Kiss Me in Christmas

by Debbie Mason

  Right, she just had an unreliable heart. And now they were all watching her as though they expected her to lose it and make a scene. No one wanted to upset Cat. They couldn’t care less that she’d jeopardized Chloe’s well-being, as long as nothing interfered with her sister’s happy day.

  His stubbled jaw tight, arms crossed over his chest, Easton appeared ready to make good on his earlier threat. She didn’t plan on giving him the satisfaction. The realization they’d all been discussing her attacks, laughing behind her back, was humiliating enough.

  Chloe lifted her chin and channeled her inner diva, the one who was never humiliated or hurt. “I suppose I should be thanking you, Kit Kat. Lately I’ve been concerned about the amount of medication I have to take. At least now I know those studies about the placebo effect are true. Lucky for me I have such a strong and creative mind at my disposal or I’d be stuck taking medication for the rest of my life.” She forced a smile and returned the fake prescription to her purse, hoping her abrupt one-eighty didn’t give her away.

  Since her mother, sister, and Paul visibly relaxed, it appeared they believed her. She shouldn’t be surprised. After all, she was an award-winning actress. She just wished her mother’s pleased smile didn’t carry a touch of pity as well. Chloe didn’t know how she was going to get through the next hour. Especially if Easton kept looking at her with a hint of amusement in those startling blue eyes of his.

  A distant memory ignited a warm flutter in the pit of her stomach. He used to look at her that way in high school, and every time he did, she’d have the same reaction. Not something she should be thinking about now. The day was proving painful enough. She needed a distraction. She had to look no further than her mother and sister and their casual attire. What on earth had they been thinking? Liz’s white capri pants and sleeveless knit top and Cat’s navy shorts and nautical T-shirt weren’t suitable for a garden party. For that matter, neither were Easton’s and Paul’s.

  “I thought the party started at two. Did I get the wrong day?” She kept her smile firmly in place even though she inwardly cringed at the thought. More than an hour of faked happiness would be exhausting. Without proper medication, she’d have to be careful to keep her emotions in check until she returned to LA. She’d make an appointment with a cardiologist as soon as she landed.

  * * *

  Chloe didn’t have the wrong time or day after all. Too bad someone didn’t think to inform her the garden party was actually a pool party. But they were currently experiencing a heat wave so perhaps it was a last-minute decision.

  She sat in a lawn chair beside Estelle, pretending that they were having a wonderful time. Just the two of them. There were at least seventy-five guests milling about Paul’s backyard. At the moment, her mother was leading four women on a tour along a gravel path through the extensive gardens bordered by lilac trees and crab apples in full bloom.

  Their fragrant aroma mingled with the smell of chlorine from the pool a few feet from where Estelle and Chloe sat. She’d prefer to be sitting in the shade of the soaring pine and aspen trees clustered at the far side of the yard but a large group of older women already sat there, including Nell McBride.

  Estelle said something, and Chloe drew her attention back to her manager. As she did, she noticed Paul, who stood on the other side of the pool with a group of his friends, watching her with a concerned frown. She moistened her lips and forced a girlish laugh, then patted Estelle’s hand. “You tell the most amusing stories.”

  The older woman frowned. “I wasn’t trying to be amusing. I think Fluffy has heatstroke,” she said, tipping the cat’s face up.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, Estelle. I couldn’t hear above the music.” At least her excuse was believable. A boom box sat not ten feet from them, the latest hits blaring from the speakers. If they’d been there for more than twenty minutes, Chloe would suggest they leave. Instead she said, “I’ll get her a bowl of water and a cold cloth,” and half rose from the chair.

  “No, no, I’ll take her inside,” Estelle said, getting up. She patted Chloe’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I won’t be long.”

  Obviously Chloe’s panic at being left alone showed on her face. She sighed, wishing Ty was there. At least she’d have someone to talk to. But her mother had mentioned he’d be late. Ty used to be the hairstylist for As the Sun Sets. Three months earlier he’d also been Chloe’s roommate, and, she’d thought, close friend. Until he decided he liked her sister better and picked up stakes and moved to Christmas to open a salon.

