Ryan got a lump in his throat, seeing her standing right there in his living room, that had only moments ago felt so cold and empty.

“I shouldn’t have done what I did,” she said, “and if you have time, I’ll explain why I did it. It has to do with an African medicine man, and fate, and teenage angst, and first love and other things I don’t quite understand.”

“I’ve got all night.”

She smiled then, and all the tension vanished. She was, at once, the beautiful, odd girl he’d always known. The one he wanted to know inside and out. The one he was pretty damn sure he was falling in love with.

“So do I,” she said, smiling still. “And I’ve got tomorrow, too, if you’re free.”

“I am,” he said, then he bent to kiss her softly on the lips.

“Can I tell you a secret?” she said against his mouth a moment later.

“Yes.”

“You were the first guy I ever loved.”

“I was?”

“Yep.”

“Wow…I’m honored.”

“Do you know what they say about first loves?”

“I’ve heard different stories,” Ryan said, slipping his arm around her and pulling her against him.

She felt warm and perfect.

“The only one I know to be true is that first love never really dies.”

He let her words sink in, and he smiled. He glanced up at the clock. It was 12:01 a.m. now. Christmas day.

“Merry Christmas,” he said, then kissed her again, holding her tightly, as he promised himself that this time, they’d get it right.

A village near Mombasa, Kenya,

Christmas Eve, One Year Later…

“WHY HAVE you not made her your bride yet?” Kinsei asked Ryan. “A woman like her will not wait around forever for a man.”

“You should tell her that,” Ryan said to the medicine man. “She doesn’t want to get married. Says it’s not a fair deal for women.”

The man threw back his head and laughed hard. Ryan had seen him do this several times since they’d arrived in the village the day before, and it never failed to make him smile. Really, everything about this village that had been Lorelei’s home made him smile. In spite of the relative poverty of this place populated by scrawny, beautiful children, elegant women, fat goats and squat little huts, the people he’d met seemed to possess something most Westerners lacked-true, unabashed, non-neurotic joy.

He wasn’t sure he’d ever been so happy in his life as he had been since he’d arrived.

“What?” Lorelei said as she walked up, her long hair shining in the sun. “I can tell you two were talking about me.”

“You American women know nothing of marriage,” Kinsei said to her. “Ask my wives-they will all tell you they are happy being married to me.”

Lorelei looked as if she didn’t doubt it. On the flight over, she’d said that in spite of Western ideas about marriage, Kinsei’s family was at least as functional and happy as any she’d ever seen.

“Kinsei, tell me you weren’t just pressuring him to make me his bride or some nonsense like that.”

“Nonsense? This is the most important thing you will ever do, getting married. It will bring your heart what it desires.”

Ryan would have expected Lorelei to roll her eyes at the triteness of the sentiment, but he knew she was faced with Kinsei’s track record. He was, against all reason, inexplicably always right, or so she claimed. And he could tell now how much weight she really did give the medicine man’s words.

His heart did a little joyous flip-flop.

He’d told himself it didn’t bother him at all that Lorelei wasn’t really keen on marrying. He’d been happy enough that they were together, now cohabitating in her family house. They’d just finished renovations in the fall.

But Ryan understood in that moment that he really did want to marry her, not just live with her. He wanted to declare to the world that they were together for life.

Lorelei looked from Kinsei to him. “What do you think? Want to get married?”

“Of course he does,” Kinsei answered for him. “Look at the man! He’s hopelessly in love with you.”

Ryan couldn’t help laughing. This was not how he’d ever have envisioned his proposal of marriage going, but, with Lorelei, it was completely perfect.

He looked at the medicine man. “Could we, um…?”

“Okay, okay, I will give you privacy, so you can talk about your marriage. And when you are ready, I will marry you. Tonight, yes? Before the feast.”

Without waiting for their approval, he turned and hobbled away on impossibly thin legs.

Ryan turned to Lorelei and smiled. “Are you sure you want this?”

“You heard the man-it’s what my heart most desires. Don’t make me get all mushy now.”

She pulled him close and stood on tiptoe to place a kiss on his lips. When they finally pulled away, she said, “I can’t think of a place I’d rather get married.”

“Really? Right here, in the village?”

She nodded, smiling. “The wedding garb involves a sarong and no top. Are you convinced yet?”

“You mean, you’ll be topless, or I will?”

“Both of us.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s do it.”

He picked her up and kissed her again, this time with the soul-deep satisfaction of his heart finally finding its greatest desire.

USA TODAY bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in Tahoe surrounded by her family, a few wild creatures and some of the sexiest firefighters on the planet. She is hard at work on her next romance novel. Visit her at www.jillshalvis.com/blog.

Jacquie D’Alessandro is an award-winning, USA TODAY bestselling author of more than thirty contemporary and historical romances. She grew up on Long Island, New York, where she fell in love with romance at an early age and dreamed of being swept away by a dashing rogue riding a spirited stallion. When her hero showed up, he was dressed in jeans and drove a Volkswagen, but she recognized him anyway. They now live out their happily-ever-afters in Atlanta, Georgia, along with their son, who is a dashing rogue in the making. Jacquie believes there’s nothing like a hot firefighter to warm up those cold December nights, and she hopes Antonia and Brad’s story adds some heat to your holidays. You can contact Jacquie through her Web site at www.JacquieD.com.

Jamie Sobrato lives inside her own head too much to be anything but a writer. When she’s not writing, she can often be found hiking as she dreams up new story ideas. Jamie lives in Northern California, right across the street from the local fire station, where she does extensive visual research on firefighters.