Disclaimer: This work is purely for entertainment purposes- I am not making any money out of this. The characters you recognise are the property of MTM, the ones you don’t are the property of me. Thankyou to the wonderful RS writers whose episodes I have referenced in this fanfic (and for creating these wonderful characters). A huge thankyou once again to my ‘pre-reader’ as well whose ideas and feedback have been a great help!
This story includes some characters introduced in my previous fanfics ‘Steele Stringed Hearts’ and ‘Legacy of Steele 1: Beginnings (Part 1)’ plus some new ones (along with some old favourites), so if you haven’t read those previously you may be a little confused - hopefully I’ve included enough explanation in this one so you can figure out who they are ?
Christmas 2014…
Christmas morning was spent like everyone had been at the Steele household since they’d had their children – Remington & Laura opening their gifts with their children, Olivia & Michael (or Mickey as he was affectionately known as). Their children however were now young adults, Olivia, 27 and Mickey, 25. Whilst they both now lived out of home they had slept in their old bedrooms the night before, after attending Christmas Eve mass with their parents, their older half-brother Harry and his wife Emily and their 2 children, their Aunt Frances & Uncle Donald and cousins Danny, Mindy & Laurie Beth and their families, as well as their grandmother Abigail and their ‘surrogate grandmother’ and old family friend, Mildred. Although Christmas had never been his favourite holiday in his younger years, after spending so many with Laura and their children, Remington had to admit he had grown to love Christmas as much as Laura did.
They opened their gifts with the usual love & laughter that ensued every Christmas. As always, Remington’s gift to his wife (amongst other things) was a box of Parlays, her favourite candy, which she opened with a smile as he smiled back at her. She went to unwrap another gift with her usual care & precision but growing increasingly impatient with the amount of time his mother took to unwrap gifts, Mickey grabbed it off her with a cheeky lopsided grin, reminiscent of his father’s, saying, "Here Mom let me do it for you," and ripped off the wrapping paper as his father & sister laughed and Laura gave him a pretend glare.
"Only you could get away with that son," Remington quipped with a grin, knowing Laura had a soft spot for ‘her little man’, who wasn’t so little any more.
After they’d all finished opening their gifts they set about getting the house ready for Christmas lunch. The whole extended family was coming this year so it was going to be a big celebration. "C’mon princess I need you with me in the kitchen," Remington said to his daughter as she followed him into the large gourmet kitchen. She had inherited her father’s culinary skills and had enjoyed cooking with him from an early age. The Steele household had been somewhat unconventional while the kids were growing up – Remington doing most of the cooking and teaching his children how to cook, although only Olivia showed any real interest in it. Mickey on the other hand, was more interested in eating the food they prepared rather than the actual preparation.
While Remington had focused on the cooking, Laura had coached some of their sports teams. Remington had received quite a bit of ribbing from the other fathers when Laura had volunteered to coach Mickey’s Little League team, which she was even more determined to do when the fathers protested that it wasn’t ‘a woman’s job’. She had made them eat their words though when she coached them through to winning 4 straight championships. Remington did volunteer to coach the soccer team, feeling more at home with that than baseball. Harry also helped out with that when he could, having played soccer (or football as he & Remington called it) back in England while he was growing up.
"Remind me again why I agreed to cooking for 27 people!" Remington muttered in exasperation as he started preparing.
"Because Daddy you know you can never say no to Mom," Olivia replied with a knowing smile as she gave him a peck on the cheek and started helping him. Despite being all grown up she was still her Daddy’s little girl.
"Hmm how’d you get so smart? Must take after your old Dad eh?" he quipped with a grin, his blue eyes twinkling at hers.
"Mom I’d say," Laura remarked with a grin of her own as she came into the kitchen.
Remington stopped for a moment to look at his wife of almost 30 years. At almost 59 she had aged well and he thought she was still stunning – she had maintained her petite, slender figure over the years, even after having 2 children, and only had a few grey hairs starting to peek through the chestnut brown hair that she shared with their daughter. A few ‘laugh lines’ as Remington affectionately called them, adorned her face but her deep brown eyes still held their spark. They shared a smile as she looked at her husband. Like a fine wine he had got even better with age (if that were possible) she thought. At 62 his jet black hair was now streaked with silver but his face, though older and with a few more lines, was still as handsome as it had ever been. And his blue eyes still captivated her as they had done since the first day she’d met him all those years ago.
