Red Hot Christmas (20 page)

She smiled up at him. “I owe you an apology.” Her smile slid away a little.

“Oh?” he leaned in to kiss her red lips softly. “Why?” He looked into her blue eyes and watched the bright lights reflect in them.

“I didn't know what you did. That Alien Engagement was yours.” She frowned as he chuckled.

“So you found out I don't play video games for a living, huh?” He kissed her lips again. “It doesn't matter.”

“Oh, but it does. I treated you like a man-boy and made fun of what you did for a living. For that, I'm sorry.”

He smiled down at her. “It doesn't matter,” he repeated. “What matters is that you're here with me. That even after thinking I was a man-boy,” he chuckled, “that you still took a chance to be with me. To be part of my family, as you called it.” He pulled her closer. “I wanted to give you a gift, later. But now seems like the perfect time.” He took a deep breath and pulled a small box from his pocket. Her face dropped and her hands dropped to her sides.

“Amber?” He knelt down right there in the middle of the new dance floor with the whole town of Pride looking on. “Will you do me the honor of moving in with me?” He opened the box and there was a silver key on a piece of tinsel in the box.

She laughed as he stood up, and then she hugged him. “Yes! Yes, I'll move in with you.”

He laughed and spun her around. When he set her back down she looked at the box. Then she frowned. “Actually, now that I think about it. No.” He sobered and his heart stopped. The music had stopped and now they had everyone in the restaurant's attention. “No, I won't move in with you.” She looked up into his eyes. “Not until you say that you'll marry me.”

He heard a few of his friends laugh. “She beat him to it,” someone said from the crowd.

He smiled, and this time when he got down on his knee, he presented a smaller box. “I was hoping to ask that question next.” He opened the lid to a beautiful silver ring with a simple cut diamond in the middle. It was an old-fashioned ring, but the sparkle of all the lights almost blinded her. “It was my grandmother’s.” He pulled the ring out of the box and slid it smoothly onto her finger. “Amber Kennedy, will you move in with me? Be my family? The mother to Jackie? And to some human babies maybe a few years down the road? Will you marry me?”

She smiled and nodded, then pulled him up and kissed him until the cheering around them slowed and then stopped.

Epilogue

Amber stood in the back yard watching Jackie play as the snow fell. She heard the back door open and close and felt Luke's arms come around her. She leaned back into his warmth and smiled.

“
Did we get everything?” he asked her.

“Yeah, that was the last of it. I can't believe it's all here.”

He chuckled. “It pays to know a basketball team of kids to help you move. Even if they did break your key bowl. Sorry about that,” he mumbled.

“That's okay. The one I bought you is big enough to hold both our keys.” She smiled.

“It was fate that you bought one big enough.” He kissed her hair.

“No, not really. I knew I would end up here, one way or another.” She turned into his arms. “Did you get everything moved into your new office, okay?”

She snuggled into his chest.

“
Yeah, our bedroom is now Modark and Korkin free.” He chuckled. “Plain old boring bedroom.”

“Well,” she said looking up at him, “we'll just have to make our own fun in there from now on.”

His eyes went to her lips, and he pulled her towards the door. “How about we get started on that right now?” She laughed as they rushed into the house and up the stairs together.

My Sweet Valentine

Sara Lauren was back in town. She had big plans for her inheritance. With her freshly printed business degree along with years of working in some of Seattle’s finest bakeries, she had a rich idea for Pride. Sara's Nook, was going to be the next biggest thing to hit town. All she needed was to steer clear of the hunkie ex-Navy SEAL who was hell bent on taking all her focus away from starting her own business.

Allen Masters had been living in Pride for over a year. Setting up a new branch of the coast guard and training all the new recruits took years of skill and patience. He hadn't counted on seeing the black-haired beauty that had come back into town. Taking one taste of her rich sweets, he knew he'd be in for a sinful time, and losing his focus while flying into the eye of a storm was the last thing he needed.

About the Author

Jill Sanders survived 80′s pop music, and life as an identical twin in a chaotic family of nine. A feat by any standard! She was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, relocating to Colorado for college and a successful IT career at IBM in Boulder.

Narrowly escaping before all creativity was squashed, she jumped at the chance to trade the mundane world of computers for the sexy, exciting world of her own imagination. She now lives in charming rural Texas writing wonderful novels such as the Pride series.

Her debut novel, Finding Pride, was shortlisted in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards 2013, and has since climbed to #1 on Amazon Bestsellers – Contemporary Romance & Romantic Suspense. Each Pride Series novel has spent time on bestseller lists for Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple. Watch out New York Times, here she comes!