by Jane Porter
“But you could be there for Daisy.”
“Not always. I’ve discovered I’m not a great single dad. I can get by. But you make me a better dad. You make everything better.”
She dragged in a breath, heart hurting. “I don’t know what your point is. Do you want me to accept your apology? If so, yes, I accept. Do you want me to forgive you for being hard and selfish? Then, fine, I forgive you, but I still don’t know why you ended it in the first place—”
“I loved you.”
“Huh.”
“And I have never loved any woman but you.”
“Please.” And yet, she did like the sound of that. It felt good to hear him say it. It felt really good. She drew in another rough breath, feeling terribly sorry for herself because she did love him, and she did want to be with him, and she couldn’t believe she was going to leave Montana like this. But he was impossible and he’d been impossible and he was such a Sheenan…so completely Cormac Sheenan…but even Cormac Sheenan needed someone who got him, and loved him, and wanted him.
And she did want him. “You’re awful,” she whispered.
“I know. I need to work on things. And I’m trying.”
Silence stretched on the line. There was more laughter in the background. She sniffed. “Is everyone there?”
“There’s quite a crowd here,” he said.
She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting tears. She was such a coward, and she’d become ridiculously mistrustful, and the worst thing of all was that she knew they did work. She knew they could work. They just had to forgive and let go and try again. Every thing he was saying. And for once, he was right. She kind of hated him being right. “Cormac?”
“Yes, baby?”
Baby.
Her heart squeezed so tight she thought she’d die. Whitney gulped a breath and then another. He’d been wrong for a long time and now she was wrong because she was letting pride blind her. She wanted to be with him. She wanted to try with him but she didn’t know how to bridge the gap. She didn’t know how to deal with her fear and ego.
“Talk to me, baby,” he said.
Her eyes were stinging and watering and making it impossible to see. “Sometimes it’s hard…really hard…to keep everything straight. Sometimes it’s not manageable. Sometimes life is absolute chaos.”
“Are you just figuring this out?” he asked, but there was no mockery in his voice. If anything he sounded kind.
Protective.
“I thought I could do more to…make it all work,” she said. “Thought I could manage it all better.”
“Control’s an illusion. I’ve learned that the hard way.”
“Cormac?”
“Yes.”
“I really wanted to be there tonight. I wanted to be there for you and Daisy.”
“But?”
“I can’t be on the outside anymore. I can’t be…”
“What?”
“Not part of things.”
“But you are part of things. You’re part of us.”
She was starting to cry now. “I’m scared.”
“Why?”
“Because I love you and I don’t want to leave you but I can’t stay here—”
“Did you just say you loved me?” he interrupted.
She sighed. “Yes. I did.”
“Good. Because, I love you, too, Whitney, and I hate doing all this on the phone. It would be so much better in person, face to face.”
She blinked hard trying to stop the tears. “Do you mean that?”
“I do. And I also have a big question to ask you, but I was also going to do that face to face so you could see me get down on one knee—”
“Stop it.”
“You wouldn’t want me to go down on one knee when I propose?”
“You’re not proposing.”
“I’d planned on it tonight.”
For a second she couldn’t breathe and the she squeaked, “Seriously?”
He laughed, a rich husky sound that sent shivers of delight through her. “Seriously, babe.”
Whitney reached up to dash away tears, but this time they were tears of happiness. “Tell me this is for real, tell me you’re not kidding—”
“I’m not kidding.”
“This is crazy. This isn’t happening.”
“It is.”
“But this is ridiculous like this.” She sniffed and wiped another tear. “I wish you were here. I want you.”
“I am here. Turn around.”
“What?” She spun around. “Where?” Her gaze searched the crowd.
“Hey, baby.” And then, there he was, walking towards her, still on the phone. “I see you.”
Her chest squeezed, the air bottled tightly in her lungs. This was not happening. This was not happening. But then, maybe it was. Because it looked like Cormac walking towards her, and he was gorgeous like Cormac—
“I see you, too,” she cried, before hanging up and running to him.
