Page 148 of All I Want For Christmas

"Yeah?"

"This is not how I expected to say this but…I love you, too. So fucking much. I’m absolutely crazy about you.”

He heard her little sucked in breath and then her letting it out. "Thank God. I was really hoping you would say that. Of course, I want to say and hear it in person."

"You will. But…"

"But what?" she asked, her tone guarded as if she knew this was not going to be good news.

"I'm almost to Alexandria."

There was a beat of silence. Then she asked softly, "You were coming to the party?"

"Yep. I'm even in a tux. I just wanted to be wherever you were. And I wanted to start the new year with you. Because I want to spenda lotof this next year with you. As much as we possibly can."

She sniffed. "So you had a grand gesture planned too."

"Yup."

She sighed. "Oh my God. This is not how I wanted this to go."

He laughed. "I’ve got you, City Girl. I’ll send someone. Then I want your pretty butt in my cabin waiting for me when I get there."

"Okay.”

He knew her smile was back.

“And then we can go spend New Year's Eve with our friends at Ellie's?” she asked.

He intended to make itverydifficult for her to get out of bed but…sure. Later. Much later. "Whatever you want,” he said.

She paused and then said, “You, Theo. You’re what I want.”

He felt his throat tighten. “Hold tight. I’m turning my truck around right now.”

“I’ll be here when you get back.”

Theo’s heart was pounding so hard he almost couldn’t hear Zander when he answered his call a minute later, “Yeah?”

“Hey, I need you to go rescue my girlfriend. She’s…stuck.”

Anotherthree hours later, Theo jumped out of the airboat onto his dock and stalked up the path to his cabin.

He was still wearing the tux.

Savannah met him on the porch.

She was in leggings and a sweatshirt.

“I love you,” he said. That was first and foremost the thing he needed to say, and she needed to hear.

“I love you too.”

Then he scooped her up in his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms went around his neck. He carried her into the cabin, kissing her deeply.

He went straight for the bedroom, tossing her onto the bed, then shrugging out of the tux jacket.

“Oh, hang on,” she said. Her eyes roamed over him, from head to toe. “Damn,” she said approvingly. “Ilikethe tux look, Mr. Taggart.”

---