Kissing Under The Mistletoe: The Sullivans (Contemporary Romance) (30 page)

“It’s been a really nice challenge,” Mary
told her friend. “At first I wondered if I was in over my head, but
Jack kept reminding me of the times when I was hired to model and
the ad agencies ended up using my conceptual ideas instead of
sticking to the storyboards.”

“You definitely married the right guy,”
Georgina said. Her eyes lit up as she spotted something over Mary’s
shoulder. “He’s not too hard on the eyes, either.”

Mary turned, surprised to see Jack walking
across the sand toward them. After the secrecy of their courtship,
Mary loved the way he always kissed her hello now, no matter where
they were or who they were with.

Her knees were weak by the time he turned to
smile at Georgina.

The director gave him a mock glare. “You’re
not here to distract my advertising genius, are you, Jack?”

He grinned unrepentantly but promised, “If
you let me stay on set, I’ll sit in the background and won’t cause
any trouble.”

Of course, when Yvette, Susan and Janeen saw
him, they all gathered around for hugs and to pepper him with their
recent dating and career news. Mary loved how he’d become so much
of a father figure to them.

“Nothing but trouble,” Georgina muttered as
she tried to hide her grin, clearly as deep under his spell as the
rest of them. “Back to work, everyone, before we lose the light.
And you,” she said, pointing at Jack, “sit over there and be good.
Or else.”

After dragging Mary against him for one more
kiss, he left the commercial set they’d constructed on the beach
that morning.

It took her a few moments for her synapses to
start firing properly again. “I’m ready whenever you are,” she said
to Georgina.

But, instead of getting right back to
business, her friend put a hand on her arm. “I’m happy for you,
Mary.”

Mary could still feel Jack’s kiss tingling on
her lips and his loving gaze on her as she told Georgina, “I am,
too. Happier than I ever thought I could be.”

September

“Do you ever think about what would have
happened if we hadn’t met each other last December?”

They were taking a late-evening stroll on the
paths through the marshlands near their home. While Jack greatly
enjoyed the surprises they gave each other and the many exciting
moments they shared together, it was everyday moments like this
that he loved best.

Her hand was in his and the sun was still
quite high in the summer night sky as he replied, “No, I’ve never
wondered that.”

Mary turned to him in obvious surprise. “You
haven’t?”

He smiled at his wife, thinking how amazing
it was that she grew more beautiful by the day. Love, more than one
of their friends had remarked in the past nine months, had given
her an even brighter glow than she’d already possessed.

“We were meant to be together. And whether we
had met last Christmas or ten years from now, I would have still
loved you. Truthfully,” he added as he tugged her into his arms,
“the only thing I’m wondering is how long it will take to get back
home and get you into bed.”

“Did you know I was the fastest girl on my
track team?” She gave him a quick kiss before taking off, running
in the direction of their house at a quick clip.

Jack chased after her, laughing—and loving
her more and more—every step of the way.

October

Mary and Jack stood at the top of a hill in
Napa Valley and looked out over the rolling vineyards. The crush
was just starting, and the air was perfumed with the scent of
grapes.

“Growing up in Italy, the local winery owners
would let us in to crush grapes with our feet in barrels. And then
they’d pour the juice into cups for us to drink afterward.” She
laughed as she looked down at her feet and added, “Unfortunately,
I’m not sure how many of us thought to wash our feet before getting
into the barrels.”

Jack loved to hear her speak about her
childhood. Rosciano was in the heart of the Abruzzo wine region of
Italy, so when a friend of his who owned a winery in Napa suggested
they come up for the weekend to be a part of the crush
celebrations, Jack had known Mary would love it.

“What do you think about chucking it all in
and opening up Sullivan Winery?”

“Maybe one day,” she said as they headed down
the hill toward the winery buildings. “But for now I’m rather
partial to our life just the way it is.”

His friend David waved them over when they
got to the stone-walled barn. “Up for crushing some grapes?” He
pointed to a barrel full of grapes. “If you are, hop in.”

