It was ironic, because in the past, Dario had been the one to avoid settling down. And there was a long line of women back in Southwood waiting to get reacquainted with him. He glanced down at his phone to see a number of texts he’d missed from the single—and not-so-single—ladies in Southwood who’d apparently just received word he was coming back for the holidays.
The rest of the ride went as well as could be expected. After Kimber told him everything she’d been up to, she settled down, ate the provided meal—turkey sandwiches—and settled in to watch a movie on her tablet. At some point, Dario felt the weight of her head while she rested against his shoulder. Finally able to show some form of emotion, Dario smiled to himself.
Around midafternoon the plane began to descend onto the airstrip just outside of Southwood, Georgia. The runway was actually more often used for testing out the acceleration of the vehicles he and his brothers restored. It was a hobby that had turned into a lucrative business, Crowne Restoration. From the air, the landing strip appeared to be a giant P, with the curved part for testing tires in high-speed turns.
Out of habit, Dario peered out the window. An oversized garage stood at the end of the test track. Inside were thousands of chrome and steel tools, from wrenches, to saws, to power drills. Excitement pulsed through Dario’s veins. A year was too long to be away from his toys.
Beside him, Kimber still rested her head on his shoulder. She’d filled most of the flight telling him about her travels. Dario enjoyed listening. At one point however, she stopped talking long enough to fall asleep. He wondered if he should wake her up. Behind the garage was a ranch-style home that sat on fifteen acres of land. A few cars were parked in the circular driveway. As the plane descended over the house, he noticed three truck beds filled with boxes, most likely for the Christmas Chaos party—something Dario did not want Kimber to know about. Fortunately, he recognized the long gold Cadillac that Lexi Pendergrass Reyes drove around town as it pulled into the circular drive.
“Wake up, sleepyhead,” Dario whispered. Instead of sitting straight up, Kimber did a cat stretch across him. Her forearms brushed against the zipper of his slacks. The slight gesture awakened his body. He pointed out the window. “I believe your aunt is already here waiting to get you.”
“How did she know?” Kimber asked. “I didn’t have the heart to tell her I missed the flight.”
“I took care of it before we left,” he said.
Suddenly Kimber smiled. “Funny, I was just dreaming about Aunt Lexi and the mystery tiara maker.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah, I realize there’s another reason for me to find her or him.” Kimber stretched once more before she rose from her seat. “I’ve decided I’ve got to get Lexi the best present in the world—a custom-made tiara.”
Dario gulped. “Is that right?”
“Yep. And I won’t stop until I find her,” she replied. “Or him.”
* * *
“I didn’t expect to be able to drive just down the road to pick you up,” said Lexi, interrupting the awkward silence after they entered the car.
Kimber hated the way things were between her and Dario. A year ago, he’d been one of her best friends. Before they took off from Dubai, he’d sworn there was nothing wrong between them but his hasty goodbye when they deplaned left her wondering. He didn’t invite her or Lexi into the house for a drink or something to eat. Instead, he acted more like he needed them to hurry up and leave.
“Kimber?”
Blinking back to focus, Kimber shook her head. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I was just curious about how you ended up flying home with Dario of all people.” Lexi flipped her blond hair off her shoulders as she looked both ways before entering the tree-canopied two-lane road.
In all her travels, Kimber had missed this scenery, the flickers of sunlight shining through the trees. Tearing her gaze from the leaves, Kimber sighed. “I’m sorry. I missed the flight you booked for me.”
“How?” Lexi gasped. “I thought you were on your way to the airport anyways.”
“I know but I was distracted,” Kimber started. Did she want to tell her aunt that she’d been distracted by something shiny? No, part of the reason Kimber had wanted to leave Southwood was to prove to her family she’d become a responsible adult.
Lexi shook her head and laughed, then reached over to tousle Kimber’s hair. “Oh, Kimber, I’ve missed you so much.”
“I missed you too.”
“Tell me how you ended up on the plane with Dario. And are they making so much money now that they own a plane?”
“It belongs to a family friend,” Kimber explained and then told her aunt about running into Dario at the airport and how he was kind enough to bring her home.
“You two were always so close,” Lexi noted. “What happened?”
Hot, steamy, unadulterated sex, Kimber thought, but decided not to mention that part to her aunt. “I needed to take a break from here, you know, focus on my career and all. I missed the opportunity for my internship, which led to this fabulous life of mine.”
Lexi cut her eyes over at her niece. “Was it fabulous when you missed the last three Southwood holidays?”
In truth she did miss being home for the holidays, especially Halloween and taking her little sister and their cousins out trick-or-treating. Their neighborhood went all-out for the holiday with scary haunted houses and spiderwebs crossing from house to house. “I did,” Kimber admitted, “but at least I can say I had turkey in Turkey last week.”
“Oh, did the hotel do something nice for the American guests?”
“I’m not sure.” Kimber shrugged. “Maybe someone from the pageant circuit felt sorry for me. Room service brought up roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and some dressing.” There was no mistaking the eyebrow that lifted above Lexi’s sunglasses. “And no, it was not the same as home.”
