Page 126 of Babies for the Christmas Grump

He just shrugs causally, but his eyes tell me it was a big deal. He’s not fooling anyone.

“It was Nolan who called in the police—I didn’t do it alone. And besides,” he says, “I meant it. I’ll fight for this place. For you. Always.”

And just like that, my heart does a little somersault. This guy, with his complicated, brooding exterior, has been nothing but a rock for me when I’ve needed it the most.

Then, out of nowhere, Ryder does something that completely throws me. He steps a little closer, and his hand reaches for mine.

He’s asking if it’s okay, he’s not sure what I’ll say. His fingers brush against mine, tentative and almost shy.

“Dance with me?”

I don’t even think about it. I just take his hand. He pulls me toward the dance floor, and the second we step into the soft glow of the Christmas lights, everything fades away.

The noise. The chaos. Even the anxiety that’s been gnawing at me all night.

It’s just us.

Ryder’s hand rests on my waist, his other holding mine, and we start moving slowly, together.

It’s nothing fancy. There are no complicated moves, no twirls. It’s just a simple rhythm. Like we’ve been dancing together for years, and it’s always been this way.

I don’t know how long we stay like that, but time slows down, and I forget about everything except the way his hand feels on my waist, the way his body moves with mine.

“I’m sorry,” Ryder finally says. “For how I reacted when you told me about the pregnancy. I was shocked. I was scared. But I… I was a jerk. You didn’t deserve that.”

I blink up at him, surprised. I wasn’t expecting an apology. I thought we were … going to pretend everything was fine, but here he is, laying it all out there.

“It’s okay,” I say softly, resting my head on his chest. “I didn’t know what to do either.”

But then I feel him pull me just a little closer, his arms tightening around me.

His voice is barely audible as he whispers, “I want this. I want us. I want a family. Our family.”

My heart skips a beat, and I pull back just enough to look up at him. His face is so serious, so sincere, and I can tell he’s not joking. He’s not playing around. This is real.

“I…” I swallow hard. “I want that, too.”

I’ve been holding that in for too long, but now it’s out there, and it feels like a weight’s been lifted off my chest.

Ryder smiles then, the kind of smile that’s slow and warm and makes my heart flutter. Without another word, he leans in and presses his lips to mine in front of everyone.

At first, it’s gentle, asking for permission. And I give it to him, of course. I kiss him back, pulling him closer, and for a second, everything disappears.

It’s just us.

I think I might be floating.

Like, there’s no way this is real.

The gala is finally wrapping up, the last of the guests wandering out with big grins on their faces. The whole night has been a dream.

Or a nightmare. I’m not sure which yet.

But here we are, standing at the tail end of a major drama, and I can’t seem to shake this weird sense of calm that’s creeping over me.

Ryder’s still holding my hand. I don’t know when he grabbed it, but I don’t want him to let go, not yet.

We’ve been walking through this hotel in our own little bubble, everyone else a blurry backdrop to whatever’s happening between us.