Totally Worth Christmas (The Worth Series, Book 4.5: A Copper Country Novella) (5 page)

“Wow, you’re going to have your hands full,” he said, then wished he hadn’t.

Katie’s breathtakingly beautiful face squished up, and a few tears pooled in her eyes. “Oh, my God, I hadn’t even thought of that. There’s no way we’ll be able to travel with you now. It was hard enough with one baby, but with two?”

Darío put his arm around his wife and pulled her close to him. Katie buried her head into his shoulder. “We’ll figure it out,
Gata
. I don’t have to travel as much. I don’t even have to play at all, if we don’t want to leave the Copper Country. I know it’s a shock that it came so soon, but we’ve talked about having more.”

She pulled her head away from Darío and said, “I know, but not so soon. I can’t—” She suddenly stopped, and both Charlie and Darío looked to the door to see if someone had come in. But no, it was Katie’s thoughts that had stopped dead in their tracks. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m going to have another baby.” Her voice cracked and the squished-up look of disbelief was gone, replaced with a bright smile, lighting up her gorgeous face.

“Do you know how long I wanted a baby?” she said to Charlie who just held his hands up in a questioning motion. He was a guy. He knew to just stay quiet when a woman asked a question like that. She wasn’t really looking for an answer. “And now, to have two babies.” She looked away from Charlie and to her husband.
 

Darío had always seemed like a cool customer to Charlie, usually showing very little emotion, certainly never falling into the Latin hothead stereotype. But the guy was now a total pile of mush as he looked at his wife and slowly placed his hand on her still-flat stomach.
 

Charlie was just about to give them the room when Lizzie Robbins came through the door from the great room. She stopped abruptly when she saw Darío and Katie’s tender embrace, her eyes zooming to Darío’s hand on Katie.
 

Charlie knew from Petey and Darío that Lizzie, Katie and Alison had been friends since grade school, and you could sure see it now—the simple, almost telepathic way the women had of communicating.
 

Lizzie’s eyes went wide. She looked pointedly at Katie. Katie gave just the tiniest of nods and placed her hand on top of Darío’s. Lizzie brought her hand to her chest and whispered, “Oh, Kat,” her eyes already filling with tears. Katie nodded again, her head bobbing wildly this time, her tears coming freely now as she smiled. Stepping away from Darío, Katie met Lizzie halfway, and they embraced. The tears continued even as both women pulled away, now laughing.

Darío and Charlie looked at each other and just shrugged, totally out of their element.

“Oh, Kat, this is so wonderful. Were you guys trying?”

“No. This is a complete shock.” She turned and smiled at Darío. “A good shock. A wonderful shock.” She reached a hand out to her husband while one hand still clutched Lizzie’s. Darío stepped forward and took his wife’s hand. “An
awesome
shock,” she added quietly, looking at her husband, who softly smiled and nodded his agreement.

“Holy wah, are you going to have your hands full,” Lizzie said. Charlie waited for the panic to cross Katie’s face, but no, she only grinned and nodded, then started laughing.
 

“You betcha, eh,” Katie said, in a deep Yooper accent. She let go of Lizzie’s hand to wrap both her arms around her husband’s neck. “And I couldn’t be more happy. I am so blessed.” She leaned in and kissed Darío, making Charlie both uncomfortable and envious.

“Get a room,” Lizzie said, breezing past the couple and making her way to the beer. She seemed to notice Charlie for the first time, and he joined her at the counter, giving Katie and Darío some space as the couple continued to gaze at each other, kiss, nuzzle and just generally be mushy.

“How’ve you been, Charlie?” Lizzie asked him as she pulled two bottles of beer out, wiped them off on the towel next to the sink and opened them up.

“I’ve been okay. How about—”

“Hey, you’re single, right? Are you here alone?” Lizzie interrupted him.

“Umm…”

“You have to think about whether or not you’re single?”

“No, it’s just…” He thought about his night with Phee. And her stupid rule about no mundane details. He’d spent the last three weeks playing that over and over in his mind and was now sure that she’d never had any intention of seeing him again, that she’d done it to protect herself.

Which was fine, and he understood it. But, God, that night had been so honest, so real. And now he wondered if it all wasn’t all a lie on her part.

“Yes, I’m single,” he said to Lizzie. “And here alone.” He put a teasing tone in his voice as he continued, “But I thought you were happily married, Lizzie.”

She swatted him on the arm. “Oh, you’re just the cutest thing, Charlie Simpson.” She took a drink of beer and studied him. After a second, she handed him the other beer. “I’m here with Finn’s sister. She’s a tiny blonde wearing a gorgeous red dress. Find her and bring her this for me. Her name is Phoebe.”

He raised a brow at her, and she smiled. “Do it. You can thank me in your wedding toast.” He laughed, and then his throat caught just a little bit as he remembered all the thoughts that had run through his head in the hours between leaving Phee at the diner and returning Saturday night to find her gone. Yes, he had to admit, even random thoughts of marriage had crossed his mind during that great day.

All to be shattered later that night.

He started to hand the bottle of beer back to Lizzie. “You know what? I don’t think I’m in the best mood—”
 

Lizzie pushed the bottle back at him. “Red dress. Can’t miss her. Do it.”

Man, he could see how she made a living telling professional athletes and politicians how to run their lives. He gave in, said “Congratulations” to the still hugging and kissing Katie and Darío as he passed them and exited the kitchen into the great room.

He scanned the room looking for a tiny blonde in a red dress and his mind went back to the tiny blonde he wished were in the room. God, Phee would look incredible in a red dress. Maybe a little strapless number that would caress those hot curves.
 

But nobody in the room matched Lizzie’s description of her sister-in-law, and Charlie moved to the other side of the room, leaning against the built-in bookcases that surrounded the huge stone fireplace.

