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  “Helena and Manon are asking for—oh…” Annelie stopped behind Carolyn and wrapped her arms around her, resting her cheek against her wife’s temple. “They look like us.”

  “They do, don’t they?”

  “Are you crying, Carolyn?” Annelie’s voice took on a tinge of worry.

  “Not really.”

  “Liar.” Annelie dipped her head and kissed Carolyn’s cheek.

  “Trying to save face at our party.” Carolyn laughed and wiped quickly at her cheeks where a few errant tears clung to her skin. “She’s really going to be okay in time, isn’t she?”

  “You and I are doing pretty well, and we had similar things to deal with. I think I can say we have a good insight into what she’s going through, and that’s half the battle.”

  Carolyn agreed. She listened to the two young girls whisper, and suddenly Piper laughed out loud. “Oh, my. I don’t think I’ve ever heard her laugh before.”

  “Neither have I.” Annelie’s voice caught. “Having Pamela in her life will make just as much of a difference for her as having access to either of us.”

  “All the better that Beth and Joe are moving to Miami after the holidays.” Carolyn turned within Annelie’s embrace. “It was brilliant of you to offer him and Beth the chance of a lifetime.”

  “Are you kidding? Key Line Publishing is lucky to get our hands on Joe’s talents within the IT sector. Remember what happened when it was time for the first Diana Maddox convention? We drowned in e-mails from readers. Our system nearly crashed. Not to mention that Jem nearly had a heart attack before it was sorted. It seems to happen every time you are involved, be it conventions or movie releases. Your brother-in-law will be our secret weapon to make sure that never happens again.”

  “He’s over the moon about it, and Beth can’t wait to go back to nursing.”

  “Nurses are always in high demand.”

  “It will be easier for both their kids and Piper to acclimatize in a new school when they already know each other.” Carolyn absentmindedly rubbed the small of Annelie’s back. “I don’t go on location for another two months.”

  “Your third Diana Maddox movie. Getting tired of it?” Annelie was teasing her, but Carolyn knew every single nuance of her wife’s voice and easily detected a faint concern.

  “Tired of Maddox? Are you kidding? Playing her is the role of a lifetime, and you know she brought me to you. How could I ever be tired of her?”

  “I second that.” Annelie kissed Carolyn softly, making her tremble at the thought of having her completely to herself later.

  “They do that all the time. Kissing.” Pamela’s clear voice interrupted the embrace, and Carolyn turned to look at her.

  “You spying, little Ms. Pam?”

  “Hardly,” Pamela said with a grin. “You’re standing here smooching in the middle of the party.”

  Carolyn gazed around her, and it was true. Their guests were all within sight, and there was more than one indulgent smile flashed their way. “Oh, great.”

  “That’s what married people do,” Piper said, her little voice matter-of-fact. “They smooch all day and have babies.”

  Faint laughter traveled through the crowd of friends.

  Even Annelie laughed. “You’re more right than you realize, Piper.” She pulled Carolyn close with one arm and Piper with the other. “Smooching all day, and then we had a baby. You.”

  Now the sound of laughter escalated and even Piper grinned broadly. “I’m hardly a baby.”

  “No, not a baby, but a child, at least.” Carolyn cupped Piper’s thin neck. “And a child who is showing more and more signs of being a true rascal, I might add.”

  This turned out to be a most pleasing comment for Piper, judging by the brilliance of her smile.

  “I propose a toast for this new little family, and to all of us, family and friends,” Beth said and raised her glass.

  “Family and friends,” the guests echoed and raised their glasses in return.

  Carolyn couldn’t imagine ever being happier than she was in that instant. Standing in Annelie’s embrace with both their arms protectively around Piper, and only seeing love and acceptance in everybody’s eyes—surely this was what “utter bliss” meant?

  “I love you, Annelie, and I love you, too, Piper,” she murmured after sipping some champagne.

  “I love you, Carolyn.” Annelie quickly kissed her temple.

  “Me too, Carolyn.” Piper’s voice was barely audible. “I think I’d like some smooches, too.”

