Page 24 of A Scoundrel Under the Mistletoe

“You’ve changed everything,” he confessed. “And I know it’s not been long, but it’s been long enough for me to know that without you by my side, my life would be lived in shadow.”

Her eyes burned with the emotion he wrought from her heart.

“Will you marry me, Joy?”

She realized then that while she’d hoped to spend the rest of her days—and nights—with him, she’d not thought about the need for marriage. She didn’t need the vows to confirm how she felt about him. But she now understood that was cheating him of what he deserved. He was such a good man, he deserved all of her. Her answer was easy. “Yes.”

It was a simple word, but it held the promise of a thousand tomorrows, a single syllable that bound their lives together with a strength no force could sever. She would be his wife, proudly, passionately.

Moses pulled her closer, sealing their pledge with a kiss that tasted of joy and the sweet spice of mincemeat pie, a kiss that spoke of shared Christmases yet to come. “You’ve made me the happiest of men,” he murmured against her lips.

“And you’ve given me a future I never dared to dream of,” Joy said.

As they lay there, she marveled at how a snowstorm could wreak such change in her life, leading her to this singular man. The man to whom she’d give her everything. Her Moses.