“What’s going on?”
Even though her friend couldn’t see her, she shrugged. “Dad’s trying to get me in town a day early, probably to meet more awful eligible guys. Anyway, I have plans. Told them that many times. Just help me. I don’t care what you say. Make them stop.”
Bebe cackled. “I bet Megan told them you were dating the Marine.”
Ainsley slid into her car and slammed the door. Then she banged her head on the steering wheel. “No. Please. I’ve been trying to keep that news in a protective bubble. You know them. They won’t mean to, but they’ll destroy this. They don’t like it when I’m happy. And I’m really, really happy right now.”
And there it was. She was giddy almost. Couldn’t wait to see him that night. That was wrong. She didn’t need a man. She was a strong, smart woman.
But damn if she didn’t want him.
Bebe laughed again. “Girl, you know they want what’s best for you. But I admit, they can be some dysfunctional twits at times. I thought your mother liked Ben.”
She sighed. “In theory. She certainly likes what he represents. Honor, duty, loyalty. Oh, yeah, and he’s superhandsome. But you know how my dad is. He can be such a snob when it comes to how much someone makes. Net worth, stock portfolio...those things don’t matter to me at all. But my dad just doesn’t see it the same way. I was hoping to take Ben to the party and let Dad meet him. I mean, Ben’s terrific. How could my dad not like him? They could even talk fishing and sports, and all that stuff.”
“Kiddo, maybe that’s exactly how it will be.”
Ainsley gave an unladylike snort. “Right. Because my dad’s so open and accepting of people. I do, I love my dad, but seriously. And you’d think my dad, since he came from nothing, would respect a guy like Ben. But he’s just so...ugh. You know.”
“Well, you won’t know until you talk to your dad.”
“I tried to at lunch the other day, but it was difficult since he brought me a date to the club. Oh, I don’t know what to do. They have to stop trying to interfere in my love life.”
Bebe cleared her throat. “They can’t do that unless you let them.”
Hmm. Wasn’t that the truth?
Bebe had a point. It was time for Ainsley to set her dad straight. “You’re right. I’ll drop off the Wilsons’ gifts and then call the house.”
They hung up and she turned on the car. She breathed deeply several times and did a neck roll. As she was about to drive away, her phone dinged.
The message was from her sister.
She swiped it open to read the text.
Dad won Business Mag’s Man of the Year award. Banquet Dec. 22, NYC. Private jet. Please call Mom to confirm.
That was a huge award. One of the most prestigious in the country. She was proud of her dad.
But why now? She sighed.
Because the universe really doesn’t like you.
She didn’t want to disappoint Ben by backing out of accompanying him to his CO’s next event, but this was Man of the Year.
He’d understand.
Yep. Hopefully.
Then why did she feel so guilty?
12
BEN HUNG THE Santa suit in his closet and smiled. It had been a good afternoon. They’d given out the last of the Toys for Tots gifts at the community center. The kids had been so wide-eyed and happy, even to get the smallest gift. And it hadn’t made him sad or got him thinking about when he was a kid and the fact that the holidays had felt like a time of hardship, not one of joy.
But he couldn’t say that anymore.
The joy of making the kids’ dreams for a fun Christmas come true had made all the shopping and running around worth it.
And it was because of those kids that he’d met Ainsley, who had done the majority of the work. He wished she’d been there. She would have enjoyed it as much as he did.
Of course, the best part was Brody, Jake and Matt dressed in elf uniforms. Chelly, Matt’s wife, and Mari, Brody’s wife, had both decided that Ben needed some elves to help out Santa. Elves with pointy-toed shoes and red tights and cute green outfits.
Those pictures would give Ben something to smile about for years to come. And if ever he lost another bet, he’d be happy to share said photos with the world.
He glanced at his phone, half hoping Ainsley had called. There was a part of him, a part he wasn’t too proud of, that was disappointed by the fact she chose her family over him.
Dumb. He understood why she had to go. This was a huge deal for her dad. He was being honored by one of the top business magazines out there. With a big gala being held in New York, of course she had to be there.
All he had tonight was the Christmas party at the officers’ club. Not quite the same level of fancy. And his brain understood why Ainsley had opted for the other event. There was no contest.
Right. Family came first.
In fact, he’d been the one to push her out the door so she could make the flight in time to meet up with the company jet.
The company jet. That was still a bit mind-bending to him that she came from so much wealth. But he’d never met a more adjusted, beautiful soul.
And he had to admit that it was sweet that she’d whined how much she didn’t want to go, that the officers’ party was really more her style. And she’d picked out the perfect sapphire dress to wear.
She even modeled it for him. And then he’d made love to her, the dress hiked up over her beautiful ass. She’d watched him in the bathroom mirror as he took her from behind and didn’t stop until her orgasm hit.
Yep, neither of them was likely to forget last night. He had another hard-on just thinking about it.
Picking his phone up, he dialed her number. It went straight to voice mail. No surprise. The plane was probably still in the air.
