The Night Before Christmas by Brenda Novak

Author:Brenda Novak
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2009-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIVE

With mamma all a’tear, while I’m in a funk,

My woman austere, my brother half-drunk…

CARRIE REGARDED THE TWO men. “Am I missing something here, or is that what ended up happening? You made an agreement, but you neglected to warn the women in your life not to expect a ‘real’ relationship?”

“Dinah knew,” Thad muttered.

Chaz met her accusatory look dead-on. “I was up front with you that I wanted to get my business running successfully before committing to a permanent relationship.”

She fought to conceal the depth of her hurt. “Funny. Our relationship sure felt permanent. We were living together, Chaz. We talked about the future all the time. And yet you never explained about this promise you and Thad had made to each other. You made it sound more like a business strategy.”

“Oh, boys,” Joanne murmured. Disappointment weighed heavy in her voice. “I applaud your decision to honor your commitments, but that wasn’t the way to go about it. Does it have to be one thing or the other? Can’t you find some sort of balance?”

“Apparently Chaz will have to.” Thad lifted his glass in a salute. “He gets the girl, the baby and the home life…everything we agreed to postpone. And what do I get?”

“Drunk, apparently,” Chaz shot back.

Carrie stepped in. “Excuse me for interrupting your brotherly spat,” she addressed Thad. “But he doesn’t have the girl unless he’s planning on renewing a close acquaintance with Angel’s mother.”

Chaz placed his daughter in her stroller and held up his hands. “Okay, that’s enough. Time out, everyone.”

For some reason, he commanded instant attention. It had always been like that with him. He dominated through sheer strength of personality, an underlying authority that caused most people to bend to his will. And when that didn’t work, the rest usually caved when he offered one of those patented Latimer smiles. Even knowing that, she still did as he asked and fell silent.

“It’s Christmas Eve. And that means we’re not going to continue like this. We’re not going to argue.” He crossed the room and capped the whiskey before fixing his younger brother with a stern eye. “And we’re not getting sloppy drunk. What we are going to do is order Christmas dinner.”

“I could live with that,” Thad admitted.

“Me, too,” Carrie offered.

Joanne shot to her feet. “Well, don’t leave me out. I’m fine with someone else preparing a meal.”

“Not just a meal.” Chaz smiled and Carrie’s insides turned liquid, despite the intensity of her pain. “A feast. The best we can drum up on such short notice.”

It was as though someone had thrown a light switch and Carrie could feel herself tumbling head over heels all over again. She didn’t want to. Now that Thad had explained about the agreement, she knew just how impossible a future with Chaz was. But her heart didn’t seem to care if tomorrow meant it would get shattered. She had tonight with the man she loved.

Loved.

The knowledge stopped her cold. She still loved Chaz Latimer. Not lusted—though there was plenty of that.

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