Back to December (Ward Sisters Book 1) (16 page)

“Are you sure that's wise?”

Emily leaned against the hallway wall. “Charlie, I'm going to tell you something that might surprise you, given our family's devotion to him, but Josh Ricker isn't the be-all and end-all. In fact, despite my previous thoughts to the contrary, we had a pretty lackluster sex life. Rob, on the other hand, has ruined me for other men.”

“Did he
hurt
you?”

“
No
, Charlie! I meant he's a god in bed. And he's hung like a horse. Trust me, if you slept with him, you wouldn't wonder if it was wise. Especially not after the first two consecutive orgasms.”

“Oh, my. He's really that good?”

“And then some. Maybe he isn't like that with everyone, but he's like that with me. And I...I have feelings for him, Charlie. Even if I
had
planned to go home for Christmas, I'd want to stay now. I want to spend it with him. I want to wake up in his arms tomorrow like I did the last two mornings.”

“You're not falling in love with him, are you?” Emily said nothing. “Oh, Em.”

“The feelings are mutual, Charlie.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“As sure as I am that I was never in love with Josh. I don't think you really know the difference until you experience it first-hand.”

“Just...be careful, okay? I won't say anything about this to Mom. I don't think she can handle it.”

“No, I'm sure she can't. Even if Rob breaks my heart, Charl, I'm never going back to Josh. I didn't feel enough for him. I know that now. And I can't go back to that. Not when I know there's more.
This
is more. I didn't think you could fall in love this hard and this fast and have it be real, but this feels real to me. Terrifying, but real. He...he asked me to be his girlfriend. And I said yes.”

“How are you possibly going to make that work once you go back to your normal life?”

“We'll cross that bridge when we get there. In the meantime, don't say anything to anyone else, okay? We're trying to keep it low key for now.”

“Was that
his
idea?”

“No, it was
mine
. I don't want Josh to think I'm rubbing it in his face that I've already moved on to someone else. But I can't pretend this isn't happening, Charlie. There will be lots of pictures in the next few weeks. I'm going with him to the gala as his date. And then I'm going with him to the Globes.”

“The
Golden Globes
? You're going to the Golden Globes?”

“Yes. And I'm sure there will be a lot of pictures on all those websites you and Mom visit. Just try to keep her under control, will you? Don't tell her he really
is
my boyfriend, not yet. And don't tell Annie.”

“Why don't you want me to tell Annie? You tell her everything. Even the stuff you don't tell me and Meg.”

“The fact that you know proves that my trust wasn't as well-placed as I had thought. I don't know why, Charl, but I feel like I can't trust her anymore. She was really harsh when she called me the other day. And she warned me to tell Josh before anyone else did, but then he called me almost as soon as I hung up with her. How is it that he knew already, Charlie? He's not religious about checking his email and he doesn't surf gossip sites, not to mention that he never goes online before work. Someone told him. And I think it was Annie.”

“Em, why would she do that?”

“I don't know, but my gut tells me that she did. Just promise me you won't tell her or Mom about Rob. Please. Not until I call you and tell you it's okay or we make it official in the press.”

“Okay. I promise. But if Meg asks, I can't lie to her.”

“I know. It's okay, you can tell Meg. But not if Annie or Mom are around.”

Charlie agreed. They wished Merry Christmases and hung up.

Emily walked into the conference room and Liam had his ear buds in his ears. He looked up as soon as she walked in the door. “How much did you hear?” she asked.

“Let's see, I turned off the Stones about the time you were saying that Rob ruined you for other men.”

Emily knew she had turned red as a lobster. “So...”

“So, yes, I heard you brag about Rob's equipment and his bedroom skills. Two in a row, eh? I should ask him how he does that.”

“Don't you dare, Liam. My sister assumed I meant he hurt me when I said he had ruined me for other men. I was clarifying. I don't usually share those kinds of details. Ever.”
With anyone except Meg.

“Don't worry about it, Em. I won't tell him you said that. He's heard it before, but I won't mention it. I'd love to know how he managed two in a row though.”

