Eve's Christmas Wedding Read online

  Eve's Christmas

  Wedding

  A Christmas Central

  Romantic Comedy

  Caroline Mickelson

  Eve's Christmas Wedding

  © 2015 Caroline Mickelson

  All rights reserved

  Published by Bon Accord Press

  for

  the Martinez family ~

  thank you for sharing

  Christmas with us every year!

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Get a Free Book

  A note from Caroline

  Other books by this Author

  Chapter One

  “A Christmas wedding?" Eve Bennington, one of Manhattan’s most prestigious wedding planners, eyed the woman who sat across her office desk. "As in this Christmas? You've got to be kidding me. You know how I feel about the holidays.”

  “How can I forget? You remind me every year.” Staci, Eve's best friend since the sixth grade and now her business partner, crossed her arms across her chest. "Eve, just trust me when I say that we need to not only plan this wedding, we need to pull out all the stops."

  A silent stand-off between the two women ensued. To Eve's knowledge, she and Staci had never actually disagreed about anything more substantial than where to have lunch. In fact, considering that they were as opposite as any two women could be, it was amazing how compatible they were. Whereas Eve preferred to spend her quiet evenings with a book and a mug of cocoa, Staci was a social butterfly who loved parties and champagne. While Eve was a tall, slender, brown-eyed brunette, Staci was petite, with blond curls and bright blue eyes. But their biggest difference was that Staci loved Christmas. Eve detested it.

  "This is something we need to do, Eve," Staci reiterated.

  Eve raised an eyebrow. “Why would you even consider this? It’s not like we need the money.” She looked pointedly at Staci’s very pregnant waistline. “You’ll be on maternity leave and I will be on a beach in Kauai over Christmas. Neither of us are in a position to change our plans.”

  Staci wrapped her hands around her bundle of joy-to-be. “That’s true enough for me. But you can still change your plans. Fly out to Hawaii right after the holidays and extend your trip a few extra days into January. We don't have a single thing planned between New Year and the tenth of January.”

  "Yes, I know, because we planned it that way." Eve pushed away from her desk and swiveled around in her chair. She fixed her gaze on the tree lined street below so that she could compose herself without having to look into her best friend’s hopeful eyes. Had Staci flat out lost her mind? Or was this temporary insanity a result of raging pregnancy hormones. This was December, and they were busy planning weddings for the next autumn. And Staci wanted to talk about a Christmas Eve wedding? Really?

  Staci’s voice broke through her reverie. “I’ll do all the legwork and paperwork. I just need you on the ground that day to do what you do best.”

  Eve swiveled back around to face her partner. “Coercion and strong arm tactics aren’t going to convince me to take this on. I'm sorry, Staci, but you know why I can’t do this.”

  “I know why you think you can’t, and no one would blame you for feeling this way, but maybe it’s time to let it go. It’s not like you really miss Phillip, is it?”

  “No, of course not." Not even for a second, actually. Phillip rarely crossed Eve's mind these days. Being left at the altar on Christmas Eve at her own wedding three years ago had been the best thing that had ever happened to her. Not that it hadn't been humiliating. It most certainly had. But believing she and Phillip belonged together had been a colossal mistake, and he’d figured it out in time, even if she hadn't.

  Of course, it would have been nice if he’d come to that realization before she’d walked down the aisle and stood beside him in front of three hundred guests. But after the first rush of humiliation had passed, relief quickly set in. She and Phillip didn't belong together. He was a good guy in his own right, but he wasn't Hunter. Eve turned her attention back to the conversation at hand. “But that doesn’t mean I want to have anything to do with a Christmas wedding. I can’t believe you even asked.”

  “One of us has to handle this, Eve. And it won't be me because I'll be giving birth." Staci had the good grace to look sheepish just before she lowered the boom. "I’ve already signed the contract.”

  Eve sucked in her breath. It took her several seconds before she could do more than stare. And splutter. “You did what? Good grief, Staci, have you lost your mind? I can’t believe you’d do something like-”

  Staci held up her hands to make a time out sign. “Hold up, Eve. Let me explain.”

