The Love List (4 page)

"She likes to flirt with me. It used to make
Matt mad, but I think he gets it's only Emma being Emma and it
doesn't mean anything." Grey took all his socks in one hand, opened
the second dresser drawer, and dumped them in.

"Is she pretty?" Carrie took a dress out of
her bag and shook it out.

"I guess. Haven't thought about her in a long
time. She's not as pretty as you are,"

"Oh?" Carrie hung up her dress.

"What?" He stopped and stood still with a
fistful of boxers.

"Do I need to worry about this woman?" She
whirled around to face him, her brow furrowed. In two strides he
was in front of her, enveloping her in his arms. He hugged her
tightly to his chest.

"Honey, you don't have to worry about
anything. I love you and only you. I'm not interested in anyone
else. You're mine and I'm yours. Don't let her visit ruin our first
Christmas together."

"Hey, yeah. It
is
our first Christmas
together," she let out the breath she was holding and rested her
head on his chest. A smile curled her lips, her eyes closed.

"Looks like we'll have to move our 'date'
tonight to nine, instead of eight."

"Still gives us plenty of time…" She closed
her mouth and glanced up at him.

Grey grinned at her and dropped a kiss on her
lips.

"Hey, you two, get outta bed…Breakfast is
ready!" Colin called up the stairs.

Color rose to Carrie's cheeks as Grey took
her hand, leading her into the hall.

"Colin can be a real jerk sometimes," he
murmured as he headed for the stairs.

Chapter Three

Breakfast was a noisy meal with everyone
talking, often at the same time. Fran tried to divvy up jobs but
her children had minds of their own. Grey volunteered to stock the
bar with his dad. Colin agreed to vacuum the living room. Jenna and
Barbara offered to cook with help from Carrie and Fran.

"You'll be okay, right?" Grey asked Carrie as
he wound a wool scarf around his neck.

"Of course. What could happen?" She stepped
up to him and zipped up his jacket.

"I don't know but leaving you here with my
idiot little brother makes me nervous."

"I'll be fine."

"I won't be long." He bent over and kissed
her quickly, then moved in closer for a longer, deeper kiss.

His father came up behind him and gave a tug
on his jacket collar.

"Let's go, Casanova," John chuckled, patting
Grey's shoulder.

By one o'clock, all the food was ready except
for the ham, which was in the oven slow cooking. Carrie snuck
upstairs to grab a nap before meeting the local friends at the open
house. She'd enjoyed cooking with Jenna, Barbara and Fran. They
treated her like a sister; kidded her and ordered her about like
they did with each other.

Though Carrie warmed to being part of the
family, her head was now pounding with all the noise and the strain
of making sure to say the right things and not put her foot in her
mouth. Fran was the first to retire for a rest, then Jenna. Bill
came in from walking the dogs and when he found out Jenna had
retired, he followed her.

Getting a little, eh Bill?
Carrie
snickered to herself as she watched Bill pass her on the stairs
then disappear through the doorway to the room he shared with
Jenna. The door closed quietly. Carrie continued to climb the tall
staircase, gripping the banister and slowing her steps as she
reached the top. Their room was the first one on the left. The door
was open. Her eyes sought the beautifully wrapped present Grey had
waved in front of her but refused to give to her until their "date"
at nine. It had been on top of the dresser but it wasn't there now.
Maybe he hid it so I wouldn't peek.
She smiled to herself as
she closed the door.

Flipping off her shoes, Carrie slipped her
fleece pants off and hung them over the back of a chair. She left
her fleece top and bra on as the chill in the air made the room too
cold for sleeping topless. She climbed into bed, snuggled under the
down quilt and closed her eyes. Sleep came quickly.

****

Grey opened the door quietly and tiptoed into
his room. He noticed his private present for Carrie was gone and
wondered if she hid it intending to take a peek later. He chuckled
to himself over her insatiable curiosity.
Forget trying to hide
anything from her, ever!