She punched him in the arm and glared at him.

“Ow! Okay! I won't ask him. I'm sure it's about the whole being in love thing. It tends to bring people closer.”

“You heard that too?”

She pushed the elevator
down
button.

“So you're really in love with him? Already?”

She shrugged. “I thought I knew what being in love was, but I didn't. Not before now. I didn't believe it could really happen that fast.”

“I told you he was gaga for you. Sounds like you're gaga too.”

“More gaga than Lady Gaga. I just hope this is the real thing for him. I think it will crush me if it isn't.”

He squeezed her shoulder as they got out of the elevator. “Trust me, it is. I've known him a long time, Em. It's the real thing. I've never seen him like this with anyone.”

“Not even Rachel?”

“
Especially
not Rachel. Hey, you have yourself a Merry Christmas, okay? I'll see you in a couple days.” He hugged her. “It's been great working with you.”

“How is that? I've been a pain in the ass and you have to sit around and be bored all day while I work!”

“Trust me, you haven't been a pain in the ass. And bored is a relative thing. I've had more boring jobs and I've had more exciting jobs. This is pretty cake. I'll see you soon.”

Minneapolis, Minnesota, Christmas Eve Night...

Mo opened the door for her and Emily climbed inside the limo. Rob was sitting across from her and suddenly, nothing else mattered. Not her call with Charlie, not her mother's opinion, not Josh or his feelings, not even the small sliver of nagging doubt that was plaguing her. He smiled, and that was it. Her eyes watered.

“Hey. Are you okay?” he said so sweetly it almost made her cry. He moved to sit next to her, even though they were still in visible range of the photographers. And she let him.

She shed a tear. “I am now.” He pulled her into his arms and just held her. He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back in slow, rhythmic circles. The tears kept coming.

After a few minutes of silence, except for her sniffles, she pulled away so she could look at him. “Thanks. I needed that.”

“Rick said your sister called?”

Emily laughed. “Yes. I guess Liam must have told him. I didn't hear him talking. Did he send a text?”

“Yeah, Rick texted him when you guys didn't show up at 6 p.m. Liam told him that you were on the phone and he thought it was your sister. Was it Annie again? Did she give you a hard time?”

“No, it was Charlie.” She explained the conversation with her sister as best she could without saying too much. Like admitting that she had bragged about his bedroom skills. Or mentioning that she was in love with him. She was having a hard time fully admitting that one to herself at the moment.

“Your mom doesn't like me.”

“My mom doesn't
know
you. She just thinks she does. And her opinion isn't going to influence how I feel about you.”
Damn
.

He kissed her tenderly. “I don't want to put a wedge between you and your mom, Emily. Family is important.”

She touched his cheek. “You aren't, Rob. She's just stubborn and she thought that I should marry Josh, so she's still stuck on that groove of the record. It hasn't been that long. She'll come around. I don't need her permission or her approval to be with you. And I wouldn't wait for it if I did.”

He knew what she was saying. Her face betrayed her again. Even if she wanted to hide her feelings, it would be impossible. But she couldn't bring herself to say the words. He smiled at her, tilting his head just a little. He brushed a curly tendril from her face. He looked like he wanted to ask her what she was thinking.

“We're here,” Rick announced over the intercom

Saved by the bell. Mo opened the door of the car.

“Thanks. We'll see you over there, Rick. Merry Christmas, Mo. Tell Ginny and the kids hello and enjoy your time off.”

Mo said Merry Christmas to them both. He already had their bags out of the car before Emily had even gotten out herself.

“I've got them, Mo. Get going so you can make your family gathering.” Rob hugged his driver and Mo went back to the car. He pulled away as Rob picked up the bags. Emily told Rob to get the door, that she'd help him with the bags.

Once they were inside, it suddenly hit Em that this was actually happening. She was meeting his family. Not just Rick and Amy – who were effectively his employees – but his parents. Was she ready for that?

“Don't freak out on me before we even get there,” said Rob's voice in her ear as his arms snaked around her.

