“You want to know what I’ve been thinking about?”
“Maybe?”
The corners of his mouth tipped up into a smile as he pulled me close, tilting my chin toward his face. “Babies.”
My jaw fell open.
He closed it with his leather glove and grinned. “Yeah, thought I might get that reaction.”
“But,” My eyes widened. “But you’ve been looking so sad and I just, I thought that it was because of Andi and I didn’t know how to fix it—”
“Your job isn’t to fix things, Val, it’s to be honest with me, to love me, punch me when I’m being a jackass — strip on command.” I punched him in the stomach. He winced. “Deal?”
“I always tell you when you’re being a jackass.”
“Believe me, I know. It’s a daily occurrence.”
“I just want to be a good wife.” I nodded seriously.
He laughed.
I loved his laugh.
It lit up my world.
“So babies, huh?” I licked my lips. “What about… babies.”
“They’re… irresistible.”
“Yeah.” I croaked.
“And for so long I rejected the idea of marriage, of kids, of bringing anything innocent into this life — and now…” He looked away. “Now I can’t imagine living without you — and I find myself imagining what it would be like to have a little girl who looks just like you,” My heart stopped, “And then I get filled with such violent rage at the idea of that little girl growing up and a jackass little shit trying to seduce her or even attempt to talk to her and then I mentally calculate how much it would cost to lock this imaginary little girl in a castle with guards at the door twenty four seven, and then I buy another gun… The process repeats—”
I slammed my mouth against his.
Sergio wrapped his arms around me, laughing through our kiss. “Does this mean I’m forgiven for acting distant this afternoon?”
I nodded, still kissing him.
“In fact,” I pulled away. “I think it would be… beneficial, to possibly practice having… that girl.”
“Or boy?” He whispered gruffly.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “But maybe not out in the snow.”
“Damn, where’s your sense of adventure?”
“Back at the house in front of the fire.”
“Only if I get to strip you in front of the fire. Lights on.”
“Lights off.”
“On.”
I glared.
He shrugged and waited.
“Will there be wine?”
“Do you know me at all?” He scowled. “The day there is no wine, is the day I ask you to shoot me.”
I smirked.
“Wow someone’s in a better mood.”
“You’re hard to read.” I slumped against him, my ear pressed against his chest.
“Which makes me hard to kill.”
“Thank God.” I whispered.
“Yeah, I do that often, but it’s never because I’m alive — it’s because I have you.”
Tears filled my eyes, I didn’t trust myself not to burst into tears and cry all over his expensive coat.
“Snow angels.” I blurted.
“Hmm?” He ran his hands down my back.
“I miss her too. I think it was jealousy speaking with a lot of sadness mixed in. Let’s make her snow angels so she can see us from Heaven.”
He sighed and then. “Alright, snow angels it is.”
We made our angels in silence.
And when we were done, we both looked up in time to see a shooting star.
Sergio smiled up at the sky, then focused his attention back to me, and twirled me, two times, before lifting me into the air and kissing me like he was saying goodbye.
It’s the only way he knew how to kiss.
When I asked him why he said, because every second is a gift, and I want to make sure that if anything ever happens to me, you know that I spent every moment I had — making sure that you would always remember the best of me, the best of us. That you would know without a doubt, you were loved, and loved well.
“I love you.” I whispered through my tears. “So much.”
“I love you, Val,” he kissed me roughly. “More than you will ever know.”
“Fireplace?”
“One more thing,” He dropped me to my feet and then knelt down and grabbed some snow.
“Sergio…” I backed up.
He stood, with a snowball in hand. “Better run little girl.”
“Not fair!” I stumbled backward. “You didn’t even give me a warning!”
“I’m warning you now.” He stalked toward me. “Run!”
I tripped over my feet in an effort to get back to the house and made it unscathed.
When I turned around Sergio was grinning from ear to ear.
“Hah! You missed me!”
He pulled me into his arms. “I wasn’t trying to hit you with a snowball, I just wanted to remind you, that no matter what — I will always chase you. Always.”
I gulped back the giant knot in my throat.
“Love of my life,” He kissed the tears running down my cheeks. “Savior.” His lips found my mouth. “Friend.” Another kiss. “Wife.” His hands found my stomach. “Future mother.” His kiss was like a drug, pulling more and more of my sanity away as I leaned into him. “Don’t you see, Val? You’re everything. My Christmas miracle… one I’ll never deserve, but be thankful for every day.”
The door swung open.
Tex was bleeding. Again. “Well, well, well,” He tipped back his wine glass. “Merry Christmas, hey, Serg? She show you her—”
Sergio launched himself at Tex before he could finish.
I groaned.
Yelling followed.
“Fight fair!” Tex yelled.
I joined the rest of the family in the living room. Thankfully the Christmas tree hadn’t been hit by their brawl.
Someone handed me a glass of wine.
“Merry Christmas,” Mo held a wine bottle to her lips and grinned.
We all made a toast while Frank chuckled next to the fire, then grabbed his gun and gave Tex a look that said, stop.
Tex did.
And Frank went back to his book.
“Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house,” Frank began in a loud voice. And slowly, one by one, we all sat next to him, on the floor. “Not a creature was stirring—” He glared at Tex, “Not even a mouse.”
“Hah, Tex is a mouse.” Chase teased.
Tex stood.
Mo pulled him down.
“Damn it let me read the story!” Frank yelled.
We let him finish.
And I ended up naked by the fire.
They may not be good.
But they were my family now.
Blood in.
No out.
RACHEL VAN DYKEN is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!
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Eagle Elite
Elite
Elect
Entice
Elicit
Bang Bang
Enchant
Enforce
Ember
Elude
Empire
The Bet Series
The Bet
The Wager
The Dare
Seaside Series
Tear
Pull
Shatter
Forever
Fall
Strung
Eternal
Seaside Pictures
Capture
Keep
Waltzing With The Wallflower
Waltzing with the Wallflower
Beguiling Bridget
Taming Wilde
London Fairy Tales
Whispered Music
The Wolf's Pursuit
When Ash Falls
Renwick House
The Ugly Duckling Debutante
The Seduction of Sebastian St. James
The Redemption of Lord Rawlings
An Unlikely Alliance
The Devil Duke Takes a Bride
Ruin Series
Ruin
Toxic
Fearless
Shame
The Consequence Series
The Consequence of Loving Colton
The Consequence of Revenge
The Consequence of Seduction
The Dark Ones Series
The Dark Ones
Untouchable Darkness
Dark Surrender
Wingmen Inc.
The Matchmaker’s Playbook
The Matchmaker’s Replacement
The Bachelors of Arizona
The Bachelor Auction
Other Titles
The Parting Gift
Compromising Kessen
Savage Winter
Divine Uprising
Every Girl Does It
RIP
www.rachelvandykenauthor.com