Blame It On the Mistletoe

  Blame It On The Mistletoe by Lily Graison

  Blame It On The Mistletoe

  by

  Lily Graison

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  Blame It On The Mistletoe

  Copyright © 2009 by Lily Graison

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  Smashwords Edition

  Book Description

  When Macy Carter’s parents order her to bring her live-in boyfriend Sean home with her for Christmas she has no idea that her little white lie is just about to snowball into a fabrication of monstrous proportions. Sean isn’t her boyfriend, he’s her boss. Now she has to reveal the lie she’s been telling her family for the past two years or hastily concoct an elaborate ruse to fool them instead.

  When Macy tells Sean Mathis of her predicament he does what any gentleman would – he laughs and then agrees to help her out. Little does he know that one misplaced word in their little scheme will backfire and land them both in the hot-seat.

  Secluded in the mountains, surrounded by snow and good will, Sean and Macy can’t help looking like the perfect couple. So perfect that the family decides a Christmas wedding will make it a holiday none of them would ever forget!

  Chapter One

  "Tell him while you're naked. He'd agree to anything then."

  "Mom!" Macy gripped the phone tighter to her ear. She knew no one could hear her mother on the other end, but felt paranoid nonetheless. She glanced out across the reception area and turned in her chair before lowering her voice. "I'm not telling him while I'm naked."

  "Don't act so scandalized," her mother said. "I'm just trying to be helpful, you know."

  "I know that," Macy said. "And regardless of how I tell him the situation is still the same. He's still busy. I'm not sure he can make it this year."

  "How busy can he be? He's a veterinarian for cripes sake."

  "I know but this practice is his whole life. He can't just drop it."

  "You've said that for the last two years, Macy. I want that young man here for Christmas. No excuses."

  Macy Carter grimaced at her mother's tone of voice. She glanced across the room at Sean, watching him smile at Mr. Peterson and sighed heavily. Her mother was still talking, her voice a constant echo in her head while she tried to think of a way to dissuade her from forcing this issue. They'd been over it every holiday for the past two years. Every time she went back home, the first question anyone asked was, "Where's Sean? Why is he always too busy for you?"

  She finally cut her mother off. "Okay. I'll let him know how you feel about this. I'll do what I can."

  "You do that, honey. Your father is starting to get worried. If you're boyfriend can't even manage a weekend to meet us, he isn't good enough for you. You can tell him we said so."

  Macy hung up the phone and let her head fall to the desk. She thumped it several times; cursing her stupidity before someone cleared their throat and caught her attention. She rolled her head to the side, looking up at them through her hair and felt her stomach coil into a knot. "Hey Sean."

  "As much as I find this self mutilation amusing, you're scaring the patients," he said with a smile, turning his head to look out over the reception area.

  Macy followed his gaze, noticing everyone staring at her and the patients, all their furred faces, looking anxious and nervous. The clinic was full today. Almost every species of pet you could name was inside the small veterinary clinic waiting for a shot or just a general check-up. She clearly didn't have time for a breakdown at the moment. It would have to wait.

  She sat up when Sean handed her the folder he'd been holding and walked around the desk, picking up the next file. He stopped beside her, leaned down toward her and quietly said, "Whatever it is, it can't be that bad."

  "That's what you think," Macy mumbled when Sean called out to the next patient and walked the short hall to the last exam room. She sighed again, pushing her hair out of her face and let her shoulders slump.

  Macy picked up the discarded file and tapped it lightly on the desk while trying to think of a solution to her Mother's demands. There was no way her family would believe Sean was again too busy for a visit. Just like her mom said, how busy could a veterinarian be? They were allowed time off of work too, right? And why would he not want to visit them?

  She moaned out loud, turned in her seat and stood, making her way to the end of the hall and stepping into the tiny room that was used as their makeshift lounge. A brown, rather ratty sofa, sat along one wall. A refrigerator and microwave sat on the other and a round table took up the space in-between.

