This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
Copyright © 2020 by Christina Benjamin
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Crown Atlantic Publishing
Version 1.1
November 2020
Christmas in Pine Island
Christina Benjamin
Contents
1. Donovan Dunn
2. Chloe Martin
3. Jacob Eckhart
4. Stacy Davis
5. Eric King
6. Morgan May
7. Chloe Martin
8. Stacy Davis
9. Morgan May
10. Eric King
11. Jacob Eckart
12. Donovan Dunn
13. Chloe Price
14. Ethan Hall
15. Donovan Dunn
16. Jacob Eckart
17. Eric King
18. Margot Price
19. Chloe Martin
20. Stacy Davis
21. Morgan May
22. Chloe Price
23. Owen Hall
24. Donovan Dunn
25. Jake Eckhart
26. Eric King
27. Margot Price
28. Chloe Martin
29. Stacy Davis
30. Ethan Hall
31. Morgan May
32. Eric King
33. Chloe Martin
34. Donovan Dunn
35. Stacy Davis
36. Jake Eckhart
37. Morgan May
38. Eric King
39. Chloe Price
40. Donovan Dunn
Epilogue
Also by Christina Benjamin
About the Author
Donovan Dunn
Festive remixes of Santa Baby, Last Christmas, and All I want for Christmas pulse inside the crowded club. My chin bobs slightly as I sip on top-shelf scotch, my arm draped around my gorgeous fiancée.
Club Thorn is absolutely alive tonight. It’s packed from wall-to-wall with dancing bodies and Christmas cheer.
I'm glad we have our own dedicated VIP booth because as the holidays creep closer, more and more people have come out to party. I love the feeling I get when I'm at this club. The energy of the people, the beat of the music throbbing to the same energetic pace of my heart, and the way Chloe’s dark hair gleams in the flashing lights . . . it’s all so perfect.
Christmas Eve-Eve has arrived yet again along with the tradition of gathering our crew of best friends together to get a jump on celebrating the holidays. Even though we’re at a nightclub, the place is decorated for the mood. Not only are the lights of the dance floor blinking in shades of deep green and red, but the bartenders are dressed as scantily clad elves. The scandalous little outfits don’t exactly paint the picture of what Christmas is all about, but I feel jolly all the same. Which is probably thanks to the scotch.
My fiancée tilts up her head to look at me, a happy smile curving her lips. I can’t help but smile right back at her. I steal yet another glance at her long legs peeking out from her red sweater dress. I swear every time I blink she gets more beautiful. I can still hardly believe Chloe and I met when she came to work at my company. Before her, I had a strict policy about not having any sort of relationship with my colleagues. Hell, before Chloe, I didn’t do relationships, period.
However, without her, my nonprofit never would’ve taken off. And neither would my heart.
Vivian’s Vision, named after my late former fiancée, provides clean drinking water to impoverished countries. After losing Vivian I thought I would never love again . . . but then Chloe came along and opened my eyes to the idea that I might be lucky enough to have a second great love story in my life.
Chloe is my light, and now that she helps me run Dunn Advertising, I get to spend all day every day at her side. I honestly can’t think of anything better.
I don’t know what I’d do without her. She’s my everything.
“Do you think they’ll get here soon?” she asks, lifting her voice above the music.
I chuckle and roll my eyes. “With our crew, you never know when they’ll show.”
As much as I adore every one of them, meeting up has become pretty difficult lately.
Chloe and I are both self-proclaimed workaholics and it’s rare for us to find time away from the demanding office. You don’t make billions without putting in the time.
Then there’s Jake with his NFL career and his guardianship of his nephew, not to mention that Jake’s fiancée Stacy is busy with her teaching career. At least Jake and Stacy tend to be more locally based, unlike Eric and Morgan. Those two are constantly hitting the road to travel between his band’s sold-out rock shows and her modeling gigs.
Things have definitely been changing . . . but not everything needs to.
For Christmas, at least, we can pretend that time will stand still a little longer. Which is why I’m more than happy to wait for our friends to meet us at Club Thorn. We’ve been coming here for so long I can’t even remember how the silly tradition started.
“There they are!” Chloe gasps.
She leaps up as the doors of Club Thorn swing open and four more people are escorted in by the hulking bouncer.
There’s no doubt it’s our crew. They’re pretty hard to miss.
Tall and broad-shouldered, Jake’s football physique looms over just about everyone else in the club, while Eric’s bold tattoos and cunning brown eyes glint as though he’s already coming up with some sort of prank to pull while we’re celebrating together. Petite Stacy is tucked under Jake’s arm, which is wrapped even more protectively around her than normal. Morgan saunters ahead of the group, tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulders and drawing just about every man’s eye. Luckily Eric doesn’t seem to mind; he knows she’s all his.
