by Baird, Ginny
BEACH BLANKET SANTA
By
Ginny Baird
Published by
Winter Wedding Press
Copyright 2013
Ginny Baird
Kindle Edition
ISBN 978-0-9886953-1-3
All Rights Reserved
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient, unless this book is a participant in a qualified lending program. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to export portions of the text, please contact the author at [email protected].
Characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.
Edited by Linda Ingmanson
Cover by Dar Albert
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Romance writer Ginny Baird has published novels in print and online and received screenplay options from Hollywood for her family and romantic comedy scripts. Her fiction has been published in the US, Australia, Brazil, Denmark and Norway, and translated into many languages. She is an award-winning writer and the bestselling author of several romantic comedies, including novellas in her HOLIDAY BRIDES SERIES. Prior to selling her first romance novel to Kensington Books in year 2000, Ginny wrote suspense fiction, which she's recently reissued under the pen name Gabby Grant. You can learn more about her by visiting her website http://www.ginnybairdromance.com.
Books by Ginny Baird
Holiday Brides Series
The Christmas Catch
The Holiday Bride
Mistletoe in Maine
Beach Blanket Santa
Other Titles
Real Romance
The Sometime Bride
Santa Fe Fortune
How to Marry a Matador
Real Romance and The Sometime Bride
(Gemini Edition)
Santa Fe Fortune and How to Marry a Matador
(Gemini Edition)
BEACH BLANKET SANTA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Epilogue
A Note from the Author
Chapter One
“You know what you need?”
Matt Salvatore stared into his brother’s deep blue eyes. They looked so much alike, people sometimes mistook them for twins. In fact, Robert was two years older and an inch shorter than Matt. Why then, did Matt get the feeling he wasn’t measuring up? “No, but I suppose you’re going to tell me.”
Robert pushed back in his leather chair. They shared a lot of things between them, like a law practice in DC and the same dark hair and broad shoulders. From the frown on Robert’s face, he was growing weary of bearing Matt’s weight. “You need some time away, man. A break from this scene.”
“How’s that supposed to make things better?”
“Every girl you see reminds you of her. If she’s blonde, she looks just like Katya. If she’s a brunette, she looks just like Katya might have been had she decided to dye her—”
Matt flagged a palm at his brother. “Slow down there, pal. A man is dying, and all you can do is dance on his grave.”
“I’m not dancing. I’m trying to help!”
“By bringing up Katya at every turn?”
Robert sighed. “It’s been six months, buddy. She left you before your birthday in June.”
“Yeah, and that was awesome, wasn’t it?”
“It was…less than nice.” His lips twisted in a wry smile. “Never can trust those Russians.”
“She was a foreign correspondent. Not a spy.”
“Seemed to slip in and out of those shadows pretty easily.”
Matt ran a hand through his short, wavy hair, knowing Robert was right. Katya had been nothing if not slippery—with the truth more than anything else. She’d spent countless nights chasing after hot stories in Washington. It was only by mistake that Matt had learned of her questionable research tactics.
“What was that last guy’s name? Carl Benton? Wasn’t he running for Congress or something?”
“He lost.”
“Well, at least that’s some consolation.” He leaned forward across his mahogany desk. “Bro, I’ve got to tell you, I’m starting to worry. This Katya thing has got you all eaten up. And for what? She’s just not worth it.”
“I apologize if I haven’t been at the top of my game.”
Robert lifted his brow.
“But things will get better. I swear. I’ll turn this ship around.”
“Sure you will.” Robert’s face brightened. “All you need is a little shore leave.”
“Where’s this going?”
Robert massaged his square jaw and studied him. “Straight to the Outer Banks, I hope.”
“Your beach house?”
“You didn’t graduate magna cum laude for nothing.”
“What about it?”
“I think you should go there, take a breather.”
“Who goes to the beach in December?”
“Nobody. That’s what’s great. You’ll have no one to bring down with your sour mood.”
“Thanks.”
Robert laughed good-naturedly. “You know what I’m saying. It’ll be good to have some time away. Read some of those dirty spy novels you’re so crazy about.”
“What is it with the espionage?”
“Okay, okay. Cast your reel out, then. Whatever floats your boat. Just get your tail out of Dodge for a while. It’ll do you good.”
Matt understood his brother was trying to help, but everyone knew depression loomed large around the holidays. With him already feeling down, was being even more alone really the answer? “You want me to spend Christmas by myself?”
Robert’s expression softened. “That’s not what I meant at all. I just want you to go regroup for a week, then join us in Maryland. Margaret and I want you to spend Christmas and New Year’s with us.”
“And your new baby,” Matt reminded him.
“Well, yeah. Sure. Why not?”
Because babies screamed all night, as far as Matt recalled. They also needed diaper changing. This was sounding less and less like the dream bachelor vacation. “That’s really good of you,” Matt said, standing. “But I’ve already made plans.”