  Overwhelmed by tenderness and hardly able to breathe, Carolyn bent forward and kissed Piper’s forehead. “Sweetheart.”

  A husky voice interrupted the emotional moment. “Merry Christmas, everybody!”

  “It’s Jem!” Pamela jumped up and ran over to the brunette who had just entered the scene. “And she’s got a big bag of Christmas presents. How come, Jem?” Pamela’s eyes glittered.

  “Ah, you see, I ran into Santa, who said that he was really busy and needed some help. There are even more presents than these. Santa says he’s bringing the rest over tonight when we’re asleep.”

  “There’s more?” Piper’s wide eyes showed her disbelief.

  “You bet. Now, should we place this under the tree, or…?” Jem looked around, smiling broadly.

  “Why don’t you do the honors and hand out some to the kids?” Annelie walked over to Jem. “I’ll help.”

  Carolyn sat down with her glass of champagne, thoroughly enjoying the scene before her. The children squealed and alternated between hugging their presents, Annelie, and Jem, who apparently enjoyed being “Aunty Claus.”

  “Isn’t this amazing?” Beth came to join Carolyn. “You’re a mother again, Carolyn.”

  “Guess I am.”

  Annelie and Piper looked so much like mother and daughter, Carolyn had to blink several times to keep the tears away.

  “Carolyn—?” Annelie tilted her head questioningly. “Are you all right?”

  “Never better.” Carolyn stood and let Annelie wrap her close. “And there are even better days to come.”

  PJ Trebelhorn was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, having spent the first twenty-eight years of her life in the Portland, Oregon, area. She currently resides in eastern Pennsylvania with her partner of fourteen years and their menagerie of pets—six cats and one extremely neurotic pug / Jack Russell mix dog. PJ enjoys movies, sports, writing, and reading, though not necessarily in that order. The characters in this story are from the romance From This Moment On. Her next novel, True Confessions, will be released in 2011 by Bold Strokes Books.

  A Christmas Wish

  PJ Trebelhorn

  Katherine Hunter glanced at her watch as she pushed the car door shut and headed for her porch. Shit, we’re never going to get everything ready in time. She faltered in the doorway of the living room, smiling at the cozy site on her couch.

  Her lover, Devon Conway, appeared to be sound asleep, one arm cradling Kat’s one-year-old granddaughter Cathy protectively against her chest. The baby was sleeping, too, and Buddy, the beagle, was curled up next to Dev’s feet. Baxter, the gray and white fuzzball Dev had rescued, had stretched out on Dev’s thighs, as cats often do. Kat tiptoed over to them and knelt down so she could study Dev’s face.

  A year ago at this time, Dev had just been released from the hospital, and those few weeks right around Christmas had been rough for both of them. She’d talked Dev into staying with her so that Dev’s godmother, Sheila, wouldn’t have to bear all the burden of Dev’s care. She’d taken time away from her veterinary clinic to take Dev to her doctor’s and physical therapy appointments.

  PT had been the hardest part of Dev’s recovery, and more often than not after those appointments, Dev had been in a foul mood, and in much more pain than she would ever let Kat believe. But Dev had slowly recovered, and they’d made her move into the house a permanent one.

  And now, a full year after that horrible night Kat had spen
t in the hospital worrying about the two women who were everything in her life, she and Devon were living together and babysitting little Cathy whenever they had the opportunity. They were both happy, and life was finally good again.

  As Kat glanced at Cathy, she felt her throat constrict at the memory of her premature birth and the risk it posed to her daughter, Vanessa. Vanessa and Josh had tied the knot three weeks earlier and were due to return from their honeymoon in just a few hours. It was Christmas Eve, and Kat was looking forward to having her family with her this year. Having everyone in her family healthy was only one of the wishes she had made for this Christmas. Another was that Dev would answer in the affirmative to a question she intended to ask before the night was over.

  “Hi there,” Kat said, smiling when Dev’s bright blue eyes opened.

  Dev cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to fall asleep. She was crying, and I just wanted to lie down with her for a few minutes.”