  But there wasn’t a thing her friend could say that would begin to justify signing a contract without Eve’s agreement. Especially one for a Christmas wedding. Staci’s baby was due on December twenty-third, which would mean the actual wedding itself would fall squarely on Eve’s shoulders. Eve stood and grabbed a handful of bridal magazines from her desk. She shoved them into her tote bag. “Let’s chalk this whole craziness up to hormones, because there isn’t any other way to defend your lapse of judgment.”

  Eve moved around her desk but Staci beat her to the doorway. She flung her arms out and blocked Eve's exit.

  “Not so fast,” Staci cried. “This isn’t like you to back down from a challenge. We both know you could organize an entire presidential inauguration in your sleep. You can do this, Eve.”

  Eve shifted her tote to her shoulder and closed her eyes. Twenty-two years they’d been friends and never, not once, had Staci been so unreasonable. Ever. About anything. “I know I can do it. I also know I’m not going to do it. You got us into this, Staci, and now you can get us out of it. I don’t care what you do. Give the bride back her deposit, comp her a free cake, whatever. I don’t care. Just tell her to find someone else to plan it.”

  Staci dropped her arms to her sides and sagged against the door frame. “I can’t, Eve. You don’t understand.”

  “No, you’re right. I don’t understand.”

  “This couple is really special.”

  Eve rolled her eyes. “Every bride is special. That doesn’t mean we have to plan every wedding in the world. The bride, whoever she is, will recover when you tell her no. Hearing that word does not have legal consequences.”

  “I tried to turn the job down, honestly I did.” Staci put her hands on her lower back. “But then her uncle paid me a visit.”

  “So? What did he do? Threaten us with bodily harm?”

  Staci hesitated. “No, but he’s not the kind of man you can say no to.”

  Eve studied her friend. Despite Staci’s delicate appearance, she was no slouch in the assertiveness department. Like Eve, she was an astute business woman. This craziness could only be explained by her friend's pregnancy hormones running amok. Staci herself admitted to being weepy and ultra-emotional over every little thing after she’d hit thirty weeks. Eve sighed. “Set up a meeting. I’ll make him see reason.”

  Staci shook her head emphatically. “No, you can’t back out of this, Eve. I'm telling you, he won’t take no for an answer.”

  Eve whipped out her phone. “Just give me his number and consider the whole thing cancelled.” She waited but Staci remained silent. Eve fought a wave of exasperation that washed over her. The last thing she wanted to do was argue with her best friend. “Just give me a name. Who is thi
s uncle?”

  “Santa Claus.”

  ***

  Santa Claus didn't try to hide his delight when his assistant ushered his niece, Kris, and her fiancé, Kyle, into his office. "Come in, come in. I've got some exciting news for you both." He greeted both of his visitors with a warm hug and then gestured to the two red velvet covered chairs in front of his desk. "Have a seat so I can share all the details."

  His niece spoke first. "You certainly looked happy about something, Santa. Don't keep us in suspense."

  Santa grinned broadly. "Okay, I won't. I've just signed a contract with the most amazing wedding planners down below. Which means that in precisely twenty-four days you two will be able to tie the proverbial knot in grand style. How's that for fabulous?"

  Kris and Kyle exchanged startled glances.

  "I'm sorry, Santa, sir, but I must have heard you wrong." Kyle leaned forward in his chair, his expression perplexed. "You've chosen Christmas Eve as our wedding date?"

  "Well, of course I have. It's the obvious choice." He looked to his niece for support. "Doesn't that sound perfect to you?"

  "Actually, Santa, I can't think of a worse date. Well, actually, the twenty-fifth would be worse, but just barely." Kris fiddled with the string of pearls she always wore. "Kyle and I have actually been talking about planning something a little less traditional."

  Santa's bushy white eyebrows shot up. "Less traditional?"

  "Yes, sir. We're tossing around the idea of a destination wedding. Someplace warm, on a beach."

