That First Christmas

by Lily Graison

  He sighed dramatically and shook his head. “Fine,” he said, feigning resigned impatience. “If we have to take our rug-rat to make you happy, we will.”

  “I love you.”

  ”I know,” he said, kissing her soundly. He turned, walking to the door and yelled, “Nick! We’re going to the cabin,” his voice fading as the squeals of one happy little boy echoed off the walls.

  Meredith laughed and looked back down at the angel. It had been ten years since she walked out on her father, leaving him and everything she knew, for the love of a man she couldn’t live without. She hadn’t regretted it a day since. Her relationship with her father was still strained but he hadn’t shut her completely out. Not since Nick was born, but he still, to this day, hadn’t spoken another word to Travis.

  Their life hadn’t been easy, and she’d learned to live without many things, but the things she did have outweighed the rest. She had a family who loved her, friends who stood by her no matter what, and a man who made good on his promise since that first Christmas.

  He loved her with every breath he had.

  The End

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  Looking for more Holiday Romance? Here's a sneak peek at another novella from Lily Graison

  Blame It On The Mistletoe

  Chapter One

  "Tell him while you're naked. He'd agree to anything then."

  "Mom!" Macy gripped the phone tighter to her ear. She knew no one could hear her mother on the other end, but felt paranoid nonetheless. She glanced out across the reception area and turned in her chair before lowering her voice. "I'm not telling him while I'm naked."

  "Don't act so scandalized," her mother said. "I'm just trying to be helpful, you know."

  "I know that," Macy said. "And regardless of how I tell him the situation is still the same. He's still busy. I'm not sure he can make it this year."

  "How busy can he be? He's a veterinarian for cripes sake."

  "I know but this practice is his whole life. He can't just drop it."

  "You've said that for the last two years, Macy. I want that young man here for Christmas. No excuses."

  Macy Carter grimaced at her mother's tone of voice. She glanced across the room at Sean, watching him smile at Mr. Peterson and sighed heavily. Her mother was still talking, her voice a constant echo in her head while she tried to think of a way to dissuade her from forcing this issue. They'd been over it every holiday for the past two years. Every time she went back home, the first question anyone asked was, "Where's Sean? Why is he always too busy for you?"

  She finally cut her mother off. "Okay. I'll let him know how you feel about this. I'll do what I can."

  "You do that, honey. Your father is starting to get worried. If you're boyfriend can't even manage a weekend to meet us, he isn't good enough for you. You can tell him we said so."

  Macy hung up the phone and let her head fall to the desk. She thumped it several times; cursing her stupidity before someone cleared their throat and caught her attention. She rolled her head to the side, looking up at them through her hair and felt her stomach coil into a knot. "Hey Sean."

  "As much as I find this self mutilation amusing, you're scaring the patients," he said with a smile, turning his head to look out over the reception area.

  Macy followed his gaze, noticing everyone staring at her and the patients, all their furred faces, looking anxious and nervous. The clinic was full today. Almost every species of pet you could name was inside the small veterinary clinic waiting for a shot or just a general check-up. She clearly didn't have time for a breakdown at the moment. It would have to wait.

  She sat up when Sean handed her the folder he'd been holding and walked around the desk, picking up the next file. He stopped beside her, leaned down toward her and quietly said, "Whatever it is, it can't be that bad."

  "That's what you think," Macy mumbled when Sean called out to the next patient and walked the short hall to the last exam room. She sighed again, pushing her hair out of her face and let her shoulders slump.

  Macy picked up the discarded file and tapped it lightly on the desk while trying to think of a solution to her Mother's demands. There was no way her family would believe Sean was again too busy for a visit. Just like her mom said, how busy could a veterinarian be? They were allowed time off of work too, right? And why would he not want to visit them?

  She moaned out loud, turned in her seat and stood, making her way to the end of the hall and stepping into the tiny room that was used as their makeshift lounge. A brown, rather ratty sofa, sat along one wall. A refrigerator and microwave sat on the other and a round table took up the space in-between.

  Walking to the fridge, Macy opened it, taking out her juice carton and gulped a huge amount right out of the jug. It did nothing to calm her nerves. Not that she thought it would. She needed something a lot stronger than orange juice for this.

  Hearing the door across the hall open, she shoved the juice back into the fridge and turned just as Sean walked into the lounge.

  "Why she brings that dog in here week after week when nothing is wrong with him truly boggles the mind."

  Macy grinned. "It isn't the dog she wants you to see, Sean."

  He lifted a curious brow and grinned. "Really?"

  "Yes, really," Macy said. "Haven't you ever noticed how she's dressed for a night out on the town?"

  "No. Of course, I don't make it a habit of checking out sixty year old women either."

  He crossed the room, falling onto the sofa before looking over at her and smiling.

  "What?" she said when he continued to stare at her.

  "Go ahead and tell me what the problem is so you won't be bruising your head by thumping it on your desk for the remainder of the day."

  Macy rolled her eyes, pulled a chair from the table out, and sat down. "It's nothing you should worry about. Just family stuff."

  "Like?"

  "Like family stuff," she said, grumpily. She glanced at him, regretting the way that had come out. She sometimes forgot Sean didn't have to deal with family. He had none. She shook her head and smiled to try and soften her earlier tone. "Just my mom and Christmas. She wants me to come home for the week."

  "Most mom's would," he said. "What's the problem, then?"

  Macy blushed. She felt heat crawling up her neck and settle on her cheeks. She looked away from him. Lord, how did she get herself in to these messes?

  "I'm waiting."

  "It's nothing," she said.

