“Say the words, Noah.” She was trembling as if an earthquake had occurred within the confines of her body.

“Shut up, Cat.” Noah reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a slim stack of folded papers. “First this. Here.”

“What’s this?” She opened them. “Oh my God.” She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t even think.

“It’s Merry’s application to be considered as the future site of your school.”

“I can see that,” she said, her voice strained with emotion. She blinked as her vision blurred.

Noah took a deep breath. “We’re perfect for you Cat. We’re exactly what you’re looking for. We even have the building.”

“The old high school.” Cat nodded blindly, not trusting herself to look up at him, the papers swimming in front of her eyes.

“You don’t have to have one or the other. I want you to have both. Here. With me.”

She launched herself at him, catching him by surprise so that he stumbled back against the desk. She was crying now, ugly, loud sobs, and she didn’t even care.

He banded his arms around her, holding her to him “I’m going to wake up any second now and realize this is all a dream.”

Cat shook her head and cupped his face. “Oh, it’s real. I promise you that.”

His hands, large and warm, caressed her back. “What did I ever do to be so lucky as to have Cat King crying all over me on Christmas Day?”

Cat hiccupped against him. “Yeah, well don’t get used to it, okay?”

He nudged her chin up so she could look at him. “I love you, Catalina.”

She sniffled as the tears fell hot on her cheeks.

“I love you so damn much, Noah.”

He picked her up and spun her around until she was giddy. Lights danced red and green outside the windows as Main Street celebrated.

“You’re probably going to have to marry me,” she told him.

“I think I can handle that,” Noah teased.

“How is this going to work?” Cat asked, grasping his hand. She needed solutions to the hundreds of questions she had. Where would they live? She still had another year in her contract with the network. How would she honor that? Would she have to give up her celebrity?

“We have options,” Noah promised her. “What’s important is that we weigh the pros and cons and—”

“You’re so hot when you’re responsible.”

“Bottom line is we’ll make it work. I’m willing to do whatever it takes, Cat. That includes being on the road with you if you want me there. Or I can live with you part-time in Brooklyn. We’ll find what works for us.”

“What about Sara? We should talk to her—”

On cue, Noah’s phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out, held it up.

Sara Yates is calling.