Jack grinned at Mary. “What do you say you
show me how it’s done?”

She was clearly thrilled with the plan as she
kicked off her heels. After she took off her stockings and he
rolled up his pants and both of them quickly washed their feet,
they got into the barrel, laughing as the grapes squashed beneath
their toes. They were quickly covered in juice, not just their feet
but their legs and clothes, as well.

He would never get enough of the sound of her
laughter or the taste of her kiss. And later, as they sat out under
the night sky and sipped the juice they’d made together, followed
by one of his friend’s vintages, Jack made a wish on the stars
above.

His wish was that the children he and Mary
would have together one day would also find a love this deep and
true for themselves.

November

The Sullivans had agreed to gather together
at Mary and Jack’s house for Thanksgiving. Max and Claudia arrived
first with Ian and Adam, and Mary was amazed by how much both boys
had grown. Ian immediately ran into the backyard to play, and Mary
scooped Adam into her arms where he happily settled while Jack
poured his brother and sister-in-law drinks.

Mary was holding the baby on one hip when she
answered the door to find Ethan on the doorstep.

“Hey, Beautiful,” he said in his typical
flirtatious way. “You look good with the kid. When are you and Jack
going to start popping them out?”

Mary was laughing as she gave him a kiss
hello. “You sound just like my mother. No wonder she adored you so
much when she met you at our wedding.”

“All those pretty Italian girls,” he said
with a wistful look. “I really should get back to Rosciano
soon.”

“Let me know when you’re done flirting with
my wife,” Jack called out to Ethan, “and I’ll get you a drink.”

Mary was about to close the door when a shiny
black limousine pulled up. Finally, she was going to meet William
Sullivan. Every time she and Jack made plans to see him, his trips
to San Francisco had been rerouted to other cities at the last
second. Mary sympathized, as her travel schedule had once been just
as hectic.

As he emerged from the vehicle, she noted
that he was just as good-looking as his brothers, but unlike Jack,
Max and Ethan, she couldn’t read William’s expression. She knew he
was an artist, a very talented one, but even Jack seemed to find
his brother a bit of a mystery.

“You must be Mary.”

She held out her hand. “It’s lovely to
finally meet you.”

His gaze softened as he stroked a hand over
Adam’s soft dark hair, and Mary finally saw there was more than a
physical resemblance between William and his three brothers.

Howie, Larry and Layla arrived a few minutes
later and helped fill the house with laughter and love. And when
they all sat down a short while later to the huge spread of food,
Mary wished both her parents and Jack’s could have been with them,
too.

Hands down, it was the best Thanksgiving
she’d ever had.

Mary had so much to be thankful for. Jack’s
love. A relationship with her parents that was better than ever.
Being a part of the amazing Sullivan family. Her flourishing
career.

And, just maybe, if her suspicions were
correct, she and Jack would soon have even more to be thankful
for….

December

“Happy anniversary, Angel.”

Jack and his brothers had finished building
the Lake Tahoe cabin a few weeks earlier, and tonight Mary and Jack
were lying tangled around each other on the soft rug in front of
their new river-rock fireplace.

Mary felt so warm and safe with her head
cradled against Jack’s chest, listening to his heart beating steady
and strong. Normally, she would have stayed right where she was.
But she had a surprise for Jack that she just couldn’t wait another
moment to give him.

When she got up, his heated gaze followed her
every step as she took something from the bags they’d dropped just
inside the front door and then returned to kneel in front of
him.

She held out a small wrapped package, but
instead of opening it, he stroked his hand over her cheek.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

A moment later, he pulled back the
red-and-green wrapping paper and uncovered the beautiful ornament
inside. It was a handcrafted clay Christmas tree, with Mary’s and
Jack’s names together at the top. Off the edge of each of the
branches along each side of the miniature tree was room for
additional names to be added.

