Mary cried out and followed her twin, twining her arms around the other leg.
Cole reached down for them, his heart nearly bursting as he picked the girls up and settled them on his hips, kissing them over and over, but all the time his attention was on her. On Maia. He heard Jase’s greeting. Felt the boy clap him on the back, and he returned the awkward hug. But it was Maia he watched. Maia he waited for.
She turned slowly, as if she were afraid to believe it was true. Her gaze settled on his face. He held his breath. There it was. That slow smile of joy that lit up her eyes, brightened her face. Tears shimmered. The tears that were never there when he left but always there when he returned.
“You’re home.”
He handed the twins to Jase. “I’m home.” He gathered her into his arms and found her mouth with his. She fit close to him, her arms winding tightly around his neck, her mouth every bit as demanding as his. He tasted her sweetness. He tasted acceptance. Desire. Most of all he tasted love. He felt weak with joy, with relief. Maia was his rock, his foundation. His very life.
“Get a room.” Jase and the twins chimed in together, something they did often around Maia and Cole.
Maia laughed, resting her head on Cole’s chest. “You made it home for Christmas.”
“I’d never miss Christmas. Did you put up the tree already?” He held his breath again. It was silly to want to choose the tree, not when there were only three days left.
“We never break tradition,” Jase answered. “It wouldn’t be the same without you.”
Maia just burrowed closer to him, her arms sliding around his waist. Cole looked at his brother over her head, and they smiled. They had a home. A family. And they had love. If that wasn’t a Christmas miracle, nothing was.
About the Author Christine Feehan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of thirty novels, including the Carpathians, the Ghostwalkers, the Leopard People, and the Drake Sisters series. Her books have been published in multiple languages and in many formats including palm pilot, audiobook, and ebook. She has been featured in Time magazine and Newsweek, and lives in Cobb, California.