Page 11 of Party Crasher
“Yes.” She nods hard, like she can’t get the word out fast enough. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Relief and exhilaration hit me in the same rush, and I’m on my feet, pulling her into my arms before the box even makes it back into my pocket. She’s laughing and crying all at once, and I’m kissing her everywhere I can reach her cheeks, her temple, her mouth. All the while, the ring burns in my palm, impatient to find its place.
I slip it onto her finger, my thumb brushing over her knuckles, and it’s like the whole room exhales. The fire seems warmer, the lights brighter, the air sweeter.
“I love you, Josie Maddox,” I whisper against her hair. “From the first second to the last.”
She tilts her head back, smiling through her tears, the glow of the Christmas lights turning her into something holy. “And I love you, Cade McAllister. Forever.”
Outside, the wind howls, rattling the cabin’s eaves, but in here, we’re wrapped in a world of gingerbread and garland and the kind of promise you only make once.
And when our lips meet again, it tastes like every Christmas treat I’ve ever wanted and every one still to come.
