Page 21 of Her Christmas Lumberjack

“When you head back to Denver, I want to come with you,” I tell her.

She turns to me, looking dumbfounded. “You want to live in the city?”

“No. But I want to live with you.” I take her hand, squeezing it. “Wherever you’re going, that’s where I’m going, beautiful.”

Aurora looks at me with pure affection as she leans in to press a kiss on my cheek. “You don’t need to move to the city, Nolan. I’m quitting my job.”

It’s my turn to be dumbfounded. “What?”

“I don’t want to work for Liz anymore,” she says simply. “Her methods are…well, let’s just say they’re not for me.”

“So what do you want to do, sugar?”

“I want to go to law school.” She lets out a breath. “Denver Law. It’s a big step, but it’s what I’ve always wanted.”

Pride swells inside me. After everything that’s happened, I haven’t had much time to hear about Aurora’s job and what she loves most about it. But she’s smart and kind, and if she wants to be a lawyer, then I know she can do it.

“That’s awesome, Aurora. You’ll make a damn good lawyer. But if you’re going to law school in Denver, then I still want to?—”

She shakes her head, cutting me off with a smile. “It’s a part-time program. Mostly online, but with classroom teaching every other weekend. I’ll be able to find another job while I study, and I won’t need to live in the city anymore.”

I don’t miss a beat. “Then come live with me, sugar. Let me take care of you.”

She grins, her face glowing like a string of Christmas lights. “I’d love that more than anything. If you and Rudolph will have me…” She reaches out her hand and Rudolph gives her a lick of approval, making her giggle. “I guess that’s a yes.”

My heart leaps, and I pull her into my arms, showering her pretty face with kisses. I’m so happy that I can hardly fucking breathe. I came so close to losing everything, but instead, I gained the best thing of all. The woman of my dreams. My futurewife. She’s all mine, and soon, she’ll have a ring on her finger and a baby in her belly to prove it.

“I love you so much, Aurora,” I tell her, resting my forehead against hers, drinking her in.

“I love you too, Nolan.”

And as our lips meet in a fierce kiss, I know that this is the best Christmas ever.

EPILOGUE

AURORA

I joinmy husband on the couch, his arms looping around me as we watch our kids open their presents. It’s Christmas morning, and they’re both practically vibrating with excitement, tearing up the wrapping paper with savage delight.

“Cool!” Elijah cries, inspecting his new binoculars and instantly jamming them against his eyes, looking all around the room. “Woah, I can see you so close up!”

Millie sits cross-legged beside him, struggling with a piece of sticky tape. Elijah sets down his binoculars to help her, and she gasps with delight when she sees her present. It’s a kid-sized costume of Rapunzel from Tangled, Millie’s favorite movie.

“Can I wear it now?” she asks, eyes wide. “Please, please, pretty please?”

“Sure you can, sweetie,” Nolan says. “See if it fits, then I’ll cut the tags off.”

Millie puts on her dress, spinning around. “It fits! It fits!”

Rudolph plays with the torn up paper as the kids work through the rest of their presents, and their happy exclamations make me smile.

“Sounds like we did good this year,” Nolan whispers, kissing my cheek.

I melt against him, breathing in his familiar masculine scent. “I think you’re right.”

It’s been several Christmases since Nolan and I first met. We moved in together almost immediately, and although Liz wasn’t thrilled to hear I was quitting, she was grateful for my work on the Thorne case. Samuel dropped off the radar once Liz confronted him about the bogus will, and we haven’t heard from him since, which is just how I want to keep it.

With the help of the glowing references Liz gave me, I was accepted into law school and studied part-time while working as a legal assistant in the nearby town of Winterdale. It was a busy period, especially after the kids came along, but Nolan went above and beyond to support my dreams. He did so much for me, and finally, after four years, I graduated from Denver Law. Six months later, I passed the bar exam just like I always wanted. Now I have my own law practice in Cherry Hollow, working for myself and setting my own hours. I love my new small-town life, and living out in the woods is so peaceful after all those years in Denver. This place is my home now, and it truly feels like I belong here.

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