“Hey,” he said. “I wanted to make sure you made it safe. I miss you. Just shoot me a text when you can.” And then he hung up before he said something stupid, like “I love you.”
Because he still wasn’t sure what this connection was between them. All he knew was she’d been gone for only twelve hours and he felt as if she’d taken a part of his heart with her.
Jake’s words about him having it bad were making more and more sense. But he wasn’t about to admit that truth to himself or anyone else. They needed time. And they had to get through the party at her parents’ house the next night. One thing at a time.
After his shower, he heard his phone ringing in the bedroom and ran for it, not even bothering to check to see who it was.
“Hello?”
“Hey,” said Jake.
It was all he could do not to sigh. “What’s up?”
“Don’t sound so excited. I was wondering if you could be my DD tonight. You don’t drink and you read the invite. If you have more than one drink, you have to take the shuttle service. Lame. Anyway, I’d rather you be my shuttle service. Can you pick me up?”
He wouldn’t mind, except he’d been planning on exiting as early as possible. “Sure. But I’m not going to stay too long. It’s already been a long day.”
“You don’t get to complain,” Jake chuckled. “I swear if you ever show any of those photos, I will come after those you love. That’s a promise.”
“Don’t make threats to the people you want to drive your drunk backside home. I’ll leave you there with Clarissa.”
His friend coughed. “No. Sorry, man.”
“That’s what I thought. I’ll be there in about fifteen.”
He was putting his dress blues on when his phone rang again. This time it was his mom. Everyone but the one person he wanted to talk to the most was calling him today.
“Hey, hon. We’re so excited. I can’t believe we get to see you in a couple of days.”
“I
’m looking forward to it,” he said.
“We’re making some special treats for you,” his sister chimed in over the speakerphone. “Mom’s been cooking for three days.”
“Remember, I have that party tomorrow night. It may run late, but I promise to be there early on Christmas Eve. And I’ve got five days of leave.” He was hoping maybe Ainsley could come up to meet them while he was in Austin.
But he hadn’t had the courage to broach the subject with her yet. They’d also been busy, and with her having to leave town so fast, there hadn’t been time.
“Hey, I’m getting ready for the officers’ party and I’ve got to pick up my friend. I’ll call you guys soon. Okay?”
They hung up.
Two hours later, Ben was ready to leave the party. The party itself wasn’t that bad. It was smaller than the gathering at the CO’s house, with only the officers on his team. But he was missing Ainsley something fierce. Brody and Mari, Matt and Chelly were all so tight. And without Ainsley at his side, he couldn’t help it, he felt left out.
As soon as he thought about her for the millionth time that night, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He stepped away from the team to take the call outside.
“Hey,” he said. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s so good to hear your voice,” Ainsley said. “My phone died, and I’d forgot to turn it back on after it charged. Sorry I missed your call.”
“Don’t worry about it. How’s everything going there?”
She sighed. “Okay. I’m freezing. I’m an idiot and didn’t think about how cold it would be so far north. Did I bring a coat? And before you answer, that’s a rhetorical question. It’s in the single digits. I wish you were here to keep me warm. And sane. I’ve been staying away a lot and forgot what my family can be like sometimes.” She laughed, but he could hear the stress in her voice.
“I’m wishing I was there to keep you warm, too. Was your flight all right? I know how much you love to fly.”
“Honestly, I slept through most of it. That’s the easiest way to deal with my folks. Oh, no.”
“What?”
“My sister’s waving me in. I’ll have to—”
“Ben? Why are you out here? We’re about to do the buffet dinner. My uncle was wondering where you were,” Clarissa said.
He nodded and held up a finger indicating he’d be there in a minute.
“Who was that?” Ainsley asked.
“Just Clarissa.”
“Is she there alone? Is she hitting on you? Oh, wow, I sound like a jealous witch. I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not. I should be there to protect you from her.”
He laughed. “Everything’s cool. My head is so full of you these days, I can’t think about anyone else. I don’t even see other women anymore. Jake’s been making fun of me. She was just telling me they’re about to serve the food, which is good news. After that, I’ll be able to go. Well, if I can get Jake out the door. I’m his designated driver.”
“Aw, on the you can only think about me part. I’m the same way about you.”
“Go ahead and do your thing, and I’ll do mine. I don’t want you to miss anything.”
“I would feel better if you were here holding me.”
“Yep. Feeling the same exact thing here,” he said. “But I’ll see you tomorrow night, right?”
She sighed. “That seems like forever.”
He smiled. She really did miss him. “It is. But call me tonight when you get home.”
“Okay. It’ll be late, though.”
“Wake me up. I like it when you wake me up.”
“Ben?”
“Yes.”
“I, uh, being away from you is harder than I thought it would be and it’s only been a day.”
His grin widened. “With you on that, babe. With you on that.”
She laughed, and it warmed his heart. “Good. Good. I was worried it was just me. And now I sound pathetic and maybe a little lovesick.”
