“She’s expecting a yes,” Noah informed her.

Cat snatched the phone out of his hands. “What is my future stepdaughter doing up so late on Christmas Eve?” she demanded.

Sara’s shriek was ear-splitting. “She’s staying!” Sara shouted.

Cat could hear a crowd both through the phone and the office windows. She dashed to the window, dragging Noah with her and pulled up the blinds.

There on the street below was the better part of the entire population of Merry and her crew.

Sara was waving from the center of it all flanked by the Kings. An accordion player wheezed out the notes to “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

Cat waved back, tears flowing like a river. Noah pulled the phone out of her hand and closed the blinds.

He cupped her face in his hands, those strong, kind, capable hands. The kiss was everything. Tender and possessive. Sweet and swoon-worthy. Cat was right where she was meant to be. In the arms of the man who believed in her.

Noah pulled back, stroked his thumb over her damp cheek.

“Merry Christmas, Cat.”

EPILOGUE

“Put the paintbrush down or we’re going to be late,” Noah admonished. He grabbed the brush out of Cat’s hand and moved in for a kiss when she opened her mouth to complain.

“I just have one more wall to go,” she argued, reaching for the brush her husband held over his head.

“You have thirty minutes to shower and change.”

“I miss having wardrobe and makeup,” Cat sighed.

“You’ll have them back in a few months,” Noah said, stripping her out of her paint splattered t-shirt. “But for now, you have fifty-five young women waiting for you to send them off into the world with words of wisdom.”

Cat wrapped her arms around Noah’s neck. Obligingly he carried her into the bathroom that way. He leaned into the shower and twisted the knob to scalding.

“Where are the boys?” Cat asked.

“Sara and your parents are entertaining them outside... or at least trying to prevent them from burning down the house. Gannon and Paige will meet us at the school.”

“Nonni too?”

Noah unbuttoned her denim shorts. “Nonni too,” he promised.

“What about your mom?”

“She’s getting her hair done, and she’ll meet us there.”

“Are you nervous?”

“No,” she said. “Yes. Maybe? Excited. Very, very excited. I can’t believe it’s here.”

“The first graduating class of King Technical Institute. It’s a huge deal. For them and you.” Noah cupped her jaw. “I think you can afford to take the afternoon off your current project and bask a little bit.”