Read A Christmas to Believe In Online
Authors: Claire Ashgrove
A Christmas to Believe In (44 page)
He glanced around the room as he helped Jesse out of her
coat. Tucked into the corner of the couch, Zoe and Alex
cuddled like all newlywed couples. But what surprised him
more than the odd inclusion of his new sister was the way
Heath turned to kiss Nicolette's temple.
"Uncle Clint!" Three dark heads shot across the carpeting
to tackle Clint's knees. He braced himself with a hand on the
wall, laughing as he struggled to get down to their level and
catch them all in a giant bear hug.
"Well, well, look who decided to show up," Alex teased as
he stood up.
"Merry Christmas, everyone." Releasing his nieces, Clint
crossed to the couch to embrace his brother. "Sorry I missed
the big event."
"You weren't the only one." Alex inclined his head toward
Heath.
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"Hey, yeah, speaking of," Jesse interjected as she claimed
a seat on the floor in front of the fireplace. Within arms'
distance, Ethan rummaged under the tree. She gave him an
affectionate glance before she looked back to Heath. "Where'd
you run off to last night?"
"Ah..." Heath looked to Nicolette.
Clint's eyebrow arched. This ought to be interesting.
Evidently, last night he'd missed more than Alex's wedding.
"Clint, do I hear Jesse?" Amelia's voice called from the
kitchen.
"Yeah, Mom," he answered as he moved to Zoe to
congratulate her with a kiss on the cheek. "Good to have you
back with us, Zoe." He couldn't resist a smirk, or the
opportunity to deal his brother a much-deserved ration of
crap. "It's about time he realized that witch wasn't right for
him."
As Amelia's awkward footsteps thumped closer to the
family room, Clint drifted to Jesse's side. He sat down, his
knee touching hers, and folded her left hand into his lap.
Alex gestured at Jesse. "You're one to talk."
"Yeah, well..." Clint gave in to a grin. He caught Jesse's
eye, gave her a teasing wink. Lifting her hand so everyone
could see, he continued, "Least I got it right the first time."
"Oh my good heavens, Jesse Saurs, get over here and hug
me," Amelia cried.
Jesse shot Clint a look that said he'd pay for her
embarrassment later, but she eased to her feet and embraced
his mother.
"Now you, Ethan," Amelia insisted.
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Muttering against the display Clint suspected Ethan
secretly treasured, the teen ambled over to do as requested.
"Welcome home. Both of you." His mother kissed their
cheeks. She looked to Clint, her approval vibrant in her aging
eyes. With a slow nod of her head, she congratulated him,
then clapped her hands. "Breakfast's ready. I need someone
to help me with the plates. We can't open presents until we
eat."
The girls jumped up, clambering to help. Clint looked on as
Keeley hugged Jesse, and the whole room bustled with the
murmur of congratulations and well wishes. As Ethan dropped
down on the floor beside him, he shared an eye roll with his
new son. They grinned, chuckled in unison.
Clint reached over to ruffle his hair, and drew him tight
against his side. He let go before Ethan could pull away, then
gave him a nod. Lowering his voice so no one else could hear,
he murmured, "It's a Christmas to believe in, Ethan. Welcome
to your family."
Ethan stiffened, but before the rock hard walls could make
it to his face, Ethan gave in to a smile.
In a stronger voice Clint teased, "Now, if you'll excuse me,
I have to kiss your mom."
As Ethan made a gagging face, Clint stood up, dragged
Jesse away from Heath, and did just that.
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A Christmas to Believe In
by Claire Ashgrove
A word about the author...
Claire has been writing since her early teens and
maintained the hobby for twenty years before deciding to leap
into the professional world. Her first contemporary novel,
Seduction's Stakes
, sold to The Wild Rose Press in 2008, and
she continues to write steamy, sexy stories for the
Champagne line.
Writing, however, isn't her only passion. When she's not
sitting at the computer ticking out plot lines, she raises and
trains Oldenburg, Thoroughbred and Arabian horses. Time
allowing, she competes in the sports of Show Jumping, 3-Day
Eventing, and Dressage. Many of her favorite barn friends
make cameo appearances in her horse-themed novels.
Claire lives on a small farm in Missouri with her two toddler
sons, fifteen horses, one goat, and five dogs. She credits her
success to her family's constant support and endless
patience.
Visit Claire at:
www.claireashgrove.com
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Turn the page
for an exciting preview of
Alex's King's Christmas homecoming
in the first
Three Kings
novel from
author Dyann Love Barr
* * * *
The Three Kings, Book I
* * * *
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A Christmas to Believe In
by Claire Ashgrove
December 2005, Kansas City
Scrooge had it right. Bah, humbug! Christmas sucked long
and hard.
Lights twinkled on the tree, reflecting off the windows of
the darkened office. The smell of holiday spices wafted from
the potpourri dish on Zoe Hillman's desk, filling the room with
false cheer. It was Christmas Eve, and not even the large,
make that huge, bonus check lifted her spirits.
"Bah, humbug." She sniffed, wiped her tears for the
umpteenth time before she checked her resignation letter to
Cox, Zuckerman, Howe and Stanford. No matter that her
heart was shattered, her life over, it wouldn't do for her last
act as Alex King's personal assistant to be sloppy and
unprofessional.