"So how’s everything going?" she asked her husband & daughter. "Do you need a hand in here?" she added, going into what Remington and the kids called her ‘boss mode’. Laura preferred to think of it as being supremely organised.
"No it’s all under control my love – I have my trusty sous chef with me so we’re good," Remington replied as he winked at his daughter. Just then Mickey walked in & went to grab one of the mince tarts his sister had just taken out of the fridge. "Out of here you!’ Olivia scolded him as she smacked his hand away.
"But I’m hungry," he protested, his eyebrow going up devilishly, just like his father’s often did, and his deep brown eyes twinkling mischievously.
"When are you not Mickey?" Laura laughed. Since he was a baby Mickey had had a healthy appetite like his father’s. "How about you stay out of trouble and go & pick up Aunt Mildred from the retirement village?" she suggested to her son.
"Okay, okay I’m going," he laughed as he gave his mother a peck on the cheek and bade her and his father & sister good bye.
"Harry and Emily and the kids should be here soon so I’ll get him to give Mickey a hand putting up the tables when he gets back with Mildred," Laura stated. "Kate and Rick and the twins’ flight arrives at 9 so they should be here around 11 and Frances & Donald are bringing mother around 12 and I think their brood are all coming around the same time," she ticked off when everyone would be arriving so she could plan when everything needed to be done by.
"Relax Laura – everything will be done by the time everyone gets here," Remington reassured her as he gave her a quick kiss while he tossed some vegetables into a pan to cook.
"Good morning – Merry Christmas," they then heard Harry’s English accent as he came in the front door with his wife Emily and their 13 year old son Daniel and 11 year old daughter, Siobhan, her name a nod to his Irish heritage – the birthplace of both his father and his mother Kate. Harry was now 43 and was still the spitting image of his father, as was his son Daniel, who he had named after his grandfather, much to his father Remington’s delight. He knew Daniel would have been chuffed at having his great grandson named after him. Remington’s gene pool was obviously very strong with his grandson inheriting the same jet black hair and sparkling blue eyes that his father and grandfather possessed.
After dabbling in law for a few years after finishing law school Harry had decided to follow his heart (an idea he had first had at age of 21) and entered the ‘family business ‘, learning the detective trade from his father & stepmother. He now more or less headed up the agency with Remington & Laura having taken a step back from their active involvement and semi-retiring, although they still consulted on the odd case here & there and were always more than willing to impart advice & guidance where needed, acting in an ’advisory capacity’. When not busy travelling or following other enjoyable pursuits they also did a lot of guest speaking on detective work & criminology across the country and occasionally internationally as well. They were more than happy though to leave the more active roles & leg work to the younger generation of detectives in the family. They knew that the agency Laura had started and they had built up together as a legacy for their children, was in good hands.
Not unlike their father & her mother years ago, Olivia Steele let her older brother think he was the boss of the agency but as far as she was concerned, she was really in charge. Like her mother, she had gone to Stanford University after finishing high school but on a music (piano) scholarship, unlike her mother who had gone on a maths scholarship. A year into her degree though she had swapped to a forensic science degree, realising that was her true calling & that she longed to be a detective like her mother (& father). So after finishing college she had joined the agency as well, going on 5 years ago. Like her mother before her, Olivia loved excitement & adventure and she & Harry worked well together, although she had to constantly remind him that she was more than capable of looking after herself and she didn’t need him doing the ‘big brother thing’ (as she called it) all the time.
A year ago Mickey had decided to join the agency too so it really was a family affair. He had originally wanted to pursue a career in baseball (having inherited his athletic ability from both his parents but his baseball skills in particular from his mother) and had made it to the minor leagues, but a shoulder injury had halted his dream of making it to the majors. At a loss as to what to do for a while, Remington & Laura had suggested he give his older brother and sister a hand at the agency while he figured out what he wanted to do with his life, and then he had discovered he enjoyed it and like his siblings had a flair for detective work. Out of the three of them he was also the best at picking locks which often came in handy in their line of work, a skill he had inherited from his father and perfected under his expert tutelage. Harry, who was not getting any younger, also found it handy having his younger athletic brother around, especially when it came to chasing down crooks.