  Walking to the fridge, Macy opened it, taking out her juice carton and gulped a huge amount right out of the jug. It did nothing to calm her nerves. Not that she thought it would. She needed something a lot stronger than orange juice for this.

  Hearing the door across the hall open, she shoved the juice back into the fridge and turned just as Sean walked into the lounge.

  "Why she brings that dog in here week after week when nothing is wrong with him truly boggles the mind."

  Macy grinned. "It isn't the dog she wants you to see, Sean."

  He lifted a curious brow and grinned. "Really?"

  "Yes, really," Macy said. "Haven't you ever noticed how she's dressed for a night out on the town?"

  "No. Of course, I don't make it a habit of checking out sixty year old women either."

  He crossed the room, falling onto the sofa before looking over at her and smiling.

  "What?" she said when he continued to stare at her.

  "Go ahead and tell me what the problem is so you won't be bruising your head by thumping it on your desk for the remainder of the day."

  Macy rolled her eyes, pulled a chair from the table out, and sat down. "It's nothing you should worry about. Just family stuff."

  "Like?"

  "Like family stuff," she said, grumpily. She glanced at him, regretting the way that had come out. She sometimes forgot Sean didn't have to deal with family. He had none. She shook her head and smiled to try and soften her earlier tone. "Just my mom and Christmas. She wants me to come home for the week."

  "Most mom's would," he said. "What's the problem, then?"

  Macy blushed. She felt heat crawling up her neck and settle on her cheeks. She looked away from him. Lord, how did she get herself in to these messes?

  "I'm waiting."

  "It's nothing," she said.

  "Nothing doesn't cause you to bang your head on a desk and it certainly doesn't cause your cheeks to get all rosy."

  When he chuckled, Macy turned her head and rolled her eyes at him. "This isn't funny."

  "And I'm supposed to know that how? You still haven't told me what the problem is."

  "Why do you even care?"

  He shrugged one shoulder. "Does it matter? Come on, Macy. If something's wrong, maybe I can help."

  She snorted a laugh. "Yeah, you can help all right," she mumbled.

  "It can't be that bad."

  "Fine. You want to help me?" she said, challenging. "Then come home with me for Christmas."

  "Come home with you? To your parents house?"

  "Yes."

  "Why?"

  She blushed again and ducked her head to try and hide it. "The truth?"

  "Of course."

  "Okay then." She took a deep, cleansing breath and stared down at the scared tabletop. "My mother said if I didn't bring you with me this time, not to bother coming at all."

  He didn't say anything for long minutes, just stared at her with a confused look on his face. He sat up straight and raised one dark brow. "Me? She wants you to bring me with you at Christmas?"

  Macy glanced at him and nodded her head. "Yeah. They want to meet you."

  "They want to meet
me?"

  "Stop repeating everything I say. I feel like you should be sitting on my shoulder asking for a cracker."

  "Huh?"

  "Parrot?" she said with a chuckle. He clearly didn't get it. "Never mind."

  He waved a hand, dismissing her last comment and jumped right back in the conversation. "Your parents want me to tag along for Christmas? Why?"

  The knot in her stomach grew until she felt nauseous. There was no way to avoid this. Either he went with her or she spent Christmas alone. Her shoulders slumped seconds before she buried her face in her hands and bravely mumbled out why.

  He laughed. "Sorry, darling, but I didn't catch a word of that."

  "Oh for Pete's sake," Macy growled, lifting her head and pushing her hair out of her face. "They actually want to meet the man I've been living with for the past two years. The man who will some day marry me and give them a house full of grandbabies. The same man who has always been too busy to meet them."

  "Okay," Sean said. "So, they want to meet your boyfriend." He narrowed his eyes at her and leaned his head to one side. "You've been living with someone for two years? How did I not know this?" he shook his head, a funny look falling over his face before he leaned back. "It doesn't matter. What does this have to do with me though?"

