Polished Shoes by Deb McClatchey – Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The Christmas holiday was approaching. Amy was decorating the tall Christmas tree, waiting for Jack to return home from work. Josh was next door, playing with his new friend Timmy.
Her father and Harriet would be coming over for dinner tonight. Over the past several months, Frank had found Jack to be a wonderful son-in-law and was grateful to him for making Amy’s life so contented and blissful once again.
Amy felt as though she’d been blessed, what with all the good things that were happening to her. Perhaps Troy was watching over her and Josh, making sure they were well taken care of. That would certainly be his style. She smiled at that comforting thought.
Jack was quite a caring and loving man. Luckily he didn’t have lasting emotional scars from living so many years with that parasite of a woman.
Amy knew Jack loved her very much. It was funny, Amy remembered the day when she thought she’d never love again. Until she laid eyes on Jackson.
Sometimes she couldn’t believe that she was actually living in this incredibly splendid home. It was a replica of Green Gables, an estate that Jack had named Tara.
Embittered Nina had left town without a dime. The last they heard, she’d left her most recent lover and taken up with some oil baron in Texas. Good riddance. Hopefully he was loaded with health insurance!
Mrs. Jackson Sinclair, mused Amy as she placed the silver angel atop the tree. My dream come true. She stepped down the small ladder and stood back to survey her handiwork.
Just then Jack opened the front door. “Honey! Are you here?”
“Yes, I’m in the living room. Come see what I’ve done!” Amy announced fluffing at her dark blonde hair.
Jack came into the expansive room and saw the beautiful tree and his beautiful wife. What a happy Christmas this was going to be. To add to the warmth he felt, a delicious aroma was wafting from the kitchen.
He stepped up behind Amy and wrapped his strong arms about her slender waist. He kissed her hair and smelled its sweet vanilla fragrance. “Mmmm, the tree’s lovely, like you.”
“Oh you!” Amy giggled and squeezed his arms. “Company for dinner, remember?”
“Yep, and this is for you.” He pulled away from her and fished around in his jacket pocket. “Early present.” A small black velvet box sat in his palm.
Amy took it and looked up at him. She eagerly opened the box. Nestled inside on a swatch of black velvet was an incredible ruby ring. It was almost as large as her two-carat wedding ring.
“Oh honey,” she sighed. “It’s so pretty… just so pretty.” Tears immediately filled her eyes as she remembered the day Troy had taken her shopping and she’d spotted a ring just like this. Jack would never know how much this ring meant to her.
“Merry Christmas.” He kissed her deeply, gently maneuvering her a couple of feet so they were under the mistletoe in the doorway.
Later that evening, as Amy and Jack lay in bed after their evening of festivities, he asked her a question. “So tell me, sweetie. What was it about me that first attracted you?” He wrapped his arms about her, and she snuggled close.
With a smile playing on her lips, she replied, “Why, it was your polished shoes, honey! Those spit-shined black shoes. When I first laid eyes on you, it impressed me how much you cared for your appearance. I wondered if you’d care for me that much. You know, put that much care into making us shine!”
Jack kissed her neck, and she snuggled even closer. “And?” Jack asked, grinning from ear to ear.
“So I wanted to find out about you, and I did. You turned out to be much more than I bargained for. My best friend became my hero.”
“I’ll love you forever, Amy. You’ve made my life complete.” Jack said sincerely. She turned in his arms for a loving kiss, as a distant rumble of thunder made her smile.
THE END