He toed off his shoes and hung his jeans over
a chair. Slowly peeling down the covers he slid into bed next to
Carrie. She moved slightly as the bed dipped under his weight.
After she rolled over on her stomach, he inched closer to her and
put his head down on the pillow.

But he wasn't tired. Grey warmed his hand
under his chin then placed it underneath her fleece sweatshirt,
resting his fingers on her back. He loved the feel of her soft skin
as he glided his hand up slightly then down to the edge of her
panties.

A month ago we were apart. I was alone and
now she's going to be my wife...my own Christmas miracle.

His fingers toyed with the lace before
ducking under the edge and cupping the firm flesh of her behind,
giving it a gentle squeeze. Carrie turned her head toward him,
stifled a yawn and cracked her eyes open.

"Hey, sleepy," he said, pulling his hand out
from under the covers to caress her hair.

"Hey, you." Carrie blinked up at him,
squinting.

She flipped over onto her side and faced him.
He moved his hand down, stroking her shoulder on the way to her
breast, where he rested it. His fingers closed around the soft
mound commencing a light massage.

"Did you have something in mind?"

"No time, honey," he replied, his gaze
searching her face.

"Copping a feel?"

He nodded but did not remove his hand.

"Don't get me started, if we have no
time…"

"Guests due in about half an hour." Still he
did not remove his hand.

"Oh!" Carrie nudged his fingers away. She
cupped her hands around his face, kissed him, then threw back the
covers and pushed out of bed.

"What's the hurry?"

"Got to get dressed. The ham…the dips have to
be…and the veggies aren't washed."

"They've got you well trained already," he
sighed.

"Nine o'clock you're mine, Mister," she said,
shooting him a wicked grin.

"I'll be here…with bells on."

"And nothing else?" Her brows arched as she
turned her gaze on him.

"Your wish is my command," he said, tipping
an imaginary hat.

Grey pulled back the covers and got out of
the bed, heading for the chair to grab his jeans. Carrie ran her
fingers through her hair and smoothed down her fleece top. Stepping
close to him. She slid her hand down below his belly and patted him
while her other arm snaked around his waist.

"Now who's getting who started here?" asked
Grey, his hands on her shoulders.

"Checking to make sure I'm not leaving
anything…unfinished."

"Not exactly, but you will if you keep that
up…and if you were?"

"I might have to do something about it."

"Damn! If I'd known that..."

"Too late." She moved away from him,
chuckling and reached for her lipstick.

He laughed and pulled her back into his arms,
holding her tight.

"Touching you wasn't about sex," he whispered
near her ear.

"No?" She cocked her head and stared straight
into his eyes.

"Maybe…uh, most of the time, yeah. But not
this time."

Her eyebrows raised as the corners of her
mouth dipped down in disbelief.

"I just…" he felt heat rising from his neck
to his face. "I like touching you. You're so…so soft and all and
you're mine and…I just like it. It's not always about sex."

She buried her face in his chest, her words
muffled by his flannel shirt.

"That's the sweetest thing you've ever
said."

When she picked up her head, he lowered his
mouth to brush her lips with his.

"I love you," he murmured, giving her another
kiss.

"Me, too, hunky guy." Carrie brushed her hand
through his hair.

"I'm the luckiest…"

She put her finger over his lips. "I'm the
luckiest girl in the world to have you."

With those words, she slipped out of his arms
and through the doorway.

Grey put on his jeans, combed his hair, and
straightened the bed before going downstairs. As he turned the
corner in the foyer to enter the living room, he heard his name
called.

"Grey! Could you help me…please?"

He spied Carrie in the kitchen archway, her
hands full and a pleading look on her face. He reversed his path
and headed for the kitchen.

"Would you mind taking this into the living
room…on the coffee table, sweetheart?"

Grey reached out and gripped each end of the
large, glass divided tray with crudités, olives and dip. Carrie
smiled up at him and he gave her a quick kiss but lingered for a
moment, then kissed her again.

"All right Casanova of the County, move on,
move on. You have your assignment," Jenna said, shooing him away
from Carrie with a dish towel.

He chuckled and turned away, walking
carefully toward the living room.

