Perfectly Merry Read online

  “Right now, all I want for Christmas is Ginger, safe and sound.” Cammy shivered. With the heavy clouds and rain, it was already dark. Only the bright, cheerful holiday lights kept the darkness from feeling oppressive.

  As they rounded the corner from the residential neighborhood, they came out onto Marietta Square. A large tree adorned with white lights, red bows, and shiny golden balls stood in the center of the space while the walkways were outlined with luminaries. Most of the businesses and shops had already closed up, although holiday displays were visible through storefronts and windows. A few restaurants were still open, including the Blue Moon Tavern, Tommy’s bar.

  “Albert’s closing up at nine,” he explained.

  “So you could celebrate with Priscilla.” Cammy’s mouth pursed as if with distaste when she said “Pris”.

  “I would have told her no if I’d had a better offer.”

  He felt her arm slither free from his. The look she threw in his direction implied anything would have been better than Christmas Eve with Priscilla.

  Tommy heaved a silent sigh. When the best option wasn’t a possibility, it didn’t really matter what the alternative was.

  4

  They lost track of the dog prints at the edge of Marietta Square where salt had been used to de-ice the sidewalk.

  “Ginger! Come here, girl! Come on!” They spent close to thirty minutes checking the side streets and alleyways in the small business district before giving up.

  “She could be anywhere by now,” Tommy said, shoulders slumped in defeat.

  “Let’s head home and she if she’s found her way back.” Cammy refused to give up. If Ginger wasn’t at the townhouse, she’d get in her car and drive around until she found the dog. It didn’t matter that Ginger wasn’t hers. Tommy adored the golden retriever, and Cammy would do anything to make sure she was located.

  The three of them—her, Tommy, and Ginger—were a family of sorts. There’d be no Christmas until all three were safe and warm together. Remembering the blonde impatiently awaiting Tommy’s return, Cammy amended the thought. There’d be no Christmas until Ginger was found and Tommy was back from the fancy Christmas Eve celebration with Priscilla.

  They walked quickly through the silent streets, still calling and whistling, occasionally catching strains of Christmas carols or laughter from inside the homes they passed. When Tommy caught her hand in his, she didn’t resist.

  She couldn’t.

  There was something magical about striding through the darkness with him, knowing the world around them was filled with joy and happiness and anticipation. He might be heading off to spend the rest of the holiday with Priscilla, but for now it was just the two of them sharing the beauty of Christmas Eve.

  As they grew closer to home, hope that Ginger would be waiting for them flared. If the dog hadn’t returned by now, the chances of finding her quickly lessened.

  The sleet had momentarily let up, but now huge heavy flakes of snow fluttered down to settled on their hair, face, shoulders, and ground. Cammy shivered, the night air frigid enough that they created clouds of vapor when they exhaled.

  Tommy tugged open the gate and waited for Cammy to enter ahead of him. It felt like her heart crashed to her toes when she saw the vacant patio.

  “She probably came in through the doggie door,” she murmured.

  Tommy wrenched open the door, calling for the dog. “Ginger. Here, girl.”

  His words echoed in the silence.

  “Priscilla?” He called out and didn’t get any response.

  “I’m sorry.” Cammy laid her hand on his arm. “Maybe she left a note.”

  Tommy yanked off his parka and jerked to loosen his tie. “It doesn’t matter.”

  Cammy walked up to him and straightened his tie, allowing her fingertips to linger for a second on the muscled pecs beneath the cotton fabric. “Go. I’ll find Ginger. If I get in the car and drive around, it shouldn’t take long. I’ll send a text when I find her.”

  Tommy stared down at her, brow furrowed, dark eyes unreadable. “You’d really do that, wouldn’t you? You’d give up your plans for the evening to chase down my crazy dog?”

  She laughed, feeling self-conscious under his intense scrutiny. “Don’t make me out to be a saint or somethin’,” she drawled. “Mom and Dad are on that cruise, so I don’t really have plans. Actually, I came over here earlier to see what you were doing.”

  His jaw tightened for a second as if he was making a decision. “Forget Priscilla.”