Remington, Laura & Olivia warmly greeted Harry, Emily & the kids as they exchanged gifts. "What can we do to help Laura?" Emily asked with a smile as Laura got her & Harry and the kids to work, helping put the finishing touches to the decorations and getting plates & cutlery ready & so forth.
"Where’s Mickey?" Harry asked his father & sister as he came into the kitchen where they were busily preparing lunch.
"He’s gone to pick up Mildred," Remington replied. Mickey soon arrived back home with Mildred who greeted them all affectionately.
A couple of hours later the doorbell rang. "I’ll get it," Harry volunteered as he opened the front door to find his mother Kate, step-father Rick and his half-siblings (on his mother’s side) Cruz & Gabriella who had just flown in from their home in England.
"Harry!" Kate greeted her & Remington’s son with a huge smile & hug as did Rick, Cruz & Gabby. They followed Harry into the kitchen where the rest of the family were congregated and greeted them all fondly. "Feliz Navidad!" Rick exclaimed as he hugged them all.
"Oh my God, look at you two - you’ve grown so much!" Kate affectionately greeted her grandchildren, Daniel and Siobhan as she hugged them. It had been a few months since she’d last seen them. "Daniel you are looking more like your father and grandfather for that matter, every time I see you," she remarked with a smile to her grandson.
Cruz & Gabby were soon catching up with their brother Harry & sister-in-law Emily and their nephew and niece, as well as their ‘cousins,’ (as they affectionately referred to them as), Olivia & Mickey. Although not really cousins, given the rather unconventional nature of their family they thought of their older brother’s other half siblings on his father’s side as such, and called Remington and Laura, Uncle & Aunty, as Olivia & Mickey did for Kate & Rick.
Laura and Kate who were very close, were soon chatting & laughing together as well. Laura looked over at the younger members of the family and smiled. Cruz & Gabby, though fraternal rather than identical twins, were very similar in appearance with their dark brown hair inherited from both their parents, olive skin from their father Rick & green eyes from their mother Kate, the combination of which gave them both a striking appearance. Cruz had followed his parents into the music industry and was making a name for himself as a singer & songwriter. Gabby had dabbled in modelling for a while before getting into acting. "God we’ve got some good looking kids don’t we? Must take after their mothers hey?" Laura remarked to Kate with a laugh. "Of course they do – pity their fathers are so ugly," Kate joked with a cheeky grin as they both looked appreciatively at their respective handsome husbands who were busy catching up as well.
"What are you two laughing at?" Remington inquired, knowing that Laura & Kate together were often a dangerous combination, given they shared a wicked sense of humour, often at their poor unsuspecting husbands’ expense. "Nothing," both women replied innocently as they shared a mischievous grin and Remington and Rick could only shake their heads at them.
Before they knew it Laura’s side of the family had also arrived and they all sat down to eat Christmas lunch. As Remington sat down at the table surrounded by noisy chatter and laughter he smiled to himself, marvelling at how his life had turned out after all these years. That once lonely little boy who had no real family to call his own was now surrounded by 26 of his nearest & dearest, five of them blood relatives. He looked at his children, Harry, Olivia & Mickey, happily chatting & ribbing each other good naturedly. His sons, who had inherited his good looks and who apart from their eye colour looked very similar, had grown much to his pride, into fine men, Harry now with a family of his own. And his daughter, the apple of his eye, who reminded him so much of her mother, both in looks (apart from her eye colour which matched his) and personality. She had inherited Laura’s intellect, strong will and stubborn streak and never let her brothers get away with much. She had also inherited her mother’s ability to wrap him around her little finger he thought with a wry smile.