  As she watched to make sure Estelle got the patio door open, Easton’s niece yelled, “Get ready, Lily! I’m going to do a cannonball.”

  Chloe whipped her head around, judging the distance from her to the pool. She raised her hand. “Just a moment, Angie. Let me move my chair, please.”

  The pretty, dark-haired teenager turned to look at her. “It’s Annie. And if you don’t want to get wet, why don’t you sit over there?” She pointed to where Cat sat laughing with a group of her friends—her casually dressed friends.

  “I can’t sit in the sun,” she told the teenager, and shuffled the lawn chair further beneath the green-and-white-striped awning.

  Annie frowned. “How come?”

  “It causes skin cancer.” She didn’t think the young girl would care that it also caused premature aging. “Do you have sunscreen on? I have some 40 SPF if you want to use it.” She reached into her purse to pull out a tube.

  “No, thanks,” Annie yelled mid-run, and then she did a cannonball.

  A cascade of water rose up from the pool, splattering Chloe’s dress. She released a small cry of dismay and hurriedly wiped at the droplets in an effort to protect the expensive fabric from staining.

  “Why the Sam Hill did you get all gussied up? It’s not the wedding, you know.”

  Chloe inhaled a deep breath through her nose. She should have known she wouldn’t escape Nell McBride’s attention for long. The older woman walked toward her wearing a pair of red capri pants and a T-shirt covered in poppies the exact match to her hair. “Hello, Nell. I see you’ve been going to Ty. He did a lovely job with your hair.”

  Nell finger-combed her spiky hair. “He did, didn’t he? Fred and Ted tell me I look ten years younger.” She pulled a lawn chair beside Chloe and sat down. Estelle had picked a fine time to abandon her. Although it was probably best her manager wasn’t there. Chloe didn’t have the energy to play referee.

  She decided it was safer to keep Nell focused on her hair than on her. “They’re right, you do. The cut is very youthful, and the color complements your skin tone. What shade did he use?”

  Nell ignored her attempt to distract her. “Didn’t expect you to show up today. For your mother’s and sister’s sake, I’m glad that you did. But you should probably mingle a bit. Doesn’t look good you sitting off in a corner feeling sorry for yourself. People will start to talk, you know.”

  “Whatever gave you the idea I’m feeling sorry for myself?” She forced a laugh, it was sharp enough to cut glass. “Now that I’m finally free of my role as Tessa Hart, I have directors inundating me with scripts. I’ve hardly gotten any sleep trying to read—”

  “So they killed you off, did they? Thought they might. I saw the fans picketing the studio on Access Hollywood.”

  Chloe lifted her chin. “The news hasn’t been released yet. Once it is, I’m sure my fans will do the same for me when they learn I’ve been murdered.” Now that wasn’t something she’d given much thought to. Probably because she’d expected the offers to be pouring in by now. But if her fans reacted like George’s, maybe they’d resurrect Tessa Hart. It wasn’t as if it hadn’t been done before. Anything was possible on a daytime drama. But could she really see herself going back? She sighed. It was an option if no other offers came her way.

  Nell, her attention on Easton, absently nodded in response. He was playing football with his brothers, and Cat’s fiancé, Grayson, on the lawn to the left of the pool. Chloe had been doin
g her best to ignore them. It was difficult to see Easton crippled by his injury. He couldn’t run like he used to, and those disfiguring scars…But it was the tall and leanly muscled Grayson, with his pale blue eyes and dark hair, that she’d been avoiding looking at. He was so beautiful he hurt her eyes as much as he hurt her heart.

  “You get that thought right out of your head, girlie.”

  Chloe stiffened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. He’s my sister’s fiancé. I would never—”

  Nell’s darkened eyebrows drew together. “I was talking about Easton.”

  “Oh, I…Why can’t I look at Easton? Does he have a girlfriend?” She didn’t know what made her ask or why the thought caused a small pinch in her chest. Maybe she was still holding out hope for her win-Cat-back plan.

