"What are you up to, Baker?"
I shake my head and try to look innocent. "I don't know what you’re talking about."
She looks at me with a raised eyebrow. "You know, I thought it was weird when you wanted to have a company Christmas party but you didn't want me to plan it."
I lift my shoulders in a shrug. "I know how busy you are—"
"And," she interrupts me, "this is not just the people from the company. This is everyone we know."
I raise my head to look as if I hadn't noticed. I see everyone standing around, some eating, some dancing. But she's right. Pretty much everyone we know is here.
I catch Trevor's eye and nod at him.
He walks toward me with a mic in his hand and gives it to me. Luckily, he doesn't ogle my wife again.
"Thank you, Trevor.'' Tara watches the exchange, and I grab her hand. “Come with me.”
She whispers loudly, "Now? We can't disappear now."
I stop at the front of the room and turn the microphone on.
I've never been a fan of public speaking, but it doesn't faze me tonight.
I thank everyone for coming and tell them how important each and every one of them are to us. And then I continue. I'm still holding the mic, but I turn to Tara.
"I love you, Tara. You and our kids have made me the happiest man ever. It was twenty years ago we got married. In these last 20 years, I've learned exactly what’s important, and that’s my relationship with you. I know I’m not always the most romantic or the most sentimental, but I couldn’t let another day go by without telling you—in front of family, friends, hell, everyone we know—that I love you more with every passing day.”
Speechless, she looks up at me with unshed tears. Her hand is rubbing across my belly. “I love you, too, Baker.”
Unable to take my eyes off her, I point to the crowd around us. “This is really our anniversary party, but I'm hoping that we can renew our vows.”
The pastor that married us all those years ago steps out from the crowd and stops next to us. Tara looks at him and then back at me, nodding her head.
Then again in front of everyone, we exchange our vows. It’s the easiest thing I’ve ever done because there’s no doubt that I’ll spend eternity loving Tara.
The ceremony is quick, and when it’s over, I grab the microphone. "Okay, everyone eat and be merry. I'm stealing my wife. We'll be back."
The crowd laughs as I practically drag Tara from the room.
"Baker, I can't believe you put all this together."
"Haven't you realized I'd do anything to make you happy?"
She shakes her head. "But I am happy."
I cup her face in my hands. "You wanted a Christmas wedding, but neither one of us wanted to wait until the next Christmas. This is my way of trying to make it right. I never want you to have any regrets."
"Regrets? Baker, that's crazy. I mean, tonight is perfect. And man, I love you so much for doing this, but I wouldn't change one thing about our wedding. All that mattered to me then and now is that you're mine."
I kiss her again, but it's not enough. "There's no doubt about that, Tara. I was yours the day you came to work for me."
I stroke my hand down her body and cup her breast. "I need you, honey."
She presses her body into mine. "I'm yours.”
I pull the hem of her dress up. “Damn straight you are.”
I take my time loving my wife. The party goes on in the other room, but the main event is happening right here.
Her Christmas Soldier
Chapter 1
Cassie
“How did I let you talk me into this?” I say into the car. I have my phone on Bluetooth, talking to my sister, Alison.
“Uh, because I wasn’t going to let you sit around here and mope, that’s why.” She snorts.
“I wasn’t moping,” I lie to her. Obviously I was moping. Actually I was downright about to go out of my mind.
“Cass, you know that you couldn’t have set here in our Christmassy filled house, opening Christmas gifts and making cookies knowing that Gavin was at his house alone. Let’s be honest. It didn’t take much pushing to get you to go there.”
She’s right. I know she’s right. I would have gone crazy knowing that Gavin Dawson was alone for Christmas. I pull to the side of the road when I get to his street. “I’m on his street,” I tell her, almost holding my breath.
She gasps, and I hear her clapping her hands together excitedly. “Oh, Cassie, this is so exciting!”
I just shake my head and roll my eyes. “Ya know, you are probably supposed to be talking me out of this, right? I’m going to a man’s house, one that I’ve never met and offering to stay a few days with him to bring him Christmas cheer. Like, any other sister would be dead set against this.”