As they sat in the glow of the Christmas tree, Gunner thought about how different his life was not just from the year before, but than he ever imagined it would be.

Zary was snuggled next to him, her breathing so even that he guessed she’d fallen asleep. He tightened his arm around her, loving the feel of her body against his.

“Thank you for taking Losha to the island last night,” she murmured.

“You’re welcome.” He and Zary hadn’t talked about the fact Losha wasn’t alone, as she’d predicted. Somehow he sensed it wasn’t something she was ready to discuss, and that didn’t bother him. He wasn’t sure he’d ever be ready for that conversation. The less he knew about her friend, the better.

“And thank you for today,” she murmured. “My mother wanted nothing else for Christmas. You and Razor gave her the perfect gift.”

When Topor contacted Svetlana with yet another excuse as to why he couldn’t make it for Christmas, Gunner was prepared. He’d installed software on Zary’s mother’s phone, and within seconds of his call, they knew his exact location.

He didn’t call the man until they stood outside the door of his motel room.

“We’re here to deliver you to your sister as a Christmas gift,” Gunner said when he answered the call he believed was from Svetlana.

Rauf “Topor” Evasov opened the door slowly. “Are you sure you’re not here to kill me?”

A few short weeks ago, Gunner would’ve been eager to put a bullet in the man who stood in front of him, but after hearing Zary’s account of the way Topor had cared for her mother all those years, and given the fact that he’d saved the life of the woman he loved, Gunner had developed a soft spot for him.

“We have one rule,” Razor told him. “We won’t kill anyone on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. After that, all bets are off.” He smiled and held out his hand. “Welcome to the family,” he said when Topor shook it.

Gunner had to admit the man looked like shit. He wouldn’t ask now, but before they delivered him back to the seedy motel he was staying in—if they brought him back here at all—he’d find out whom the man was afraid would find him. If it was protection he needed, it would be easy to arrange. One call to the company, and Rauf Evasov would never have to worry for his life again.

He hadn’t told Zary or her mother where he and Razor were going, only that they’d be back soon. He wondered if Svetlana had even noticed her phone, which he now held in his hand, was missing.

“We’re back,” he yelled when they came in the front door. “Where is everyone?”

“In here,” his mother hollered from the kitchen.

“This way, Topor.”

“Please, Rauf.”

“You got it.”

Both Zary and her mother were in the kitchen when he, Razor, and Rauf walked in, and the look on both their faces melted Gunner’s already-thawed heart.

“Tell me about Christmas,” Zary murmured.

“Past or present?”

“Both.”

“As you know, we moved around a lot when I was a kid. My parents always made sure that we had as traditional a Christmas as possible. If my dad was stationed in the States, we’d go to my grandparents’ house. If not, my mom would pull out all the stops and decorate the hell out of wherever we were living.” Gunner looked around the room they were sitting in. “Kind of like she did here.”

“I like it.”

“I do too, to be honest.”

“Which grandparents did you visit?”

“Both. My father’s parents lived here, in what is now the guest house. My mother’s parents lived in DC, so only about forty-five minutes from here.”

“Your mother’s father was the French ambassador.”

“That’s right. Did she tell you, or did you already know?”

“She did. I asked her to tell me about Christmas too. It was lovely to hear about Père Noël.”

“Ah, so you understand why the shoes sitting by the fireplace are filled with carrots and cookies.”

“For Père Noël’s donkey.” Zary’s smile lit up the room.

“Do you know the donkey’s name?”

“I do.” She clapped her hands as a child might. “It’s Gui, which means mistletoe.”

“That’s right. Every year up until I turned eleven or twelve, I’d beg my parents to get us a donkey that we could name Gui. At some point, Odette convinced me we’d have better luck asking for a dog.”

“And?”

“We never got the dog.” Gunner laughed. “I haven’t thought about that for years.”

“Poor Gunner,” Zary teased. “You never got your Christmas wish.”

“Yes, I did,” he said, kissing her. “You are all I ever really wished for. You’re more. There’s only one more thing I want this year.”

“What?” she asked, sitting forward.

Gunner slid off the sofa and got down on one knee. “I love you in this lifetime just like I did in all the past lifetimes that I know we’ve spent together. I’ll never stop loving you, Zary. Not even when I take my last breath, because I know that in my next life, you’ll be by my side again.” He slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out a ring. “Marry me, Rocket Girl.”

“Oh, Gunner,” she cried, sliding off the sofa like he had and throwing her arms around his neck.

“Is that a yes?”