  “It certainly appears as if you figured out a way to make her stop.” Kat gently smoothed the baby’s hair. The two of them together were so beautiful her heart stuttered. She stroked Dev’s cheek. “Do you have any idea how incredibly sexy you are?”

  “Grandmas aren’t supposed to think things like that.” Dev displayed the slow, sexy grin that had drawn Kat in from the moment they met.

  “Are you trying to tell me you don’t think things like that?”

  “I’m not a grandma.” Dev’s arm tightened around the baby when she stirred slightly. “I’m not old enough to be a grandma.”

  “Honey, this right here”—Kat motioned toward the two of them—“pretty much makes you as much of a grandmother as I am, and believe me, you’re old enough. My mother was only thirty-seven when Vanessa was born. And besides that, you’ve apparently bonded with this little girl more than I have.”

  “Jealous?” Dev smiled.

  “Not at all. In fact, I’m in awe.”

  Kat stood and gently picked Cathy up. Dev stretched, and Buddy jumped down with an annoyed huff. Baxter, however, simply shifted his position and stretched out on his back between Dev’s legs. Kat put Cathy in her crib on the other side of the room, liking the way Dev’s gaze followed her. When she returned, Dev grinned and put her hands behind her head. “You’re great with her, you know. I’m not quite sure what I ever did to deserve you, Devon.”

  “I’ve often wondered that very same thing myself.”

  Dev moved over and Kat sat next to her on the edge of the couch, chuckling. “Modest much?”

  “Not usually, no.” Dev snaked an arm around Kat’s waist and pulled her close. “What time is it?”

  “After three.” Kat knew she shouldn’t indulge herself in the arms of her lover because it always led to other things. Things they didn’t have time for right now. But she couldn’t help it. She kissed Dev’s cheek. “We have a lot to do before everybody gets here. You still need to run to the store and get beer, and I need to get the food ready.”

  “Cathy and I went to the store right after you left for that emergency at the animal clinic.” Dev’s voice turned husky, and she moved her hand up to cup Kat’s breast. Dev’s grin told Kat that her quick intake of breath had been the response she was after. “We have enough beer, wine, and assorted alcohol to last us more than a year.”

  “I suppose it’s too much to hope that you got the food ready?” Kat laughed at Dev’s fearful expression.

  “You know better than to suggest I do anything in the kitchen other than fix a leaky faucet.”

  “Sweetie, we’re just having cheese and crackers and other assorted munchies. The only thing that has to actually be cooked are the cookies.”

  “Trust me, I’d probably drop the cheese on the floor and Buddy would have the runs for the next week.”

  Dev smiled when Kat couldn’t help but laugh at the visual. Kat let herself be coaxed into stretching out on the couch. Baxter scrambled away as quickly as he could, obviously knowing that things could get heated whenever the two humans got together like this.

  “It’s better for everyone involved if I just stay out of the kitchen,” Dev said.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Kat’s breath caught in her throat when she felt Dev’s hand sliding down the front of her jeans.

  “Trying to show you how grateful I am to have you in my life,” Dev whispered, her breath hot in Kat’s ear. “Baby, you have no idea how much I want you right now.”

  “Jesus, Devon,” Kat gasped when she felt the undeniable rush of arousal course through her. “Honey, it is so not a good time for this. The baby is here, and we have eight people coming over in a couple of hours.”

  “Then promise me we’ll continue this later tonight, after everyone is gone.”

  “I promise. You and me, bedroom, the very second the last person leaves.”

  *

  Dev scanned the room for Kat. A minute ago she’d been just a few feet away, talking to Rick and his wife. Now she was nowhere to be found. The party was in full swing and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Hostess duties taken care of, she walked through the downstairs looking for her lover, but couldn’t find her. Finally, she went up to their room and stopped just outside their bedroom door. Kat was at the sliding glass doors, looking out at the falling snow. Dev leaned against the doorjamb and took a moment to simply watch her. The lights were out, and she only had the moonlight to see her by. Dev’s fingers found their way around the small jewelry box in her pocket, and she felt her heart speed up as the nervousness set in.