Chloe rushes over squealing her greetings. I can’t help but grin as I watch her hopping up and down as the three girls squeeze each other while laughing and chatting about something that I can’t hear over the music.
It’s always like this with them, and I find myself appreciating the consistency.
Yet another thing that hasn’t changed.
My friends often tease me for being a stick in the mud, but my life is pretty great. I like things the way they are. I firmly prescribe to the old adage, ‘If something’s not broke, why fix it?’
I remain comfortably in my seat, nodding my head in greeting when everyone finally drifts closer.
“The royal king on his throne!” Eric teases with a dramatic bow.
He playfully punches my arm before flopping down on his side of the booth. Eric’s the only one who ever gets away with such antics. But I like that he hasn’t outgrown our childhood ways.
I shake my head as he kicks up his legs, resting them on the table until Morgan swats them down. Eric’s tattooed arms circle his fiancée, pulling Morgan against his chest. Lost in their own world, the two lovebirds kiss like they’re the only people in the club.
“I would’ve stood up to greet you all if you’d bothered to show up on time,” I snipe roguishly to the rest of the group. “We’ve been waiting forever to get thi
s party started.” I wave over one of the nearest waitresses, who saunters toward us, swaying her hips and jingling the bell at the end of her Santa hat. “I’m buying. What’s everybody drinking?” I ask, instinctively glancing back at Eric.
I half-expect him to annoy the waitress with one of his famous cheesy pickup lines. But I forget that Eric isn’t Easy E anymore. My old pal hung up his lady-chasing ways shortly after I did. Truthfully, I’m glad those days are behind us. I bet the waitresses of the world are, too.
I chuckle to myself. It’s good news for all of us. I’m with Chloe and Eric is happily wrapped around Morgan’s finger now. I guess some changes are for the best.
“Since I'm buying,” I add, “I'm getting the good stuff. That means scotch! We’ll have one for everyone. Oh, except Eric, of course.”
“Why do you gotta single me out like that?” the sober rockstar teases.
He’s surfaced from kissing Morgan long enough to pay attention to what’s going on around him now. Despite his tone, I know he’s only playing. Getting sober equaled getting his life together and I couldn’t be prouder of him.
All of us are.
Everyone at the table laughs, exchanging encouraging smiles with Eric.
“So that’ll be five glasses of scotch?” the waitress asks as she scribbles something on a notepad.
Eric flashes a wily grin. “I’ll have a gin and tonic, minus the gin.”
Stacy suddenly clears her throat. “Actually, I’ll be having what Eric’s having.”
Chloe sits up a little straighter beside me. “Are you sick?” she asks, sounding concerned.
It wouldn’t be the first time Stacy picked up a bug from the first-graders she surrounds herself with every day. Or maybe it’s from Ryan, Jake’s nephew. Kids are always coming down with something this time of year.
It should have been a pretty simple question, but Stacy’s face completely drains of color. She just stares at us like a deer in headlights instead of speaking. Everyone at the table goes quiet, blinking at her worriedly.
“We’re pregnant!” Jake cries suddenly, the excitement of the announcement bursting out of him like a geyser. “I'm going to be a dad!”
Chloe Martin
“You’re pregnant?” I choke out, glad that I wasn’t in the middle of sipping my drink or I would’ve spit it halfway across the booth.
The entire table erupts with chatter all at once. Morgan joyfully claps her hands together while Eric laughs. Donovan is the only one still quiet, simply sipping his drink while everyone else celebrates, though he does at least raise his glass toward Jake and Stacy.
Stacy beams shyly, her sweet dimples brightening her whole face. She’s definitely glowing. And Jake . . . I’ve never seen anyone more excited than that daddy-to-be. For a man who had such a reputation as an NFL playboy, the famed Hartbreak Kid certainly seems thrilled to have settled down with Stacy.
Jake cuddles her against him now, placing one gentle hand on Stacy’s belly.
“It’s all pretty new,” Jake explains. Between every few words, he steals a glance down at his lovely fiancée as though he can hardly believe this is real life and not a dream. “We were trying to figure out the perfect time to tell you guys.”
“And Club Thorn seemed the best venue?” Donovan asks, bemused.
Jake shrugs. “We figured the news might spice up our holiday tradition a little bit.”
My heart races as I watch them gaze lovingly at one another. I know I should be filled with nothing but joy at my best friend’s announcement, but my emotions are way more complicated than that. Guilt over not being purely delighted roots itself deep in my core, though somehow I force the bright smile Stacy deserves to my face.
“The Hartbreak Kid is trading it all in for dad-bod, huh?” Eric howls, clearly, finding his joke hilarious. He takes a quick swig of his gin-less tonic. “Imagine that! I bet your fangirls everywhere will have a total meltdown over this. First, you get engaged, now you’ve got a kid on the way!”
