She handed him the box.
Nick’s face fell. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.”
“Then, why are you giving it back?”
“So, you can put it on my finger, silly Santa.”
His smile stretched slowly. “Oh. Okay. In that case…” He got down on one knee. “Lily Lane, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Her heart fluttered in bliss like she’d never felt before, making the machine blip wildly. “Yes, Nicholas Knight. There’s nothing in the world I want more.”
He plucked the ring from the cushion, slipped it on her finger, and pressed his lips to her hand, sealing his proposal with a kiss.
“But after everything you gave me for Christmas, I have nothing to give you.” Then a big idea crossed her mind. “Well, maybe there’s one thing…”
He stared at her curiously confused. “What do you mean?”
She waggled her eyebrows at his baggy red pants and licked her lips. “Maybe I can, um, you know…kiss your candy cane?”
Nick laughed so hard he was nearly ho-ho-ho-ing. “Well, now look what you’ve done. You got Santa all ho-ho-hot and bothered. I like the way you think, but I say we save it for the ho-ho-honeymoon, Mrs. Claus. Or at least until you’re outta the ho-ho-hospital.”
Epilogue
One year later
Nick paced the hospital floor in a glorious haze, with a dumbstruck smile plastered to his face, more amped up than a kid on Christmas morning. He hadn’t felt this incredible since Valentine’s Day, standing beside Lily at the altar in town hall.
For a guy with next to no sleep for the past forty-eight hours, he was functioning fairly well.
As tired as he was, he couldn’t stop staring through the maternity ward window at the special delivery in the incubator marked with his last name.
On his second Christmas with Lily, they were blessed with the greatest gift she could ever give him—offspring.
Twins in fact.
A boy and a girl. A little early. But healthy, which was all that mattered.
The double dose of adorableness made his heart flutter every time he looked at them, still finding it hard to believe they were his. Theirs.
Born ten minutes to midnight on Christmas Eve, their son came first. They named him Nicholas after the proud papa, of course.
Shortly thereafter, in the wee hours of Christmas Morning, their daughter made her grand entrance. They called her Natalie for two reasons—she was born on Christmas Day and it had been Lily’s mother’s name.
As if the holidays weren’t hectic enough, they were in the process of rebuilding the house that had burnt to the ground. A new construction on the land that had once belonged to Lily’s parents made their home sweet home even more bittersweet and sentimental. She didn’t argue when he suggested they live in his camper until their house was ready. It might be a tight squeeze for a little while, but he could never be close enough when it came to her.
Funny how things worked out. For once, everything was perfect. His life. His babies. His marriage. But life was crazy like that sometimes. All of a sudden, before you know it, you’re living happily ever after.
A word about the author...
Debra is thrilled to be working with The Wild Rose Press on her first published novel—a sensual contemporary Christmas romance entitled
Sleeping With Santa.
Meshing her love of Christmastime-anytime with her appetite for steamy romances into one passionate package, she hopes you enjoy reading
Sleeping With Santa
as much as she enjoyed writing it.
Up next on her to-do list is drafting two more sensual Christmas romances, also set on Long Island, in the fictitious harbor town of Scenic View, New York.
You can find out more about Debra on her website at:
www.DebraDruzy.com.
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