"Engaged couples…" murmured Barbara, busy at
the kitchen counter, a smile curling her lips.

"I heard that!" He called from the living
room.

****

At two forty-five, the doorbell rang. Fran
poked at her hair, took off her apron and hung it on the front hall
closet doorknob before she went to the foyer. John was already
there and opened the door to four people on the front steps,
shivering from the cold.

Grey bounded up off the sofa and extended his
hand to Carrie to follow. She shot back a nervous smile and stood
up slowly to join him. Together they went to the door. Laura Dailey
gave Grey a hug and her husband Barney slapped him on the back.

"Long time, Grey, long time," Barney said as
he shrugged out of a down parka.

Grey took everyone's coats and piled them on
the sofa in the den on the first floor and quickly returned to
introduce Carrie. A young man with a slim but powerful build turned
around when Grey entered the living room.

"Gavin!" Grey extended his hand which was
taken by the handsome, dark-haired young man with clear blue
eyes.

"Grey. What's up?"

"Getting married. Who's this?" Grey's gaze
settled on a pair of delicate hands, with pearly polished nails
which appeared from behind Gavin to grip his waist while the woman
remained hidden.

Gavin looked down, chuckled and did a half
turn, taking one of the feminine hands and guiding the woman around
to stand next to him.

"This is my wife, April McKenna."

"April McKenna Dailey," she corrected.

Grey laughed and color rose to Gavin's fair
cheeks.

"It's only three months…not used to it yet,"
he mumbled.

Grey smiled at the pretty brunette clinging
to Gavin's side and extended his hand.

"Nice to meet the woman who caught this guy.
The Casanova of the County they used to call him."

April shot a sharp look at Gavin.

"That was his nickname," Gavin said, pointing
to Grey.

Carrie wandered over and put an arm around
Grey's waist, smiling at Gavin and April.

"This is my fiancée, Carrie."

Gavin and April shook Carrie's hand.

"Who will seduce all the women in Jefferson
County now that you two are taken?" Jenna asked, as she breezed by
on her way to the kitchen. She stopped momentarily and took a bite
of one of Laura's homemade gingerbread cookies to stifle the laugh
that bubbled up in her throat while her eyes darted from man to
man.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a
moment after Jenna left. Gavin looked at the floor and Grey's gaze
roamed the room. April stared at Gavin, her mouth drawn into a thin
line.

"You told me that was a lot of lies."

Grey burst out laughing.

"You should talk. You had the title first,"
Gavin said.

"How about some food?" Carrie put in,
steering Grey away from Gavin.

The four went to the buffet table set up in
the dining room and filled their plates with ham, scalloped
potatoes, Laura Dailey's cauliflower and cheese casserole, salad
and Barbara's homemade biscuits.

Gavin joked April out of her bad mood and
soon the newlyweds were so close they could share one chair. Grey
watched April feed Gavin then the firefighter placed food on his
fork for her. They seemed barely able to keep their hands off each
other and Grey chuckled to himself.
That'll be me soon
enough.
While he thought they looked a bit silly, the idea of
behaving a little like a lovesick fool pleased him.
Am I like
that already?

He'd never admit it to anyone but he liked to
be fussed over a little. He thought every man did but would never
say so. Gavin appeared to be enjoying himself when April brought
him a refill of his favorite dishes and actually held a cookie up
to his lips.
What a ladies man he was and look at him now,
docile and grinning.

Grey had been the first at everything in this
small town, football, schoolwork and especially women. He was older
by four years. But Gavin was a quick study and always on Grey's
heels, learning, admiring, and looking up to him. Now the roles
were reversed. Gavin had himself a beautiful wife. Rumor had it she
was smart and feisty, too. Grey could see how happy his friend was
as the smile never left his face and his hand rarely left his
wife's.
Maybe a Casanova can make a good husband.
Relief and
hope washed over Grey. He relaxed, settled into the sofa and turned
his attention to Gavin's tales of woe about his new house.

As the party was winding down, Carrie and
Fran walked up to Grey at the same time. He put his arm around
Carrie's shoulders.