A Dash of Christmas

by Samantha Chase

  “Why would I lie about that? Guys don’t cry over a beautiful woman! It’s ridiculous!”

  “I think I’d really like a dog too,” she said, no longer paying attention. “Once I decide where I’m going to live and whether or not I’m going to stay with my job, I’m definitely going to get a dog.” She munched on a few more kernels. “What’s the best kind of dog, do you think?”

  “Have you ever had a dog?”

  She shook her head. “My sisters are both allergic.”

  “And you’re not?”

  “Nope. And Derek never wanted any pets, so I just figured it wasn’t meant to be, but now—now I can.” She looked up at him and smiled. “I used to wish we’d get one when I was little. Like I’d wake up on Christmas morning and there would be this adorable puppy sitting obediently under the tree with a big red bow as a collar and my sisters would miraculously be cured of their allergies.”

  Rather than say anything, Carter kissed her on the top of her head. “Sorry.”

  “Yeah. Me too.” She sighed. “Nothing says I can’t do that now, though.”

  “Probably won’t be in the scenario you just described. After all, if you go and adopt the dog, it’s hardly a surprise on Christmas morning.”

  “It would still be worth it.” They sat in silence for a few minutes before Emery looked at him and said, “Your turn. What are you hoping for under the tree?”

  He didn’t say a word, instead he moved the bowl of popcorn onto the floor and then pushed his wine glass farther away. Emery thought he was done with them and was about to comment on how she might have enjoyed finishing what was left in the bowl, but before she could utter a single word, he was maneuvering them until she was flat on her back and he was sprawled out on top of her.

  “This,” he said, his voice low and gruff and oh so sexy. “This is what I’m hoping to find under the tree. You.” His eyes scanned her face. “Only you’d be wearing tiny scraps of red silk and lace, stilettos, and a Santa hat.”

  If he hadn’t looked so intense and serious, she might have laughed. “You’ve clearly put some thought into this.”

  He nodded. “Yes, I have. Ever since the tree went up. Every time we’re out here, I can picture you dressed like that and it makes me crazy.”

  “Had you said something sooner, I could have fulfilled that fantasy for you,” she said, her own voice low and husky.

  Carter ran a finger across her cheek and then his hand sank into her hair. “You’ve already fulfilled so many of them. And I don’t need the silk and lace or any of that. It’s you I want. Right here. Just like this.”

  And when he kissed her, there was no room for doubt.

  But in the back of her mind, Emery knew she’d love to surprise him anyway. After everything he’d given her—done for her—she’d find a way to do this one thing for him.

  Soon.

  Chapter 8

  Carter had always enjoyed driving.

  When he traveled, however, it was rare that he took the time to drive himself. It was more important to multitask and let someone else drive while he took calls or worked on his plans for new endeavors. So the fact that he got to not only enjoy driving from Montauk up to Albany but have Emery beside him singing completely off-key to the Taylor Swift song on the radio had him feeling pretty damn good.

  They’d packed up the house early that morning, and Emery having taken down most of the Christmas decorations the night before made for less work today. Once the decorator and her team had come and gone, they had walked through the house and made sure everything was ready for the cleaning crew. And as they loaded the car and closed the door behind them, he knew they were both sad to be leaving.

  Carter knew it would be a long time before he would forget all they’d shared there. After making love to Emery in front of the Christmas tree last night, he’d made good on his promise and drawn a bubble bath using shampoo to make the bubbles. They could have gone outside and sat in the hot tub, but it didn’t take long for him to find the pros of the close confines of the bathtub.

  By the time they’d crawled back into bed after midnight, they were both exhausted and slept deeply.

  Something else he found he was enjoying since he and Emery started sleeping together: he was actually sleeping better. He loved having her next to him—or sometimes wrapped around him like some sort of cuddly boa constrictor. It didn’t matter. Just knowing she was there in the bed with him made him sleep better. In all honesty, he couldn’t remember ever being this well-rested.

  Going back to work in five days would be a reality check he really wasn’t looking forward to.

  The frantic pace, the long hours on his feet, the constant demand on his time… It was the sort of thing he normally enjoyed, but now that he’d finally taken some time to himself, Carter wasn’t the least bit anxious to get back to it.

  His plan was to put in a couple of weeks in New Orleans, then check on his places in LA and Orlando before coming back to Montauk to put the finishing touches on the restaurant there. Hopefully while he was traveling, he’d be able to pin down exactly what he was going to do with the place. Last night he had been inspired with an idea for the menu. He hadn’t shared it with Emery and she hadn’t asked about it, but he had a feeling when he showed it to his investors, they were going to think he’d lost his mind.

  And maybe he had.

  Only time would tell.

  Beside him, Emery pulled a bottle of water from the small cooler they’d placed in the back seat. “Want one?” she asked.

  “Sure.”

  “Are we going to stop someplace for lunch?”

  He laughed softly. “We ate a late breakfast and packed enough snacks for a cross-country trip. I thought we agreed we’d be okay until we got to my mom’s.”