He chuckled with her. “Again, with you on that.”
“Bye,” she said.
He said the same and hung up. And couldn’t wipe the stupid smile off his face if he’d wanted to.
Sure, she might come from one of the wealthiest families in the world, but she was his Ainsley.
And that made him happy.
* * *
CLARISSA WAS THERE. Probably digging her nails into Ben’s arm, while Ainsley sat here, listening to some of the most boring speeches ever. Her dad’s award was the last of the evening. And she shouldn’t have been so selfish, but she wanted to be with Ben badly.
It had caught her off guard how much she missed him. She seriously missed him, deep in her soul. And yet she’d spent most of her life trying not to get attached to men. Always keeping things light with the guys she dated.
She never knew if they liked her for her, or for her pop’s money. In the end it was usually the latter. The breakup had always been easy, too, because she’d never wanted to be serious.
Until Ben.
Just hearing him on the phone settled the raw nerves she’d been experiencing all day. Her family tied her up in knots. Sad, but true. Last night with Ben had been special. That look in his eyes as he made love to her, yeah, that would be seared on her soul for a lifetime.
Maybe this was it. The real thing. The one thing she’d been avoiding until she had her career on track.
But the business was doing well, really well. Bebe had things handled with the last of the deliveries. They’d stocked up on last-minute gifts. Those calls would continue to come in through Christmas Eve. But things were great.
They’d be hiring new part-time staff after the New Year. They already had several trade shows in the works. All sides of the business were doing well.
So maybe it was time to have a life. A full and rewarding one, not just a professional one. Over the past few days she’d come to realize that she’d used her business as an excuse to separate herself from having a personal life.
That changed when she’d met Ben. He’d shown her that she could work hard and have a very rich and kind of wonderful life. And even though she spent too much time thinking of Ben, she’d managed her busiest time of year while starting a relationship with him.
She kept flip-flopping back and forth as to whether this was a good thing or not, but most of the flipping had to do with the fact that she was scared. Really scared he’d hurt her because at some point, she’d have lost herself in him and what he wanted.
It was funny. Neither of them wanted something serious. They’d just been having fun.
And yet, here they were. Well, he was there with flirty Clarissa. But she’d be back with her Ben soon.
Applause rose up around them. Her dad was walking to the stage.
“Almost done,” Megan said from beside her. “My face hurts from the fake smiling.”
“Mine, too,” she said. Though Ainsley had been smiling for a totally different reason. Thinking about Ben.
Her dad thanked his family, who were always there for him, even when he was gone for weeks and months at a time in those early years. He talked about why, even though he had businesses all over the world, he stayed in south Texas. It was home. It was a little different than his usual spiel, and there was something earnest in his demeanor.
She was so used to her dad owning every room he walked into. He was bigger than life, bossy to a fault, but she and her sister had never doubted that he loved them. Even though he wasn’t around much when they were younger, he’d made a point to be there for the important moments, from pictures for prom to swim meets. Now that she thought about it, her mom and dad had always been up in her business.
Sometimes she wished she had a family who didn’t care so much. Dumb. But true.
As he
r dad returned to their table, everyone stood again. There were lots of pats on the back. And a little less than an hour later, they were back on the jet.
She wanted to tell her dad about Ben, maybe prepare him a little.
“I haven’t seen your dad this happy in a long time,” Todd, the guy her dad had brought to their lunch at the club, said as he sat down next to her.
What is he doing here? And what would he know about her father? This was supposed to be a family-only trip.
“Yes, he should be. That’s quite the honor,” she said. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I didn’t realize—I mean, most of the people here are family, or people I’ve known my whole life. I had the feeling that you and dad hadn’t known each other that long.”
He shrugged. “For a couple of years. We were in a meeting when he got the call, and he asked me to join him. Is that a problem?”
“No, I was just curious.”
“I think he hoped maybe you and I would have a chance to talk again. You were preoccupied the day we met.”
One of her eyebrows rose. She couldn’t help it. “No, I was busy. And to be honest, I wasn’t, and I’m still not interested. I’m dating someone.”
He held up his hands as if in surrender. “I heard about the Marine. Your father is hoping it’s just a phase you’re going through.”
Why did they have to be on a plane right now? All she wanted to do was punch this jerk in the face and then run as fast as she could.
And wait? Her dad knew. That meant he couldn’t know the whole truth about Ben, because she was the only one who did.
I’m going to kill Megan.
“Yeah. Not a phase. Serious relationship with one of the best men I’ve ever known. A man who is not you. If you’ll excuse me, I need to speak to my dad.”
She rose, but just then the pilot called for everyone to take their seats as they were about to hit turbulence. She took one as far away from Todd as she could.
By the time they landed, she was so mad she wasn’t sure she could speak to her dad. It ate at her that he’d heard she was in a relationship with Ben, and was still trying to pawn men off on her.
Christmas with the Marine Page 12