Page 31 of Mountain Man in my Stockings
Eve's eyes filled with tears.
"If it's not too late,” I said, setting the stocking aside and taking her hands in mine, “you’re the person I want to wake upto on Christmas morning. And if I'm really lucky, every morning after that."
A tear spilled down her cheek.
"I know it's fast. I know it's crazy. I know you have every reason to doubt this." I squeezed her hands. "But I'm not asking for forever tonight. I'm just asking for a chance. To see where this goes. To give us a shot."
Surprised murmurs rippled through the crowd, but I didn't care about anything except the woman in front of me.
"So I'm asking you, Eve Cameron—will you make my Christmas wish come true?"
She stared at me, tears streaming freely now. The entire place held its breath.
"I wrote a wish too," she whispered. "At that Santa booth."
"What was it?"
"To believe in miracles again." She laughed through her tears. "I thought I meant some generic holiday magic. But I meant this. You. Us."
Relief washed through me, nearly buckling my knees.
"I'm terrified," she said. "This is the fastest I've ever fallen for someone. The most honest thing I've ever felt. And that scares me."
"Me too."
"But I'm tired of running from the truth. Tired of faking a life instead of living one." She stood, her hands framing my face. "So yes. Yes to Christmas. Yes to giving this a chance. Yes to the hope of us."
I kissed her before she finished the sentence, kissed her like she was oxygen and I'd been drowning. She kissed me back with the same intensity, her fingers threading through my hair, her body pressed against mine.
The bar erupted. Cheers and applause and whistles filled the air. I spotted Mabel dabbing at her eyes with the edge of hersleeve, and even Harvey looked misty. Someone started a chant of "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" even though we already were.
When we finally broke apart, both breathing hard, I rested my forehead against hers. "Merry Christmas, Eve."
"Merry Christmas, Deacon."
Mabel's voice boomed across the bar. "Well, I'd say that dare's completed!"
Everyone laughed and raised their glasses. The music swelled again, and couples returned to dancing, but I couldn't look away from the miracle in my arms.
"Dance with me?" I asked.
She nodded, and I led her to the floor as "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" played. We swayed together, and the crowd seemed to disappear—just her in my arms, right where she belonged.
"What happens now?" she murmured against my chest.
"Now we take it one day at a time." I kissed the top of her head. "Starting with tonight."
She looked up, heat in her eyes. "I'd like that."
"Good." I let my hand slide lower on her back. "Because I've been thinking about getting you out of those stockings all night."
Her laughter was wicked. "You're terrible."
"And you love it."
"Maybe I do."
WE BARELY MADE IT THROUGHher cabin door before my mouth was on hers. She tasted like wine and promise, and I couldn't get enough.