  “Oh. Right.” She shot him a grin and all he could think of was how it didn’t seem possible for her to be so obsessed with food.

  “My mother wanted to take us out to dinner tonight, but I told her exactly what to buy and I’m going to cook for us,” he explained. “I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Are you kidding? Your mother lives close enough to my parents and my place that the thought of going out anywhere was giving me a little anxiety. If we can postpone letting me out in the wild for a few more days, I’d greatly appreciate it.”

  “Out in the wild?” he repeated, laughing. “What does that mean?”

  “Just what it implies—I’m not quite ready to start going out around town yet. You know, like in my natural habitat.”

  That just made him laugh harder. “You certainly have a way of painting a picture, Em.”

  “And don’t you forget it.”

  The conversation flowed as they drove on and they covered every kind of topic—current events, sports, movies, music, and then, of course, his family. While Emery had known his family since elementary school, she didn’t really know his extended family. At last count, Uncle William and Aunt Monica were definitely going to be there this weekend, along with Uncle Robert and Aunt Janice. Then there was his cousin Summer, her husband, Ethan, and their daughter Autumn, who were bringing their dog, Maylene.

  When Carter had questioned why the dog was traveling with them, his mother had said how sweet it was and how Maylene was a member of the family.

  He’d rolled his eyes at the thought.

  His siblings and their spouses were going to be there, and last he’d heard, they were still waiting to hear whether Zach and Gabriella could make it. Not that it mattered; a few more seats at the table was always a good thing, and it would be loud and boisterous and crazy because that’s what his family was like and he wouldn’t trade them for all the world.

  It wasn’t hard to tell that Emery was a little nervous—not so much about spending the weekend with his family but just about going home in general. Honestly, she didn’t need to stay at his mother
’s house with him—her own place was less than thirty minutes away—but she never brought it up and neither did he. Their time together was already close to coming to an end, and as crazy as it still seemed to him, he was reluctant to see it happen.

  Meeting up with Emery again hadn’t been all that surprising.

  Finding out just how perfect for him she was? Yeah, that was the surprising part.

  With each day that passed, Carter was still a little dazed by it all. How was it possible to know someone for so long—and to dislike someone for all that time—and then find out they’re your ideal person? Quite possibly your other half?

  And more than likely, the one?

  With his heart racing, he glanced over at her and she was singing, again, to the song on the radio. This time she was adorably dancing in her seat and looked so happy and so relaxed that it had him feeling the same way. Emery was like a breath of fresh air in his life with her crazy off-key singing, her awful taste in food, and the way she embraced the things she did with such abandon.

  Reaching over, he placed a hand on her thigh and chuckled when she gave him a sassy wink without missing a beat in her singing and passenger-seat choreography. He loved her sassiness, her silliness, and most of all her sexiness. Emery Monaghan made for one incredibly appealing package.

  And she was all his.

  Hopefully, she’d stay that way.

  Carter couldn’t help but wish that she could just say “screw it” and walk away from it all. She could come to New Orleans with him, and he’d help her find a new career where she could travel with him and…

  Wait—why couldn’t he?

  Don’t do the same thing her family did to her, dude.

  Oh yeah. That.

  It was maddening!

  There weren’t any answers right now, and as much as he hated it, Carter knew there would be enough distractions this weekend to keep him busy. Along with cooking all the food, he would spend some time catching up with his aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins, and their dog. He laughed at the thought.

  But most of all, he smiled because he was blessed with an amazing family, and in a little while, he was going to get to introduce Emery to all of them.

  * * *

  There were Montgomerys everywhere.

  Every. Where.

  It was like they were in every room, every nook and cranny of Eliza’s house, and there was no place for Emery to hide.

  And right now, she kind of wanted to.

  This was all just a little too…much. Not that anyone was rude or mean to her, they were just all so larger than life that it intimidated the heck out of her.

  Everyone was laughing.

  Everyone was smiling.

  And everyone had hugged her and treated her like she was part of the family.

  What was wrong with them?

  Of course, she shouldn’t be surprised. Just because her own family was less than affectionate didn’t mean everyone else’s was. And she had been around the Montgomerys enough—well, Carter’s immediate family—to know they were definitely warmer than her own. But this extended group seemed almost too good to be true.

  Too nice.

  Too friendly.

  Too…everything she’d always wanted.

  Damn, she was falling in love with the whole family just as much as she was falling in love with the man.

  When she and Carter had arrived the previous day, his siblings were already here. Emery knew them and it had been a comfortable setting to step into. Eliza had taken the idea Emery had used at the beach house and had the entire place decorated for Christmas.

  Except the tree.

  That was something they had done together as a family last night.

  Stepping closer to the tree, Emery examined some of the ornaments and remembered Eliza talking about why she had picked certain ones for her kids and the meanings behind them. As she had spoken, Emery had fought back tears, because it was the exact same thing she’d wanted to have when she was growing up and had finally decided to do on her own. But someday, she hoped to have a moment like that with her own kids. Maybe even…hers and Carter’s.