  Suddenly, she felt Tommy curve his hands around her biceps. He pulled her up against his chest and bent his head to kiss her. His lips pressed against hers, hard and punishing, until her mouth softened under the onslaught and opened. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she welcomed the taste of him as his tongue met hers.

  Someone moaned and then Tommy pulled away.

  Cammy’s eyes popped open, finding the same shock and amazement in Tommy’s gaze.

  “Ginger.” Her words were breathy and soft.

  “When we find her…”

  Cammy shivered at the promise in Tommy’s unfinished sentence. Ginger would likely be spending Christmas Eve in her dog crate, but the evening suddenly held abundant possibilities for the two of them.

  “Let me lock up my place,” she said. “I’ll meet you at your car.”

  “Hurry.”

  Cammy didn’t know if the urgency was to find Ginger or resume the kiss.

  As Tommy moved to retrieve his keys, she hustled out the door and through the side gate. It only took a few minutes to grab her purse, secure her door, and return to the parking lot. Tommy had the car warming up, the defroster going full blast to clear the windshield. The wipers clacked as they cleared away the snow.

  “The weather’s getting worse,” Tommy said.

  “We’ll find her.” Cammy hoped her reassuring prediction was accurate.

  “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Me, too.” Inspired by Tommy’s spontaneous kiss, she settled her hand on his thigh and felt his muscle tense. “As soon as we find Ginger, we need to talk.”

  Tommy laid his hand over hers and moved it closer to the crease where his thigh and abdomen met. “Maybe the talking can wait.”

  Cammy brushed her fingertips over the length of his arousal. “Talking can definitely wait.”

  The back tires spun on the ice before gaining traction on the pavement, revealing Tommy’s impatience. They laughed, tentatively at first and then loud belly laughs fueled by the wonderous turn the evening had suddenly taken.

  Windows rolled down, heater cranked to battle the frosty air, they cruised through the neighborhood, calling for Ginger.

  “What’s going on over there?” Cammy pointed to a crowd gathered in front of a church.

  Tommy slowed the car, rolling up behind the group of people standing silently in front of a live nativity scene. Several people in Biblical costumes were positioned around a wooden manger in a makeshift barn.

  “Wow. They have live animals,” Cammy whispered. “Sheep. Cows. Even a camel.”

  The car came to a stop, the poignancy of the scene entrancing them. After a few moments of silence, a small choral group off to one side began singing an a capella version of “Do You Hear What I Hear?” The harmony was disrupted by a loud, braying howl.

  “Ginger!”

  Hiding her snickers behind one hand, Cammy scrambled from the car and hurried around the crowd. The golden retriever stood in the middle of the nativity scene, tail wagging madly as she howled along with the singers.

  Epilogue

  Tommy had expected some degree of tension between him and Cammy following his impulsive kiss, but she acted as if nothing had changed. The mood shifted from frantic worry to jovial anticipation as soon as Ginger was in the back seat, panting and slobbering with excitement.

  “I believe your exact words were, ‘When we find her…’” Cammy let the heavy canvas jacket slide off her arms as they settled themselves in hi
s kitchen.

  Tommy took the coat and hung it on the hook before facing her. He intentionally kept space between them, not wanting to pressure her in any way.

  “If we do this, there’s no going back,” he warned.

  “Why would I want to go back to just being friends when I’m kinda sorta in love with you?” Cammy’s smile faded, replaced by a look of puzzlement. “I don’t know how I didn’t recognize it sooner.”

  “It crept up on me, too.” Tommy ran a hand through his hair before settling his fists at his waist.

  “I thought you…” Cammy shrugged. “Priscilla, you know. Women like her. No commitment and all that.”

  Tommy felt his face flush. “I’ve been committed for over a year now. You just never knew.”

  Cammy’s eyes filled and she sniffled. Ginger, who’d noisily been slurping water, padded over and nudged her hand with a wet nose.

  “That’s probably the best Christmas gift ever.”

  Pacing slowly to stand in front of her, Tommy looped his arms around her waist. “I don’t want this to be a sappy Hallmark kind of Christmas so let’s get past the mushy stuff. I have an amazing Christmas Eve planned, but no crying allowed.”