“It’s a thousand lifetimes of yes,” she said, brushing her lips against his.

“Let’s see if this fits.” He slid the ring on her finger. “Perfect,” he murmured.

“It’s so beautiful,” she said, gazing at the oval diamond surrounded by rubies.

“There’s something I want to tell you, my sweet, wonderful, soon-to-be wife.”

Her eyes met his.

“I’d like us to be married on the Fourth of July.”

She nodded. “Okay…”

“Do you want to know why?”

Her expression turned puzzled. “Sure.”

“It’s your birthday.”

“What?” she whispered.

“I asked your mother.”

“I didn’t know.”

Gunner helped her back onto the sofa and pulled her close to him. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you right away, but I wanted to surprise you.” He ran his finger over the rubies on her ring. “These are your birthstone.”

Zary couldn’t stop crying, but Gunner just smiled at her between kisses.

Most of her life, she’d believed whatever year it was would be her last. People in her line of work didn’t live to be very old, especially women.

This year was so different. Not only was she with Gunner, her only dream come true, but by next Christmas, they’d have a baby. Her mother was sleeping safely and soundly upstairs, and even her uncle was here.

“July Fourth,” she whispered.

“Is that okay with you?”

“I love it, Gunner.”

They heard someone coming down the stairs and turned to see Ava followed by Razor.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said, rubbing her belly. “I needed a snack.”

Zary squeezed Gunner’s hand and leapt off the sofa. “Look,” she squealed. “Gunner and I are getting married.”

“Oh my gosh. Let me see,” Ava cried, looking at the ring. “It’s so beautiful.”

“We’re getting married on July Fourth,” she said. “It’s my birthday.”

“Congratulations, man,” said Razor, clapping him on the back. “You did good.”

“Look at her,” he murmured.

Razor smiled. “I am,” he murmured, but Gunner could see he wasn’t looking at Zary; he was looking at Ava. “I never dreamed…” his friend said.

“Me either.” Gunner wiped at the tear forming at the edge of his eye.

“We’re gonna be brothers,” said Razor.

“Huh?”

“Brothers-in-law. Same thing, right?”

“We’ve always been brothers, Raze.”

“I feel the same way.”

“Where’d they go?” he asked, looking for Zary and Ava.

“My guess is kitchen.”

“I crave pancakes more than anything else. Oh, and bacon. Especially late at night.”

“I don’t know if I crave anything,” Zary told her. “Is that weird?”

“I have no idea, but you probably do without even realizing it.”

“You crave bananas,” said Gunner, walking up and putting his arm around her shoulders.

“That’s true.”

“And pierogies with sauerkraut.”

Zary laughed. “You’re right. Wow.” She turned to Ava. “I could eat pierogies every day.”

“Same with pancakes for me.”

“I thought I heard somebody in my kitchen,” said Madeline, padding out of the bedroom.

“Sorry, Ma, did we wake you?”

“No. We were just talking,” she answered, pointing to Svetlana, who walked out behind her.

“Merry Christmas!” her mother shouted, and everyone laughed.

“Look, Mama,” Zary said, walking up to both of their mothers. “On poprosil menya vyyti za nego zamuzh.”

“Rubies,” her mother whispered.

“Yes,” Zary nodded.

“Four iyulya.”

“What is she saying?” Madeline asked.

Zary’s birthday is July fourth,” Ava whispered.

When her mother let her go, Zary hugged Gunner’s mother.

“I’m so happy for you,” Madeline cried, and then looked at Gunner. “And I’m so proud of you.”

“What’s going on?” asked Odette, coming in from the front of the house. “I can hear you all the way upstairs.”

“Your brother proposed,” said Madeline, pulling Zary by the hand over to where Odette was standing.

“Wow,” she said, studying the ring. “You did good.”

“That’s what I said,” Razor told them.

“So, why are we in the kitchen?” Madeline asked.

“Pancakes,” chirped Ava.

“And pierogies,” added Zary.

“I think I can manage both,” Madeline winked, opening the refrigerator and pulling out a bowl. “Your mother made these this morning,” she said to Zary, showing her the pierogies.

Zary hugged her mom. “Spasibo.”

Her mother kissed her cheek. “Merry Christmas!” she said again.

Gunner put his arm around the waist of the woman who would soon be his wife, and breathed in the scent of her. There was so much he loved about his Rocket Girl, and seeing her this happy filled him with a sense of peace.

“This is the best Christmas ever,” he whispered.

“I agree,” she said, leaning her body into his.