Page 80 of Yuletide Guard

She drew in a breath.

Her heart wanted to say yes, but her brain wanted to say it was too soon. They should date for a while first, make sure that they are compatible as a couple and not just as friends.

But this time last year she had taken a leap of faith when she’d realized that she had feelings for Michael and decided todo something about it. And when Michael had left, she had promised herself that she would live for the future from that day forward.

All her life she had dreamed about someone like Michael, someone who loved her, someone who thought she was special, someone she could trust.

She knew he was all those things.

“Okay,” she said with a shaky nod.

“Okay?” Michael echoed like he hardly dared to believe it.

“Okay,” she repeated, calmer this time, whether it was too soon or not this was the right decision for them.

“Okay.” Michael wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her feet off the floor, spinning them both around and around the room until she was dizzy. Finally, he set her down on her feet and dropped to his knees again, taking her left hand and sliding the ring onto her finger. “I bought this Christmas Day last year, on my way to rehab. I’ve prayed every day since that when I gave it to you, you would say yes, that you could forgive me for walking out on you like so many other people had.”

Samara dropped to her knees and cupped his cheeks in her hands. “I could never be angry with you for wanting to get your drinking under control. Do I wish you had given me the chance to help you on your journey? Yes. But last Christmas I promised myself that the past was staying in the past. And it is. You and I, we’re the future. The past will always be there, I won't ever forget what happened to me, and I don’t want you ever to forget your little girl, we’ll celebrate Heidi every day, but if two people ever deserved some happiness, I think it’s us.”

“We’ve done the bad in life. From here on out it’s going to be all sunshine and rainbows and unicorns.”

“Unicorns, huh?”

“It could be.” He laughed. “If we have a little girl this place will no doubt be brimming with unicorn stuff.”

She laughed too. That sounded so perfect. Little boy or little girl, she didn't care what she and Michael had. She just wanted to have something that was half her and half him, someone who was a living, breathing symbol of their love.

“I love you so much,” she told Michael. She’d already told him that, but she loved the way the words sound and couldn’t get enough of saying them.

“I love you, too.”

Samara kissed him, and since they were both still naked, she reached down to curl a hand around him. He responded instantly.

“Ready to go again, huh? Bet you're glad I said we should leave the cleaning up until later,” he said smugly.

“You don’t have to brag.” She giggled, squeezing him and feeling a little smug herself at the subsequent groan that tumbled from his lips.

“Merry Christmas, Samara,” Michael said as he laid her down and balanced his weight on his elbows above her.

“It really is. For the first time ever, itisa merry Christmas, and that’s all because of you.”

Making love to her fiancé in the early hours of Christmas morning, what could be a better way to celebrate her newfound love of Christmas, and the start of the rest of their lives?

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