Page 37 of Holiday Intercepted

Still holding the microphone, Taylor made his way down the stairs and paused in front of me, taking my hand in his. “I may have not known your mom well when she was alive… but I feel like I know her now. And if she were here today, I would ask for her blessing to dothis.”

He lowered onto one knee, pulling a small velvet box out of his back pocket. “You saved me, Paige. I didn’t know how to be in a family. I’d forgotten how to be a friend, a boyfriend, a son, a brother until you re-entered my life. You taught me how to trust again. By finding my way back to you, I actually found my way back to myself. And now, I never want to be without either again. Paige Williams, will you marry me?” He flipped open the box, but I barely even looked at the ring. It could have been a twist-tie for all I cared. And through my tear-filled eyes, I couldn’t have seen itanyway.

“Yes,” I whispered. “Of course Iwill.”

He stood, sliding a cold band onto my finger. Around us, I could hear clapping and sniffling, but it sounded distant. Like the world around us was fallingaway.

I pushed onto my toes, hugging him hard. Then, pressing my lips to his ear, I whispered, “You know what this is,right?”

His rough chuckle bounced his chest against mine. “Don’t sayit—”

“A Christmas Miracle,” I joked,laughing.

He smiled, too, shaking his head in spite of our running joke. “This wasn’t a miracle,Paige.”

“No? Then what wasit?”

He bent down, kissing the tender skin just below my ear before whispering, “This wasfate.”