A blast of warm air greeted them as they walked in the side door. Kicking off their boots and hanging up the coats, scarves and hats, they made their way to the fireplace.

“Crazy weather, huh?”

Joaquin rolled his shoulders and sliced his gaze to her. “Have we already come to this: Boring weather talk?”

“Yeah, cause it snows all of the time in eastern North Carolina.”

“Maybe the Hollands put a spell on the weather,” he said with a grin.

“Maybe one Holland in particular is finally going to get her happily ever after for Christmas.” Sage sighed and held out her hands, wiggling them. “Rose certainly deserves it, after all the trouble she goes to helping everyone else.”

“Who’s the lucky guy?”

“Not anyone you would know.” Sage grinned at him. “He’s hot, charming, blonde, and has an English accent. Something every American girl loves.”

“It’s a good thing that you like tall, dark and Cuban then,” his voice deepened as he turned her to face him, his hands on her hips. “And I know what my Southern accent does for you.”

Lifting her chin, she stood on her toes. “Don’t be jealous.”

His hands moved up her body, following the curves of her waist to cup her breasts, thumbs rubbing the tips of her them through her shirt until her nipples tightened. “Show me why I shouldn’t be.”

Taking one of his hands, she led him to the chair by the window. She slid off her glasses and placed it on the windowsill. “Take off your clothes.”

“Giving orders to a Lieutenant in the Army, Mrs. Morales?”

“Former Lieutenant, Mr. Morales. Now strip.”

“Yes ma’am.” Grinning big, he took of his pants, socks, and blue thermal shirt.

“Where’s my salute?” she asked before pulling her sweater over her head. Her jeans and panties hit the floor next.

He nodded at his erection. “I’m standing at attention right now.”

As she bent down to tug off her non-cooperating socks, she nipped the head and stood up. “That you are.”

Suddenly, Joaquin whirled her around and bent her over the side of the chair. “I know you were trying to teach me something, but I’m no good at learning when all I can see is naked breasts.” He parted her, finding her shamelessly wet. “So I’ll show you why some pansy-ass foreigner will never be a threat to me.”

He drove into her with a hard thrust, his hands coming around to massage her breasts and tease her nipples. She gasped and shoved back against him, wanting him deeper. Wanting him to never leave her again.

She moaned her approval of his methods.

“I can’t believe you’re letting do this, right here in front of the window where anyone could see you.” He kissed her back and bit her shoulder.

“There aren’t…many people on the road…today.”

“Then who’s that coming up your driveway?”

She heard the unmistakable and slightly muted sound of a car engine and tires crunching gravel.“What?” She tried to rise, but he placed a large hand on back and pushed her down, then smacked her butt. She shot him a dirty look over her shoulder.

“Ah, ah, ah. You wanted to make me jealous. Mission accomplished, baby.”

Closing her eyes, she felt her cheeks flush. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry. Can we stop?” Yet even as she said those words, she arched her hips to take him deeper.

“You don’t want to stop, baby.” He slid halfway out of her and coasted a hand around her thigh, finding her swollen clit. Brushing it lightly, he resumed his pace, keeping her on edge. A knock sounded on the door. “Should I tell them to come in?”

“No!”

“Are your eyes closed?”

“Yes.” She had squeezed them shut at the first knock.

“Good.” He lifted her to a semi-standing position, his forearm across her chest, the pace of his thrusts maddeningly slow and steady.

Another knock on the door had her face heating.

“Now that’s what I call persistent.” Once more, Joaquin teased her swollen flesh and she moaned.

“Peeking in your windows is going to give Hank Cutter quite a show.” He nibbled on her ear and adjusted her position. Sunlight hit her eyelids and she knew they were in full view of the bay window. “He’s watching us now. Watching me touch your breasts and between your thighs.” Joaquin’s hands roamed her body doing everything he described to her in detail. “Jesus, Sage, you just got wetter. Put one of your arms around my neck.”

Lifting an arm, she placed them behind his neck and he gripped her hips. “Oh God.”

“Touch yourself. Show me…him, how beautiful you are when you come.” Of its own accord, her free hand slipped down to do just that. “Oh fuck…Sage,” he groaned as she orgasmed. As she shook and cried out her release.

He pushed her down and over the side of the chair again, pounding into her so hard that she gripped the other side and chanted his name. One last hard thrust and he cursed in English and Spanish, then rested on top of her. Their skin was slick between them. Against her back she could feel his heart beat in time with hers.

“You okay?”

“Yes.”

“Good. All’s clear now.”

Her eyes flew open as she stood. Joaquin slid her glasses into place and stepped back. She gasped. There was no one at the window or even a car in her driveway. Mouth gaping and heart beating frantically she said, “I thought—”

“He knocked on the door and took off.”

“Why you—”

A wicked grin kicked up the corners of his sexy mouth. “Do you really think I’d let anyone watch us? Especially that horn-dog Hank Cutter. Back in the day, he couldn’t stop talking about you in the locker room. Dumbass tried to tell everyone you’d been screwing him in his brand new truck. He hasn’t changed one bit. According to Roberto, Hank’s been going around and saying that y’all are becoming…how did he put it—oh yeah, reacquainted.”

“Seriously?” This was the man her mother had been trying to push on her and their family business? “I guess you found out the truth when we had sex the first time. Although now you’ll just have to take my word that Hank and I haven’t been getting reacquainted.”

“And I guess Hank couldn’t see out of one eye for days after he said that shit in high school. Coach hadn’t been too happy about his star pitcher not being able to throw the ball right.”

“You did that for me? Before we were together?” Her heart swelled. She loved him so much, but she couldn’t make bring herself the words.

“Real men don’t need to brag.” Joaquin pulled his shirt over his head and snapped his jeans. “I believed you when you said you’d been faithful. No need to defend yourself to me.”

