He pulled her close and kissed her. It was the sweetest, most meaning-filled kiss of her life. She didn’t know why it took traveling halfway around the globe to find her soul mate, but she’d do it again. At last, she felt as though she was right where she belonged.
When Jackson pulled back, he looked her right in the eyes. “Do you trust me?”
She knew what he was asking. If his career would come between them. “Do you plan to share with the world details of our private lives?”
“Only the pieces that we agree on sharing.”
“Then yes, I trust you.” She knew in that moment that her father had rolled over in his grave with a very loud groan, but she wouldn’t let that stop her. Her father had died alone. She didn’t want to end up like him. She wanted to learn from her father’s mistakes.
In the background, the carolers had moved on to a slower song in German. Even though she understood only a few words, it was still a beautiful harmony.
Jackson pulled a little box from his pocket. It was wrapped in shiny silver paper with a red bow. It looked like a jewelry box. What exactly had he done?
He held it out to her. “This is for you. It is a proper Christmas present to replace the one that was ruined. I hope you like it.”
Her fingers trembled slightly as she undid the ribbon and the paper. It was indeed a little black box from a jeweler’s. The breath caught in her throat. When she lifted the lid, she found a black velvet box—a box bigger than one that holds a ring.
Jackson held the wrappings so that she could use her hands to open the last box. Inside was a silver heart locket. It was engraved with a beautiful design. It was delicate and attached to a thin box chain.
“It’s beautiful.” Tears of happiness filled her eyes. She glanced up at him. “Thank you.”
“You have my heart for now and always.”
“And you have mine.”
“Arff! Arff!”
Jackson stuffed the wrapping paper and empty boxes in his pockets. Then he bent over and scooped Gizmo up in his arms.
Serena leaned forward and hugged her two favorite guys. “We love you, too, Gizmo.”
“Arff!”
EPILOGUE
One year later...
“I CAN’T BELIEVE you were able to lease the same cabin.”
Jackson carried Serena over the threshold. “I wanted everything to be special for my Christmas bride.”
She turned to look into her husband’s eyes. “You didn’t have to bring me to Austria for it to be special. You do that all by yourself.”
Serena leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. She’d never tire of kissing him. Ever.
Jackson was everything she’d never thought she’d have. He was her best friend. He lent her an ear when she needed to vent. He offered a word of reason when she was worked up. And he was the person who filled her life with much laughter and tons of love. And she could only hope she did the same for him.
Their lives had been evolving over the past year. She’d filmed her last contracted movie and was now concentrating on her writing, which meant she could relocate to New York. Jackson had been promoted to the anchor chair of the evening news for the biggest network in the country. He had more control over the content than ever before and he was very happy. They both were deliriously happy.
“Arff! Arff!”
Reluctantly, she pulled back. Jackson gently set her feet on the floor.
Serena knelt down and ran a hand over Gizmo. “You are special, too.”
“Arff!”
Serena couldn