  It didn’t surprise her when Kat spoke. It was a kind of sixth sense Kat had developed in the past year. If Dev was anywhere near, Kat knew it without even looking.

  “Are you just going to stand there, Ms. Conway, or are you going to come hold me?”

  “You never need to ask me twice,” Dev said as she crossed the room. She slid her arms around Kat’s waist from behind and pulled Kat against her chest, breathing in her faint citrus smell as she closed her eyes and sighed with contentment. Kat tipped her head back to rest on Dev’s shoulder.

  “You feel so damn good,” Dev murmured, kissing the side of Kat’s neck.

  “I really can’t wait until everyone finally leaves.”

  Kat turned in Dev’s arms and rested her forearms lightly on Dev’s shoulders. Dev’s thigh muscles clenched when Kat’s eyes darkened with desire.

  Kat pushed one hand through Devon’s hair and she pulled her in for a kiss. Dev parted her lips for Kat, and she couldn’t stop the groan from escaping when Kat’s tongue slid slowly along hers.

  “God, you are sexy as hell.” Kat was breathing heavily. “You take my breath away.”

  “You do incredible things to me, too,” Dev said, her voice hoarse. She had wanted to give Kat her gift later that night, when they were truly alone in the house, but this seemed like the perfect time. It really didn’t seem to matter that there was a house full of people downstairs. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too. With everything that I am.”

  “Come sit down with me.” Dev pulled away and took Kat’s hand, leading her to the bed. They both sat, and Dev smiled at the look of unease on Kat’s face. “Relax. I just want to give you something.”

  “We said we weren’t going to exchange gifts until Christmas morning.”

  “I don’t want to wait.” Dev took a deep breath to steady her nerves. What if Kat said no? She didn’t think she could deal with that. Before she could talk herself out of it, she went on.

  “After Jo died, I had convinced myself that she had been my only chance at love. Before I met you, I was resigned to spending the rest of my life alone. I don’t know what you did to me, but you somehow managed to steal my heart when I wasn’t paying attention. You’ve made every second of the past fourteen months wonderful.”

  “Even the times when you were cursing a blue streak because of the pain the physical therapist was putting you through?” Kat smiled, a tear sliding down her cheek.


  “Yes, even then, because you were there with me, through every miserable second of it.” Dev gently brushed the tear away with her thumb, but another followed. “I don’t ever want to make you cry, baby.”

  “They’re happy tears, Dev. You make me so happy.” Kat placed a hand on Dev’s cheek, and Dev closed her eyes as she leaned into the touch.

  “You make me happy, too.” Dev caught Kat’s hand and kissed the inside of her wrist. After another deep breath to calm the butterflies, she stood and pulled out the jewelry box from her pocket. “Bear with me, Kat. I’ve never done this before.”

  “Dev—”

  “Shh,” Dev interrupted, “please let me do this.” She dropped to one knee and opened the box, holding it so Kat could see the ring it contained. She gained the confidence she needed when Kat placed one hand on her chest, fingers splayed, and the other covered her mouth. There were more tears, but Kat just let them fall. “I can’t imagine spending even one day without you for the rest of my life. Katherine Hunter, will you marry me?”

  Kat laughed, and Dev’s heart dropped at the sound. Kat’s expression indicated she regretted the reaction, but as far as Dev was concerned, it was too late. She got to her feet and snapped the box shut. When Kat grasped her wrist, Dev pulled it away, stuffing the box back into her pocket. She headed for the door, not entirely sure where she intended to go.

  “Devon, please,” Kat said.

  Dev was almost to the hall, but she hesitated long enough for Kat to reach her. Kat gripped Dev’s shoulder and pulled her around.

  “I am so sorry I laughed,” Kat said. “You have to believe I wasn’t laughing at you. I was laughing at the situation.”

  “That makes me feel a lot better.” Dev’s tone was sarcastic, and Kat winced. “You were laughing because I proposed.”

  “If you’ll let me explain, you’ll laugh, too. I know you will.”

  Dev finally walked back to the bed and sat waiting for the explanation.