Kissing Under the Mistletoe - By Marina Adair Page 0,102

then looked down at Regan. “Ready?”

No, Regan wasn’t ready. She was still stuck on the “I love you.”

Holly pushed the pink nose on the Randolph imposter. But instead of a robotic voice wishing one and all a Merry Christmas, it was Gabe’s voice that came out.

“Marry me, Regan.”

Regan looked down and there around girly Randolph’s neck was a diamond ring attached to a big red bow. It was old and aged with memories, and she recognized it immediately.

Holly handed the ring to Gabe. He held it for a silent moment, his face vulnerable and unsure. He must have misread her face, because his went slack. “If you don’t want this one because of Richard, I can get you another one. It’s just that it was my mom’s and—”

“The ring is perfect.” She slid her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. No matter how much she loved him, how much she wanted to say yes, she couldn’t.

She felt Gabe tense, then he buried his face in her neck and whispered, “I sense a ‘but’ coming, Vixen.”

“I can’t.” Gabe froze at her confession. She loosened her hold, unwilling to let him see the emotion in her eyes, stared at his arms that were so strong she wanted to crawl right back into them. “I love you so much, but I just can’t. Your family—”

He cupped her cheeks and tilted her face up, and what she saw staring back made her breath catch. Gabe was looking down at her with so much intensity and love and heat that some of her doubts that stemmed from their past began to fade and give way to a few hopes for their future.

“You are my family,” he said fiercely. “You and Holly.”

Regan opened her mouth to point out that he also had a big bad Italian family who hated her, but before she could get a word out he leaned down and gently kissed her. “Last night you said it wasn’t enough,” he whispered against her lips. “You’re right. It wasn’t. Anything that doesn’t include dinner with you and Holly and waking up with you in my arms, every day, will never be enough. I love you, Regan. I don’t care where we live or who shows up to Christmas dinner, as long as I have you. You two are home to me, you’re my family. Please say you’ll let me be yours.”

Regan had received a Christmas miracle six years ago and promised herself that she would never forget what it felt like. So when the warmth spread through her body, surrounding her heart and filling her with joy, she closed her eyes and for the second time since she was seven she thanked Santa.

“Was that a yes?” ChiChi shouted from the back.

“I can’t hear a thing back here,” Pricilla harped.

“It’s cuz she stepped away from the mic,” Lucinda shouted.

“Well, I’m pretty close,” the mayor said, “and I’m not sure. She said she liked the ring and then started crying, so Gabriel kissed her and then she mumbled something about Santa.”

“So what is it, Mommy?” Holly asked.

“Yeah, Vixen, what is it?” Gabe asked, his voice low and rough. His arms tightened around her, one hand sinking dangerously low on her back, the other into her hair.

Regan looked at the two most important people in her world and understood that even though she and Holly made a perfect pair, with Gabe they were the perfect family.

“Yes,” Regan said, loud enough for even Perkins to hear. “Yes, I will marry you.”

“Thank God.” But instead of kissing her, like Regan had hoped, Gabe leaned down and picked Holly up. One arm tightly around Regan, the other holding Holly. “You gonna show her?”

“Show me what?” Regan asked, smiling at her giggling daughter.

Holly reached into the pocket of her Christmas dress and pulled out a cat collar. It was green with a little red bell and had a gold tag dangling from it. “Gabe said I could have a kitty of my very own. So I was hoping you’d say yes and marry him.”

“Hold it up higher,” he said as Holly raised the collar above her head. “A little to your left. Other left. There you go. Now read the tag.”

Collar directly overhead, Holly stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth and squinted at the name tag. “It says Mistletoe. Look, Mrs. Clauses, my new kitty is named Mistletoe.”

“Well, how about that? My favorite holiday plant,” Gabe said, setting down Holly, who took off toward