"Yes, I do. I'm happy we settled it before Christmas. Do you think we have enough time to push for another toy drive? The store is already running low."

"I'm sure we do," Beth said above the groans at the table.

"I'm going home and hiding my wallet. Not only do we have Winter constantly after our money, now we have Lily after it for toys. Jeez," Rider moaned.

"It could be worse," Lily suggested.

"How?"

"If I don't get enough toys, I was going to ask Killyama if she could help take donations," Lily said, taking a drink of her hot chocolate.

"How much do you need?" Razer asked, reaching for his wallet.

Lily felt comfortable joking and sitting around the table. In a few weeks' span of time, she had grown more relaxed among them; though she didn't partic.i.p.ate in their parties and made sure she avoided the s.e.xual aspects of the club unless she inadvertently blundered into one of their sessions.

After lunch, Shade asked her to go furniture shopping with him. The others went back to the clubhouse as she and Shade went to the only furniture store in town. Luckily, they had a vast a.s.sortment of furniture to choose from.

After only a couple of hours, he had managed to find furniture for the entire house and appliances, too. She had liked most of his choices, but when he had been unsure, he would ask her opinion and invariably go with her decision. The sales clerk looked like he was in seventh heaven and Lily was sure he was with the commission he was most-a.s.suredly making.

"Is that all I can help you with today?" Leonard asked, carrying the handheld computer that had rung up Shade's purchases.

"That will be it," Shade replied, putting his arm around her shoulder when she would have kept looking at the furniture.

"But you haven't picked out your bedroom furniture," Lily reminded him.

"I don't need bedroom furniture; I have bedroom furniture."

"The set in the bas.e.m.e.nt?" Lily questioned, looking up at him.

Shade nodded before turning to follow the clerk to the cashier. Lily hung back, her feet not moving.

"But that furniture won't match the furniture in your house," Lily protested. "Just look at the bedroom furniture. You might find something you like better."

"I like what I have," Shade said, again trying to follow the sales clerk.

Lily refused to move, looking down at the floor. "It won't match."

Shade gave a frustrated sigh, motioning for the clerk to wait for him at the register.

"Eyes to me, Lily." She reluctantly raised her eyes to his. "Are you crying?" he asked, obviously stunned.

"No, I don't cry anymore. Haven't you noticed?"

"I can't say that I have," Shade replied.

"Well, I don't," she snapped.

"Okay. We'll debate that later. Why won't my bedroom furniture match the rest of the furniture I bought? That happens to be an expensive set, which I custom-ordered," Shade explained.

"I don't care how expensive it is, it's still different from the rest of your furniture."

"How?"

"It isn't new."

"It isn't new?" Shade repeated.

"It's not freaking new!" Lily whisper-screamed so no one would hear her, though she noticed Leonard turn his back so she wouldn't see him laughing at her.

Understanding dawned on his face, and he bent down to whisper in her ear. "I bought that bedroom set after you were hurt last summer, Lily. It's still new."

Lily's eyes widened.

"It's all new?"

"All of it, including the mattress and sheets. And, before you can ask, everything in my cabinet."

She turned red but didn't try to avoid his amused gaze.

"Then I guess it matches after all."

Lily locked the door after the last customer had left, looking out the window. It had been a long day giving out the Christmas baskets and turkeys. She watched the snow flurries struggling to fly; the tiny ice flakes were more granules than anything else.

"Ready?" Beth asked, coming to her side and looking out the window with her.

Beth had told her Shade had asked them to pick her up because he had something important to take care of. Razer was waiting for them at the diner while Lily closed.

"Yes." Lily turned to Beth. "I have a favor to ask. I know we're supposed to go straight home, but I want to run by the store and pick out Shade's Christmas present."

"I'll call Razer and tell him." Beth reached into her pocket, pulling out her cell phone. While she made the call, Lily put on her coat and took her purse out from under the counter, going back to Beth at the doorway.

"He says that's fine. He'll wait outside the store in the SUV."

"Thanks."

They went outside and Lily locked the door behind them.

"Have you decided what you want to get him?"

"It took me a while to figure it out, but yes, I know what I want to get him," Lily said, unable to hold back her smile.

A knock sounded on the door.

"Come in," Pastor Dean said, setting his pen down on the desk.