Robert pinned him in place with his gaze. “Name them.”
“Well, I was thinking of…” Suddenly it dawned on him that he didn’t need to make excuses. Matt couldn’t go to the beach. Christmas was always Elaine’s week there. Elaine was Robert’s first wife, and the one asset neither could bear to liquidate had been their beach house. Besides, with the real estate market having tanked, their oceanfront property was practically under water. So they’d opted to keep it awhile, carefully orchestrating a calendar of his-and-hers usage dates, so both could enjoy it without having to run into each other. “I thought Elaine always took Christmas week?”
“Usually, she does. But this year, she’s getting married. Remember? She’ll be on her honeymoon. The place is all yours!”
Matt started to think about that. The gentle melancholy of the seashore… A few six-packs of beer. Surf fishing in the waves. Letting his beard stubble grow for a week. Skipping out on the suit and tie routine… And finally—finally—forgetting about Katya. After a full week of that, he’d probably feel fine handling Christmas at the beach solo.
Or, even heading back to Maryland if that was what he decided to do. Neither he nor Robert were going to Chicago this year. They and their siblings had pooled together to send his folks on a forty-year-anniversary trip to Tuscany’s lake region. It would be one of the first seasons in memory the greater Salvatore clan hadn’t gathered together to ring in the New Year, a plethora of grandchildren bustling about and blowing plastic horns. Of course, everyone had agreed it was worth it. There’d been tears in his mom’s eyes at Thanksgiving when Robert, as the eldest, had handed over the airline tickets and broken the news. Everyone deserved the kind of happiness their parents shared. They’d stuck together through all kinds of weather and seemed to care for each other even more now than Matt had recalled as a kid.
“What about the Barnes case?” he asked his brother.
“I’ve put our team of interns on it. They’ll be busy pulling documentation together until after the first.” He shot Matt an encouraging grin. “There’s really not much left for you to do here…other than pout.”
“Hey!” Matt didn’t pout. Did he? Scowl a little, perhaps. Take on the brooding look of an artist. Appear mysteriously morose… But pout? Not on your life he didn’t. If this was what Katya had reduced him to, it was way past time to change it. So, yeah, maybe he’d been deluded into believing she was the love of his life. What with that sexy accent and sharp wit, she’d had him practically from hello. But now she was gone. Long gone, and it was time he stopped rehashing the past. It was ironic that the one woman he’d really fallen for had been the one to walk out on him. While Matt had never purposely hurt anybody, he did have a history of the being the guy who was good with good-byes. He’d become really adept at sensing when a woman was getting in deep and knew it was kinder to cut things off early rather than unfairly lead somebody on. Matt wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he believed he would know it when he saw it. With Katya, he’d just been vision impaired. Not that he’d ever let that happen again. “Give me that key.”
Robert blinked in surprise. “Just like that? You’re leaving already?”
Matt held out his hand, and Robert slid open his desk drawer, extracting a key chain with a dangling fake sand dollar attached. “Merry Christmas, brother,” he said, slapping it into Matt’s palm.
“Thanks. And Happy New Year to you.”
“Wait a minute. You’re not coming back to…?”
“I’ll call you,” Matt said with a wink.
Robert eyed him suspiciously. “You got another girl stashed away somewhere I don’t know about? Someone you’re taking there with you?”
“You wish,” Matt said. I wish, he thought. But this year, he’d have no such luck. Matt had grown weary of the dating game. That fiasco with Katya had been the final blow. He’d already taken her home to meet the family. His big Italian family, grandmother and all. And she’d apparently bedded the congressional hopeful less than a week later. Matt was supposed to be smart, primed to see things. His work as a corporate attorney demanded keen mental acumen. But every single bit of his brainpower had let him down when Katya had batted her pretty green eyes. Well, no more of that, Matt thought, clutching the key. He was done with women for the next little bit. After this breather at the beach, he’d return refreshed to focus on his career. Robert really had been doing more than his share lately. And with a new baby at home, it simply wasn’t fair. By all accounts, Matt was the one who should be picking up any extra slack. And he planned to see to it post haste.
Sarah Anderson refilled Elaine’s slender sherry glass, then lightly fluffed her veil. “You look gorgeous,” she said. “Really you do.”
Elaine studied her reflection in the mirror. Her blonde hair was in a perfect updo with loose tendrils spilling forth. Though they were best friends, they couldn’t have looked any more different. Sarah’s curly brown hair spilled past her shoulders, its color matching her eyes. “I’m going to look gorgeous and drunk if you pour me another glass.” Elaine took a sip and giggled.
Sarah adjusted the wedding gown at the shoulders and smiled. “You’ll do just fine.”
Elaine surveyed her maid of honor in the mirror. “Not drinking today, are we?”
Sarah caught her breath, recalling the last time she’d indulged at one of Elaine’s weddings. “I think it’s safer this way.”