His arms went around her and he lifted her up from the ground, holding her tightly.
She held on to him for dear life. “What are you doing here?”
“Wasn’t going to let you get on a plane without me, so I bought a ticket to Denver, too.”
Whitney pulled back. “You would have gone with me?”
“They weren’t going to let me through security otherwise.”
“And Daisy?”
“She’s good. She’s at the house with everyone, waiting for Santa. You’re the one I’m worried about right now.” He put her down. “Where are you going, and why?”
“I don’t belong here—”
“You absolutely do belong. You’re the heart of this family, Whitney. You’re the magic and the miracle and all the fairy pixie dust.” He clasped her face, lifting it to his. “But you have to be happy with us—”
“I am. I’m my most happy when with the two of you.”
“Then don’t go.”
“I don’t want to go.”
“Then what are you doing here?”
“I don’t know. I’m so confused.” She gulped a breath. “What are you doing here? And how did you know I was here?”
“Kris told me.”
“Kris Krinkles?”
“He said if I wanted to make sure Daisy had her wish, I’d better hustle to the airport right away because there was only so long he could keep the snow swirling around Denver.”
She laughed. She couldn’t help it. “And here you are.”
“Here I am. Determined to save my family.” His lips curved but there were shadows in his eyes. “Whitney, we’ve had issues and we have a very complicated past, but the future doesn’t have to be complicated. We can make this very simple. I love you. You’re the only one for me. You’re the only one for Daisy. We need you. We want you. Please come home. It won’t be Christmas without you.”
“Say it again,” she whispered.
“I love you. Please come home. It won’t be Christmas without you.” And then his head dropped and he kissed her, and kissed her again, and continued kissing her even after her arms went around his neck and held him tight as the whole world fell away.
*
It took almost an hour to drive from Bozeman to Paradise Valley. Tiny delicate white flakes slowly fell from the sky as they reached the top of Copper Mountain Lane. The big house was blazing with light and the colorful glow of the huge Christmas tree.
Cormac took her hand as he entered the house, his fingers laced with hers.
“Found her,” he announced as they stepped into the kitchen. “And not letting her go. Not now, not ever.”
Cormac’s family surged forward, folding her into many warm hugs. Whitney was grateful but dying to see Daisy.
“Where is she?” Whitney asked. “I need to wish her a Merry Christmas.”
“She’s asleep,” McKenna said. “She passed out during Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”
“I’m about there myself,” Trey said. “I think we need to
get TJ home and in bed.”
The Sheenans filed out, leaving Cormac and Whitney alone on the front steps of the house. “That was fast,” Whitney said.
“They just want to give us some space,” he answered. “But don’t worry, we’ll see them again tomorrow at Brock’s for Christmas dinner.”
He kissed her, and then kissed her again. “You’ve made two people very happy tonight,” he said.
“Have I?”
“And Daisy will be thrilled her Christmas wish came true.”
Snowflakes continued to flutter from the sky. Whitney brushed stray flakes from her cheek. “What was her wish?”
“You.”
“You mean, she wanted a mommy for Christmas?”
“No, baby. She wanted you. She wanted you to be her mommy.” He wrapped her in his arms and brought her against his chest. “Which was actually my Christmas wish, too.” His head dipped, his lips touched hers in the lightest, most fleeting kiss. “Marry me. Be my wife. Make our family complete.”
“Yes,” she breathed.
He kissed her again and the kiss deepened, hot and slow and so very sweet.
“I love you, Cormac.” She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck and hold on tight. “So, so much.”
“Not half as much as I love you, Whitney. Merry Christmas, baby, and welcome home.”
“You have no idea how good it is to be here.”
He was kissing her again when high above there came a jingling sound, kind of like the bells on Santa’s boots. Or was it the harness of eight magic reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh?
Either way, it was Christmas, and Kris had been right.
Love, faith, and hope had brought her home.
