Page 47 of Miss Christmas

“Madly in love,” he whispered close to her ear. She was back to sizzling, but this was the kind that reached down into her core, the kind that melted her panties. Stop it, Scarlet. You need to go one evening in Will’s company without losing control. That couldn’t be Tiffany talking and she decided it must be her mother. Who would be here later. That thought cooled her off enough to speak.

“Wildly, beyond all imagination in love,” she said.

“I’m glad you agree.”. He took one hand from around her and reached into his pocket and, as he pulled something out, even before he opened his fist, her heart pounded so loud and fast the sound drowned out everything else in the room.

He dropped to one knee.

“Will you marry me, Scarlet? Will you wear this ring?” He opened his fingers to reveal a large, elegant, square diamond in a filigree setting with blue and green stones around it. The buzzing in her head started when she tried to process the implications. Marry Will? Wear what could only be a family heirloom ring? It all meant so much.

She was horrified and excited.

Then the room burst to life around her and she wasn’t sure if it was her ears suddenly working again or that the family had all just realized that Will had proposed marriage to her and was now slipping the engagement ring on her finger.

And she hadn’t said yes.

“How dare you?” It was her first thought, or the first thought she gave voice to.

That startled the room into quiet, then it erupted again into a chaotic whoosh of every imaginable response from indignation to surprise to laughter from the children.

She threw her hands over her mouth as she stared at him. He stared back. The startle in his eyes flashed and faded and he remained, undaunted, with the questioning look.

“You,” she licked her lips, “you didn’t wait for my answer.” She held up her finger with the ring on it accusingly.

He waited. She waited. And then she realized he might not ask again, so she rushed to tell him.

“Yes. The answer is yes. I will marry you.”

“You’re sure?” he said. She wasn’t sure if he was serious, whether he thought she might not be.

“I always was a risk-taker. I’ll do it.” She shook his shoulders. “But how could you do this to me? Make a spectacle of our special moment?” She swept her hand across the room, acknowledging the family members surrounding them, some she knew, many she’d never met. They all wore goofy smiles, some snickered openly, some turned away to hide their laughter. None of them were shocked or displeased. It was like they were watching a performance when suddenly she wanted to be real. Tears formed no matter how she squeezed them back to save her makeup.

“Because you’re a diva.” He pulled her close while she cried and hugged him fiercely. She was upset and happy and overwhelmed with love for this man who made her whole like she hadn’t felt since she’d lost her sister. “I wish Mom was here,” she whispered between sobs.

“She’ll be here later, won’t she? I should have waited—I’m so sorry, Scarlet.” He held the back of her head, stroking her hair, letting her cry and carry on even as George and Margo came to congratulate them and join in the hugging.

“We can have your mother stay here at my grandmother’s.”

“No, I have her staying at a nice hotel that I paid for myself.” She lifted her head and swiped tears from her cheeks, hoping to hell her waterproof mascara would hold up for once.

“You should stay with me. You’ll be closer to your mother’s hotel that way.”

“To hell with being close to my mother. I’ll stay with you so I can be close to you.”

“That’s the spirit. Soon you’ll be staying with me every night.” He leaned in and whispered, “Forever.”

She shivered with pleasure, excitement, and delicious anxious anticipation. Forever sounded pretty good to her.

The End

Dear Reader,

I hope you enjoyed Scarlet and Will’s story. It’s just the beginning for them. I plan to continue their story—for at least one more book. If you’d like to hear about the next one,

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