“Well, I wouldn’t worry,” Elaine said “The groomsmen here aren’t nearly as dishy as the first time around.”
“Elaine! You’re talking about Richard’s brothers!”
“Oh, come on, Sarah. I may be engaged, but I still have eyes. Charlie and Hank are hot enough, but neither one is eye candy like—”
Sarah felt her cheeks flame. “Please don’t remind me.” It was all Sarah could do to forget waking up in the gorgeous Matt Salvatore’s arms. He’d been the best man, and she the maid of honor. After one too many glasses of champagne and a lot of incredibly sexy slow dancing, they’d somehow wound up back at her place after the reception. She’d had a secret crush on Matt ever since first laying eyes on him at one of Elaine’s pre-wedding parties. And when he’d kissed her on the dance floor, her knees had melted like butter. Sarah had never had a man kiss her that way. No one before, and nobody since.
“Those Salvatore men are pretty hard to resist,” Elaine said with a knowing look.
“You divorced one of them.”
“It’s true. But it was for the best. Just look at how things have worked out. Robert met Margaret, and I’ve found”—she sighed longingly—“Hank.”
Sarah took away her sherry. “Richard. You mean, Richard.”
“That’s right!” she said brightly.
Uh-oh, Sarah thought, wondering if maybe she’d poured one too many glass for the bride.
Someone knocked on the dressing room door. It was Janet, Richard’s younger sister. “They want us upstairs in ten!”
Elaine hiccupped.
“Thanks, Janet,” Sarah called, reaching for the water on the dresser. She gave Elaine the glass, urging her to take a long swallow. This sherry-drinking-before-the-wedding thing had been a tradition with their circle of girlfriends ever since Elaine’s first time at it three years before. They’d all opened two bottles about an hour ago and toasted to Elaine’s newfound happiness with Richard. While the other girls finished getting ready in the next room, Elaine had requested some time alone with her maid of honor.
Elaine drained the glass, then met Sarah’s eyes. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything. Ask.”
“Do you find it perverse I only fall in love with R guys?”
“R guys?”
“Richard, Robert, Rodney, Rafael… What do you think it means?”
“I think you’re thinking too much about it. It’s a coincidence.”
“Hmm.” Elaine reached for the sherry bottle, but Sarah stopped her.
“They’re almost ready for us upstairs.”
“Right!” Elaine straightened herself on her stool. “Which is why I need you to make a promise.”
Sarah pursed her lips a moment, eying her friend. “What kind of promise?”
“Come on, Sarah. Just say that you’ll promise! It’s my wedding day, okay?”
“Okay, okay. I promise.”
Elaine beamed. “That a girl.”
“What-a-girl?”
“You’ve just agreed to catch my bouquet!”
Sarah swallowed hard. The last thing she needed to do right now was go catching anybody’s bouquet. Especially Elaine’s. Given Elaine’s wedding was today, that would put Sarah in line to marry next. Like that was destined to happen. Of course, that was just a silly superstition.
Elaine shot her a stern look. “You can’t drop it. That would be bad luck.”
“Maybe one of the other girls will elbow in,” Sarah added hopefully. “Jennifer’s been trying to nail down Louis for a while.”
“Forget about Jennifer and Louis. I’m talking about you!”
“But I don’t even have a boyfriend.”
“That’s not true.”
“What is it about that third date?”
Elaine picked up the sherry, despite Sarah’s effort to stop her, and drank anyway. “Oh, I get it.” She nodded in slow understanding, studying Sarah in the mirror. “That’s like…getting-physical time, huh? You’re afraid.”
“I most certainly am not afraid,” Sarah said, affronted. “I can…party with the best of them.”
“I wasn’t talking party. I was talking dancing.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Dirty dancing. You know, the two-to-tango kind. Lovers between the covers?”
A picture of her and Matt under the huge down comforter flashed through her mind. She flushed, pushing the murky memory aside.
“You have too much honeymoon on your mind,” she told Elaine.
Elaine set down her glass, misty-eyed. “Yeah, maybe I do. Richard is such a tiger in the sack.”
“Okay, up with you!” Sarah said, taking her friend by the elbow. “It’s almost time to march.”
“Ooh, I love this part, don’t you?”
“It’s special,” Sarah said with a warm smile.
Elaine pulled her into her arms, and crinoline crunched. “You’re special.” She stifled a sob. “You’ve always been here for me. You’re such a good friend.”
Sarah patted her back. “I love you too.”
“I wish I could give you something for Christmas.”
“You have. That beautiful bracelet.”
Elaine pulled back from their embrace. “I gave one of those to all the girls. And you’re my maid of honor. I should have done something more.”
“Just being here with you is enough.”
“No, it’s not. What do you want?”
“Want?”
“Go on. Name it.”
“Elaine, you’re getting married in eight minutes, I don’t think now is the—”
“How about a vacation?” Elaine asked suddenly.