  "Nothing doesn't cause you to bang your head on a desk and it certainly doesn't cause your cheeks to get all rosy."

  When he chuckled, Macy turned her head and rolled her eyes at him. "This isn't funny."

  "And I'm supposed to know that how? You still haven't told me what the problem is."

  "Why do you even care?"

  He shrugged one shoulder. "Does it matter? Come on, Macy. If something's wrong, maybe I can help."

  She snorted a laugh. "Yeah, you can help all right," she mumbled.

  "It can't be that bad."

  "Fine. You want to help me?" she said, challenging. "Then come home with me for Christmas."

  "Come home with you? To your parents house?"

  "Yes."

  "Why?"

  She blushed again and ducked her head to try and hide it. "The truth?"

  "Of course."

  "Okay then." She took a deep, cleansing breath and stared down at the scared tabletop. "My mother said if I didn't bring you with me this time, not to bother coming at all."

  He didn't say anything for long minutes, just stared at her with a confused look on his face. He sat up straight and raised one dark brow. "Me? She wants you to bring me with you at Christmas?"

  Macy glanced at him and nodded her head. "Yeah. They want to meet you."

&n
bsp; "They want to meet me?"

  "Stop repeating everything I say. I feel like you should be sitting on my shoulder asking for a cracker."

  "Huh?"

  "Parrot?" she said with a chuckle. He clearly didn't get it. "Never mind."

  He waved a hand, dismissing her last comment and jumped right back in the conversation. "Your parents want me to tag along for Christmas? Why?"

  The knot in her stomach grew until she felt nauseous. There was no way to avoid this. Either he went with her or she spent Christmas alone. Her shoulders slumped seconds before she buried her face in her hands and bravely mumbled out why.

  He laughed. "Sorry, darling, but I didn't catch a word of that."

  "Oh for Pete's sake," Macy growled, lifting her head and pushing her hair out of her face. "They actually want to meet the man I've been living with for the past two years. The man who will some day marry me and give them a house full of grandbabies. The same man who has always been too busy to meet them."

  "Okay," Sean said. "So, they want to meet your boyfriend." He narrowed his eyes at her and leaned his head to one side. "You've been living with someone for two years? How did I not know this?" he shook his head, a funny look falling over his face before he leaned back. "It doesn't matter. What does this have to do with me though?"

  Macy felt sick. Her stomach clenched the same instant her throat grew tight. She swallowed and weakly said, "I may have told them it was you."

  Sean stared at her for long minutes, watching the pink tint on her cheeks deepen to a rosy red. When she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, what she'd said finally dawned on him. She told her parents he was her boyfriend? As much as he tried, he couldn't help it. He laughed. He laughed until his eyes watered and his stomach ached. When she stood and started for the door, he jumped to his feet and grabbed her before she left.

  "Not so fast," he said, grinning. "I want to hear this. Every sordid detail."

  "Don't look so pleased about it," she said. "You're in just as much trouble here as I am."

  "How so?"

  She grinned. "You're the insensitive jerk who doesn't have the common decency to meet his girlfriends family."

  "Ouch. Is that what they think?"

  "Of course. Why else would a man who supposedly loves me refuse to meet my family?"

  She had him there. "Okay. So you've been lying to them for years and I'm the bad guy." He grinned. "You're too devious to be working for me, Macy Carter."

  Macy snorted a laugh. "I learned it by watching you."

  She shoved past him and walked back down the hall. She called the next patient and shoved the folder at him before he could say another word. When she showed Katie Burns and her Pomeranian, Peaches, to the exam room, she shot Sean a glare and walked back to her desk. "You have patients to see. Don't leave them waiting."

  Sean continued to smile at her, watching her for long minutes while she tried to ignore him. Her cheeks were still pink and no matter how clipped her words came out he knew she was embarrassed. That permanent shade of red staining her cheeks told him that. Of course, the added color caused her skin to glow and if possible, made her more attractive than she already was. She was like a ray of sunshine most days with her long golden hair, bright blue eyes, and a smile that softened the hardest of hearts. She was always happy and greeted every person who walked through the door as if she'd known them all her life. She was petite, sassy and had an infectious laugh.

  So why have you never asked her out? That one's easy. His "no dating employees" rule is why. Oh, that and the fact he was at least nine years older than her.

  She cleared her throat, nodding her head to the door of the exam room. He smiled and leaned close to her and whispered, "As soon as the last patient is gone, we'll have a little talk about this affair we seem to be having."

  Her gasp caused his laughter to return. He winked at her before walking to the exam room. The look on her face before he shut the door was one he'd never forget. Embarrassment still burned on her cheeks but something in her eyes told him their working relationship was about to change.

  End of Excerpt…

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  About the Author

  LILY GRAISON resides in North Carolina, a stones throw away from the Blue Ridge Mountains and a few hours from the Outer Banks. First published in 2005, her debut novel won a Reviewers Choice Award.

  Writing in the Western, Contemporary and Paranormal Romance genres, she has penned over a dozen novels and novellas.

  When not writing, Lily can be found at her sewing machine creating 1800’s Period Dresses or at a local store feeding her obsession for all things resembling office supplies.

  For more about Lily Graison, visit any of the following websites:

  Website: http://lilygraison.com/

  Blog: http://lilygraison.blogspot.com/

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  FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/authorLilyGraison

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  Email Lily: lily.graison@gmail.com

  That First Christmas

  Copyright © 2008 by Lily Graison

  Smashwords Edition

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  The right of Lily Graison to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  First electronic release, December 2008

  Second Edition, May 2013

  All characters in this publication are purely fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Cover Created by Lily Graison