  “Not yet, he doesn’t. But I intend to fix that. He’s the hero in my next book. I just need to find him his perfect match.”

  Obviously, from Nell’s reaction, it wasn’t Chloe.

  Two years earlier, the older woman had started writing a romance series set in Christmas. Each book featured a couple Nell had a hand in bringing together. All of whom were here today, looking happy and very much in love. Watching them made Chloe realize how much she longed for a family of her own. But where her love life was concerned, she seemed destined to make one disastrous choice after another. Maybe what she needed was a matchmaker with a proven track record. She smiled at Nell. “So when do I get my book?”

  Nell grimaced. “Would you look at that, it’s already three. I better get in there and help with the food,” she said and got up from the chair.

  “Wait, you didn’t answer…” Chloe trailed off as the older woman made a dash for the patio doors leading off the kitchen. Several people turned from their conversations to look at Chloe. Her cheeks warmed, and she bowed her head, fishing in her purse for her phone. She put it to her ear, pretending she had an important call.

  “Oh, Steven”—she released a tinkling laugh—“you’ll make me blush. Of course I can. I’m sure my family will understand—” She looked up to see Estelle hurrying toward her and wondered if her manager and Nell had gotten into it in the kitchen. She hoped they did. At least they’d have a legitimate excuse to leave early. Their rooms at the lodge should be ready by now.

  Chloe pretended to disconnect. She didn’t have to say a fake good-bye. No one was paying any attention to her. “Is something wrong, Estelle?”

  Lowering herself onto the chair beside Chloe, the older woman beamed. “I just got off the phone with Peter. The visit went exactly as I expected. My son refused to give his blessing and tried to talk Grayson out of the marriage. They had a terrible row just before they left for the party, and Grayson sent him packing.”

  She didn’t understand what Estelle was so happy about. “That’s awful. Poor Grayson.”

  “He’ll get over it. Now all we have to do is play on the doubts Peter planted in my grandson’s mind, and the wedding will be off.”

  Chloe glanced to where her mother stood with her friends. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. If I do anything to come between Grayson and Cat, my family will never forgive me.” And she didn’t know if she’d forgive herself. She’d destroyed her sister’s happiness once. She couldn’t do it again.

  “You’d be doing her a favor, saving her from future heartache. Look at them, do they look happy to you?”

  “It’s their engagement party, of course they’re…” As she searched the crowd for her sister, Chloe trailed off. Grayson and Easton’s older brother Chance were no longer playing football. They were standing under a tree talking to Cat. Her sister was pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger, something she did when she was frustrated. While Grayson raked his hand through his thick, chocolate-brown hair, looking as unhappy as his bride-to-be. Chloe leaned forward in an effort to read the couple’s lips.

  A familiar voice distracted her, and she twisted at the waist. Ty leaned half-in and half-out the patio doors, talking to someone in the kitchen. He had on white slacks and a short-sleeve shirt with a white-and-black geometric print. Laughing, he slid the glass door closed and searched the crowd. Happy to see another friendly face besides Estelle’s, Chloe raised her hand, about to call out to him. Then lowered her arm at the thought he’d want to see his best friend first.

  He turned and caught sight of Chloe, a wide, welcoming smile creasing his handsome face. “Diva!” As soon as he reached her, he hauled her out of the lawn chair and rocked her in his arms. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too,” she said, hugging him tight.

  He leaned back, taking her in from head to toe. His eyes admiring behind his red square-framed glasses, he said, “Totally rocking the Jean Paul, Diva. And your hair is fabulous as always. Thank God there’s someone else around here with a sense of style. Can you believe how they’re dressed for an engagement party?”

  She laughed, feeling a little less alone than she had earlier. “No. Couldn’t you talk my sister into a more elegant affair?”

  He snorted, then stepped away from her to greet Estelle. “Duchess, you look marvelous, darling.” The older woman preened when he lifted her hand to his lips. “So how are my roomies faring without me?” he asked as he grabbed a lawn chair.

  “Wonderful. We no longer have to wait hours to use the loo,” Chloe said, moving her chair over to make room for him between her and Estelle.