“I swear, they're harmless.”

She turned to look at him. “Really? Because your sister was pretty hardcore yesterday.”

“She's the worst one. You like Rick, don't you?” She nodded. “Well, he and my dad are like two peas in a pod. And my mom is just like me. We don't know where Amy came from. Some long-lost relative influenced her personality genes.” Emily laughed.

“Don't get me wrong, she's great at what she does. I couldn't have a better manager or publicist. But she's a little intense as a sister. Probably partly because she grew up between me and Rick. Mr. Testosterone and Mr. Sensitivity, constantly battling it out with their GI Joe and Star Wars figures. Fighting one day over whether it was more humane to slit a deer's throat before it was dead or after and the next about whether or not it was girly or manly to take acting lessons with Sandy Stinson. The answers are before, because it suffers less and manly because Sandy was older, hot and there were rumors that she taught you how to kiss.”

Em put her arms around his neck. “Oh? Did she teach you to kiss? Because if she did, I should thank her.”

“No, it was just a rumor. And she wasn't a good acting teacher, either. My kissing technique has been honed after many years of practice. Here, let me show you.”

He kissed her then, slow and sensual, he cupped her face with his hands. He pulled away, swallowing hard. “I wish we had more time right now, but we don't.”

“Mmm. Yes. You know, you invited me the other day, but you never did tell me exactly what it was spending Christmas with you entailed.”

He took her hand. “Let's get ready to go and I'll tell you while we do.” They grabbed their bags and he showed her where his bedroom was.

First, he told her, they would be caroling in their old neighborhood. He had hoped she brought warm clothes. If not, Amy or maybe Kelly might lend her something. She laughed at him and said that she'd lived in Maine her whole life, not Florida. She wasn't stupid enough to travel to Minnesota without winter weather gear. They changed into jeans and wool socks, turtlenecks and wool sweaters. When she pulled out her Bean boots, he smiled.

“Woman after my own heart,” he said. He reached into his closet and took out his own boots, which were the exact same version as hers: dark brown, mid-calf length leather uppers with the trademarked L.L. Bean rubber sole. His looked as well-worn as hers did. She smiled.

As he explained the rest of the night – a late dinner at his parents' house, followed by a present for each of the kids and then naps so they could get up for Midnight Mass at the Catholic Church where all of the Deacon kids had been Christened – Emily took down her hair and shook it out. Rob suddenly stopped talking, mid-sentence.

“What?” Em asked.

His voice was thick. “Your hair is gorgeous. You must straighten it every day. Those curls are beautiful.” He ran his hands through it. “You should wear it like this more often. It's sexy.”

“We don't have time for that right now, remember? You can tell me how much you like it later. For now, I've got to do something with it that won't look ridiculous with a hat or without. I'm thinking French braid. Not exactly hot, but it works. Besides, you family doesn't need to think I'm hot, do they?”

Rob laughed. “No, they don't. Actually, the more normal you look, the better. They're skeptical of artifice.”

She quickly braided her hair and as she did, she said, “Will there be a lot of people at the Midnight Mass?”

“Are you asking if there will be cameras?” She nodded, feeling a little guilty for asking. “The church doesn't let cameras inside, but anyone is allowed to attend. We don't do a private service. This is the church where my parents attend every week. Most of the congregation is used to my celebrity by now. But there might be people outside. If you're not comfortable going...”

“If we were just a regular couple, would your parents expect me to go? Would you
want
me to go?”

“Yes. I would. And they'd expect you to attend if there wasn't some religious objection on your part. I guess I never really asked you that.”

“My family isn't particularly religious, but my parents were raised Methodist and they were married in that church. We never go to church though, unless someone gets married or dies. I probably know more about the Catholic Church than I do about anything else, just because of my education. But I've never been to a Mass.”

Rob played with the tail of her braid and grabbed her hand. “So, will you go then?” She nodded. “Good. I can't promise people won't talk...”

“It's fine, Rob. It's bound to happen. And I told you you're worth it. Are we ready to go?” Rob nodded.

