LITMIR.BIZ

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taking chances, but they loved each other and love was too precious to toss aside. As her decision came, she trembled. “Yes, I’ll marry you,” she answered, wrapping her arms around his neck to kiss him. Excitement and joy blossomed, enveloping her. Tears of happiness spilled down her cheeks.

      “Don’t cry. Not even happy tears,” he said. “Darlin’, this is too fabulous for even one tear. Marriage to you will be the most wonderful thing in my life. You’re right, Emma. What counts in life is the people you love.”

      After a moment he raised his head. “How far along are you?”

      “Just barely pregnant,” she answered, smiling at him.

      He looked beyond her at the bed covered in baby clothes. “Isn’t this really premature?”

      “It is, but I’m excited.”

      “And your family? They may not be happy with me, but when they hear we’re getting married, they should be okay. Do you think?”

      “They don’t know. It’s early, Zach. Mary Kate knows. She guessed and we’re close so she asked me. No one else knows.”

      “Then don’t tell them yet,” he said. “Tonight let’s announce we’re getting married. Let’s marry on Christmas.” He smiled. “I don’t want to wait any longer anyway.”

      “That’s not possible, Zach. That’s tomorrow.”

      “I know when Christmas is. Unless you have your heart set on a big wedding, we’ll marry tomorrow with just your family. That’s enough people to fill the church.”

      “What about your brothers and your half sister and her husband, whom you’re close to?”

      “Listen to me,” he said. “We marry tomorrow. Then we’re off on a honeymoon and I’ll get you out of the state of Texas. First, the Italian villa and then Paris and back to New York, Niagra Falls and then home. How does that sound?”

      “Impossible.”

      “No, it’s not. We can get a church and just have the family and get married tomorrow afternoon. Then when we come back from a honeymoon we can have a big reception and invite everyone, including my family. We can announce the baby whenever you’re ready.”

      Too thrilled to plan anything, she laughed. “It still sounds impossible. As a matter of fact, I have to be at my folks’ home at six tonight. It’s already after five.”

      “We have time to make some decisions. If you run late, you can call and tell them you’re on your way.”

      “I go for the evening. We all eat there and then we go to midnight church service together. Will you go with me?”

      He kissed her lightly on the forehead. “Of course, I’ll go.”

      She smiled. “Why didn’t you call me?” she asked, running her fingers over his shoulder.

      “I should have, but I was going as fast as I could. I just decided to come this morning.”

      “You came from Italy?”

      “No, I never did go to Italy,” he said. “I missed you too much. Italy seemed empty and unappealing. My heart was here in Texas.”

      Her heart missed a beat as she gazed up at him. She combed her fingers through his thick hair. “I feel as if I haven’t seen you for a long, long time.”

      “I know. That’s the way I feel about you,” he said. “I couldn’t wait until New Year’s Eve.”

      “I’m stunned,” she said. “I thought you were in Italy. You said you were going.”

      “Italy lost its appeal and I kept putting it off until it seemed pointless to go. I’ve missed you,” he said solemnly and another wave of happiness swamped her. She kissed him lightly on the lips.

      “Zach, no one will marry us on such short notice, and not on Christmas.”

      “Sure they will,” he replied. “Maybe you’re not the optimist I thought you were. I think I can get our minister to do the ceremony. I’ll call him unless you want to ask yours first.”

      “You get your minister. I can’t imagine calling any minister on Christmas Eve and asking him to marry us on Christmas Day. That’s wild, Zach,” she said, dazed and unable to believe she was marrying him. “We don’t have a license. We don’t have what we need.”

      “I’ll call my attorney and get him moving. He’ll get it worked out. We can still marry in the church tomorrow.”

      “This is crazy. What’ll I wear?”

      “You’ll look beautiful in whatever you wear and we can go from here to a dress shop and then to your parents’ house. I know the perfect store and I’ll see if they’ll stay open until we get there.”

      She listened as he talked to his lawyer and her incredulity deepened. Everything seemed impossible. It was turning into a magical Christmas where the impossible became possible. Mrs. Zachary Delaney. Was she rushing headlong into disaster or into paradise? Right now, she viewed it as paradise. Zach had already made astounding changes in his life.

      He called a store and talked briefly. “Grab what you need,” he said to Emma. “They were just about to close, but she’ll wait. You can find something you like there.”

      “What store?”

      He told her the name of an exclusive shop that was far beyond her budget and she had never crossed the threshold even to look there.

      “Zach, are you certain? We’re really rushing into this and you just blithely said you’d change your whole way of living.”

      “I sure did. That’s how much I love you. Wait a minute.” He rummaged through the mound of presents he had brought with him and returned swiftly to hand her a gift in a small box wrapped in green foil paper with a red ribbon and sprigs of artificial mistletoe in the bow.

      “It’s too pretty to open.”

      “Open it. What’s inside may be prettier.”

      She opened it with shaking fingers and he caught her hand. “You’re shaking.”

      She looked up. “I’m thrilled and happy and so in love. And my whole life is changing before my eyes. I’m scared.”

      He hugged her. “I love you, Emma,” he said quietly and firmly in his deep voice. “Truly love you with all my heart and want to make you happy. You think I want to be off blowing up some building when I can be home in bed with you every night?”

      She laughed while tears stung her eyes. He tilted her face up. “Don’t cry, love. I love you and I don’t want to ever hurt you.”

      “Tears of joy, Zach,” she whispered, wiping her eyes. She opened the box and a dazzling diamond glittered in the light. “Zach, it’s magnificent,” she gasped.

      He removed the ring and placed it on her finger. “Emma, will you marry me?” he asked again.

      “Yes, Zach,” she said and kissed him.

      In seconds he released her. “We better run.”

      “Let me think. You’ve got me so rattled. I’m supposed to be taking something to my parents. It’s a chocolate cheesecake from the fridge. Let me get it.”

      She hurried to the kitchen and returned to the living room where she stopped to look at her sofa. “Zach, what are all these presents?”

      “They’re your Christmas presents from me. I had the ones for your family sent out to your parents’ house.”

      “How’d you know you’d even be invited?”

      He grinned. “C’mon. Someone’s holding open a store for us.”

      She shook her head as she pulled on her coat.

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