Seated next to his eldest son Harry, was his daughter-in-law Emily who he reflected had made his son so happy and who kept Harry in line as much as Laura did to him. She was also a wonderful mother to her & Harry’s two children. He then proudly looked at his 2 grandchildren, both of whom had inherited his once jet black hair from their father Harry. Young Daniel Harry was, like his father, a carbon copy of Remington in his younger days with his blue eyes. In fact, as he looked at him he reminded him of Harry at the same age when he had first met him after learning he had a son. His granddaughter Siobhan Kathleen, although having the same ebony hair as her brother had hazel eyes – a mix of her mother Emily’s brown eyes and green inherited from her grandmother Kate, who she also got her middle name from.
Remington’s gaze then moved to Kate, his first love, the mother of his first born child, Harry. He remembered back to the time they had spent in London together as teenagers & young lovers, their love producing a child who he found out about 14 years later. He also remembered how his & Kate’s paths crossing again had inadvertently led to him & Laura finally admitting their true feelings for each other and moving their relationship forward. He then looked at Kate’s husband Rick, who despite the two of them having their differences initially had managed to sort things out, and had grown closer over the years. In fact he now counted him as one of his closest friends. He then looked at Kate & Rick’s twin children, Cruz & Gabriella, now 25, the same age as his & Laura’s youngest Mickey, & remembered their rather dramatic entrance into the world as if it were yesterday.
With a smile he winked at Mildred, the closest thing to a mother he had ever had. She still lovingly referred to him & Laura as her ‘kids’ as she had done for many a year now after first becoming their secretary all those years ago. Though in her eighties now and long retired she was still as lively as ever. She winked back at him with a smile, guessing what he was thinking about as she observed his gaze travelling around the room.
He looked at Laura’s mother Abigail, who was also now in her eighties, but was still very much the matriarch of the Holt clan, keeping her daughters, son-in-laws, grandchildren and great grandchildren on their toes. She did have a soft spot for her handsome, blue eyed son-in-law though, who always knew what to say to charm her. He then looked at Laura’s sister Frances and her husband Donald, who over the years had become much more than in-laws to him, they were more like the sister and brother he had never had. He also observed their children Danny, Mindy & Laurie Beth, all grown now and married with children of their own. He shook his head a little with a wry smile at how fast the years had gone by – he remembered first meeting Laura’s nephew & nieces when they were just children themselves.
And then he turned his gaze to the woman sitting next to him, the centre of his universe, his beloved wife Laura. How she had changed his life for the better he mused to himself, and given him so much – her love, their children, his profession, even his name. He took her hand in his and kissed it as she looked at him with a surprised smile.
"What’s that for Rem?" she asked in her lilting voice that even after all these years still had the same effect on him, her deep brown eyes twinkling at him.
"Just reflecting on what a lucky man I am my love," he replied with a dazzling smile of his own. Laura’s gaze also swept around the room as his had done, looking at all their loved ones – their family, finally coming to rest on the love of her life, her husband.
"Yes we are lucky aren’t we?" she stated with a smile as she kissed him.
"Gosh Mom & Dad aren’t you a bit old for all that?" Mickey groaned with a laugh.
"Never too old son – isn’t that right Mrs Steele?" Remington replied with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, wiggling his eyebrows devilishly at Laura as she laughed and agreed "Definitely Mr Steele."
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"Okay what gives little brother?" Olivia confronted Mickey, cornering him when he went up to his old room after Christmas lunch. She’d noticed the huge grin he’d been unable to hide all day and had been trying to catch him on his own to find out the reason.
"What do you mean sis?" he feigned innocence but she wasn’t fooled for a second.
"You’ve been walking around with a goofy grin on your face all day, well goofier than normal anyway," she teased him.
"It’s Christmas Liv – why wouldn’t I be happy?" he retorted, hoping to convince her.
"Uh uh Mickey – there’s something going on. Now do I have to beat it out of you?" Olivia laughed with a determined look on her face.
"I’d like to see you try," Mickey quipped.
"Hey you may be taller than me now but I can still whip your butt little brother," she said in a fake threatening tone with her hands on her hips, reminiscent of their mother. He realised he’d probably have to agree with her there, remembering their tussles as kids in which his older sister had often got the better of him. He knew she wasn’t going to give up without getting answers – she hadn’t inherited their mother’s investigative skills for nothing. Even when he could put something over their parents he’d never been able to fool her.