  "And most certainly not in December," Kris added. "February in Hawaii is always gorgeous."

  "February?" Santa groped for his desk chair and sank into it, all traces of earlier enthusiasm erased from his face. He looked between them both. "But I had my heart set on a Christmas Eve wedding."

  An uneasy silence filled the wood-paneled office. The logs in the fireplace crackled and the grandfather clock chimed the half hour, but no one spoke for several long moments.

  When Kris spoke, her voice was gentle. "Uncle Santa, a Christmas wedding isn't the least bit feasible. Christmas Central is at peak activity under the best of circumstances. We're all usually in a state of near panic trying to pull off Christmas. You're not even going to be here until late in the evening on the twenty-fourth, and that's assuming all goes well. Why would we add something as stressful as a wedding to the mix?"

  "Because it's romantic?"

  "So is Valentine's Day." Kris turned to her fiancé for support. "Kyle?"

  "Right, so here's the thing, Santa, sir. Kris and I love each other. Our focus is on our marriage, not on the wedding itself. We'll be perfectly happy with a simple ceremony as long as the family is all together. We know what we want, and what we don't want." He reached for Kris' hand and held it in his. "And we don't want crazy."

  "And you think that Christmas Eve at the North Pole is crazy?"

  Kyle nodded. "Yes. In a good way, of course. But it's not the kind of atmosphere or energy that we want."

  Santa shrugged. "Well, then, it's decided. You'll have the wedding you both deserve." He got to his feet. "But the least Mrs. Claus and I can do is plan the wedding for you. We both know and love the Hawaiian islands so you'll be in good hands. Please say yes."

  After he'd secured Kris and Kyle's rather reluctant promise to leave the wedding planning to him, Santa ushered them out of his office. Once alone, he plopped down in a wingback chair in front of the fireplace. He stared into the flames, a small frown marring his features. Valentine's Day was romantic? Since when? He sighed.

  "What's the matter, Mr. C?"

  Santa jumped. "Oh, I didn't hear you come in, Rapz, my boy." He smiled at one of his favorite, and most mischievous, elves. "I was lost in thought."

  Rapz climbed up onto the chair next to Santa's and settled into it. "So I see. Anything the matter?"

  "Did you see Kris and Kyle just leave here?"

  Rapz nodded.

  "We were discussing wedding plans."

  "You don't sound very happy about it," the elf said. "But I can tell you this, I speak for all of the elves when I say how much we're looking forward to the wedding. It's going to be the event of the year. Besides Christmas, of course."

  This was the last thing Santa wanted to hear. Disappointing the elves was simply adding insult to injury. He looked at Rapz, his expression grave. "There isn't going to be a wedding. At least not a Christmas one."

  "What?" Rapz's eyes grew wide. "Why not?"

  "Because the bride and groom think a beach wedding in Hawaii is what they want." He lifted a white gloved hand to forestall Rapz's protest. "Hold on, that's not all. They also have this idea in their heads that it would be romantic to get married on Valentine's Day." Santa rolled his eyes. "Have you ever heard of such a thing?"

  "That's ludicrous." Rapz shook his head ruefully. "Did you agree to their unreasonable requests?"

  Santa nodded. "More or less. What else could I do? I love my niece. She and Kyle are going to have a wonderful life together. Naturally, I want them to have a dream wedding."

  "Naturally." Rapz fiddled with the heavy gold chain he wore around his neck. "A dream wedding. It's what every bride deserves."

  "Quite." Santa's tone of voice was downright morose.

  "Even brides who don't know what they want should have a perfect day." Rapz cast a sideways glance at Santa. "If you know what I mean."

  Santa turned in his chair to face the elf. "I'm not sure that I do. Go on."

  "Well, I don't think this is so much different than when we have a child who puts dynamite on their Christmas wish list." Rapz paused to make sure that Santa was picking up the breadcrumbs he was dropping. "Children don't really want explosives, they just think they do. And how do we handle these requests?"

