Page 96 of Puck Love

“Hey, popcorn’s ready,” Van says, carrying a bowl filled to the brim with fluffy whitegoodness.

“Great.”

“What are youdoing?”

I grin. “Lookin’ at my newtree.”

“Oh yeah? You likeit?”

“I love it. I love you.” The smile slips from my face, and I chew my bottom lip. I can’t believe I just said that. I wait for him to freak out, but he just laughs and sets the popcorn down on thetable.

“Iknow.”

I blink several times. “What do you mean, youknow?”

“Stella, baby, I know.” He wraps his arms around me from behind and squeezes me tightly. “Everyone but youknew.”

“Theydid?”

“Of course,” he adds with a smirk. “It’d be impossible not to fall in love withme.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’m betting I could fall out of love just as easily if you kept saying shit likethat.”

He picks me up, and I shriek as he deposits us on the fluffy couch. I sink into his warmth, and Van pulls the bowl of popcorn closer and rests it in my lap. He turns on the TV and a Country Christmas special that I filmed right after the CMAs is on. I never watch these specials back unless Lana forces me to, but when my face flashes up on my huge flat-screen, Van squeezes metightly.

“There’s mygirl.”

I lie back against his big body and sing along to the TV version of Stella Hart singing “I’ll be Home for Christmas,” and decide I finally got something right. I am home for Christmas. I’m right where I need to be, in Van Ross’sarms.

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