"Could never put anything past you could I sis?’" he asked with a rueful grin as she grinned back at him.
"Well we do share the same DNA you know," she replied as he nodded.
"Okay, okay," Mickey relented. "But you’ve got to swear not to tell anyone – especially Mom & Dad. We want it to be a surprise."
Olivia nodded in agreement. "I swear," she said and then picked up on what he’d said. "Who’s we?" she asked as his lopsided grin got bigger.
"Sara and me. I asked her to marry me last week and she said yes," Mickey announced as a look of surprise and then happy excitement crossed his sister’s face.
Mickey had been dating Sara Michaels, their mother’s old friend & partner Murphy’s 24 year old daughter, for just over a year, since meeting up with her again at her older brother Scott’s wedding, which the Steele family had all attended. The Michaels & Steele children had met a few times when they were younger but it had been a while since they had seen each other, as the Michaels lived in Denver. Mickey & Sara had hit it off at the wedding, spending the night dancing & talking together. Harry, their older brother had commented to Olivia at the time, "Looks like little brother’s been smitten," not realising how true his words were. Murphy had only half- jokingly warned their dad Remington to keep his son and his ‘Steele charm’, as Murphy called it, away from his daughter, but Sara & Mickey had been inseparable since then, particularly after Sara moved to LA to complete her psychology PHD at USC. She had followed her mother Sherry, into the field of psychology.
"Oh my God Mickey that’s fantastic!" Olivia shrieked excitedly as she hugged him and he hugged her back.
"Thanks sis but shush," he pleaded with her. "She’s flying in from Denver later on today after spending Christmas with her folks and Scott & his wife, so we can make the announcement while everyone’s here. We’re going to Facetime her family so they can get the good news at the same time, although I did already ask her Dad for his blessing," he explained.
"You know though this is going to give Grandma more ammunition in her quest to get me married off," Olivia laughed as did Mickey then she added "But I don’t care - I’m so happy for you little brother!" as she hugged him again.
Just then Laura walked past Mickey’s room looking for the two of them and was surprised to find them hugging. While she knew her & Remington’s two children loved each other, they were more often to be found squabbling rather than hugging, having both inherited their parents’ strong wills. Although she knew they would be the first to spring to each other’s defence - she remembered one time when they had been in grade school when some older boys had been giving Mickey a hard time, Olivia had bopped them soundly on the nose and they didn’t bother him again. And another time when they’d been in high school when a boy had been spreading rumours about Olivia, Mickey had taken him to task.
"There you two are – I was wondering where you’d got to. Why the hug?" she asked with a laugh, wondering what was going on.
"It’s Christmas Mom – why wouldn’t I give my little brother a hug?" Olivia explained hurriedly as Mickey nodded in agreement.
"Yeah Mom – you know peace & goodwill to all and all that," he added with a grin.
"Uh huh," Laura replied not at all convinced. "Well I think you need to come back downstairs and spread that Christmas cheer around. Liv, I think Dad needs a hand with dessert and Mickey I think your presence is required at an impromptu football game," she said with a smile.
"Sure thing Mom," they both replied as they followed their mother downstairs, Mickey shooting his sister a warning glance to keep her quiet.
Not long after Laura sidled up next to Remington. "I get the distinct impression our children are keeping something from us," she said to him on the quiet.
He raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh. why is that?’
"Well when I found them in Mickey’s bedroom they were hugging with huge grins on their faces," she replied.
"Hugging? Our children?" Remington quipped with a laugh. "Well they never managed to get much past you when they were kids – what makes them think they can now?" he added with a twinkle in his eye.
"My sentiments exactly," Laura replied with a sly grin, determined to find out what their children were hiding from them.
Their conversation was interrupted by Donald. "Steele - c’mon we need another player for our team," he said in reference to the football game the males of the family were starting up in the backyard.
"Oh no, no Donald, I never did get the hang of your American football, plus I’m too old for all that," Remington protested with a laugh.
