Page 49 of Special Delivery Cowboy
"Well, you did mention something earlier about borrowing my hat. For reasons."
Heat rushed through me. "I did say that, didn't I?"
"You did." He held out his hand, pulling me to my feet. "And I'm very interested in exploring these reasons."
"Upstairs?"
"Definitely upstairs."
We got Twinkle settled in her bed by the fireplace and headed upstairs, TJ's hand laced with mine the whole way, like he couldn't bear to let go.
In our room, he pulled me close, hands settling at my waist. The bedside lamp cast soft light across his face, highlighting the angles I'd memorized over a year of weekends and dinners and ordinary moments that had somehow become extraordinary.
"Hi," I said.
"Hi yourself." He smiled. "How're you feeling?"
"Happy. Excited. A little overwhelmed." I looked down at the ring again. "Still half-convinced I'm dreaming."
"Not a dream." He brought my hand to his lips, kissing just above the ring. "Tomorrow you'll wake up and I'll still be here, and you'll still be wearing my ring, and we'll still be planning a wedding."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
I kissed him—deep and slow. Love and gratitude and hope and the gut-level certainty that this man was my person. My partner. My home.
When we finally broke apart, both breathless, he touched his forehead to mine.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"For what?"
"For getting lost in that storm. For knocking on my door. For being stubborn enough to keep calling me even when I was scared this couldn't work." I touched his face. "For loving me exactly as I am."
He pulled me tighter against him. "Always, darlin'. Always."
Outside, snow began falling again—soft flakes drifting past the window, coating the ranch in fresh white. Inside, we had each other, and the warmth of this house, and the promise of forever stretching ahead of us.
A year ago, I'd thought my life was ending. Turned out it was just beginning.
Thank god I'd opened that door.
"Merry Christmas, TJ," I said against his lips.
"Merry Christmas, ma'am." He smiled. "Best one yet."
"Best one yet," I agreed.
But something told me we had a lot more Christmas miracles ahead of us. And I couldn't wait for every single one.