He’d been here a couple of times during the renovation when Petey had wanted his feedback, but he hadn’t been back since the flooring and paint had been done, and certainly not with all the furnishings and accessories in. The great room was a
great
room—earth tones complementing the stone fireplace, splashes of color here and there. It looked like they’d rearranged the furniture a bit for the party, clearing out a spot right in front of the huge window that overlooked the lake. The huge Christmas tree stood in the middle of that area, and boughs of holly framed the fireplace. The furniture was pushed back and curved around, leaving a spot open, almost like someone was going to sing later or something.
 

Charlie wouldn’t put it past Petey to fly in some hotshot pop star to perform at his holiday as a surprise to his guests, and possibly even to Alison.
 

There didn’t seem to be any evidence of a band or piano or anything, though. The stereo system was behind Charlie, and he made his way over to it, placing the beer for the blonde on one of shelves next to it. Holiday music was currently playing on someone’s iPod in the docking station, but several CDs were scattered on top of the receiver as well, as if waiting their turn. One in particular caught Charlie’s eye, and he opened the case and put the CD in the player. When he had it set to the right track, he cut the iPod and switched the audio to the CD.

The beginning horn section of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” sounded, and Charlie took a swig of his beer, remembering the last time he’d heard the song.

Chapter Six

The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the Bad Girls Live.

~ George Carlin

Friday night after Thanksgiving.

“A
nd number five? That would have to be
Top Gun
.”

“Seriously?
Top Gun
is in your top five? Over
Princess Bride
? Over
Citizen Kane
?” Phee asked him.

Charlie shrugged. “I didn’t judge yours.
Sense and Sensibility
? Seriously?” he said, mimicking her tone.

She giggled. “Come on. It’s a classic.”

“But not nearly as cool as
Top Gun
.”

Their hands were tangled, had been in some form of contact since folding the napkins nearly two hours earlier. Except for when Phee had crossed to the jukebox and put what must have been twenty quarters in, since they’d had soft standards playing for them while they’d talked. And talked. And talked some more.

Charlie couldn’t ever remember being so at ease, so comfortable.
 

“Oh, I love this song,” Phee said as “Let’s Stay Together” came on.

“Me too,” Charlie said. “Gotta be in my top five of all time songs.”

“Songs. That’s one we didn’t do,” Phee said.

Though he had loved the evening they shared, Charlie didn’t want to talk anymore. And he didn’t want to just hold her hand. He slid from his seat, not breaking his hold, and tugged on her hand as he stood. “Dance with me,” he said.

“Here?”

He nodded. “Why not?” He tugged again, and she followed. He led her to the middle of the floor, out of view from the one window where the blinds weren’t drawn. He pulled her into his arms, holding her right hand, her left resting on his shoulder.

It felt so right, so natural to be dancing with this woman. It seemed unreal that he’d only met her hours ago. They fit.
 

“This is nice,” she murmured, and stepped even closer to him, her breasts grazing his chest.
 

“Mmm-hmm,” he mumbled, sliding his hand up her back as Al Green sang about never being untrue.

She looked up at him. “Does it seem weird that we just met?”

“Yes and no,” he said honestly. She nodded, getting it, and then placed her head on his chest.

They swayed together, hands slowly exploring, her head burrowing into his shoulder. All too soon the short song came to an end, and Charlie silently prayed the next song would be a slow one so he wouldn’t have to let this girl go.
 

Ever.

The intensity of his thoughts—his feelings—should have scared him, but it didn’t. They stood tentatively in that moment between songs, not wanting to break apart. And then the music started, and it was “Let’s Stay Together” again. Phee’s head sprang up from his chest, surprise in her pretty brown eyes.
 

“You didn’t play it twice?” he asked, but already knew the answer.

“No,” she whispered.
 

Her mouth looked so soft, so sweet, and Charlie knew he had to taste her. He lowered his head slowly, giving her time to turn away, but she didn’t. No, the sweet, lovely girl in his arms rose up slightly and met him halfway. Her lips were warm and as soft as they’d looked. She tasted of coffee, deep and rich.

She opened to him right away, and he swept his tongue into her mouth, hers happily meeting him. Her arms wrapped around his neck, his around her back.

“Charlie,” she whispered as he broke the kiss to move to her neck. His name had never sounded so sweet.
 

Nibbling up and down her neck, he heard himself groan. His hands roamed down her back, trying to touch every inch of her, wanting to remember her—this night—forever. Slowly, his hands moved down to her ass. That shapely, enticing ass which had mesmerized him from the first moment he saw her walking away.
 

He should stop. He had just met this girl, and he was pawing her all over. He was the nice guy, every girl’s buddy, someone who’d never made a move on the girl he was supposedly crazy about.
 

And suddenly, with crystal clarity, Charlie saw the difference in what he’d felt for Deni and this burning, aching need he felt for Phee. Even after only knowing Phee for so short a time.

This was not the sweet, good-natured feelings he had with Deni that he had thought would grow deeper. This was already deep, deeper than he’d felt about a woman before.
 

A panic went through him about leaving town, leaving Phee, after this weekend. The urgency played out in his touch, his grasp of her little curvy body, as he slid his hands lower, needing to feel the skin of her legs. Praying she wasn’t wearing hose or any other kind of barrier.

She wasn’t. Her legs were blessedly bare under the skirt of her uniform. A skirt he hurriedly slid up and over that delectable butt, feeling the silk of her panties. But even that was too much of a barrier. His hands started to pull at the offending scrap of material, but Phee pulled away from him.

“Charlie,” she said, breathing heavily, making him realize he was, too. He was just about to apologize, to tell her he’d stop, when she added, “Not here.” She looked around wildly, then took his hand and led him past the jukebox—their song now winding down for a second time—and through the closest door, which was to the men’s room.