"Nonsense – I’m older than you Steele," Donald laughed.
"Go on Daddy - I can handle dessert. Em & Siobhan can give me a hand," Olivia reassured him.
"You sure?" Remington asked, not overly keen to play football.
"C’mon Dad - Cruz and I can’t be the only ones out there not knowing what we’re doing," Harry laughed as his younger brother on his mother’s side, being English born like himself, had little experience of playing American football. "Not that it’s real football of course," Harry quipped as all the American born males of the family groaned.
"Holy Pete, Harry I can’t believe you still call soccer football," Danny, Frances & Donald’s now forty something son, laughed.
"And I can’t believe you still say Holy Pete mate!" Harry shot back at him with a laugh, the two of them engaging in the friendly banter they’d always had since first meeting each other as boys many years before.
As the football game got underway Remington managed to pull Harry aside. "Do you know what Livvy & Mickey are up to Junior?’ he asked his eldest son on the quiet.
Harry looked at him curiously as he shook his head. "No..why?"
"Laura thinks they’re hiding something from us," Remington explained how she had found them hugging which was unusual for their children to say the least.
"Well it must be something pretty good to have those two hugging each other," Harry laughed, knowing his younger sister and brother well.
"Hmm," Remington nodded in agreement as he wondered what it could be.
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After the football game had wrapped up everyone congregated back inside and were just sitting down for dessert when the doorbell rang. "Who could that be?" Laura asked with surprise as Remington shrugged.
"I’ll get it," Olivia announced as she grinned at her younger brother and sprung up from her seat. "No I’ll get it," he argued as he sprung up as well and the two of them raced to the front door, their parents sharing a bemused glance at their behaviour.
Olivia beat Mickey to the door by a second and opened it to find Sara Michaels standing there. "Sara hi! What a surprise! Merry Christmas!" she greeted her with a smile and a knowing look as she hugged her.
"Hi Liv - Merry Christmas," Sara greeted her in return with a warm smile.
"Okay sis out of the way - can I see my girl please?" Mickey said with a lopsided grin as he winked at Sara over Olivia’s shoulder.
"Alright, alright," Olivia laughed as she stepped aside and left them to their own devices for a minute or two as she went back into the dining room.
"Who was at the door Liv?" Laura asked her daughter as Olivia smiled.
"A surprise guest," she replied cryptically.
"Where’s your brother?" Remington asked curiously.
"Oh he’ll be back in a minute," Olivia added with a grin.
Not long after Mickey & Sara walked into the room hand in hand. "Sara! What a wonderful surprise!" Laura exclaimed as she looked at her former partner’s daughter, who she knew her & Remington’s son had become rather fond of. Both Laura & Remington got up & hugged Sara and the rest of the family also greeted her fondly, then they set an extra place at the table for her.
"How’s your folks?" Laura asked her as Sara smiled and replied, "They’re good thanks." With that she exchanged a glance with Mickey which didn’t go unnoticed by Laura.
"Actually why don’t we Facetime them so you can all wish each other Merry Christmas?" Mickey suggested as Sara nodded enthusiastically. "Great idea," she agreed.
"Facetime? What’s that then?’ Remington asked.
"Dad you can’t be serious? You don’t know what Facetime is?" Mickey replied with a laugh.
"C’mon Mick – you know Dad’s still trying to figure out how to work his I-phone," Harry quipped with a grin, his children well aware of his aversion to technology, as Remington gave his sons a withering look. "It’s where you can speak by video, phone to phone Daddy," Olivia explained patiently.
"Oh of course – I knew that," he replied hurriedly as Laura looked at him with a grin and said "Sure you did."
With that Sara got her phone out and dialled her parents as Mickey, Remington, Laura & Olivia gathered around the phone. Murphy’s face soon came on the screen. "Hey sweetheart!" he greeted his daughter with a smile. "How was your flight? Got there safe & sound I see?" he remarked as he called for his wife Sherry and son Scott and his wife to come to the phone.
"Merry Christmas Murph!" Laura said with a smile to her old partner. "Merry Christmas Laura. How’s things in LA?" Murphy replied.
