“Oh, yes, I’m sure,” she assured. “It’s all clean and changed thanks to Della.”
Sliding in beside her, Cyrus chuckled, “Oh, my love, I wasn’t worried about the mess. I just didn’t want to cause you anymore pain.”
“Oh, hush,” she teased. “I’m fine.” Gaze going to her beautiful daughter, a head full of chestnut curls, a perfect button nose, and eyes the deep brown of her daddy’s, she beamed, “Between Joy and Della, I am already healing.” Then, looking back to Cyrus, she said, “Now, let’s feed this hungry girl– together. I want to do everything we can together as a family.”
“Hell, yes,” Cyrus quietly whooped. “And that includes opening presents on Christmas Day.”
“You didn’t?”
“Oh, my love, I did.” Silently laughing, his shoulders bouncing against hers, he added, “It is done– including this.”
Pulling out a black velvet box, he opened the lid and took out the most gorgeous princess cut diamond surrounded by rubies that she had ever seen. Stunned, Vanessa could do nothing as Cyrus placed the platinum band on her ring finger and said, “To my girls, to forever, to making me the happiest man in the whole wide world.”
Finally regained her senses, Vanessa giggled like a schoolgirl as she looked from the man she loved with all heart and soul to her daughter who held both their hearts and souls in the palm of her tiny little hands, all the Polar Bear Princess could say was, “To our family, those right in this room and those all over the world, Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years. May our Joy also be yours.”
“Amen,” Cy seconded. Then, laying his lips to hers, he whispered directly into her mind as they kissed, “Does this mean you’ll marry me?”
“Of course, you’re never gettin’ rid of me now.”
“Oh, thank the Heavens!”He mentally cheered, deepening their kiss for just a moment before baby Joy cried out, letting them know she was hungry.
Ending their kiss, Vanessa instantly burst out laughing when Cyrus happily cheered, “That’s right, little girl, you’re stuck with us forever.”
And with that, a beautiful sheen of sparkling red Dragon scales lay over them like a blanket, and as Vanessa looked closer, she saw tufts of baby Polar Bear fur between every scale. Unable and unwilling to stop smiling, knowing that her world was complete in every way possible, she lifted her breast to her baby, slightly gasped when Joy latched on, then settled into the cradle of Cyrus’s arms.
Looking around the room bathed in candlelight and red Dragon scales, the Polar Bear Princess let her eyes slide close, and whispered directly into the mind of her Mate,“Merry Christmas, Dragon Man.”
“Merry Christmas, mo Bhana-Phrionnsa Phathain. I love you forever and always.”
“Forever and always…”
Until we meet again…
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
May the Joy of the Holidays be with you all year–
And if you’re up for babysittin’, just holler.
XOXO, Vanessa
EPILOGUE
“Have you heard anything from Carrick or Ruairí?”
“Not a word,” he quickly answered, moving Joy from one arm to the other, then grabbing his coffee mug.
“You should have gone with them,” Vanessa said, for what seemed like the hundredth time. “We would’ve…”
“No. I’m not going anywhere until the Blackwood Sisters are found, even Angelica.” Holding up his hand just when Vanessa was about to speak, he kept going. “I know she helped you, but blood is thicker than water, and…”
“And she wasn’t with the Angeline and Angelique when they ran off with all the others. I still think…”
“You still think that we should find her, take her in, and help her.”
“Yes.” She nodded even though her back was turned while she finished making breakfast before they had to go to Christmas Dinner with the Ryder Pounce at the Grand Hall. “And I also think you should’ve gone with Carrick and Ruairí to look for their brother.”
“No.”