She reached into the candy dish on her desk,
absentmindedly unwrapped one of the truffles, and popped it
into her mouth. The chocolate melted in a creamy, dark
lushness designed to put a Band-Aid on her broken heart, but
tonight her drug of choice didn't work. Candy wrappers
littered the floor, along with half a box of used tissues. The
clock on her computer read seven p.m. Alex would be married
and on his way to Las Vegas by now. Bianca Freemont would
be his bride. Zoe's brain whipped up an X-rated vision of the
wedding night, and she grabbed another tissue to wipe her
red nose and puffy eyes.
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Her breath hitched, and she hit the SEND key before she
could change her mind.
God, she was so stupid.
She'd been in love with Alex from the first day he walked
through the door of the law firm. He winked at her as he
passed her desk. How could she not fall for all that dark hair,
startlingly blue eyes, and a smile designed to charm the
panties off any woman under the age seventy?
Not that Alex ever tried with her.
Another wrapper and tissue hit the floor.
Alex relied on her. She organized his office, his life—hell,
she even organized his house when he complained he never
could find his socks. Zoe became his best friend, his
confidant. She sent flowers to his women, found a
housekeeper to keep him from living in bachelor squalor. She
did everything a wife did for a man, except share his bed.
The hours they spent working together, alone at night in
the office, were the gems in her pathetic life. He'd drop by
her apartment after his Sunday jogs with Lamar's donuts.
They'd discuss various cases, the news and sometimes watch
a DVD. She had him to herself for those few brief hours. But
nothing she did could get him to see her as a woman, a
woman who'd walk over hot coals if it meant he would say he
loved her.
Instead, he told everyone she was his right hand, and
sometimes his left. His pal. Zoe blinked tears out of her eyes
and turned off her computer.
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Over the last three years, he'd risen in the firm from a new
hire to partner. Everyone loved him. The man could do no
wrong.
Except marry the right woman.
Bianca Freemont was cold, calculating, and just plain
mean. Alex's life didn't have room for both Bianca and Zoe.
He couldn't see the two were like two cats in a bag. Hissing
and snarling at each other. But Alex saw Bianca as the perfect
wife for an attorney going places. So did the partners.
Zoe sniffed and reached for another truffle. She suffered in
silence, despising herself for being the stereotypical
secretary-falling-in-love-with-her-boss like the plots of many
of the romance novels she devoured, along with six thousand
calories a day. So, here she sat with a hundred and fifty extra
pounds of requited love.
How lame. All she got for her efforts for years of devotion
was a stuffy head, runny nose, and puffy eyes to go with a
broken heart.
A surge of anger replaced the hurt.
Let Alex find out who really watched over him, cared for
him, loved him. He wouldn't be able to function without her.
Bianca wouldn't know where his socks were, but then again,
there'd be no need for socks on the honeymoon.
She had to strike out on her own, find a new life that didn't
center on a man she could never have.
She opened the drawer of her desk where she stashed her
purse, grabbed up another tissue to stem the tears washing
over her cheeks. The clutter on the floor by her chair made
her stop. Her bulk made it impossible to bend down and pick
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up the evidence of her emotional tsunami. Zoe let out a sigh
and got on her hands and knees. Voices on the other side of
the door stopped her cold. Zoe's hand smothered her squeak
of surprise. Everyone had left for the Christmas holiday. She'd
thought she was alone in the office, maybe even the building.
The cleaners had already come and gone. Her heart
stammered in her chest, her breath came in short pants. Part
of her breathing problem came from the effort of getting to
the floor in the first place, but she didn't want to be caught
alone by some burglar...or worse. She couldn't get to her feet
and run, not with bad knees and ankles. She scooted under
the cubby of her large antique desk, hoping the small
enclosure would provide an adequate hiding space. Zoe held
her breath.
The door of Alex's office burst open, and she heard Tommy
Dunn's voice slur, "Why the hell do you want the tickets to
Vegas if the bitch dumped you at the altar?"
Relief washed over her. No rapist, just an asshole. What
had he said? Dumped at the altar? Alex hadn't married
Bianca?
"Because, my friend, I'm getting married tonight." Alex
sounded as drunk as his best man.
"You're full of crap, and booze. Who are you going to get
to marry you?" He paused. "At seven in the evening?"
"I'll marry the first single woman I see, "Alex snorted. "I'll
bet you a thousand dollars, no make that five thousand, I can
get someone to do it."
"I still say you're full of crap, but it's a bet."
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"Just watch me. Bianca isn't the only one who can make a
point. I'm getting married on Christmas Eve, so screw her.
Family tradition and all that. Got to get married on Christmas
Eve. Mom and Dad got married on Christmas Eve, and they
have a perfect marriage." Anger wove through his voice.
"Bianca overreacted. A pretty girl smiles at me, I smile back.
I wasn't flirting with her bridesmaid. Damn it, I'm not going
to walk on eggshells just because I smile at a woman. I like
women, I can't help it. It's my nature."
"I noticed."
"S'not my fault she backed me up against the wall and
tried to kiss me."
"Not your fault at all."
"S'truth."
"Right." Tommy Dunn's voice held a touch of disbelief.
"Honestagod," Alex slurred his words together.
Zoe leaned back against her desk, hoping they would go
into Alex's office so she could make a hasty and quiet escape.
No such luck.
"Where are the tickets?"
"Zoe's desk."
Oh, dear God, don't let them come over here
. She stuffed
her hand into her mouth. The tickets were in Alex's desk.
She'd put them there this morning and specifically told him
they were in the upper left drawer. How could he have
forgotten?
Oh yeah, she was talking about Alex.
If it didn't
involve jurisprudence, Alex was an organizational disaster