  He grinned and patted her thigh. “You really do miss me, don’t you? Okay, now give me the 411. How’s everyone at As the Sun Sets? Is Molly still being a biatch?”

  “Molly killed me. She smothered me to death with a pillow.”

  “Shut up! She did not.”

  Sinking her teeth into her bottom lip, Chloe nodded.

  “They’re a bunch of morons,” Ty said, pulling her into his arms. “Without you, the show will be canceled in six months.”

  “Just so, my boy. That’s exactly what I told her,” Estelle said.

  “Now’s your chance to break out. Forget the soaps. Go after a nice, meaty big screen role. You’ve got the acting chops for it…and the looks. Have you had any bites?”

  “Oh, yes, there’s a wonderful period piece—” Estelle began.

  Chloe cut off her manager before she listed the movies they’d discussed earlier. She didn’t have to pretend with Ty. “Not one.”

  He frowned. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes, but I’m sure something will come up soon.” She had to change the subject; she was getting depressed. “Enough about me. How are you enjoying Christmas? Did you have the official opening for your salon yet?”

  “I wouldn’t have it without my favorite celebrity in attendance, now would I? As soon as your mother told me about the engagement party, I scheduled the grand opening for next Saturday afternoon.”

  “We planned to leave tomorrow morning.” She chewed on her thumbnail. She knew what he was going to ask. And no matter how much she wanted to be here for Ty, she didn’t think she could handle staying in town.

  He pulled her thumb from her mouth. “You have to stay. I need you there.”

  “You have Cat.”

  He glanced to where her sister stood deep in conversation with Chance and his very pregnant wife, Vivi. “Between Grayson and her job, she hasn’t had much time for me.” He shrugged as if it didn’t bother him, but Chloe could tell that it did.

  Impulsively, she said, “All right, I’ll stay.”

  Ty clapped his hands. “What about you, Duchess?”

  “Yes, of course. Anything to support you, my boy.” Estelle patted his cheek, then leaned in to him. “Now tell me, how is my grandson? Truly.”

  “Okay, and this is totally under the dome of silence,” he steepled his fingers over his head, “There’s trouble in paradise.”

  “I knew it!” Estelle said, banging her cane on the ground for emphasis.

  “What part of ‘dome’ and ‘silence’ did you not understand, Duches
s?”

  “Sorry. Do tell.”

  The three of them huddled close with their heads touching. “All right, so Pussy just…Oh, get over it,” he said when Chloe and Estelle winced at his nickname for Cat, “… took on a case with McBride Security, and Grayson wants her off of it. She’s protecting a guy that the FBI’s been investigating for the past year. She refused, and then Lord Waverly arrived the next day. Last night I would have laid odds against this little shindig happening.”

  Chloe sat back in her chair, mulling over the news. Grayson was a special agent with the FBI, so she could see his point. But she could also see her sister’s. Several years ago, Cat had been the youngest female detective with the Denver PD. She’d loved working in law enforcement. It had nearly destroyed her sister when she was forced to leave her job under a cloud of suspicion. Chloe imagined working for Easton and Chance at McBride Security had gone a long way in erasing those unhappy memories. Cat took pride in her job, and there was no way she’d cave to Grayson’s demands. Now or ever. Estelle was right, the couple were setting themselves up for heartache.

  Unless Chloe did something.

  She had to save her sister from making another mistake. Even though she’d been positive Cat’s ex, Michael Upton, was the scoundrel he turned out to be, she hadn’t said anything to her sister. So while it was possible Chloe would alienate her family, she had to take the risk. This was her chance to make up for the hurt she’d caused Cat in the past.

  She looked up to see Estelle watching her. The older woman raised her penciled eyebrows as if to say “I told you so.” Chloe nodded. She knew what she had to do.

  “Ty, darling, come here for a sec.” Her mother waved him over to the group of women she stood with.

  “Okay, you two, remember.” Ty made a zip-it motion with his fingers as he got out of his chair. “Once the party’s over, we’ll head over to my salon, and I’ll give you the grand tour.”

  “I can’t wait,” Chloe said.