Grady stood back to admire the tree, slinging an arm around Suzanne’s waist. “You should see the present I got you. It’s totally going to win Christmas.”

Suzanne smiled. She knew without a doubt that honor would be going to her, but she was happy to indulge him for a while. “Well, come on, then.” She dug him in the ribs. “Where is it?”

They said they’d exchange one gift before the night’s festivities began, and Suzanne was beside herself with excitement. Letting her go, Grady loped over to the table and grabbed the wrapped gift off the end, ferrying it back in several easy strides.

“Here you go.”

Suzanne took it and ripped the paper off eagerly to reveal a truly tacky Christmas sweater. She laughed as she unfolded it to reveal a red V-necked sweater, trimmed with faux fur, two green hands spread over where her breasts would sit, and the slogan feel the joy printed beneath.

“Am I right, or am I right? Winning Christmas or what?”

“Very classy.” Suzanne laughed. “I love it. But you haven’t seen mine yet.”

He wiggled his fingers at her. “Hand it over, then, woman.”

Suzanne grinned and grabbed the box off the side table next to the couch. She’d packaged it in a shirt box so it wouldn’t be immediately obvious to Grady.

Like her, he, too, ripped open the wrapping, then whipped the lid off the box to find another Christmas sweater folded carefully in tissue paper. It was green with a white stylized dinosaur on the front, its triangular body making a Christmas tree, the star on its head and the lights wrapped around its tail. The slogan said Tree Rex.

It was funny and cute rather than tacky. But it was still winning Christmas.

Grady grabbed it out of the tissue paper to hold it up. He frowned when there seemed to be a significant amount of it missing. “You wash this first, honey? I think it shrunk.” He laughed as he held it up to his chest. “Don’t think I could get this over my head.”

Suzanne looped her hand through his arm. “That’s because it’s not meant to go over your head, Joshua.”

He glanced down at her, and she smiled at him. He smiled back before returning his attention to the sweater. Watching realization dawn like a sunrise over his face would be something Suzanne would never, ever forget.

His gaze flicked to hers. “Is this… Does this mean…?”

Grinning like a loon, Suzanne nodded. “Merry Christmas, Joshua. You’re going to be a daddy.”

“I’m going to be a daddy?” he asked, his face running the gamut of emotions from incredulous to disbelieving to pure and utter joy.

“Yup,” she said.

Grady whooped, dropping the sweater to pick her up and spin her around and around and around. Suzanne laughed and hung on until he set her back on her feet again.