Shade walked into the room, dressed in slacks and a b.u.t.ton-down shirt. His expensive shoes were shiny and new.

Pastor Dean sat, uncomprehending exactly what he was staring at. As understanding dawned, an unholy grin came across his face, and he sat up straighter in his chair.

"Before we start, I'm warning you that if you make one wisecrack, you'll be giving your own eulogy."

"Shade, you have to at least give me one."

A warning gleam appeared in his deadly eyes. "Like I said, it's your funeral."

"It might just be worth it," Pastor Dean replied, hastily raising his hands in surrender when Shade took a step forward. "I promise I will behave to the best of my ability."

"You do that," Shade said, still not relaxing his threatening manner.

Pastor Dean stood up, coming from around his desk. He reached out his hand for Shade to shake. "I told you I didn't think you deserved Lily. Let's see if you can change my mind, John."

Lily woke on Christmas Eve filled with excitement. She had always loved Christmas and this one was no exception.

The day before, she had finished her Christmas shopping and had come home to find Shade still gone. She had eaten dinner and gone to bed all alone, wondering where he was, and had only woken briefly when he had finally slid into bed with her, pulling her to him.

Excitement infused her as she jumped out of bed, going to the window and pulling the curtains back. "It snowed, Shade."

"I know. It started getting heavy last night," he grumbled from the covers.

Lily jumped back on the bed. "I love snow."

"I know. You told me." Shade grinned, pulling her back down. Lily circled his neck with her arms.

"Does your family open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?"

"What?" Shade asked, not understanding what she was getting at.

"Each family does it differently. Some families open their presents on Christmas Eve, others Christmas Day. We always opened them on Christmas Eve because I couldn't wait."

"We opened ours on Christmas Day."

"Oh." Her face fell in disappointment.

"But I can open it on Christmas Eve."

"No, I'll wait until tomorrow. I don't want to break tradition. It might be bad luck."

"I don't believe in bad luck."

"I'm still not giving you your present until tomorrow," she taunted.

Shade got out of bed, going to the bathroom to shower and dress, telling Lily she took too much time, so he was going first. Lily lay on the bed, waiting for him to come out.

He came out of the shower cleanly-shaven, wearing a nice pair of jeans she hadn't seen before and a dark blue muscle shirt.

He went to look out the window. "It's supposed to quit snowing this afternoon. Come here, Lily."

Lily climbed out of bed, determined not to let his bossiness on Christmas Eve bother her. She stood by him in front of the window and then Shade went to the bedside table and opened it, removing an envelope before coming back to her and placing it in her hand.

"This present isn't technically for you. Open it."

Lily tore the envelope open, reading the words on the paper. She looked back at him with pure joy.

"Look at the date."

The paper signing over the land that Beth and Razer's property was built on had been signed the day after she had visited Diamond at her home.

"I don't know what to say, Shade. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Taking the papers away and setting them on the chair by the window, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny box, placing it in her hand.

"This present is for you."

Lily's fingers trembled as she slid the ribbon off and then opened the box. Inside, a diamond ring lay on a bed of velvet.

"Will you marry me?" Shade was down on his knees in front of her.

She began crying, telling herself this time didn't count because it was so special. For once, she didn't have to think about her answer. "Yes, I'll marry you."

Shade stood up, kissing her so pa.s.sionately that it had her arms circling his neck. He raised his arms, pulling her away. "Good. Now you need to get showered and dressed. We're getting married in two hours." He walked to the door and started to open it.

"Wait. What are you talking about? We can't get married in two hours. Weddings have to be planned and-"

"I've already planned everything and what I couldn't, Beth and Winter took care of. You want a snowy, winter wedding. Look out the window. You know Kentucky weather, it could be another year before it snows again. I'm not waiting a year to get married. Besides, how do you schedule snow?"

"I don't know," Lily said in bemus.e.m.e.nt.

"I don't either. So everything is a go for today, even the snow. I talked to Pastor Dean and got his blessing."

"You did?" Lily was in awe of that accomplishment. She didn't think Pastor Dean liked Shade.

"I did. So are we going to do this?"

"Yes. Do you need me to do anything?"

"No, everything is ready. The brothers and I spent half the night getting it set up. But I do have a quick question."

"What is it?" Lily asked.

"Do I have to invite s.e.x Piston and her crew?"