  Santa's eyes twinkled merrily. "We give them a chemistry set."

  "Exactly." Rapz grinned. "They get the bang they want, no one gets hurt, and the whole family is happy."

  "Good thinking, my boy." Santa beamed. "After all, I'm Santa Claus. It's my job to make the choices that I know will make people happy."

  Rapz slid off his chair. "A beach wedding, whoever heard of such a thing?" He grimaced. "I'd better get back to work. Do you need any help with the wedding plans?"

  Santa stood. "Perhaps soon. But for now, the best way for you to help is to keep this all hush-hush. We wouldn't want to ruin Kris' surprise, would we?"

  Rapz shook his head solemnly. "No, we would not."

  "Thank you, Rapz." Santa patted the elf's shoulder. "Without a doubt, this is going to be the best wedding the North Pole has ever seen."

  Chapter Two

  Eve took a sip from her double shot macchiato and glanced at the door of the coffee house for the twentieth time in less than ten minutes. She strove to keep her face from belying her nervous state, all the while ignoring her trembling knees. Thankfully, they were under the table, out of sight, and unlikely to betray her, unlike the man she waited for. Hunter Nielson would betray his own grandmother if it meant he could chase a news story half way around the globe.

  Eve cursed her impulsive phone call. What on earth had possessed her to reach out to her ex-boyfriend for help? She and Hunter hadn't seen each other in over three years. Three years, five months, four days, and twenty-two long hours, if anyone was counting. She closed her eyes against the tsunami of memories that assailed her now that she'd allowed herself to remember their time together.

  "Hello, gorgeous."

  Eve's eyes flew open. She'd know that gravelly voice anywhere. Listening to it was essentially the audio version of sex. Hunter stood beside her table wearing his trademark outfit of faded jeans and black leather jacket over a black t-shirt. He wore his chestnut brown hair just a tad longer than was fashionable. Some things never changed. She'd do well to remember that. "Hello, Hunter." She met his gaze. Good grief, had his eyes always been that green? "Please have a seat."

  But he didn't sit. Instead he leaned toward her and brushed a light k
iss across her cheek. "You look beautiful, Eve."

  "Thank you." Somehow she managed to make the words sound far more nonchalant than she actually felt. She watched him set his coffee on the table, shrug out of his jacket, and settle into the seat across from her. Hunter was just another man, she reminded herself. The planet was littered with them. Which had to be the single biggest lie she'd ever told, because a man like Hunter Nielson was many things, but commonplace wasn't one of them.

  "I was surprised to hear from you," Hunter said. "It's been quite awhile, hasn't it?"

  "Thanks for coming," she replied, sidestepping his question. They weren't here to discuss the past. "I need you to help me research something. Someone, actually."

  Hunter raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you want me to dig up dirt on a new love interest?" He pointedly gazed at her left hand. "You obviously didn't marry what's his name, the attorney?"

  Eve folded her hands into her lap. "His name was Phillip. And no, I didn't marry him."

  He nodded his approval. "Smart move. The guy was boring."

  Phillip had indeed been boring, there was no disputing that. But after her breakup with Hunter, Eve had craved boring. But she didn't want to think about it now, let alone talk about it with her ex. She cleared her throat. "I'd rather not discuss my love life. Or anything else personal for that matter."

  Hunter sat back and draped an arm across the chair next to him, looking for all the world as if he were kicking back with the boys instead of sitting across from the woman whose heart he'd broken to bit and pieces. "What can I do for you, Eve?"

  She ignored the wayward answers to his question that popped into her mind. What was wrong with her? Apparently Staci wasn't the only one with raging hormones. "I need you to help me get to the bottom of something."

  "I'm listening."

  And he was. His attention was focused solely on her, his gaze intent. Hunter had always had the ability to make her feel like she was the only woman in the world when they'd been together. When. It was the 'when' that had always been the problem. "My partner signed a contract that we need to get out of, but, well, it's tricky. This client is what you might call a public figure. Or at least that's how he passes himself off."