Page 100 of The Hermit on the Hill

I stared, cold fear washing over me. Catrick's yellow eyes were fixed on us.

Sam turned to see what had stopped me and swore. "If he ate Fluffy, I'm going to—"

"Fluffy's too big," I said, willing it to be true. "If Catrick got her, he'd be dragging her off into the woods with him."

"Right." Sam swallowed hard. "Don't appreciate the visual, but you're right."

We hadn't seen Catrick around much since we'd brought Aidan home, and I wasn't sure how I felt about him still hanging out so close to the house.

"Get out of here!" Sam yelled, clapping and stomping his feet. "Go on. Git."

Catrick didn't move. He stared us down for a few more moments, then turned and strolled into the forest in no apparent hurry.

I pulled Sam inside. "Why don't we get you dressed? You can tell me all about your plan once you're warm."

"Not until I find Fluffy." Sam's teeth were chattering so hard, I could barely make out what he was saying.

Fluffy hopped around the corner toward us. He still had that ridiculous bow on his neck.

"Look. Fluffy's fine."

Sam pulled his hand free and, when I turned to see why, I found him on one knee, still naked. He called Fluffy, and the bunny hopped toward him about as fast as the turtle moved in that old story.

"He's fine. There's nothing to worry—" I stopped because I'd seen a flash of something bright and sparkly among the ribbons around Fluffy's neck.

I pressed a hand to my mouth, and tears sprang to my eyes. Of course, Sam and I had talked about marriage, but we'd had to figure out how to live together first. Then Aidan was born, and we got busier than either of us had ever been before. I figured we'd get around to it eventually and I'd never anticipated feeling like I did when Sam pulled that ring from among the ribbons and held it up to me.

The world tilted, my heart pounded hard, and tears sprang to my eyes.

"Baby," Sam said, his teeth still chattering. "This is nothing like what I'd planned, but it doesn't matter as long as the result is the same. You are an amazing mother to our son. Your capacity for love is beyond anything I could have ever imagined. Somehow, you give all of yourself not just to him, but to me. You even have love for Mistletoe and Fluffy. For a man who spent most of his life hating just about everyone in the world, you are a miracle. I wake up every day amazed that you are still by my side, loving me. What do you say about spending the rest of it loving me every day?"

"Yes. Of course I'll marry you."

He reached for my hand and slid the ring on. Taking no time to admire it, I grabbed his hand and yanked. I didn't move him, but he moved himself.

As he stood, I pulled off my shirt and sweater and reached behind me to unclasp my bra.

"Uh, not that I'm unhappy to see you getting naked, but what—"

"Aidan's asleep. If we're lucky, he'll stay that way for about forty more minutes."

Sam dove right into action. He scooped me up and raced for the stairs. "We are doing this in bed. I need to spread you out and love every inch of you for every one of these forty minutes."

"I love you," I said as he panted and ran up the stairs. "You are the best, most generous dad any son could ever wish for, and I love you so much. I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together."

"Me, either," he said.

He dropped me onto the bed, in one of the guest rooms since Aidan was sleeping in ours, and got to work getting me naked as fast as possible.

"I feel so lucky to have met you," I said. "Even if you did steal from me."

He paused and smirked. "I stole your heart with my amazing skills of seduction."

I rolled my eyes, but he kissed me before I could argue.

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