Macy sat on the sofa, listening to her brother Bruce tell a very animated story about how his favorite football team was made a laughing stock of the NFL. She pretended to care, nodding when everyone else did, and even grimaced when Bruce looked ready to burst into tears over the whole ordeal. She found the sport rather boring, to be honest, but since dinner had been served and cleaned away, she was looking for any excuse she could find not to go to bed. To a bed she had to share with Sean. Truth be known, she was dead tired and just stalling.
Sean had been grinning at her since he followed her downstairs earlier and no matter what she did, she could still see him sprawled out across her bed. The fact she enjoyed seeing him there irritated her beyond reason. How many times had she imagined it in the past? Too many to count. This whole charade had disaster written all over it.
She glanced to the doorway, wondering where he was. She escaped to the living room the minute her mother refused to let her help with the dishes, hoping Sean would go to bed. He'd yawned through his meal and his eyes were as bloodshot as hers were. They had both been up since dawn, packing the car, and spent the better part of the day driving.
Leaning back against the side of the sofa, Macy listened to the men around her talk until their voices faded into a low hum. The crackle of logs in the fireplace was a soft murmur in the background, and she felt boneless when she felt her body finally relax.
She never moved when she felt the cushion beside her shift but did manage to open her eyes when she felt strong arms wrap around her and she was suddenly lifted off the sofa.
She looked up and Sean gave her a look that said, “don't argue,” before he looked to everyone in the room. “I think this one has had enough excitement for one day,” he said. “Tell them goodnight, Macy."
Macy turned her head, smiling at her father. “Night, daddy."
"Goodnight, baby. We'll talk more in the morning."
A round of goodnights followed in their wake and Macy was too tired to complain that she was being carried to bed. Her well thought out plan to ignore the entire ordeal was thrown out the window the moment Sean's arms were around her. As much as he'd irritated her today, she had to admit, if only to herself, being in his arms felt nice. She relaxed, sinking into his warm embrace, sighing heavily and laying her head on his shoulder when he reached the stairs and started up.
"You're still not sleeping in my bed,” she said, sleepily.
He laughed and rounded the corner at the top of the stairs. “I could always lay you in the hall."
"You won't, though."
"No, I won't,” he admitted. He reached her room, pushing the door closed with his foot and crossed the room. “I'm beat, Macy. Why don't we just sleep tonight and fight about the sleeping arrangements tomorrow?"
She mumbled something he didn't understand when he laid her down and he smiled when she curled into a ball, her hands tucked under her chin. He took her shoes off, tossing them to the floor before sitting down on the edge of the bed and removing his own. A nice, long shower would do wonders for his fatigue but he was too tired to even contemplate it for very long. Shaking his head, he stood, flipped off the lights, walked around the bed, and lay down with a groan of pleasure.
He turned to his side and stretched out, looking at Macy as she slept. He smiled as he thought of the way he'd teased her, her cheeks turning rosy red every time. He hadn't done it to make her uncomfortable, though. She was already uncomfortable. He figured if he made light of the whole thing, she'd stop being so nervous. If he noticed it, surely her family did. They were supposed to be a couple. If she flinched every time he was near, they'd figure out her little lie in no time.
He almost laughed out loud at the entire situation. Why she felt the need to lie about having a boyfriend to begin with was beyond him. Surely her parents wouldn't fault her for not having one. And why didn't she have one? She was certainly pretty enough to gain the attention of any number of men. She was cute, sassy and normally had a great sense of humor. Her laughter was contagious most days and one glance at those big baby blue eyes of hers would melt a man on the spot.
Yeah, a man could do a lot worse than Macy Carter. She didn't give herself enough credit. She was the total package. Any man would be crazy not to fall in love with her. So why haven't you? He smiled while looking at her. Maybe this plan wasn't so crazy. He hadn't ever asked her out because of his “no dating employees” rule and the age difference but if he were supposed to act like he was in love with her, then what harm would it do to take it one step further? If he couldn't have her on normal terms, then this was perfect, right? He had an entire week to find out what those plump lips tasted like. A week to feel her in his arms and if things went further than that…
His smile grew. Yeah, this harebrained idea of his just took a detour on the right track. A week pretending to be Macy's boyfriend? Not a problem at all.
"Macy! Get up! It's snowing!"
Macy blinked open her eyes when the bed shifted, the tiny hands and feet of her nieces and nephews climbing across her drew a grunt from her when someone's elbow jammed into her stomach.