Epilogue
‡
Whitney snuggled closer to Cormac on the couch in the living room, on a very lazy Sunday afternoon. The fire blazed in the big stone hearth, and beyond the huge picture window delicate snowflakes tumbled slowly from the sky.
Daisy was in her room with a friend from school, and now and then their voices carried—lots of laughter and giggles—as they dressed up in the costumes Daisy got her from Aunt McKenna and Uncle Troy for Christmas.
Whitney was so glad Daisy loved her room, and was always inviting a friend or two from her preschool to come to the house to play in her “castle” bedroom. The bedroom had been a hit, but then, the whole house suited them. It was comfortable and most definitely home.
It was hard to believe it was already the end of January. The past month had flown by, the days and weeks absurdly good. Whitney couldn’t remember a happier month in her entire life.
“Do you still feel like a newlywed?” Cormac asked, his arm tightening around her.
She laced her fingers with his. “Yes, but in the best sort of way,” she answered, smiling.
They’d married New Year’s weekend in Las Vegas. It was to have been just the two of them—and Daisy—but the entire Sheenan clan surprised them by flying in for the ceremony and it became a party. Las Vegas might be famous for its nightlife, but the kids loved the heated pool at the hotel, and going for a gondola ride at the Venetian. As a family, they all visited the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, and then M&M’s World, with a stop to watch the fountains at the Bellagio. Cormac bought everyone tickets for the Tournament of Kings at the Excalibur and then bought Daisy a souvenir sword after, since TJ got one.
It was a great way to ring in the new year, and the festive wedding and family time helped soften Whitney and Cormac’s memories of their last trip to Las Vegas, when everyone’s world turned upside down.
“I’ve been thinking,” Cormac said, dropping a kiss on top of Whitney’s head.
She grinned. “Have you? That’s new.”
He rolled his eyes. “That maybe you and I should talk a bit about the company, and work, and figure out how to make you an even partner at Sheenan, Inc.” He hesitated. “I don’t want you to ever feel as if you had to choose between your career and your family—”
“I haven’t.”
“Or that I chose a path for you.”
“You didn’t.”
For a moment the only sound was the crackle and pop of the fire, and then Whitney added, “This is where I want to be right now. Here at home. With you and Daisy. Maybe one day I’ll want something else, and then we can talk, but I’ve missed out on so much with Daisy that I love being able to be a full-time Mom. I love being able to pick her up from preschool and do fun things, just the two of us. It’s what I needed. It’s what I still need.”
He dropped another kiss on the top of her head and she leaned against his chest, so comfortable, so happy. This was the life she wanted. It still amazed her that they’d found their way back to each other. Daisy had been the glue. Daisy had been their miracle.
The End
Introducing Jane Porter’s newest series…
Taming of the Sheenans
Christmas at Copper Mountain
Book 1: Brock Sheenan’s story
Buy Now!
Tycoon’s Kiss
Book 2: Troy Sheenan’s story
Buy Now!
The Kidnapped Christmas Bride
Book 3: Trey Sheenan’s story
Buy Now!
Taming of the Bachelor
Book 4: Dillion Sheenan’s story
Buy Now!
A Christmas Miracle for Daisy
Book 5: Cormac Sheenan’s story
Buy the whole Sheenans series!
Coming soon – Spring 2016
Book 6: Shane Sheenan’s story
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of forty-nine romances and women’s fiction titles, Jane Porter has been a finalist for the prestigious RITA award five times and won in 2014 for Best Novella with her story, Take Me, Cowboy, from Tule Publishing. Today, Jane has over 12 million copies in print, including her wildly successful, Flirting With Forty, picked by Redbook as its Red Hot Summer Read, and reprinted six times in seven weeks before being made into a Lifetime movie starring Heather Locklear. A mother of three sons, Jane holds an MA in Writing from the University of San Francisco and makes her home in sunny San Clemente, CA with her surfer husband and two dogs.
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