“You’re in luck. I happen to have a batch of cornbread dressing in the freezer for you.”
“Thank God!” Kimber leaned back against the leather headrest. More of the suburbs came into view as the canopy road thinned out. “I’ve missed being back home.”
“Good to know. And you’ve been missed here. The kids are cleaning their rooms just for you,” said Lexi.
Kimber laughed. “That is so wrong. You know I don’t care what their rooms look like.”
“Hey, don’t knock my motherly blackmail. I couldn’t exactly get them to clean their rooms by not letting them join the annual Christmas cookie decorating contest this week.”
After a good laugh, Lexi turned the car into the neighborhood Kimber had once called home. She’d always had mixed feelings about this place. Before her parents had passed away, Ken and Betty Reyes had fought often. Loudly and passionately. As a child, it had made her stomach roll with anxiety; she was never sure what to expect when she got home. Would she find them arguing in the kitchen or making out on the couch?
Kimber didn’t think she’d ever want to settle down with one person, not if it meant fighting like that. Her uncles, Stephen and Nate, had showed her that couples could be happy long-term, but she still didn’t trust her DNA. She was not meant to be in a monogamous relationship with someone. At the first sign of a disagreement she was sure to hightail it out of there. The men she dated all seemed to understand her stance and preferred it too. But Dario’s tight-lipped smile at her twenty-four hours ago still stung. She’d been relieved when he’d said his mind was on work, but something still felt off.
The Cadillac slowed down and turned into the driveway of the Reyes home. Oh, the changes that had occurred. Kimber’s eyes glanced up at her old bedroom window. She smiled to herself, recalling the frantic way her uncle had decided to install bars on her window specifically. Just because Kimber had foolishly decided to wear a rather adult dress to a party to impress an older boy at school, Stephen h
ad gone all militant and barred her room, banned her from leaving the house and even had the nerve to try and take away her cell phone. At the time, he was a bachelor, clueless about technology and sim cards and young teenagers—and the drawer she had filled with phones. Kimber smiled to herself.
The front door burst open and banged against the four-digit house number. Three small children, two young boys and a girl, raced down the steps toward the car. A much taller and more mature preteen jumped off the top of the porch and outran the little ones to get to the passenger door. Kimber rushed out and screamed just as Celie had in The Color Purple when she was reunited with her sister, Nettie.
Even though she spoke with her sister via video-chat every week, there was nothing like holding her in her arms. The last time she’d physically seen Philly, the girl had been five inches shorter and still a tomboy. Judging by the sparkly lip gloss and red body glitter across her face, a lot had changed.
Everyone thought Kimber favored their mother, Betty, but her sister reminded her so much of their mom. That woman used to go overboard with the fun makeup. Kimber remembered helping her mom try to get her beautiful light brown eyes done up just right. They had been exactly the same color as Philly’s. They also both loved to hug and right now, Kimber did not mind.
“You gotta promise me you’ll never be gone so long again,” Philly cooed while Kenny, Angel and Victor wedged themselves between them.
Kimber reached down and embraced her cousins with big hugs that ended with her swinging them around in the air. After her parents died, she hadn’t thought it was possible for there to be so much joy in the household. Her uncles and aunts were sure to make every day special for them. Uncle Nate had the special ability to transform homes. He used to live in the two-story home before getting married. Then he and his wife bought the property behind them, fenced in both homes to create a fortress with a swimming pool in between the houses.
The toddlers grabbed Kimber by the hand to show her the fun stuff they’d made for her. As they approached the house, Stephen clutched his heart as he stepped out onto the porch. In pure dramatic form he stumbled backward into the doorframe. “Is it truly my number-one niece?”
“Cute, Tío,” Kimber said, feeling her heart fill with love.
“He’s been so excited to see you,” said Philly, coming up behind Kimber. “He’s been in the kitchen all day.”
Kimber took a step backward and shook her head. “Oh hell no,” she blurted out.
“Swear jar,” the toddlers chorused.
Giggling, Philly scratched her face. “Don’t worry, he’s just making beans and rice. Abuela has been on the phone with him most of the day making sure he stirs the pot.”
“Is that my Kimber?”
Everyone turned toward the voice in the driveway. Lexi closed the door to her car and headed over to the black SUV where Amelia, Uncle Nate’s wife, hung out the window.
“Speaking of stirring the pot,” Stephen mumbled.
Kimber grimaced at him before crossing the surprisingly still-green lawn to greet the rest of the family. “Amelia,” Kimber cried with joy. Kimber wasn’t sure if she’d ever have learned to love journalism if it weren’t for Amelia. The part-time producer for the MET Network had piqued Kimber’s thirst for uncovering the truth her senior year in college. For four years Kimber had worked on her degree and exhibited her natural talent for investigative journalism.
“Oh, sweetie!” Amelia cried. “It’s so good to have you home.”
“Thanks, Amelia. It’s good to be home.”
“I finally know how Nate feels every time I’m off on assignment,” said Amelia.
The man in question, Nate Reyes, appeared and swooped Kimber into a big bear hug. He was over six feet tall, looming, even with her in heels. Prior to the Crowne men arriving in Southwood, Nate had been the town heartthrob. Then he’d met Amelia.
