***
They slept so long that it was almost eleven when they woke up. They took separate showers rather than together at Lynne's insistence. She was afraid if they showered together, they'd end up fooling around until the late afternoon.
After they dressed, they walked across the property to the big house, and Lynne was glad to see that Leif's family was just waking up.
Lynne and Linda quickly went into the kitchen, fixing breakfast for the family.
They were all laughing, and cutting up, and everyone loved Lynne's biscuits. Leif had brought in all three or four of the jellies that they sampled in the woodshed.
"Lynney loves Jam, so I gave her a few to take home. She was concerned that you'd be mad," said Leif teasingly.
"Of course I'm not mad. Take what you want! Are you sure that's all you want? Your father has a sample pack with all the flavors that we sell in a gift basket. We'll give you one to take home. We make honey too," said his mother.
Lynne smiled at his mother. She was so sweet and kind.
"Yeah I remember the honey. You gave me a huge sample of it when I had that cold. It was fabulous!" said Lynne.
"Yeah. I don't know about needing jam samples either. She's real greedy for jam. She ate a bunch of that jam in the woodshed," said Leif with a devilish twinkle in his eye.
Lynne glared at him. She shared a secret glance with him remembering the trouble the jelly got them in, and reddened. Jam wasn't the only thing that got sucked on in their woodshed. They'd marked it with a steamy memory forever now.
"You plied me with that Jelly. I said no, I'd wait for breakfast! You kept asking me if I wanted to taste it, and giving it to me, feeding it to me even, and now you're trying to call me out in front of our folks. I'll deal with you later," said Lynne, her hand on her hip.
Lynne pinched his meat hard in his side and he yelped and then chuckled.
"But baby, I love when you punish me, that's not upsetting me at all, it's okay if you love jam, you're like a greedy little kid," said Leif looking at her with playful blue puppy dog eyes.
"I'm going to be sick around you two, is what's going to happen! If you two decide to have kids, you'll cut it out, they'll keep you too busy for all this foolishness, just like with your father and I," said his mother playfully as they all chuckled.
**
Lynne was so excited for her first Christmas. She couldn't wait to open presents, and to see Leif's expression when he saw the Christmas presents she was giving him, especially his guitar. Her sweet man had wanted her to make a list for Santa. Even though he knew she was much too old to believe in Santa, he wanted her to experience making her own list. He playfully told her that if she was good, she'd get everything on the list, plus more if she sat in his lap while she read her list. He called himself Leify Claus. Lynne had laughed so hysterically she snorted. She playfully accused him of being up to no good, with the Leify Claus business.
But, she didn't make a list, even though he'd given her his moleskin notebook and a pen, and he was dead serious. She felt too silly to make a list at twenty-three. He told her, list, or not he was going to spoil the hell out of her, and find out just what she wanted, like with her engagement ring. And, next year, if she didn't produce a list, he'd promised her a firm spanking. He wanted her to see what it was like to make a list and get excited for what was under the tree. And, he told her it was very good practice for when they had their own children, and gave them Christmas.
Everyone got their presents from under the tree. Lynne couldn't believe how many presents she had under the tree. There were a dozen presents, and she was both embarrassed and delighted by the spoiling.
"Leif there are so many! I don't want you to spend so much on me baby...we need to start saving for our married lives together," said Lynne.
But her eyes were so watery with emotion. He adored her, and he didn't care who else saw it either! Didn't care if his family knew she was his spoiled princess. Being spoiled rotten was new for Lynne!
"Oh Lynney, don't be such a tight ass with our finances. And, anyway, nothing in your gifts is all that expensive. Okay so a few of them are, but most of them are cheap things that I know you love. And, I wrapped some things I didn't need to. I just want you to have a lot of fun opening your presents baby," said Leif.
"I want you to have fun too! It was just as much fun for me too, selecting things I thought you would like, and even getting things for your family. You're gonna make me so rotten Leif," scolded Lynne.
"That's the plan. I told you, you were gonna be rotten if you were my girl. I meant it, so now you see it," he said sweetly.
He pulled her full on into his lap for her to open the presents. Once she was in his lap he put his mouth close to her ear.
"I...I'm trying to make up for twenty three years of no Christmases. There are twelve presents here, and I'll get you twelve gifts next year...so you'll have one for each Christmas you missed. Then you're even," he whispered.
Lynne appreciated him whispering that last part to her. It embarrassed her the way she hadn't had Christmases, and other normal things, and she didn't want to call attention to it around his family yet. Still, his private reasoning filled her soul so full, she didn't know how she was going to make it through this Christmas morning without crying because her heart felt full of happy, special feelings.
She was so touched she just sort of stared at the presents and turned them each around once, looking at the intricate wrapping paper. He'd gotten Christmas tree wrapping paper, Santa Claus wrapping paper, little elves, just all sorts of designs. Each present had a different kind of wrapping paper and different kind of bow. Clearly he wanted to make her first Christmas memorable. She was so overcome with emotion she couldn't even remember to open them. Her hands trembled as she picked up each present, shaking the box. Trying to figure out what was inside. What fun! Damn she loved her thoughtful man.
Thankfully his own family was busy having a good time opening their presents, ripping the paper off of their own gifts and throwing it into the pile in the middle of the floor. It was quite plain that they loved Christmas, and it brought out the child like fun in everyone even though they were all grown adults. It made Lynne feel much more comfortable about her own giddiness with her first holiday.
"Go on and open them, we don't have all day Lynney," he said gruffly, feigning annoyance with her, and he smacked her ass playfully as she sat in his lap.
But Leif's voice was husky. She was not fooled by his gruffness. He was touched, because he could see how much his attention to details, the little things, special wrapping paper, and so many presents was making her first Christmas so special. He was gruff, because he was afraid of being overcome by his own emotion.
"You're such a phony! Fake meanness. You're happy that I'm happy," she whispered huskily into his ear, and she bit his earlobe playfully as he chuckled.
"No, I'm not faking meanness, you're just slow little tortoise. You're slow about starting everything, Always have been slow. But once you get started on something, look out, it's amazing and beautiful, just like our love is. Open your fucking presents sweetie, everyone else has already started," he teased pinching her ass.