  Macy felt sick. Her stomach clenched the same instant her throat grew tight. She swallowed and weakly said, "I may have told them it was you."

  Sean stared at her for long minutes, watching the pink tint on her cheeks deepen to a rosy red. When she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, what she'd said finally dawned on him. She told her parents he was her boyfriend? As much as he tried, he couldn't help it. He laughed. He laughed until his eyes watered and his stomach ached. When she stood and started for the door, he jumped to his feet and grabbed her before she left.

  "Not so fast," he said, grinning. "I want to hear this. Every sordid detail."

  "Don't look so pleased about it," she said. "You're in just as much trouble here as I am."

  "How so?"

  She grinned. "You're the insensitive jerk who doesn't have the common decency to meet his girlfriends family."

  "Ouch. Is that what they think?"

  "Of course. Why else would a man who supposedly loves me refuse to meet my family?"

  She had him there. "Okay. So you've been lying to them for years and I'm the bad guy." He grinned. "You're too devious to be working for me, Macy Carter."

  Macy snorted a laugh. "I learned it by watching you."

  She shoved past him and walked back down the hall. She called the next patient and shoved the folder at him before he could say another word. When she showed Katie Burns and her Pomeranian, Peaches, to the exam room, she shot Sean a glare and walked back to her desk. "You have patients to see. Don't leave them waiting."

  Sean continued to smile at her, watching her for long minutes while she tried to ignore him. Her cheeks were still pink and no matter how clipped her words came out he knew she was embarrassed. That permanent shade of red staining her cheeks told him that. Of course, the added color caused her skin to glow and if possible, made her more attractive than she already was. She was like a ray of sunshine most days with her long golden hair, bright blue eyes, and a smile that softened the hardest of hearts. She was always happy and greeted every person who walked through the door as if she'd known them all her life. She was petite, sassy and had an infectious laugh.

  So why have you never asked her out? That one's easy. His "no dating employees" rule is why. Oh, that and the fact he was at least nine years older than her.

  She cleared her throat, nodding her head to the door of the exam room. He smiled and leaned close to her and whispered, "As soon as the last patient is gone, we'll have a little talk about this affair we seem to be having."

  Her gasp caused his laughter to return. He winked at her before walking to the exam room. The look on her face before he shut the door was one he'd never forget. Embarrassment still burned on her cheeks but something in her eyes told him their working relationship was about to change.

  Chapter Two

  Stupid, stupid, stupid! Macy thought. There was no way this was going to work. Why did she even consider it? Why did she say yes? They were all going to know. She wasn't an actress. She flunked drama for a reason, damnit!

  "Stop biting your nails. Everything is going to be fine."

  Macy turned her head, glaring at Sean. He smiled at her before turning his attention back to the road. This was his fault. Her family was going to find out she was a lonely, miserable little liar, and it was going to be his entire fault. This whole farce was his idea. Show up for Christmas with said boyfriend—namely him—at her side and show her family the loving relationship they had. Her perfectly concocted lie would never be found out and every thing would turn out fine.

  When she finally broke down and spilled her sad little story to him about how worried her family was that she was living alone so far from home, and that she had no close personal friends, or how easy the lie about having a boyfriend came up, he just sat there smiling at her with laughter dancing in his eyes. His only question had been, "Why him?" Now he knew exactly how sad her personal life was. He was the only guy she knew at the time. Of course, she didn't tell him how much she'd actually told her family about him. They knew as much about Sean as she did. She talked to her mother every week and without fail, her mother asked about him. What was she suppose to say? "He's fine," and change the subject. He was supposed to be her boyfriend after all. Of course she'd talk about him.

  "Take the next exit," she said.