“I’ve missed you, kiddo,” he said after he set her back down on the ground.
“Be careful with her,” Amelia fussed, swatting her husband on the arm. “An opportunity is opening up again. A field journalist.”
Butterflies fluttered in Kimber’s stomach. “Are you serious?”
“I wanted it to be a Christmas surprise for you, but I thought it would be best to let you know now in case they want to try you out for a broadcast.”
Kimber bit her bottom lip. She’d enjoyed her time covering beauty pageants for the last year. The circuit took her all over the world and she wouldn’t have traded it for anything, but the shot at a job at MET would be outstanding.
“You’re not going anywhere, are you?” Philly asked with panic in her voice.
Stricken with guilt, Kimber reached her arm out to embrace her sister. Philly clung to her side. “You’re stuck with me,” Kimber told her. At least for the holidays, she thought. She’d find time this month to break things down for her sister, explaining about not wanting to live in Southwood for the rest of her life.
“Have your uncles seen this?” Amelia asked, tilting Philly’s face toward the sun.
Kimber’s eyes followed to where her aunt looked. The red body glitter now appeared more like splotches. “What kind of glitter is that?”
“I didn’t put glitter there,” said Philly, pulling her face away. “What?”
Nate inspected his niece’s face, as well. “Is that what I think it is?”
Stephen came off the porch to see. “What are we looking at here?”
Amelia, Lexi and Stephen chorused, “Chicken pox.”
* * *
“Why would you bother giving her a ride home? Does Aamir know you had her on his plane?”
A little teacup pig sniffed at Dario’s ankles, drawing his focus away from his sister’s rant. Alisha Crowne did not care for many people in the world. Kimber Reyes definitely hadn’t made the cut.
He sighed and sat up to scratch Hamilton, the family pig, under his chin, then shook his head at his sister in the kitchen of their family’s downtown Southwood three-bedroom condo. With the way Christmas Chaos had grown, Darren had taken over the ranch house to make preparations and if Dario wanted any rest, he had to come here and endure his baby sister.
“Drop it, Alisha,” Dario warned.
“You were pitiful to watch whenever she came into town during her college breaks, following her around like a lost puppy,” Alisha continued. She slammed pots and pans around in the kitchen.
Dario sat up further to grab a thin slice of red pepper from the plate of crudités Darren had left for him, probably thinking there’d be some sort of twin connection where Dario would go along with this strict diet of no processed foods, sugars or alcohol with him. Fat chance, he thought, feeding the pepper to the pig.
“And that stuff is for you to eat, not Hamilton,” Alisha went on.
“I’m not eating it. I’ve got a burger on the way.” Dario picked up his cell phone to track the delivery service. “It should be here...” he paused to watch the footsteps of the delivery person in the parking lot “...any minute now.”
“Good. That gives me a few minutes before you stuff your face to tell you about the job we have to do for Dominic.”
At the mention of their older brother’s name, Dario’s interest was piqued. “What’s going on?”
“Since you and Darren have destroyed the ranch house, Christmas is going to be held here this year,” Alisha announced.
Excitement raced through him. Dominic had gotten married a few years back and now he and his wife, Waverly, had a set twins, Justin and Ariana, plus a new baby, Maddie. If Dario had been made for anything, it was to be the world’s best uncle. Justin, a replica of all the Crowne men with his reddish-brown hair, already showed signs of being interested in the restoration craft. The tyke-sized toy Mustang model Dario had given him last summer for his birthday was already put together and painted. Much to her mother’s dism
ay, Ariana also loved being in the garage and getting grease under her nails. Waverly would have preferred Ariana take after her mother and enter a beauty pageant, but the three-year old wasn’t having it.
The thought of pageants brought Dominic’s thoughts back to his beauty queen. He pictured Kimber seated at her family’s table, giving them the details of how she’d tried to find the designer of the tiaras. He couldn’t let that happen. What he needed to do was figure out a way to hang out with Kimber every day while she was in town just to monitor her investigation. And manage to not fall in love with her again.
As if following some odd little-sister intuition, Alisha slammed her hands on the table. “Are you even listening to me?”
“No,” Dario admitted.
“We’re going to have to get this place in Christmas shape for the twins.”
“So do it.” He sighed.
Alisha gritted her teeth together. “How am I supposed to do it? I can hang decorations, but I don’t know the first thing about babyproofing. You guys did all that for me.”
It was true. Because their father left the family when Alisha was still young, the boys had tried to help their mother whenever possible. Mary Crowne had worked three jobs just to keep a roof over their heads. Dominic worked from an early age until he got a scholarship he couldn’t turn down. Dario and Darren did their share, finding jobs, as well. They all worked together to make sure Alisha never knew the struggle. Now he regretted going along with indulging her.
“It’s about time you learn,” said Dario. The doorbell rang and his stomach growled. He hopped up and trod across the hardwood floors to the door. “Thank God. I thought you’d gotten lost,” he said, opening the door without looking through the peephole.
Christmas with the Billionaire ; A Tiara for Christmas Page 19
