Page 149 of All I Want For Christmas

“I’ll wear it to Ellie’s.”

Her eyes widened. “You will?”

“If you wear whatever sexy thing you have in your bag that you’d planned to wear to the party tonight. And no panties.”

She gave him a grin. “Deal.”

He started unbuttoning the shirt.

"I quit my job by the way. When I told Steve I wasn't coming to the party. I told him I wasn't going to work for him anymore.”

He paused. “You’re sure? Because we can make it work?—”

“I’m sure. We had a big argument, as expected, about Monroe Farm, and…I have savings and I emailed a travel agency yesterday. It’s owned by this really amazing woman named Monica and she wants to talk on Monday.”

"I'm selling this cabin and buying a house in New Orleans."

"What?"

"If that's where you're gonna be, even for a couple days at a time, then that's where I want to be. When you come home, then I want you to come home to me. I know you won’t be there all the time, but I’ll take two days here and there over none.”

Tears were shimmering in her eyes. "Theo, I… that’s so sweet. Oh my God.” She got up and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face into his chest. “I can’t believe you’re even considering that. But…” She leaned back and looked up at him. “I don't want to live in New Orleans.”

His breath jammed in his chest, and he was pretty sure his heart stopped beating. "No?"

Fuck.

But…okay. He’d move. Wherever she was going.

"No. I was thinking maybe a house in Autre."

“Fine. Okay. I can do that. I’ll go wherever you want to go.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Theo?”

“Yeah?”

“Did you hear what I said?”

“Yeah. You don’t want to be in New Orleans. I want to go with you. It will be an adjustment. But every state needs wildlife officers and?—”

“Autre,” she said, firmly. “I’m moving to Autre.”

He stopped. Studied her face. Repeated what she’d said in his head. Then frowned.

“Here?”

“Well, nothere, maybe. Seriously, the total darkness and the critters out here kind of freak me out. And clearly I need more airboat practice. But home is where the heart is and my heart…you…are in Aut?—”

He squeezed her tight and lifted her off her feet. “I fucking love you so much, Savannah.”

She laughed. “Ah, there he is.”

He took the two steps to the bed and tossed her onto the mattress, then followed her down. “You really want to live in tiny little Autre? It gets dark there too, City Girl.”

“Well, there’s dark and then there’sdark. And maybe I’ll make you hang up some twinkle lights on our back patio or something,” she said with a grin. “But yeah. Our friends and family are there. And you’ll be there. And?—”

“I thought that everything that made me who I am was here in Autre,” he interrupted. “Until I met you. You have made me into… even more. More of who I want to be. I’ll go anywhere with you.”

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