Page 90 of Her Christmas Wish

But he’d awoken just after sunrise, fully conscious. Wholly aware.

And with solid purpose.

Waiting long enough for people to start to rise, one person in particular, he checked his email.

Clicked on the one from his Realtor. It had an attachment.

His accepted offer. The cottage was his.

And the timing was absolutely no mistake.

He felt no joy.

But satisfaction brewed a little deeper inside him.

One step in the plan done.

The plan—it was nothing he’d drawn up that morning. Or researched. He’d awoken with it fully formed.

Hands in his pockets, he made it to Sage’s door with his flip-flops filled with sand, and resolution in his soul. Uncaring that his hair had spent the night splayed on the beach. He hadn’t shaved or brushed his teeth.

He wasn’t there for kissing. Or courting.

Lifting his hand to knock, he stopped when he saw Sage step to the door, staring at him, her hand on the latch.

Calling something to someone behind her, he couldn’t make out what, she slid open the door, stepped outside and slid the glass closed.

“What are you doing here?” Her gaze swept him from head to toe. “Are you okay?”

He had no answer for the second question, but the first one fit his purpose just fine. He stared her straight in the eye. “I left here last night because I’d had a few beers and was in no state to discuss...the topic of discussion. I am present at the moment because I have now slept, am fully sober and expect it to be fully understood that I am not walking away from you. I made a promise not to do that again and I will keep that promise.”

Probably not the best syntax. Or delivery. He’d gotten it out there. The rest would have to do.

Eyes wide, Sage didn’t just stare at him. She studied him. He could see her pupils moving, taking in his face, down to his chest, and back up again. “Where did you sleep?”

“On the beach. At the cottage at the end of the road.” His cottage. “I got an email. My offer was accepted.”

She didn’t burst into smiles. Or show any pleasure at the revelation. She was frowning. Shaking her head. “You don’t have to do this, Gray. Seriously. I won’t think you’re walking away because I know that I have a special place in your heart, and you can’t leave that behind. You be you, and I’ll be me, and we’ll always be us.”

Yes. That. Exactly. He liked it. “You’re better at the words,” he acknowledged with a nod.

“I’ll be fine here,” she continued. “I have Scott, and Ocean Breeze, a great job and...exactly what I asked for—children to raise.”

Her chin trembled, giving her away. She had it all. Every bit of it. Except,we’ll always be us.

Trouble was, the two intelligent, professionally successful people they were, who’d created the lives they’d always wanted, had no idea how to be anus.

He knew one thing, though. “I’m going through with the sale. I want the cottage. I made a cash offer. It’s a lot, but not compared to what I made on the sale of my house.” She was privy to his current finances down to the dime.

Her frown was back. “Don’t do it for me.”

“I’m doing it for me,” he told her. Solid on that one. “And for us.”

She was pregnant.

He wasn’t yet allowing his mind to wander in that direction. Had been jumping away from it every time it hit. But he was aware.

Sage was pregnant and the child was his.