her phone to see if Jasper had contacted her. In which he did. Once.
Jasper: I know you're probably pacing around that bar, curious about how things are going with the kids and me. And to ease your mind. They're doing very well, and we're having a blast. Don't worry about us; worry about feeding those thirsty patrons. See you when you get home.
Seeing that message earlier in the night had her relaxing, and it had her feeling much more relieved, but she still couldn't wait to get home. All because it felt weird not to see him sitting at the bar, chasing away all the men who would try getting her phone number as well as the ones who were direct by telling her they were taking her out on a date.
When her shift ended, she was out those casino doors, like a flash.
While driving up the driveway, she noticed something in the window that wasn't there before she left and slammed on her brakes. She leaned over the steering wheel, looked closer at what she was seeing, and blinked her eyes a couple of times, thinking she imagined seeing a Christmas tree in her front window. When the lit-up tree was still there, she scowled, "Oh, no, he didn't!"
She quickly drove up to the garage, slammed her car into park, then she hurried out of her car, and rushed to her front door. Her heart was pounding, she was shaking, and she was ready to fight. But after she got inside and headed into the living room, she immediately stopped, then stared at the sight she was seeing. A precious view that had her eyes filling with tears. Jasper was asleep on the couch, with his arms around Amelia and Zoe as they lay on top of him sleeping.
Harmony covered her mouth. With her eyes still on them, she walked over to the chair next to the couch and sat. She was mad, but she was more in awe than she was angry, and quietly sat in the chair watching them. Occasionally she'd catch her eyes rolling to the tree, and when she realized she was staring at the tree, she would look back at them.
She didn't know what to think, and as she sat there staring at them, every conversation she's had with Nick and with Jasper roamed her mind. Then she thought of the girls. The smiles they've been smiling lately, with her also thinking of Amelia and her curiosity about Christmas. Once her mind finished reminding her of all the recent events. And the sight of the girls sleeping on top of Jasper. All the anger she felt with him was quickly erased from her body and mind.
She looked at the tree one more time, then she stood and walked over to the girls, carefully picking up Zoe and bringing her to bed. Next, she removed Jasper's arm from around Amelia, picked her up, and carried her to her bed.
Jasper suddenly felt cold, and when he opened his eyes and saw the girls were no longer lying on top of him. He knew Harmony was home, sat up, then stared at the tree, waiting for the argument to start.
Harmony stood in the hallway, peeking her head around the corner to look at the tree. She stood back and closed her eyes when memories of her childhood flashed before her eyes. Then she thought of her girls, wondering if they were as excited as she was when she was their age, and started imagining what their faces looked like as they decorated the tree.
"I know you're standing behind me. I can hear you breathing," Jasper said quietly.
Harmony opened her eyes, looked at the back of Jasper's head, and took a deep breath as she started walking over to the couch. Jasper turned his head her way when he heard the floor creaking as she walked. Both said nothing, but when his eyes locked with hers, they remained on her as she walked around him.
"Please don't be upset with me," he said as he grabbed hold of her hand and guided her onto his lap.
"I'm not mad," she whispered, looking at the tree.
Jasper's brows lowered, not believing her, and cupped his hand underneath her chin, turning it his way. "I know you better than that. Don't lie. Just lay it on me."
Her eyes closed, she took a deep breath, then opened her eyes as she exhaled. "Okay, fine. I'll admit, when I pulled into the driveway and saw the tree, I was pissed. I hurried inside the house, expecting to pick a fight with you. But after seeing you and my girls asleep. I couldn't find it in my heart to end the night with a fight. You've been so good with them, and you helped me out by watching them tonight, that I couldn't stay mad. They're happy, and they're excited whenever you're around, they've fallen in love with you, and I felt if I kicked you out of the house for doing something that brings out the hate in me, they, too, would hate me."
"I didn't do it to piss you off. I did this for your kids."
She smirked. "I know you did."
"But I have a confession to make, too... I didn't just do it for them. I did it for you as well. And that's because I feel deep down inside that heart of yours. You don't hate Christmas as much as you say or think you do. I truly believe you want to hate it because of what happened in the past. And now I'm going to ask a favor of you."
"What kind of favor?"
"I'd like to ask that you try to let go of the past and look to the future. I know it's easier said than done. But you must realize you can't change the past; you can only change what happens in the future. Those girls were happy tonight. They had so much fun picking out the tree and decorating it that I'd hate to see you take that away from them in the years to come. And so you didn't miss out on their fun, I made sure to take pictures, and I also recorded everything for you to see."
I hope you enjoyed the chapter!!!🤞🤞
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