WHAT WAS HE DOING?
Finn chastised himself for losing his cool with Holly. Every time she questioned him, she poked at his insecurities about being a proper husband and father. He had so many doubts about doing a good job. He didn’t even know what being a husband and father entailed. All he knew was that he wanted to do his best by his family.
And he wasn’t a quitter. He fought for the things he believed in. Sometimes he fought too long for his own good. But this was his family—there was no retreating. He would somehow prove to Holly—and most of all to himself—that he could be there for her and the babies through the good and the bad.
Certain in what he needed to do, he turned on his heels and headed back to the living room, hoping Holly hadn’t made a quick exit. If she had, it wouldn’t deter him. He would find her. He would tell her that he loved her. Because that was what it all boiled down to. He was a man who was head over heels in love with the mother of his children.
When he entered the living room, he nearly collided with Holly. He put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. “Where are you going in such a rush?”
“To find you. There’s something I need to say.”
“There’s something I need to say to you, too.”
At the same time, they said, “I’m sorry.”
Finn had to be sure he heard her correctly. “Really?”
She nodded before she lifted up on her tiptoes and with her hands on either side of his face, she pulled him down to her. The kiss wasn’t light or hesitant. Instead her kiss was heated and demanding. Need thrummed in his veins. He never wanted to let her go.
It’d be oh, so easy to dispense with words. His hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her soft curves to his hard planes. A moan grew in the back of his throat and he didn’t fight it. Holly had to know all of the crazy things she did to his body, to his mind, to his heart.
But he wanted—no, he needed to clear the air between them. Christmas was in the air and it was the time for setting aside the past and making a new start. That was exactly what he wanted to do with Holly.
It took every fiber of his being to pull away from her embrace. Her beautiful eyes blinked and stared at him in confusion. It’d be so easy to pull her close again and pick up where they’d left off.
No, Finn. Do the responsible thing. Make this right for both of you.
“Come sit down so we can talk.” He led her to the couch.
“Talk? Now?”
“Trust me. It’s important.”
“As long as I go first,” she said. “After all, I started this whole thing.”
“Deal.”
She inhaled a deep breath and then blew it out. She told him about running into her family and how her father’s actions and her stepsisters’ words had ripped the scabs off her insecurities. “I know that’s not a good excuse, but it’s the truth. I’ve spent most of my life swearing that I would never end up like my mother—that I’d never blindly trust a man.”
“And then you ran into my ex and found out I’d left out some important details about my life.”
Holly shrugged and glanced away. “I just let it all get to me.” She lifted her chin until her gaze met his. “I know you’re not my father. You are absolutely nothing like him. I trust you.”
“You do?”
She nodded. “I can’t promise that every once in a while my insecurities won’t get the best of me, but I promise to work on them.”
“I love you, Holly.”
Her eyes grew shiny with unshed tears. “I love you, too.”
He cleared his throat, hoping his voice wouldn’t fail him before he got it all out. “I would never intentionally hurt you or our children. You and those babies mean everything to me. I’m really excited to be a father.”
“I noticed.” She reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out the pacifiers. “I found these. And they’re so sweet. Our babies’ first gifts.”
“You like them?”
She nodded. “How could I have ever doubted you?”
“I promise you here and now that I’ll work on being more forthcoming. I’ve spent so many years keeping things bottled up inside me that I might slip up now and then. Will you stick by me while I work on this partnership thing?”
She nodded. “As long as you’ll stick by me while I learn to let go of the past.”
“It’s a deal.” Then recalling the flowers, he jumped to his feet. “I have something for you.” He moved to the bookcase and retrieved the flowers. “I got these for you when I went to the pharmacy earlier.” He held them out to her.
She accepted the bouquet and sniffed them. “They’re beautiful.”
This was his chance to make this Christmas unforgettable. He took her hand in his and gazed up into her wide-open eyes. “Holly, the most important thing you need to know about me is that I love you. And I love those babies you’re carrying. I want to be the best husband and father, if you’ll let me. Will you marry me?”
A tear splashed onto her cheek. She moved his hand to her slightly rounded abdomen. “We love you, too. And yes. Yes! Yes! I’ll marry you.”
His heart filled with love—the likes he’d never known. And it was all Holly’s doing. She’d opened his eyes and his heart not only to the spirit of the season, but also to the possibilities of the future.
He leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers.
This was the best Christmas ever.