"Murphy old chap how are you? Merry Christmas," Remington greeted him as he stuck his head in too.
"Good thanks Steele – Merry Christmas to you too. So still with that old con-man I see hey Laura?" Murphy joked as Remington gave him a fake dirty look and replied with a lop-sided grin, "Who are you calling old?" the two of them engaging in their old banter.
"Alright you guys that’s enough," Mickey laughed then looked at Sara who subtly nodded and he cleared his throat a little nervously. "Actually while we’ve got both families here so to speak, Sara and I have an announcement," he announced as the room suddenly went quiet, as did the Michaels family on the other end of the phone, and everyone looked at them expectantly. At that Mickey put his arm around Sara and said, "Sara and I are engaged."
At that the room erupted with excited exclamations of "Congratulations!" and applause. Laura felt tears spring to her eyes as she looked at her ‘little man’, all grown up and engaged to be married. "Oh that’s wonderful news!" she exclaimed happily as she hugged the happy couple and Remington did the same. "Congratulations son!" Remington said affectionately as he clapped him on the back, so proud of his & Laura’s son.
"So Michaels – looks like we’re going to be family eh?" Remington quipped with a grin to Murphy as he grabbed Sara’s phone. At that Murphy shook his head with a rueful smile. "I thought I told you to keep your son with his ‘Steele charm’ away from my daughter," Murphy laughed.
"Ah c’mon Murphy, can’t punish the lad for taking after his old man eh?" Remington quipped with a grin as he winked at Mickey.
"Well your boy did the right thing and asked me for her hand in marriage first so the least I could do was say yes," Murphy conceded with a smile.
After everyone had congratulated Mickey & Sara and they ended the call Remington opened a bottle of champagne so they could have a celebratory toast. As the adults toasted the happy couple Abigail came up to Olivia and said to her granddaughter, "You know Olivia dear with both your brothers settling down now, don’t you think it’s time you started looking for a husband?" giving her granddaughter a hard time just like she used to with Olivia’s mother. Overhearing her, Laura exclaimed in protest, "Mother! Don’t start hounding her like you used to do me!"
Olivia, however, having inherited some of her father’s diplomacy, wasn’t as concerned as her mother was. She gave her grandmother a smile and a peck on the cheek saying, "And when I find a man as good as Daddy I will Grandma," as she smiled at her father as well.
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The celebrations lasted well into the evening but eventually everyone headed home leaving Remington and Laura by themselves. "Oh the house seems so quiet now," Laura remarked as she sat down on the lounge next to her husband, exhausted after their busy day, but happy. "Indeed it does," Remington agreed as he stretched out next to her.
"That was some surprise Mickey & Sara had for us," Laura said with a smile as she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Hmm I’ll say. Now we know what he and our darling daughter were keeping from us," he said as Laura nodded. "Who would have thought it eh? Our son ending up with Murphy’s daughter," Remington added with a grin as Laura laughed, "Wait till I tell Bernice – she’s gonna flip."
"I must admit I am a little surprised at Mickey deciding to settle down at a relatively early age. I mean before he met Sara he was something of a ladies’ man," she added.
At that Remington gently turned her face to his. "He’s like his old man – he knew when he’d found the one," he murmured with a smile as he brought his lips to hers. When they finally drew apart they shared a loving smile. "Oh he certainly is like his old man – cheeky, charming, funny, and I must admit still has me wrapped around his little finger," Laura laughed.
Remington grinned at her as he tenderly brushed a stray hair off her face. "Well seeing as this ‘old man’ still has you wrapped around his little finger can I interest you in a ‘celebration’ of our own?" he suggested as he cocked an eyebrow at her. "Hmm depends – what exactly did you have in mind?" Laura replied with a dimpled grin. "Something like this," Remington stated as he kissed her in a way that left no doubt as to his intentions. "Oh I see – nice way to end off a perfect day. Merry Christmas Mr Steele," Laura murmured as she linked her arms around his neck.
"Merry Christmas indeed Mrs Steele," Remington quipped, his blue eyes twinkling at her, as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her upstairs…
The End