It Started at Christmas...

“I don’t deserve you.”

“I’m stubborn and prideful and prone to run when things get sticky, but take a look at these.” She raised one foot up off the ground. While she’d been sitting in her car, waiting for him to come back to his, she’d changed out of her heels and into the pair of running shoes he’d given her. “See these? My man gave them to me for Valentine’s Day so I could run to him. He doesn’t know it yet, but I have a pair for him in my car so, that way, the next time he runs, he can run to me, too.”

“You knew I was going to run away tonight?”

“My singing is pretty bad. I wasn’t expecting you to swoon with the sudden realization that everything was going to be perfect.”

“Your singing was beautiful.”

“I’ve heard of being blinded by love, but I’m pretty sure you must be tone-deaf from love.”

“I do love you, McKenzie.”

“I know.”

“I made Shelby a promise.”

“One you’ve kept all these years. It’s time to let go. You asked Shelby to give you a sign, Lance. I’m that sign. The way we feel about each other.” She wrapped her arms around him and leaned her forehead against his chin. “I don’t need you to forget Shelby. She’s part of what’s made you into the man you are, the man I love, but you have to let the guilt go. You can’t change the past, only the future. I want to be your future.”

“What are you saying, McKenzie?”

“That I want a lot more than two months to see what the future holds for us.”

* * *

Lance held the woman in his arms tightly to him. He couldn’t believe she was here, that they were standing by Shelby’s grave at midnight.

He couldn’t believe McKenzie was laying her heart on the line, telling him how much she cared.

“If we do this,” he warned, his heart pounding in his chest, “I’m never going to let you go, you do realize that?”

She snuggled closer to him and held on tight. “Maybe you weren’t paying attention, but that’s the idea.”

EPILOGUE

“THE EMCEE JUST winked at you.”

McKenzie nodded at her mother. “Yep, he did.”

“He has a disgusting habit of doing that,” Cecilia accused with a shake of her head.

“You’re just jealous,” McKenzie teased her friend.

“Ha. I don’t think so. My hunky boyfriend is Santa, baby,” Cecilia countered, making McKenzie laugh.

“Yeah, yeah. Quit pulling rank just because Santa has the hots for you.”

“I could dress as Santa if you’re into that kind of thing,” Yves offered Violet.

“Eww. Don’t need to hear this.” McKenzie put her fingers over her ears. “La-la-la. I’m finding my happy place, where I didn’t just hear my stepdad offer to dress up as Santa to give my mom her kicks.”

Yves waggled his brows and gave Violet a wink of her own. McKenzie’s mother giggled in response. McKenzie just kept her hands over her ears, but she couldn’t keep the smile from her face at how happy her mother was or how much in love the two newlyweds were.

“Ahem.” Cecilia nudged her arm. “The emcee is trying to get your attention.”

“He has my attention.” And her heart. The past nine months had been amazing, full of life and happiness and embracing her feelings for Lance, with him embracing his feelings for her. Sure, there were moments when her old insecurities slipped through, but they were farther and farther apart. Just as Lance’s moments of guilt were farther and farther apart.

He’d even been asked to speak at the local high school the week before graduation to talk to the kids about what had happened with Shelby. McKenzie had been so proud of him, of the way he’d opened up and shared with the kids his tragedy, how he’d lived his life trying to make amends, but one never really could. The Celebration Graduation committee had surprised Lance by setting up the Shelby Hanover Scholarship in her honor and had made the award to its first recipient following Lance’s talk at the high school.