He led her back to the front door, where they put on their down parkas and their boots, their hats and gloves.

“Wait, how are we getting there?”

Rob laughed. “I do drive, Em. I actually own several cars. I have a car and a truck here and a car in L.A. Since it's snowing, we'll take my Subaru.”

“You can drive anything you want, and you drive a
Subaru
?”

“Hey, I love my Scooby. It was the first car I bought when I had a real paycheck. You don't drive some wussy two-wheel-drive car in Minnesota.”

“Right. Well, you didn't think to at least buy an Audi? Or a Volvo?”

“Those are mom cars! I was 23. I was way too cool to own a mom car. And I couldn't afford anything as posh as a BMW or a Mercedes.” He grabbed a set of keys by a door Em hadn't noticed, pushed some numbers on a touch pad and opened the door. As they walked into the garage, she saw that the door opened where his beat-up, mud-splattered, faded red Outback sat, and the lights came on, illuminating the path to the car and that bay only.

As they drove out of the garage, she noticed that the inside lights went out and the outside lights came on. Em mentioned the fancy electrical work, and Rob told her about the horrors of getting the house retrofitted, up to code and turned into a smart house. It kept her mind occupied for the entire 15-minute drive away from the house.

When they drove into the neighborhood, she was struck by how homey and full of Christmas spirit each house looked. “This is where you grew up?” she asked, in awe.

Rob smiled. “It is. It was the best place to be a kid. This house is the one where we lived. My parents rent it now, usually to a family. We always start here and then make our way around the block. Most of my parents' friends still live here.” He kissed her sweetly. She smiled and they got out of the car.

Em spotted Rick first because he was impossible to miss. It made her wonder how she didn't notice him that first night before they got to The Glass Door. Amy was the first to greet her, however.

“Emily! I'm so glad you could make it after all! Looks like you know how to dress for the weather. We were worried. Most people don't know how cold it gets in Minnesota.” She gave Em a big hug as she spoke.

“I've lived in Maine my whole life. I might need Christopher to help me walk a red carpet, but I can handle caroling on Christmas Eve. It's good to see you again.”

Then a beautiful, slightly older, statuesque blond woman with Rob and Amy's bone structure stepped forward. She was impeccably dressed in an outfit similar to Emily's but worn with much more elegance. She could only be Rob's mother.

She took Em's hand in her own and said with a warmth that conveyed her sincerity, “Emily, it's lovely to meet you. We're so glad you could join our family for the holiday. I'm Rob's mom, Anja. This is my husband, Pat.” She gestured to a man who looked like an older, slightly shorter Rick.

Rob's father enveloped her in a bear hug and lifted her off her feet. “Emily! Great to meet you! We're so happy Rob finally met someone normal, for once!”

Anja scolded her husband. “Patrick! Put her down and leave the poor girl alone. He thinks he's a comedian, Emily. Ignore him. Kelly, Rick's wife, is at our house with the little ones. They never make it through Mass if we have them carol. Amy's husband, Raoul, will join us soon. He had some last-minute paperwork that kept him in the city a little longer than he planned. Shall we get started? Do you know many carols?”

“I do. I told Rob that I don't usually go to church, but I sang in the chorus in high school and my mom always took us to nursing homes for caroling, so I know quite a few, even some obscure ones.”

Anja hooked her arm in Emily's and began walking. “Well, good. Then you'll fit right in with the rest of us. Though, I suspect if you sang in the chorus, you'll do a much better job of not botching the tune.” Emily laughed and said she'd try.

It was a lot of fun – she had forgotten how much she loved caroling when she was younger. As promised, Raoul  joined them after the first couple of houses. He was dark skinned and very handsome, with jet black hair and brown eyes and a surprisingly British accent.

Despite Anja's joking, they all sang reasonably well and Emily found her voice blending seamlessly among theirs. Many of the families whose houses they serenaded were friends of Anja and Pat, but at each place, people came outside to listen. After about an hour, they headed back to the cars to Rob's parents' house for dinner.