  Cammy blinked away her tears and sniffed loudly.

  “There’s never snot in a Hallmark movie,” Tommy pointed out.

  Laughing, she sucked in another wet sob. “No, but there is a happy ending that usually includes puppies, snow, and a kiss under the mistletoe.”

  Tommy squeezed Cammy in a quick hug. “Let’s exchange gifts. Mine can’t wait until morning.”

  She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “Hmm. Can’t wait to see which chia pet you got me this year.”

  “Run to your place and pack an overnight bag. We’re spending every minute of our first Christmas together now that we’re together.”

  Her quick inhale revealed she shared his impatience.

  “Be right back.”

  When Cammy returned fifteen minutes later, her arms were full of brightly wrapped packages, a tote slung over one shoulder. She followed Tommy into the living room. A fire crackled in the fireplace. Lights twinkled on a fresh tree that scented the air with pine. Two mugs steaming with something aromatic sat on a nearby table.

  “Hot toddies to warm us up,” he explained.

  She smiled mischievously as she arranged the gifts under the tree. “I don’t think we’re gonna have any trouble heatin’ things up tonight.”

  Tommy grinned. “I thought your drawl only became pronounced when you were mad. I see it also becomes more apparent when you’re flirting.”

  They sat on the floor, backs resting against the sofa, Ginger sprawled out next to Tommy’s legs. Cammy handed him a package. “Open this one first.”

  “Just one, and then I have something for you.”

  Cammy’s eyes twinkled as he ripped away the red bow and candy-cane patterned gift wrap. When he revealed the box and read the description, his bellowing laugh woke Ginger. She got up and settled herself in her dog bed across the room.

  “Too bad we didn’t have this a few hours ago.” He turned the box over and read: “Track your pet with state-of-the-art GPS technology.” He bent to kiss her. “Ginger and I thank you.”

  “I’m glad I didn’t give it to you earlier.” She stuck out her tongue. “Otherwise, Priscilla might have been thanking you for something.”

  “Wanna know what I got her?” he asked. When Cammy nodded, he gestured to an envelope on a side table. “A gift certificate for a spa treatment. Hardly something you’d give a woman you genuinely cared for.”

  Eyes wide, Cammy gazed at him expectantly. “What do you give a woman you genuinely care for?”

  Hardly able to contain his excitement, Tommy stood up. “Stay right there and close your eyes.”

  He strode into his bedroom then peeked around the door before returning to the living room. “No peeking!”

  Cammy sat upright, eyes clenched shut.

  “Hold out your arms.”

  “Wha—” Cammy squawked in surprise, eyes popping open as a warm, furry bundle squirmed in her lap. “Ohmy—” A pink tongue lapped at her face, cutting off her words.

  Tommy crouched down and stroked the soft pale gold fur.

  “It’s a puppy,” Cammy squealed, lifting it up to examine it before hugging it to her chest.

  Ginger came over, sniffed, and chuffed in approval.

  “I ran into the breeder who hooked me up with this mutt.” Tommy scratched Ginger behind the ears fondly. “He said he had a few pups he was trying to home and asked if I knew anyone who might want one.”

  “He? She?” When Tommy nodded, Cammy continued, nuzzling her chin against the puppy’s head. “She’s adorable! How can I say no?”

  “I hope that’s the first of many yesses,” Tommy said. “Yes, to being my best friend. Yes, to being my lover. Yes, to many days and nights together.”

  Clutching the puppy in one arm, Cammy hugged him with the other. Her kiss didn’t say yes; it said hell yes!

  The End

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  About the Author

  EmKay Connor is the author of sexy, sassy contemporary romantic fiction infused with quirky humor and engaging characters. Her bright and breezy romances are set in small towns, tropical locations, and glamorous destinations where her heroes and heroines discover passion and fall in love.

  Her manuscripts have finaled and won numerous contests, including RWA's prestigious Golden Heart.

  She lives and writes in northeastern Florida.

  Website: http://www.sexysassyromance.com/

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