Page 108 of Seein’ Red

Either way, there’s only one answer.

“Then what are you waiting for?”

EPILOGUE

NASH

Christmas

I stir, my legs tangled in the mess of covers I kicked off in my sleep. Righting myself and the blankets, I stretch, opening my eyes just enough to see that it’s still dark out. Good. That means there’s still plenty of time before I need to be up and functional.

Which means plenty of time to snuggle with my girl.

I roll over, reaching out for the blonde beauty next to me, ready to pull her in and keep her as close as I can until she complains that she’s overheating. Given how chilly it’s been so far this winter, that should mean until our alarm goes off.

Except, she’s not there.

My hand lands on cool sheets, still slightly indented from where she should be. I move my hand, patting the bed up and down her side, as if she’d shrunk and I’d find her lost among the bedding.

I sit up, my heart jumping, looking over at the empty bed. Where could she have gone?

Grabbing my phone off the nightstand, I glance at the time. It’s not even six yet. Willa is never up this early unless she has to be. And it’s Christmas—she most certainly does not have to be. We don’t have to be over at my parents’ for breakfast for a couple of hours, before heading to Dustin and Kenzie’s. And we celebrated with the Hayeses last night.

And then celebrated by ourselves after we got back home.

Twice.

Which is all the more reason Willa should still be asleep. That many orgasms would wear anyone out.

Tossing my phone back onto the nightstand, I listen closely, trying to see if maybe she just ran to the bathroom. I’m greeted with pure silence though. Which is a tad unnerving. Something is up.

I tumble out of bed, stretching as I walk into the living room of Willa’s—no, our—apartment. I officially moved in over Memorial Day. I missed too many nights falling asleep with Willa in my arms, and I was not going to let any more slip away. We have a lot of time to make up for.

We might have forever to go, but sometimes that doesn’t seem long enough.

The bright lights of the Christmas tree greet me, lighting up the darkness with a soft, almost magical glow. The Keller Nursery tree is filled with a mix of ornaments—some generic, but mostly ones that Willa and I both have individually collected over a lifetime. Including the matching snowmen we made sitting next to each other in fourth grade art class. The whole scene is beautiful, like something out of a catalog.

Almost as beautiful as the woman sitting under the tree.

I stop, sucking in a breath as I take in Willa. Wrapped up in a fuzzy Rudolph blanket, she looks like an angel. An angel who I know is wearing nothing but an oversized T-shirt that reads, “I’m so good Santa came twice”—a fact that makes me smile so big that I can’t begin to hide it. Not that I want to. Because that angel—the one with her messy hair and a pimple patch on her chin—is everything I could ever want. For forever.

How convenient that Santa already put her under the tree for me.

“Whatcha doin’, beautiful?” I ask, padding toward her.

Willa startles, the blanket slipping over her shoulder as she gasps, turning to face me. Backlit from the tree, she’s even more ethereal than before.

Damn, I’m a lucky man…

“Did I wake you? I’m sorry…I couldn’t sleep,” she answers, voice just above a whisper.

“Why couldn’t you sleep?”

I lower myself to the ground, sliding up behind her. Willa sighs as I pull her into me and wrap myself around her. The soft coos and her sweet smell make my heart race, so I tighten my arms around her, wanting her to know that I’ve got her.

“I was thinking…”

“’Bout?”