One Perfect Night (17 page)
Christmas Eve—One Year Later
“Don’t look now but that damn-sexy husband of yours just walked in with your cute-as-pie daughter.”
Peppa laughed at Izzy and took the glass of champagne she held out toward her. She indulged in one sip but, as she was still nursing Angelina, she exchanged the rest for a glass of orange juice. “I’ll let you in on a little secret,” she said, leaning closer to Izzy as she surveyed the crowd around them enjoying the annual office Christmas party.
Izzy raised her eyebrows in excited anticipation.
“He’s damn fine at changing nappies too.”
“Ooh.” Izzy pressed the back of her hand against her brow, pretending to swoon. “I just love a man who doesn’t shy away from domestic duties. Perhaps if I found someone with such talents, even I could contemplate the whole white-picket-fence deal.”
Peppa was about to proclaim her approval at Izzy’s words—if her happiness levels this past year were anything to go by, she strongly believed everyone should be blissfully married—but Cameron returned with their little miracle and she lost her train of thought.
Angelina, fast asleep in Cameron’s arms, was now dressed in a tiny red-and-green fairy costume—almost identical to the one Peppa had found at short notice for the office Christmas party a year ago. She stretched out her hand and stroked the soft blond fuzz on her three-month-old daughter’s head, then brushed her fingers across the tulle of the little skirt. He’d been supposed to be changing her nappy, not her whole outfit.
“Where did you find it?” she asked, looking up into Cameron’s eyes.
“In your beautiful tummy,” he replied, nodding toward her stomach. His gaze seared her skin and butterflies broke loose in her tummy as if he’d actually touched her there.
She laughed as the warmth at his words spread like wildfire throughout her body, igniting desire in each nerve-end as it passed. “I meant the dress.”
“I had it made especially.” He conjured another costume from behind his back and held it up for her to peruse. “And I got this one for you.”
Her eyes widened at the replica of last year’s fairy costume. At a glance it looked identical but on close perusal this costume would wow a Disney princess. He’d obviously spared no expense. The girly-girl side of Peppa itched to tug it on and dance but… “This isn’t a fancy dress party.”
“No—” he paused and wiggled his brows which only served to highlight the wicked gleam in his eyes, “—but the next one is.”
“Huh? I don’t understand.” Keeping with tradition they were due at Cameron’s aunt and uncle’s house after the office party and then would travel to her parents in the Blue Mountains first thing in the morning.
“Oh, honey, don’t tell me I forgot to tell you?”
Her heart froze for a moment. “Forgot to tell me what?”
“I told Auntie Rose we’d host the Christmas Eve family bash at our place and I’ve organized all the catering so you don’t have to worry about a thing.” His lips curled even higher. “And in honor of us meeting under such extraordinary circumstances, I decided there should be a fancy dress theme this year.”
Peppa stared at him, her mouth gaping in surprise. “You what?” This from a man who when she met him had shied away from all things festive and all things family. It still astounded her whenever she thought about how much had changed in a year, how much they’d changed.
He ignored her question. “Everyone thought it was a fabulous idea. Your mother is coming as an angel and your father scoured fancy dress shops all over New South Wales for his Rudolph costume.”
“You invited my parents too?”
“Of course.” He looked at her as if she’d asked him if he’d brushed his teeth that morning. “They’re part of our family. This is Angelina’s first Christmas and I want all the people who mean something to her to be with us for this special occasion.” He frowned suddenly. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“Mind?” She barely managed to squeeze the word out past the lump that had formed in her throat. Happy tears danced in the corners of her eyes. She had everything she’d ever dreamed of—a dangerously gorgeous and loving husband, a delightful baby, a job she adored that happened to come with an awesome maternity package and now an extended family with which to share her absolute joy. She shook her head. “What are you going to wear?”
“I’m dressing up as Father Christmas,” he admitted with the grin that had grown from playboy to permanent. He tugged Peppa to his side and his gaze swept from her to their baby. “Because all my hopes, wants and dreams have been realized. I’ve already got all I could ever want for Christmas and it’s time to give back. Time to be the nephew, cousin and uncle I couldn’t be until I found you.”
He pressed his lips against hers and their tongues tangled in a ritual that now felt as old as time but amazingly grew more magical with each day. Peppa realized she could never receive another Christmas present again for as long as she lived and she’d still be the happiest, luckiest woman in the world.
Rachael Johns is an English teacher by trade, a mum 24/7, a supermarket owner by day, a chronic arachnophobe and a writer by night. She rarely sleeps. Rachael received The Call from Angela James telling her Carina wanted to publish her book on April Fool’s Day and, when she told her friends, half of them wondered if it was a big joke. Luckily it wasn’t. As an active member of Romance Writers of Australia, Rachael has finaled and placed in a number of romance-writing contests. Each success is uplifting and publication is her dream but even if none of this happened, she’d still write. It’s a much better option than ironing, which she refuses to partake in. Ever.
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ISBN: 978-1-4268-9291-2
Copyright © 2011 by Rachael Johns
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