“If our first child is a boy, I’d like to
name him Marcus after my father. And if it’s a girl—”

Jack interrupted before she could finish
speaking. “Are you pregnant?”

“We’re going to have a baby, Jack.”

“I thought last Christmas was the best I’d
ever have,” he said in a reverent voice as he pulled her close and
laid one hand over her stomach. “But you’ve made every day better
than the one that came before it.”

Together they rose to hang the new ornament
on the tree next to the angel he’d given her last year on their
first Christmas together.

One year ago, both Mary and Jack had been
looking for a Christmas miracle, but they’d given each other so
much more than either of them could ever have dreamed of
having.

“Look,” he said as he pointed up to the
ceiling. “Mistletoe.”

And as Mary and Jack Sullivan kissed beneath
the sprig of mistletoe, both of them knew there were many more
miracles to come….

Present Day

Glancing down, with tears in her eyes, Mary
looked at the two Christmas ornaments sitting in her lap, which
were more precious to her than anything else she owned.

From that first Sullivan Christmas through
all the Sullivan Christmases that followed, these two small
ornaments represented the deep and true love between her and Jack.
She felt so incredibly blessed by the exciting life she’d led, the
children who made every single day a delight…and most of all,
loving, and being loved by, Jack Sullivan.

The sounds of happy voices coming up the walk
brought Mary from her memories. Wiping her damp eyes with her
fingertips, she stood up and carefully placed the two ornaments on
the tree.

Looking up, she whispered, “I love you,
Jack.”

When she opened the door, her family was
standing in the fresh snow smiling at her. Marcus and Nicola were
on the front steps with Chase and Chloe. Gabe, Megan and Summer
were coming up the path laden down with brightly wrapped gifts.

“Merry Christmas,” they all said as they
kissed and hugged her, and then began to pile into the cabin.

It was time for another Sullivan Christmas to
begin.

~ THE END ~

For news on upcoming Sullivan stories,
click here to sign up for Bella Andre’s Newsletter.

Watch for
IT MUST BE YOUR LOVE
(Mia Sullivan’s story, The Seattle Sullivans)
coming
Winter 2013!

And don’t miss previous books in
Bella's
New York Times
&
USA Today
bestselling Sullivan
series!

THE LOOK
OF LOVE

(Chase & Chloe)

FROM
THIS MOMENT ON

(Marcus & Nicola)

CAN'T
HELP FALLING IN LOVE

(Gabe & Megan)

I
ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU

(Sophie & Jake)

IF YOU
WERE MINE

(Zach & Heather)

LET ME BE
THE ONE

(Ryan & Vicki)

COME
A LITTLE BIT CLOSER

(Smith & Valentina)

ALWAYS ON
MY MIND

(Lori & Grayson)

ONE
PERFECT NIGHT

(A novella guest starring Mia Sullivan and
Rafe Sullivan)

THE
WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT

(Rafe & Brooke, The Seattle
Sullivans)

IT MUST BE YOUR LOVE

(Mia Sullivan's story, The Seattle Sullivans,
coming Winter 2013)

* * *

Please enjoy the following excerpt from the
first book in Bella Andre’s New York Times and USA Today
bestselling Sullivan series...

THE LOOK OF LOVE

Chloe Peterson is having a bad night. A
really bad night. The large bruise on her cheek can attest to that.
And when her car skids off the side of a wet country road straight
into a ditch, she’s convinced even the gorgeous guy who rescues her
in the middle of the rain storm must be too good to be true. Or is
he?

As a successful photographer who frequently
travels around the world, Chase Sullivan has his pick of beautiful
women, and whenever he’s home in San Francisco, one of his seven
siblings is usually up for causing a little fun trouble. Chase
thinks his life is great just as it is—until the night he finds
Chloe and her totaled car on the side of the road in Napa Valley.
Not only has Chase never met anyone so lovely, both inside and out,
but he quickly realizes Chloe has much bigger problems than her
damaged car. Soon, Chase is willing to move mountains to love—and
protect—her, but will Chloe let him?