  A strange noise seemed to be getting closer and Emery looked around trying to figure out what it was. It wasn’t until she felt the scratching on her leg that she realized the tiny pug was the one making all the racket. Good Lord—she breathed and snorted like a freight train! But she was as cute as could be, and just like the rest of her family, she was extremely friendly.

  “Hey, sweet girl,” Emery cooed as she squatted down to pet the dog who was frantically dancing at her feet, her little tail wagging, trying to lick her face. “Oh my goodness! You are so excitable, aren’t you?”

  “You don’t know the half of it.” Emery looked up and spotted Carter’s sister, Megan, walking over. “She looks all sweet and adorable, but she has enough energy for ten dogs twice her size.” As if sensing they were talking about her, Maylene scampered over and began scratching at Megan’s legs for attention. After petting the dog and kissing her head, she looked back up at Emery. “So? How are you holding up? Did we scare you? Is that why you’re hiding out here in the den by yourself?”

  Why deny it? With a nervous laugh, Emery said, “Maybe. Just a little.”

  Megan stood and gave her a smile. “Sorry about that. I swear we don’t realize how overwhelming we can be.”

  “It’s not a bad thing. I’m just not used to so much…”

  “Everything?” Megan asked with her own laugh. “Believe me, they’re my family and I love them, but they overwhelm me too.”

  That had her letting out a sigh of relief. “Okay. Good to know.”

  Megan studied her for a moment. “You know, it’s kind of awesome that you’re here.”

  “Really? Why?”

  Gracefully brushing her long hair over her shoulder, Megan sat down on the arm of one of the sofas and smiled. “Because you made this possible.” She motioned toward the rest of the house and all the noise and chaos coming from the other room.

  “Me?” she squeaked. “I didn’t do anything!”

  “Oh, please. You totally are responsible for this and it’s the best thing to happen to our family in a long time.” She paused. “After my dad died, it seemed like we all scattered. This is the first time that we’re back together since his funeral. And I know it’s not all of us—I have a lot more cousins who I wish could be here—but it’s a nice start.”

  “It’s funny how the family that lives the furthest away are the ones who made it here.”

  “I know, right? Go figure.” She shook her head. “Honestly, it was easier for all of us to travel together. Uncle William sent the Montgomery company jet to pick us all up, so it made things even better. Especially with the kids and the dog.” Once again she reached down to pet Maylene. “Summer was very upset at the thought of either leaving Maylene at a kennel for the long weekend or having her go in cargo on a commercial flight. Having use of the company plane put her at ease.”

  “I’m sure.”

  “Anyway, back to you,” Megan said as she made herself comfortable. “All of this would never have happened if you weren’t involved.”

  “Megan—”

  “It’s true! You not only got my brother to step away from his precious restaurants for a little while, but you got him to do something for someone other than himself.” Then she frowned. “I know that sounds terrible, and we’re all workaholics in this family, but because Carter chose a career that was so different from the rest of ours, we never see him. But with this project, you sort of reeled him in and got him to do something that meant a lot to my mom, so…thank you.”

  Damn, there must be something in the air here, she thought, because she was on the verge of crying again! “Your mother went out on a limb for me, so if this was something I could help with, then—”

&nbs
p; “Maylene! Maylene, where are you?”

  “She’s in here, Summer!” Megan called out.

  Emery looked up to see not only Summer walking into the room, but Carter’s cousin Zach’s wife too. What was her name again?

  “There you are,” Summer said as she bent down and picked up the dog. “You better be behaving yourself.”

  The gorgeous dark-haired woman married to Zach looked at her and smiled. “I’m Gabriella,” she said, reaching out a hand to Emery. “We met in the midst of all the chaos earlier. I’m sure it was a lot of names to remember.”

  Feeling instantly at ease, Emery returned the smile. “It was. Normally, I’m pretty good with that sort of thing, but it was like you all walked in at once and…”

  “No need to explain,” Gabriella said. “I had a lot of years working with Zach’s family, and for a while there it was hard for me to keep some of them straight.”

  “You’re such a liar,” Summer said, chuckling. She sat on the sofa with the dog curled up in her lap. Turning to Emery, she explained, “Gabriella is the queen of organization. Don’t let her fool you. The only time she’s ever forgotten a name was when my brother was distracting her.” Then she winked at Gabriella.

  “That is not true,” Gabriella argued lightly. “There are a lot of you—particularly the male side of the family. And you’re all so damn good-looking it was hard to keep names straight at the beginning, because all you can see is sexy…Montgomeryness.”

  “Sexy what?” Summer asked, laughing.

  “Ugh, please don’t let any of them hear you say that,” Megan chimed in. “Their egos do not need to be stroked.”

  “Who’s getting stroked?” Zach asked as he walked into the room, handing a glass of water to his wife. He smiled at all of them briefly before his attention returned to Gabriella. “You doing okay?”

  She nodded and Emery had a feeling there was a little more going on here. When Gabriella glanced her way, her smile turned serene. “We just found out we’re pregnant again.” Zach wrapped an arm around her and kissed her on the cheek. “So far this pregnancy hasn’t been quite as easy as the first, so—”