  Sean merged off Interstate 40 and Macy held her stomach as the butterflies she'd been dealing with all day swam in erratic patterns. When they left Charleston that morning at dawn, she'd been so sick to her stomach she wasn't sure she'd be able to keep her breakfast down. Of course, every mile they traveled threatened to do the same. The closer to Ashville they got, the queasier her stomach grew. She wasn't sure exactly what made her more nervous. The thoughts of lying to her family to their faces, trying to convince her family that she and Sean were actually a couple, or if it was the fact that Sean, the man she'd been half in love with since first laying eyes on him, was going to pretend to be in love with her. How exactly would they accomplish that? Would they cuddle by the fireplace? Hold hands? Kiss?

  Oh God! There was no way she could kiss him. Okay, so yeah, she could. Had dreamed about it for years actually, but fantasizing about someone and actually acting on it are two very different things. He wasn't interested in her. At least, he'd never let on that he was. Not that the prospect of him being interested was in anyway a burden. Far from it. Which was exactly the problem. How would she survive if he acted all lovey-dovey toward her for an entire week and then just. stopped.

  The narrow roads wound their way up the mountain and Macy pointed the way until they turned off the main road and began their final climb. When her parent's house came into view, she inhaled deeply to keep her stomachs contents in place.

  They pulled into the drive and Sean put the car in park. He turned to her and said, "You grew up in a log cabin?"

  She grinned. "We lived on the side of a mountain. What else would our house look like?"

  Macy opened her car door; climbing out and breathing in the fresh, clean mountain air, she tried to calm her nerves. She turned, watching Sean when he got out of the car and shut his door before he looked at her over the roof of the car. He smiled and shook his head. "This place looks like it should be on a damn greeting card."

  "Yeah. It does," she said, looking at the house. It hadn't changed since she'd been gone. The two-story log house looked as warm and inviting as it always had, especially now. Wreathes hung on every window, red ribbons and bows graced the railing on the wrap-around porch and twinkling lights blinked from every available surface she could see. Her father always went all out at Christmas. It was his favorite time of year. Hers too. Something about Christmas always made her feel safe and loved. Maybe
because it was the only time her entire family was together. Since they were all grown and living on their own, Christmas was the one time a year she got to be a kid again. Here, she was just Macy. The daughter of Rose and Gerald Carter and baby sister to her five older brothers. The only thing she ever had to worry about when she was here was if her clothes would still fit after her mother showered her with sweets and the best home cooking she'd ever tasted.

  The front door opened and Macy smiled her first genuine smile in days. Her mother's beaming face met her gaze and Macy laughed before running to the porch. Her mother caught her in a tight hug, squeezing her to the point she couldn't breathe before letting go.

  "Oh Macy, look at you! I swear you get prettier every time I see you."

  "You say that every time you see me, Mom," Macy said, laughing.

  "Well, that's because it's true." Rose cupped Macy's face in her hands, kissing her cheek before she looked to her left. Macy didn't have to look to know her mother had seen Sean. Her mother's eyes lit up instantly. "Macy Marie Carter. Why didn't you tell me this man was so gorgeous," she said, lifting a hand and smoothing down her hair.

  Macy raised an eyebrow at her mother's action before she turned her head, looking over her shoulder at Sean. He was smiling and stopped by her side.

  "Probably the same reason she didn't tell me her mother was so beautiful," Sean said.

  Rose blushed. "Oh, he's a charmer, isn't he?"

  "He's something, all right," Macy muttered.

  Macy watched them talk, smiling and laughing like she didn't even exist. She'd never seen her mother look so. flushed. Of course, her mother was right. Sean was gorgeous. The day she'd walked into the clinic for her job interview and saw him she almost swallowed her tongue. A six-foot tall hunk with wide shoulders and a thick mane of dark hair was not what she had been expecting. His eyes were a deep shade of brown with small gold flecks and the body he hid under his clothes, she was sure, belonged to a seasoned swimmer. The man was simply the best looking thing she'd seen in ages and it had taken her weeks to be able to look at him while actually speaking. Every time she tried, she got tongue tied and stammered like a fool. Her interview for the receptionist job was a total disaster due to her inability to look at him and form a coherent thought. She'd babbled like an idiot but, much to her surprise, he hired her anyway.