Page 59 of Christmas with the Boy Next Door

“Unlikely. But snowmen are easier to defeat than nutcrackers, so even if it happens, you’ll be fine.”

Robin hung her head and shook it slowly as Abby took the bait. “How do you defeat snowmen?”

Jack counted on his fingers. “Warm hugs, sunshine—”

“A blowtorch?” Tommy added helpfully.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Robin cut in as Jack’s shoulders shook beside her. “What’s the second reason why you don’t want a nutcracker collection?”

Jack’s laughter faded, and he shifted in his seat. His eyes locked on hers for a brief moment, then he swallowed hard and turned back to Abby. “The second reason is because I think my house would be a little crowded with nutcrackersandsnowmen.”

Robin’s chest tightened as she realized what he was saying, but Abby blinked at him in confusion. “Why would you have snowmen in your house? That’s my thing.”

“Because,” Jack started, setting aside the nutcracker so he could reach into his pocket. Then he pulled out a small black box and held his hand up to cover its contents as he opened it to show Abby. “I’d like to propose to your mom with this ring. Shh, it’s her Christmas present, so don’t say anything,” he said in a stage whisper. “And if she says yes, that means all three of us will be living in the same house, and I don’t think we need two collections. Do you?”

Robin could hardly see through the tears in her eyes as she looked between Jack and Abby. She didn’t notice that Holly was sniffling as she battled with her own tears or that Joan was being much louder as she cried too. All of her focus was on Abby and wondering what her response would be.

“No, you’re right,” Abby finally said through a quiet laugh. “But you’re not very good at surprises. She’sright there.”

Everyone laughed as Abby pointed to Robin as she said the words in the same loud whisper that Jack had used, and he hung his head in defeat.

But Robin had had enough of his silly show. She wanted the proposal she knew she had coming, and she wanted itnow. She tapped his forearm eagerly to get his attention, and he turned to her with a cheeky smile and so much exaggerated slowness that she wanted to reach out and snatch the ring from his capable hands.

Finally, he put her out of her misery and slid from the couch onto his knee before her. When she caught sight of the vintage diamond ring shining in a bed of black velvet, her hands instantly flew to her mouth.

“Robin McBride,” he began, clearing his throat and looking nervously around the room as if wondering if this public proposal had been a huge mistake, “This was my mom’s ring. Holly’s been saving it for me until I met the right woman, and I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been hoping that was you for a while now.”

Robin let out a watery laugh as she glanced at her best friend, who winked at her. How had she managed to keep Jack at bay for as long as she had? It didn’t matter now. She’d needed time to heal, and even though they’d been dancing around each other for years, this timing was perfect.

“I planned to do this last night after the ball,” he said with a one-sided smile, “but then you disappeared on me and I got a little distracted.”

A mixed reaction of shocked laughter and jokes about him being horribly unfunny rang out around them, and he held up his hand to shush their spectators. “Alright, alright, chill. Too soon.”

“Go on,” Abby said, nudging him.

“Anyway, I planned to do this last night when we were all dressed up and it was all Christmas-magic-y,” he said with a heart-stopping quirk of his full lips, “but I’m glad this is the way it’s going instead. The Gingerbread Ball is only once a year, but this… hanging out with you and Abby around our family in pj’s… this is the perfect way to do this because it’s exactly what I think we’ve both been wishing for.”

Robin nodded in agreement, but she was too choked up to speak.

“I love you, Robin. Both of you,” he added with a smile for Abby before turning his warm gaze on her again. “Will you marry me?”

He’d barely had time to finish the question before Robin lurched forward, wrapped her arms around his strong shoulders, and hugged him close. She grinned wildly at Abby over his shoulder, reaching for her hand and giving it a tight squeeze.

That sense of peace and closure she’d felt last night blossomed in her chest with the full force of all that Christmas magic Jack used to be so averse to, and she gave him the answer she belatedly realized they were all still waiting for.

“Yes.”

Epilogue

JACK

JULY

“Holly,I still can’t believe you talked me into this,” Robin said, shaking her head as she surveyed the wreckage of the Christmas explosion that’d destroyed the police station.

Jack brushed a speck of red confetti off his uniform and turned to his lovely wife with a raised eyebrow. “Really? You can’t?”

Considering the fact that Holly had been pulling annoying surprises like this for Jack her entire life—and Robin had been an accomplice to Operation Sneaky Tree or whatever they’d called it—he found that incredibly hard to believe.

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