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“My promise to you, and Colin, to take care of responsibilities together.” He glanced at the llama. “No matter how weird they are.”

“That is averysymbolic llama.”

“I’ll admit, I looked for a dog first.”

“It’s a default, symbolic llama then.”

“I suppose. Doesn’t matter though. You know why?”

She shook her head.

“I love you. I want to build a life with you. All the things I said I didn’t want are what I want more than anything. I’ve been too afraid of that for so long, and then you came along, and it was suddenly real. The truest, most beautiful thing I’d ever wanted. I’m not very good at the words—”

“Those’ll do,” she whispered, moving onto her toes to press her mouth to his. “Come inside.” She sighed and looked over his shoulder at the back seat. “Both of you, come inside. Colin is going to flip.”

“I was told a name change wouldn’t confuse him, if he wants to change it,” Gabe said, picking the llama up out of the back seat and then setting him down on the snowy ground.

He made a little noise, too cute for words, and then pranced a bit through the snow.

“Oh, no, he’s Macaroni. There’s no doubt about that.” And there wasn’t any doubt aboutthis. She walked to the door, pushing it open.

The llama did another little, weird prance and noise, and then happily ran for the door. Gabe followed, perfectly silhouetted by Christmas lights. Tall and strong and hers, really hers. She glanced at Colin, who’d fallen to the floor, mouth dropped open in awe as the llama edged toward him.

Gabe stepped up to the threshold and grinned down at her. “Merry Christmas,” he murmured.

“You know you can’t be a grinch anymore, right?”

“Of course I can.”

She shook her head, grinning up at him. “No, Christmas Eve is officially our official moment. You made Christmas promises, Gabe.” She tapped her fingers to his chest right above his heart. “I’m afraid your hearthasgrown three sizes.”

He grunted. “Maybe two.”

Since Colin was busy exclaiming over the llama, she reached up, pulling Gabe’s mouth to hers. But she didn’t kiss him. Instead, she looked right at him and grinned. “I’ll make it three.”

A promise she didn’t intend to break.

Chapter 26

Gabe awoke wrapped up in a tangle of sheets. Santa grinned lasciviously from the pillowcase his face was shoved into. He rolled over to glare at the cause of these hideous, nightmare-inducing sheets.

She was still fast asleep, blond hair tangled around her face. She’d been exhausted already, then they’d been up late putting presents under the tree and deciding where on earth a llama was going to sleep in an already tiny cabin. They’d talked, too. She’d told him about her visit. He’d told her more about his conversation with Alex and Jack.

It was hard to believe, here in the morning light, it had all just worked out. There she was, in the bed next to him. That they loved each other and were going to make things work. Permanently.

He felt more than heard a presence and maneuvered up to his elbows. Colin was standing at the tree, the llama standing next to him, both staring at him with matching inscrutable gazes.

“Ah. Merry Christmas,” he whispered.

Colin’s eyes moved from Monica’s sleeping form, then back to Gabe himself.

He and Monica had started broaching the topic of how they were going to explain things to Colin in the morning, but he didn’t remember what they’d decided. It was possible they’d both fallen asleep before deciding anything.

They hadnothad sex, though Gabe probably shouldn’t explain that to a ten-year-old. Did ten-year-olds know adults had sex? He grimaced a little. He hadn’t expected this responsibility to fall to him, but it wasn’t one he was going to abandon.

Carefully, he slid out of the bed.

“Let’s take Macaroni out, yeah?”