To be inside her.
To have her hold his heart.
“Are you going to open it?” he asked huskily.
“When did…when did you?”
“Boston.”
Her fingers slowly opened the small black box, and she stared down at the simple ring inside. A ring he knew was meant for her as soon as he had seen it. It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t over-the-top. It was elegant, classy and…
“Yes,” she said breathlessly.
Jake smiled. “I didn’t say anything.”
“I know,” she said and leaned forward, sliding her mouth across his so lightly it made him ache. “But my answer is yes.”
Jake’s heart felt as if it were going to beat out of his chest. He took the ring and slid it onto her finger, kissing her knuckles and pulling her into his embrace.
He glanced up at his parents—his mom who was slowly dabbing at the corners of her eyes and his father who was grinning from ear to ear—and he finally felt that he was home.
This woman he held had given him everything, and he was going to spend the rest of his life giving back to her.
“O Holy Night” piped through the stereo, while outside the early evening gloom couldn’t hide the brilliance of the snowflakes falling onto the lake.
Jake was happy. He was content. And he was finally home.
Pretty much the best Christmas ever.
Epilogue
New Year’s Eve…
The New Year’s Eve party at the Coach House was well under way when Jake and Raine arrived. Maggie and Cain followed them in, along with—surprisingly—Lily. Mac was nowhere to be seen, but then, he’d had a date with a girl from the city. And though he’d assured everyone that he would show up before midnight, Jake wasn’t holding his breath.
He guided Raine toward the table they’d reserved, in the back corner.
“Seriously? This is the best you could do?” Lily said drily as she took off her jacket and slid into the booth. She was wearing one of those slinky dresses that did everything to enhance her curves, its metallic shade of silver almost liquid-like. The woman looked as if she were dressed for a club in New York or LA, and with that megawatt little number barely covering her ass, she’d already drawn the eyes of most of the men in the bar.
Which was ironic, considering she didn’t like to be touched.
But she sure as hell loved to cause a scene.
Jake sighed and stared down at her. “Don’t start, St. Clare, you just got here. Which reminds me.” He pulled a bottle of pinot noir from inside his jacket and placed it in front of her. “Don’t let Sal catch you drinking from that, or our asses will be toast.”
Lily grabbed the bottle and made a face. “I won’t as long as you promise to find me something other than a plastic wineglass, because if you don’t, I’ll be forced to drink straight from the bottle.”
He glanced down at Raine, saw the amused smile, and reached down to kiss her before heading back to the bar with Cain. T
he women weren’t exactly buddies, but they shared a certain level of respect that hadn’t been there before.
The Coach House was near to bursting—not surprising, considering Cain had agreed to play a set with Shady Aces. The two of them made their way through the crowd, nodding and waving, and when they finally reached the bar, Cain cracked a grin.
“Man, it feels like every single person we know is here tonight.”
“That’s because every single person we know is here tonight, except Mac.” Jake grinned and ordered a round of beers, then paused and shot a look at Cain. “I don’t remember what Maggie drinks. Is she okay with beer, or would she like some of that cheap Cold Duck Sal keeps behind the bar?”
“Actually, she’ll be drinking water tonight.”