“As for the other, I’m honored as hell I was your first, but it wouldn’t have mattered if I wasn’t,” he added, tugging her closer. “I was in love and I’m still in love.”

She hugged him tight, not letting go even as the phone rang. She should just woman-up and admit that she loved him. “Joaquin, I—”

The answering machine kicked on, her mother’s voice ringing loud and clear. “Sage, this is your momma. We’ll be eating at two tomorrow, on account that your Uncle Joe will be joining us. You can sign the divorce papers while you’re here and he’ll file first thing Tuesday morning.”

Sage began to shake as Joaquin stiffen in her arms. Then his stance relaxed and he began to stroke her back.

“I hope you’ve gotten that boy out of your system and come to your senses, Sage Charles Caswell. Cold feet are not what a Caswell is about.” Virginia’s voice sweetened to honey. “See you tomorrow at two, sugar. Unless you’ve decided to betray your family and stay married to him.” The answering machine clicked off.

“Still going for the drama, I see,” Joaquin said, his hands still gliding up and down her back soothingly.

“I’m not signing those papers. I didn’t hire Uncle Joe. She did.”

“When I first got here you told me that we—”

“I had planned on divorcing you…so I could be with Gage.” Unbidden, tears slipped down her cheeks. “I’d hired a local guy to re-file the papers. All I had to do was sign, but I couldn’t.”

“Why?”

She shook her head. “Because I had to know that Gage was worth it, in person and not just in his letters. That what I would be giving up, my last tie to you, didn’t mean anything to me anymore. I thought it didn’t, but your last couple of letters were different. It was like you were trying to get me to figure it out. Then Roberto just happened to mention that one of the guys in your unit took home a dog named Gage with him,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion. “I tore up the papers and told Sam Vance I didn’t need his services anymore. You were coming home to me, you were safe and alive and-and I couldn’t not give us another chance. Then I saw you at the parade...I was so angry and confused and—”

Lifting her chin with the crook of his finger, he smiled down at her. “Stop beating yourself up. We’re done with that part of our life. You saved my ass in Afghanistan, with your letters, and with that fugly bear I won for you. Guys kept calling me Huggy Bear when they found it.”

“I wouldn’t have sent that to anyone but you.”

“It doesn’t matter. What matters the most is that we’re together. But—”

“But what?” Cold dread sliced through her happiness.

“I’m not going to stop you or give you a hard time for going to spend Christmas Day with your parents. They’re family, my family too.” He let go of her, walked to the kitchen counter and grabbed the phone. Holding it out, he said, “Call them and say you’ll be there for Christmas. I’ll spend it with my parents. I’m not going to make you choose between us.”

Hand trembling, she took the phone. “Let me shower and change first.”

Joaquin took a deep breath as she punched in the number on the phone. This was it. His last Plan. He’d had so many in the past week that by now he was probably up to letter X.

Though he meant what he’d said to Sage, a small part of him wanted to be chosen over them. She picked them over him before, always the good daughter, dutiful and loyal to her parents. So easily made to feel guilty about the smallest of things.

God he nearly hated them right now.

“Momma,” Sage said, breaking though his thoughts. “No…No! Let me speak, then you say what you want or hang up.”

Raising his brows, he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Number one: I’m not signing any papers. So you can tell Uncle Joe to put them through the shredder in Daddy’s office. Number Two and most important: I’d be happy to come over on Christmas Day with my husband. We’re a package deal.”

Astounded, he had to make himself stay right where he was and not take the phone from her, throw it across the room and march her into their bedroom.

He watched as his wife’s lower lip trembled and her shoulder shook. “I’m sorry you feel that way, but…” Suddenly, Sage’s eyes flashed. “Stop it. I refuse to be a part of your drama.”

Would it be too much to start clapping for Sage? He winked at her in encouragement.

“However, if you and Daddy would like to come over to our house tomorrow, y’all are more than welcome.” Then Sage hung up the phone and gave him a shaky smile.

He went to her then, arms wide open. She snuggled right up against him, her slender arms holding on tight. “Proud of you, baby.”

“That’s the first time I’ve ever fussed at my momma.”

“You did good.” Actually, she was spectacular, but didn’t think she’d want him crowing over her putting Virginia in her place. “Ready to make some of our own Christmas memories?”

“I think we’re off to a pretty good start.”

He nuzzled her hair. “You know when I was in the ‘Stan, I saw a falling star one night, then about a dozen more right after it. One of the prettiest things I’d ever seen in my life.”

“Did you make lots of wishes?”

“Only one.” He dipped his head, his lips inches from hers.

“Did it come true?”

“We’ll see in a minute.” Smiling, he fished her engagement ring out of his pocket and slipped on her finger.

“I’m never taking this off again.” She smiled at him, her lips trembling. “I love you, Joaquin, with everything inside of me.”

His heart felt near to bursting right about now. Words he’d longed to hear from her, in person, had finally been said and she meant it. He blew out a steadying breath. “Looks like my wish came true.” He captured her mouth with his and kissed her.

Epilogue

Christmas Day, One Year Later

“We’re under the mistletoe,” Joaquin said to his wife as she passed him in the living room. He grabbed her, rubbing a hand over her belly and bending to press a kiss to it. A swift kick had him stumbling back and laughing.

“I don’t think he’s too happy with you getting in the way of his dinner,” Sage laughed.

“A Morales though and through,” Juan said, raising his glass.

Joaquin shook his head. “I think she is happy to hear her daddy.”

After the first miracle Joaquin had received, he hadn’t expected to be blessed with more. But last year, after a bittersweet Christmas due to Sage’s parents not joining them, Charles had shown up on New Year’s Eve, with Virginia and an apology. Since then, some things had remained the same, while others had gotten better.