She pried her eyes open, squinting against the light spilling in from her open curtain and smiled as the happy chatter continued.
The kids jumped from the bed, running to the window and looked out, talking so fast she couldn't make out who was saying what. The snow was falling heavily, the large flakes brushing the window and covering the world in a blanket of white. She tried to sit up but stopped when she heard a groan behind her and the arm she hadn't noticed wrapped around her waist tightened. Turning her head, she looked over her shoulder. Sean was behind her, spooned closely to her back.
She panicked momentarily but noticed quickly they were both still fully clothed. They weren't even under the covers. A thin blanket was draped half way across them and she glanced around the room trying to remember how she even got there. It came back to her in an instant. Sean had carried her up to bed and she hadn't protested a bit. She blushed and ducked her head.
Lying perfectly still, she tried to get her cheeks to cool. The bedroom door was open and knowing one of her family members could walk by prompted her to reach for Sean's arm to lift it from her waist.
He grabbed her hand, tucking it back to her stomach and tightened his hold on her. “Lay still. If you pretend not to see them, they'll go away."
"The kids?” she asked.
"Mmhum,” he mumbled. He pulled her closer to him, the warmth of his body seeping through her clothes and she wanted nothing more than to lay there for the remainder of the day. His scent surrounded her, the feel of his arms around her heavenly, but she couldn't let herself get comfortable.
Struggling free, she sat up, grinning when Sean mumbled out a complaint and grabbed the blanket, pulling it to him and wrapping himself up in a make-shift cocoon.
She pushed her hair out of her eyes and stood, walking to the window and looking out. “Wow.” There was already a good six inches of snow on the ground and it was still falling. “Do you know what this means?” she asked the kids.
"The sleigh?” they all chimed in unison.
"Has grandpa ever let a good snow go to waste?"
"No!"
Macy laughed when they rushed from the room, screaming for her father as they stomped down the stairs.
"What's so special about a sleigh?"
Macy looked over at the bed. Sean was propped up on one arm, his hair tussled in a mass of wild strands with sleep filled doe eyes and a hint of stubble darkening his chin. He'd never looked so tempting. She smiled and went to her bags. “Meet me downstairs for breakfast and you'll find out."
She grabbed clean clothes and rushed to the bathroom.
Sean watched her go, blinking twice before looking to the window. The trees were covered with snow. Living all of his thirty-six years of life in Charleston he'd only seen snow in sporadic patches. Sure it snowed occasionally that far south but nothing like this. He grinned and climbed from the bed, grabbing his bag to find clean clothes.
"It's a sleigh,” Sean said with astonishment.
Macy laughed and turned her head to him. “Of course it's a sleigh,” she said. “What did you think we were talking about?"
"I… well, I wasn't expecting a real sleigh,” he said, laughing. Sean shook his head as he stared at the sleigh sitting in front of the house. It looked just like every sleigh he'd ever saw on TV, complete with horses with jingling bells attached to their harnesses. It was bright red trimmed in gold with bench seats on either side, plus the driver's bench up front. Blankets were being loaded, thermoses of hot chocolate packed into the basket on the floor and a host of happy, smiling children being lifted and seated. He looked to Macy, watching her laugh and help the children up before she walked back to the porch and stopped beside them.
"Daddy always takes them first. We'll get our turn later."
"Is this something he does every winter?"
"Every chance he gets."
"We've got room for a few more,” Rose said. “Macy, you and Sean climb up. You can have the first ride, too."
"That's okay, Momma. You go ahead and go. We'll wait."
"Nonsense. Sean, grab her and come on."
Sean grinned and only gave it a second's thought before he scooped Macy up in his arms. She squeaked abruptly and laughed when he walked down the steps and carried her across the yard.
"If you don't stop carrying me, I'm going to get entirely too comfortable with it."
"You don't hear me complaining, do you?” Sean grinned and sat her in the seat before climbing up into the sleigh. A thick blanket was thrown over his lap and a little boy, whose name he thought was Michael, launched himself across the seat and snuggled in to Macy's side.
"Are we ready back there?” Gerald yelled over his shoulder.
A chorus of happy children screaming “yes,” nearly deafened him before the sleigh made a sudden jolt and they were moving.
They started down the driveway and were on the main road minutes later. The snow was still falling; large flakes hit his face and made the chill wind seep into his bones. He knew now why there were so many blankets piled into their laps.
