Prologue
PROLOGUE
P resent Day
The living room smelled faintly of cinnamon from the candles Emmarie had lit earlier, and the kids’ excited chatter filled the space as they rummaged through boxes of ornaments. Marley was on her knees, carefully unwrapping a glittery star, while Drew methodically untangled a string of lights, his tongue poking out in concentration. Snowball, now content in her old age, sat curled up on the armchair, her calico fur blending with the worn quilt beneath her. Emmarie placed a hand on her hip, smiling softly as she watched her children.
The soft creak of the front door opening caught her attention. A gust of cold air swept in, along with the familiar sound of boots being shuffled off and a deep, familiar voice.
“Are you seriously going to decorate the tree without me?” Miles teased, his tone warm as he stepped into the room, snowflakes dusting his sandy hair. His brown eyes lit up as Marley turned toward him.
“Daddy!” Marley squealed, abandoning her box of ornaments and running full tilt toward him.
Miles dropped his bag near the door just in time to catch her mid-leap, swinging her up into his arms like she weighed nothing. “Whoa there, kiddo,” he said, laughing as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Miss me?”
“Yes!” she said emphatically, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Emmarie couldn’t help but smile at the sight of them. She set down the garland she’d been sorting and leaned against the back of the couch, watching as Miles greeted Drew with a playful tousle of his hair.
He turned to her then, his eyes softening in that way that always made her heart skip. “Hey, you,” he said, his voice quieter now, meant just for her.
“Hey,” she replied, her smile growing as he walked over, Marley still clinging to him like a koala.
Miles leaned down, brushing a kiss against her lips, warm despite the cold still clinging to him. “Your dad’s going to be by in a bit,” he said when they parted, “to take these two sledding.”
“Really?” Drew piped up, already looking thrilled at the idea.
“Yep,” Miles confirmed, setting Marley down gently. “Better get ready for some serious snowball fights, though. Your grandpa doesn’t play fair.”
Marley giggled and raced off toward the hallway, Drew hot on her heels, already shouting about finding his gloves. The house buzzed with their excitement, and Emmarie felt a familiar warmth spread through her chest.
Miles slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. “They’re growing up too fast,” he murmured, his gaze following the kids as they disappeared.
Emmarie rested her head against his chest, taking in the steady beat of his heart. “Don’t remind me,” she said with a laugh.
Miles tilted her chin up with a gentle finger, his brown eyes locking with her gray ones. “You okay?”
She nodded, letting herself linger in the quiet moment with him. “I was just thinking about what I told them earlier,” she admitted.
“What’s that?” he asked, his voice low and curious.
“That my best Christmas and worst Christmas were the same one,” she said, a playful smile tugging at her lips.
Miles’s brow arched, but there was already a knowing gleam in his eyes. “The blizzard,” he said, grinning.
Emmarie laughed softly. “Yup. Getting stuck at school, missing my family, my dad inviting my ex to Christmas... It all felt like the worst thing in the world at the time. But then—” she trailed off, gesturing to the house around them, the life they’d built together.
“But then,” Miles echoed, his grin softening as he pressed another kiss to her forehead.
Emmarie leaned into him, the memories swirling in her mind. That snowstorm, that kiss outside in the cold, the way everything had shifted in one perfect moment—it had all led to this. Their home, their family, their happily ever after.
As the kids’ voices echoed back down the hallway, Emmarie glanced up at Miles, her heart full. “The worst Christmas,” she said softly, “led to the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Miles smiled, his dimples deepening as he pulled her into a warm embrace. “I’d call that a win,” he said, his voice full of love.
Emmarie couldn’t help but laugh, her arms circling his waist as the snow continued to fall outside, blanketing the world in quiet magic.