She blinked. “You are?”
“Yes. And I’m thinking the smartest home base would be Wildstone. See, there’s a woman there I love and need in my life.”
She was staring up at him. “But what about your job?”
“There’s an airport for when I need to run an expedition, but I’m going to be doubling my staff. I won’t be gone nearly as much.”
“But . . . that’d be changing your whole life. I don’t want you to do that, not for me.”
“I’d do anything for you.” He cupped her face. “I love you, Hannah.”
Her hands came up to cover his, her voice soft but firm. “I love you too, James. I always have. And I don’t know why I’m only just now saying that to you. I’ve felt it forever.”
He smiled, feeling the last of the pieces of his damaged heart slide into place. “Maybe it’s finally the right time.”
She stepped into him, slid her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.
“You’re my home base, Hannah. For now and forever, if you’ll have me.”
She smiled. “Remember yesterday when I won, but never claimed my spoils?”
Puzzled, he nodded. “Yeah.”
“You’re it. I claim you, James. You’re it for me, for now and forever.”
Epilogue
One year later
IT WAS the night before Christmas and all through the boat, not a creature was stirring . . . Hannah stood on deck, Harry at her side. Together they were taking in the view, which was different this year.
Very different.
They weren’t surrounded by the Caribbean, but were on the Pacific coast. Which meant that instead of blue-green seas for as far as the eye could see, they were in Morro Bay, surrounded by the gorgeous California green rolling hills.
The boat was, of course, The Therapist. Hannah smiled at Harry and then took in everyone else as well, seated along both sides of the walkway so that it was now a makeshift aisle. Her mom and her new husband. Sally, who was wearing an engagement ring from none other than Harry himself. Susan and Dan.
And James, standing at the other end, under a wooden arch that he’d built for her, waiting for her to walk down the aisle to him. He was watching her, a small just-for-her smile on his lips, his eyes filled with so much love she had to swallow hard as emotion nearly overwhelmed her.
The year had gone by so fast. Her boss had been promoted, and so had she, taking Cynthia’s old job, giving her more of an administrative position. Which in turn freed her up to work from home—or better yet, to travel when she wanted to tag along with James. She’d been able to untether herself from the job a bit, while still making sure the cases that needed to be heard were heard.
As for her almost husband, one of the first things he’d done was convince Harry to come work for him. Harry had happily shifted his life to be closer to Hannah’s.
But the biggest thing James had done was stand by his word. He’d opened a home office in Wildstone, and because Wildstone was virtually a playground in itself, he’d created a series of adventures right in Hannah’s backyard, working for a variety of clients big and small who wanted to provide their employees with exclusive and unique team-building experiences.
He and Hannah had bought a small house, and she’d thought nothing could make her happier than all of last year. Except now, standing there about to walk to the man of her dreams and exchange vows, she knew that she’d been wrong. This, the official entangling of their lives, filled her heart in a way she could never have imagined.
“Ready, Smalls?” Harry asked.
She’d never been more ready for anything in her life.
About the Author
New York Times Bestselling Author JILL SHALVIS lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is . . . mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning novels wherever books are sold, and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
Praise for Jill Shalvis
“She’s a New York Times bestselling author, and there’s a reason for her popularity: her writing is character-driven, accessible, and just the right kind of sultry.”
—Bustle
“Engaging writing, characters that walk straight into your heart, touching, hilarious . . .”
—Library Journal on One Snowy Night
“Shalvis’s sixth Heartbreaker Bay book spices up Christmas with a hint of humor, a dash of suspense, and a whole lot of naughty fun under the mistletoe. The characters come alive in this lighthearted, fun story written for cold winter nights.”
—Publishers Weekly on Hot Winter Nights
“With her Heartbreaker Bay books, Shalvis has created a terrific crew of friends, each more lovable (and deserving of love) than the last.”
—Entertainment Weekly on Chasing Christmas Eve
Also by Jill Shalvis
Wildstone Novels
LOVE FOR BEGINNERS
THE FOREVER GIRL
MISTLETOE IN PARADISE (novella)
THE SUMMER DEAL
ALMOST JUST FRIENDS
THE LEMON SISTERS
RAINY DAY FRIENDS
THE GOOD LUCK SISTER (novella)
LOST AND FOUND SISTERS
Heartbreaker Bay Novels
WRAPPED UP IN YOU
PLAYING FOR KEEPS
HOT WINTER NIGHTS
ABOUT THAT KISS
CHASING CHRISTMAS EVE
ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE
THE TROUBLE WITH MISTLETOE
SWEET LITTLE LIES
Lucky Harbor Novels
ONE IN A MILLION
HE’S SO FINE
IT’S IN HIS KISS
ONCE IN A LIFETIME
ALWAYS ON MY MIND
IT HAD TO BE YOU
FOREVER AND A DAY
AT LAST
LUCKY IN LOVE
HEAD OVER HEELS
THE SWEETEST THING
SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE
Animal Magnetism Novels
STILL THE ONE
ALL I WANT
THEN CAME YOU
RUMOR HAS IT
RESCUE MY HEART
ANIMAL ATTRACTION
ANIMAL MAGNETISM
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
“One Snowy Night.” Copyright © 2016 by Jill Shalvis.
“Holiday Wishes.” Copyright © 2017 by Jill Shalvis.
“Mistletoe in Paradise.” Copyright © 2020 by Jill Shalvis.
HOLIDAY EVER AFTER. Copyright © 2021 by Jill Shalvis. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.