“Let’s bring it down a notch,” Jake mutters. He’s smiling, though his expression has turned firm. “Like I said, it’s new. We don’t need someone overhearing us and blabbing to the tabloids.”
Eric winks and pretends to zip his lips.
“Seriously though, we are so happy for you guys!” Morgan gushes.
Realizing I hadn't said anything in a while, I force myself to nod quickly. “So happy!” I add, hoping I sound convincing enough.
After all, I am happy for them. Their announcement has just caused some of my own insecurities to simmer up to the surface unexpectedly. My stomach is clenching so hard that I nearly lose my breath. I need to get it together.
I hastily set my drink down and almost spill it. Ice clinks against the edge of the glass, amber liquid sloshing down onto the VIP table as I reach over to gently grab one of Stacy’s hands. “You and Jake already do such a wonderful job with Ryan. You’re going to be fabulous parents to this little bundle of joy,” I tell her earnestly, relieved to feel truth in every word.
Stacy’s hazel eyes soften as she squeezes my hand. “Thank you, Chloe. Ryan is thrilled to be a big brother. It’s all he can talk about.” She laughs, though the sound is stifled through her tense smile.
Weird. Stacy is the most nurturing, easy-going of the three of us girls. Morgan and I jokingly called her ‘mom’ when we were roommates.
I eye her carefully. Maybe she’s just uncomfortable being in a bar while pregnant. Can’t blame her there. Even I think it’s a bit kitschy that we still come to this seedy place now that we’re not struggling twenty-somethings anymore.
Though I continue to congratulate Stacy and Jake along with the rest of the group, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a tiny bit envious. Donovan and I are so happy together . . . but I also feel so far from the baby-having stage.
Hell, we haven’t even set a wedding date yet!
I know it’s not a race, but Donovan and I have been together much longer than Stacy and Jake. Yet I know we’re nowhere near ready to be talking babies.
The only baby in our life is our company.
I love working at Dunn Advertising at Donovan’s side and making that business boom. After all, I’ve always been the career-oriented one. I learned early on that if you want something, you have to work tooth-and-nail for it—and I’ve done just that.
I worked my butt off to put myself through college and it paid off. I graduated near the top of my class and got my dream job and my dream man. I’ve always fantasized about being successful, and now I am . . . but lately, pestering doubts have started to creep in.
I don’t want to be married just to my job. I want more than that for my future. But what about Donovan? We’ve never really talked about what we want for our future beyond our career goals.
I steal a glance at my fiancé, recognizing the faint clench of Donovan’s tan jaw. He’s grinning too, but I can see his mind churning behind his bright blue eyes.
This baby news has set him on edge, too.
Is the reason he’s been dragging his feet on setting a wedding date just because we’re so wrapped up with work, or is it something more? Is it me?
He and I got engaged so quickly after we met. At the time, I was sure it was meant to be, but is he regretting his hasty proposal now? I mean, how could I blame him?
Donovan was engaged before he met me. He’d already fallen in love with someone. Someone he unexpectedly lost forever.
I’m not trying to replace Vivian, and Donovan doesn’t make me feel that way. But I have to wonder, can what we have ever truly compare to that first love of theirs?
I don’t have these doubts often. For the most part, we dealt with them early on in our relationship. But for some reason, this news from Stacy and Jake is dredging up old insecurities.
Am I enough for the handsome billionaire at my side?
Will he ever be ready for family life with me or will he always be married to his job first?
I sneak another g
lance at Donovan, wondering if I’m going to wake up and find this dream relationship of mine has been just that . . . a fantasy.
Terrified of the answer, I suggest another round and switch to my preferred method of liquid avoidance . . . cosmos.
Jacob Eckhart
As thrilled as I am to be here with everyone, I still find myself checking my watch every few minutes to see how close we are to going back home.
I know Stacy is excited about having gone out tonight so that we could finally share this big news with our best friends. We’re so busy between our professions and looking after my adopted nephew, Ryan, that we don’t have much of a chance for nights out anymore.
Even still, home is where I’d rather be.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that we’re here with the people who mean the most to us, and I'm glad that they can share in our joy, but I'm also keenly aware of how many other people are packed into Club Thorn right now. I would so much rather be back at my penthouse, safely inside, cooking a meal together while Ryan begs and pleads for a new puppy.
I miss my apartment’s security system. I pay good money to guarantee all the nosy cameras of NYC’s bottom feeders are a safe distance away.
As one of the NFL’s most elite players, the lesson I’ve learned hardest is that the paparazzi are never far away. They’re always hunting for a story they can pounce on. The truth doesn’t matter to them either. All that matters is the paycheck they get for anything that looks juicy.
Christmas in Pine Island: A small town holiday romance Page 1