The surrounding forest was silent except for the sounds of the wind whistling through the trees. The gentle clip-clop of the horse's hooves and the bells caused his smile to grow to aching proportions. He'd never experienced anything like this. It was surreal.
He glanced down at Macy. She was smiling and he didn't think he'd ever seen her look so happy. She was glowing. Her cheeks were pink and this time not from embarrassment. She shivered suddenly and pulled the blanket from his lap, spreading it over them both and looked up. The smile she gave him warmed him in ways he couldn't explain. Seeing her so happy made him happy.
Grabbing the blanket, he helped her spread it over them and, deciding it was time to start his good boyfriend routine, wrapped one arm around her shoulder, the other around her waist and pulled her closer to his body. Her eyes widened for a moment, then the most amazing thing happened. She relaxed against him, snuggling closer to his side.
Macy hid her smile in the blanket and watched the kids. The wind was cold on her face but that was the only thing cold. She was enveloped in warm blankets and warm man. Sean's hold on her felt wonderful. She wasn't sure if his sudden attention was for her father's sake or if it was just her. If she had to guess, she'd put her money on her father. Why else would he be all snuggly with her?
The mile-long stretch of mountain road came to an end and the kids laughed and squealed when her father turned them around and started back up the mountain. Sean's hold on her never loosened and she was pleasantly surprised when his fingers stroked her shoulder. She felt drugged by his clean, earthy scent. She was enjoying his closeness and closed her eyes, laying her head on his shoulder, and sighing contently.
The ride back to the house was heavenly. Wrapped in Sean's arms, she let herself believe, if only for a few minutes, that this was all real. That he was holding her not out of friendly obligation, but because he wanted to. That he wanted to be close to her. That he really did love her.
When they started the climb back up the mountain Macy's shoulders slumped. In a few minutes she'd be surrounded by adults again and this quiet moment with Sean would be over. She wasn't ready for him to let go of her yet. Looking ahead of the horses, up the mountain, she smiled. “Daddy?” she said, “Should we check on Granny Potts?"
Gerald turned his head to look at her and grinned. “I already have. This morning, before I readied the sleigh. She was outside, trying to shovel her steps off."
"At least it wasn't anything more strenuous than that."
"Who is Granny Potts?” Sean asked. His arms tightened around her and Macy turned her head to look up at him.
"She's an elderly lady that lives at the top of the mountain. I'm not sure how old she is but I'm guessing close to eighty-five. She lives alone and her children all live out of state. We check in on her occasionally, as does everyone else living up here, especially in the winter. I don't know how many times we've seen her out trying to chop wood."
"Chopping wood? At her age?"
"Exactly why we keep an eye on her. She doesn't know her own limits and hates asking anyone to do anything for her."
The house came into view and within minutes, her family surrounded the sleigh. Macy noticed her brothers off to the side of the house and the sight of the all-terrain vehicles and the guns caused her to smile.
"Sean!” Derek yelled. “I saved room for you."
Sean jumped down from the sleigh, helping Macy to the ground before turning to Derek. “Saved me room for what?"
"They're going hunting,” Macy grinned.
"Hunting?"
"Yeah. Old Christmas tradition. Don't refuse. They'll never let you live it down."
"All right then,” Sean grinned. “What are we hunting?"
Macy laughed. “You'll see."
She turned and walked to the house, watching Sean walk across the yard. She was thrilled her brothers invited Sean to tag along with them. It meant they had accepted him as her boyfriend but, if she were honest, she was terrified. They would grill Sean mercilessly. She knew how devious her brothers could be. Hopefully Sean would pass their tests with flying colors. If not, they were screwed.
"What exactly are we hunting?” Sean asked as he walked beside of Derek through the dense forest.
"The most elusive creature you can find."
"And that would be?"
Derek laughed. “Mistletoe."
Sean stopped walking and stared at Derek with a raised brow. “Did you say mistletoe?"
"Yes."
"And you hunt it with a gun?” Sean laughed, noticing the gun Matt carried.
"How else are we going to get it out of the tree?"
Sean glanced at the others, only now noticing they were all looking up. When they'd asked him to go hunting, he assumed they meant for deer or rabbit. Certainly not mistletoe. He almost laughed at the notion of hunting for mistletoe. Shaking his head, he started walking again, catching up to Derek. “Okay, I'll bite. How exactly do we hunt mistletoe and why are we hunting it?"
