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“Well, we can certainly be friends.”
I shake my head. “I’m saying this all wrong. Jordan, I’ve fallen in love with you.”
Her eyes fill with tears. “You have?”
“Absolutely. I think I was in love with you the minute you bought me a stocking with my name on it.”
“I knew I could get you to like Christmas,” she whispers, making me grin.
“My life is complicated,” I continue and take her hand in mine. “I work out of London, and all over the world, really. And you’re in Montana. But I think we have options open to us. Whether that looks like you moving to London, or me taking on a permanent position here in Montana, we can make it work. Because I’m not ready for this to end. I can’t imagine my life without you, not now that I have you.”
She walks into my arms and holds me tightly, her face pressed to my chest.
“Is this a yes hug, or a goodbye hug?” I ask.
“I love you, too,” she says. “Even when you’re grumpy. I didn’t want to leave, but you haven’t said a word about anything permanent, and I’ll never be that girl who clings just because the sex is really good.”
“Let’s be honest, the sex is fucking phenomenal.”
She laughs and nods. “It really is. But that’s not a basis for a relationship.”
“You’re right.” I tip up her chin so I can look into her eyes. “But friendship is. Trust. Loyalty. And you have all of that in me. I want us to keep learning more about each other. I want to be with you, Jordan. Because the thought of being without you is pure torture. I’d rather get shot again.”
“That won’t be necessary.” She boosts up onto her toes and kisses my lips. “I’m yours, Nick. I’ve been yours for what seems like a long time. I was just looking for you.”
I wrap my arms around her and kiss her thoroughly, the way a woman should be kissed when she’s just confessed her love.
“So, what are we going to do?” I ask.
“Well, right now, you’re going to seduce me. And we’ll figure the rest out together.”
“I like the way you think.”
Epilogue
~Jordan~
One Year Later
* * *
It’s Christmas. My absolute favorite time of year. We’re back in Cunningham Falls for the holidays, and I admit, it’s good to be here. I love London, way more than I ever expected to, but Montana will always be home.
Whenever we come back to the States, Nick and I stay at Nina’s house. He didn’t give up his full-time position with the royal family. I couldn’t ask him to do that, especially considering that I didn’t have a job in Montana to tie us here.
I’ve been working with the royal medical staff and enjoying it very much. I’ve learned so much, and now that Ellie and Aspen are both pregnant, I’ll be their private nurse during their pregnancies.
I couldn’t be happier.
I’ve just hung our stockings on the mantel when Nick walks into the living room.
“Where did you find those?” he asks.
“I stored them at my mom’s in January before we left for London. Now, it’s tradition.”
He’s watching me with that intense gaze he gets that tells me something’s on his mind. It won’t work to try and pry it out of him.
He’ll tell me, eventually.
“Is everyone settled at the main house?”
“They are,” he says. “And now we’re all alone for the rest of the evening.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound bad at all.”
He sits in a chair and snatches me by the hips, tumbling me into his lap.
“Hello there.” I kiss his cheek. “You’re ridiculously handsome today.”
“I’m glad you think so.” His face is so serious, it makes me a little nervous.
Shit.
Is he about to break up with me?
“I need to talk to you about something.”
I swallow hard. “Okay.”
He takes my hand and laces our fingers together, then kisses each finger, one by one.
“Are you breaking up with me?” I blurt.
“What? No.” He chuckles and kisses my cheek. “If that were the case, you wouldn’t be nestled in my lap, sweetheart.”
“Okay. Continue.”
He drags his nose up my neck, sending shivers through me.
“Nick?”
“Hmm?”
“Talk.”
“Right.” He clears his throat. “I love you.”
It always catches me off guard, like a shot right to the heart, every time he says those three little words. Even after all this time.
“I love you, too.”
“I’ve wanted to do this for a while, but I thought it was best to wait until we were here, in this place.”
He stands and sets me on the chair, and then, to my utter shock, he lowers down to one knee.
“Holy shit.”
He takes my hand.
“Jordan, you are the love of my life. I enjoy you, trust you, and can’t wait to share every day with you, from today until the day I take my last breath. I need you by my side, always. Will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