"Mistletoe is a parasite, of sorts,” Derek said. “The seeds are dropped on tree branches by birds and the roots of the plant invade the trees bark and take nutrients from it to survive. It usually grows high in trees; oak mostly, and sometimes causes the tree branches to be deformed. Just look for ugly tree branches and you'll usually spot the clumps of mistletoe."
"And you shoot it when you find it?” Sean asked, amused.
"Unless you want to climb the tree and get it yourself, which I wouldn't suggest. Have you ever tried to climb a tree covered in snow and ice?"
"No."
"Don't. One wrong move and-"
"I get the picture,” Sean said. “So why are we hunting it?"
Derek grinned. “You have kissed someone under a mistletoe sprig, haven't you?"
"Actually, I can't say I ever have."
"Matt!” Derek yelled. “Sean is a mistletoe virgin."
The others laughed as Derek turned his head to look back at him. “You'll definitely have to remedy that before you and Macy leave. Mom will demand it."
"Okay,” Sean said, grinning. “So, is finding the mistletoe or kissing under it the tradition Macy was talking about?"
"Both. We hunt it every year, without fail. The kissing part is just a bonus,” he grinned. “It's supposed to be good luck to kiss under a sprig. There are a few legends surrounding it, actually. One is, if a married couple kisses under it, they'll have a happy, healthy life. An unmarried woman who doesn't get kissed under it is doomed to remain single for an entire year. So, once we find it, you are to ensure my baby sister's happiness for another year, got it?"
Sean grinned when Derek winked at him. “Got it."
They walked in silence for several long minutes, stopping occasionally to look up at a cluster of trees before moving forward again. Most of Macy's brothers were a few hundred feet ahead of them, only Derek chose to remain behind with him.
He looked at the youngest of the guys, noticing he looked the most like Macy. He was taller than her, of course, but had the same fair skin and blonde hair. He was also the most friendly. Maybe it was his age. Greg looked to be the oldest. He was a few years over forty, at least, with Derek somewhere in his twenties. He wasn't sure, but he thought Macy was somewhere around twenty-three. He frowned as he thought it. Shouldn't he know her exact age? Any good boyfriend would. He hoped they didn't ask him. He'd hate to get it wrong. One wrong word in front of her brothers and their little scam would be over.
Sean stopped when Derek did and raised an eyebrow when Derek stood grinning at him. “What?"
"What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing in particular. Why?"
Derek laughed. “Because I've said your name three times and you never blinked."
"Sorry,” Sean said. “I was thinking about Macy, actually."
"What about her?"
He shrugged. “Just, things."
"Things that include maybe making an honest woman out of her?"
Sean gasped and choked. He coughed while trying to clear his throat. When he knew he'd be able to talk, he looked up. All five guys were staring at him. Greg, the oldest brother, who Sean realized held the gun, grinned down at him.
"Yes. What are your intentions with Macy?"
They were looking at him expectantly and he didn't have the foggiest clue what to say. Why didn't he think of this ahead of time? He should have known they'd grill him about his and Macy's relationship eventually.
"Are you in love with her?” Steven asked. “If you're living together, I'll assume you are."
An onslaught of questions bombarded him immediately. Every one of Macy's brothers jumped in with both feet, each of their questions running together with the next.
"Why have you not ever found the time to come meet us before now?… Is her family not important to you?… Are you going to marry her?… You're not just using her, are you?… Aren't you a little old for her?… I haven't seen you touch her since you got here."
Sean stared at them wide eyed, finally holding up his hands to stop the onslaught of questions. When they did, he took a deep, calming breath and shook his head. “One at a time. My brain only works so fast."
"All right. Answer mine first,” Matt said.
"And that was?"
"Are you going to marry her?"
Sean felt his palms begin to sweat immediately. Of all the questions he'd heard, that was the one he didn't want to have to answer. “Well actually,” he cleared his throat, looking into the faces of Macy's brothers and said the first thing that popped into his head. “I do have plans to ask her."
"When?"
"Uh… soon."
Matt grinned. “Soon? As in now? Is that why you came up with her this year? Are you going to pop the question to my baby sister for Christmas?"
Normally, Sean considered himself a smart man but as he looked into the expectant faces of Macy's brothers he realized he was truly an idiot. How did he get out of this lie? And why in the hell did he even open his mouth? Think man and think fast. He faked a sad smile when an idea came to him. “Well, unfortunately, I left it at home. The ring, I mean. I was going to ask her here, in front of her family, but without the ring, its kind of pointless. I'll just wait and do it at New Years now.” He was pleased with himself now and immediately asked for the next question.