Read Online Merry Christmas (Mills & Boon Vintage 90s Modern) by Emma Darcy - Free Book Online
Authors: Emma Darcy
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and asked him why...”
“Yes?” Kimberly urged.
Meredith took a deep breath to steady her voice. “It was Christmas time, you see. Just as it is now. And he looked at me, his eyes sparkling so much it felt like I was in a shower of beautiful fireworks. I’ve never forgotten the moment or the reply he gave me.”
She paused, fighting back tears.
Kimberly was breathlessly hanging on hearing it all.
Nick Hamilton remained still and silent.
“Merry...” she repeated softly, hugging the poignant memory to herself as she turned her head away from both of them and stared out across the endlessly shifting waters to the old stone fort that had once served as a prison. History, she thought. It’s past history. Old history. Forgotten history. Only she remembered the words. She could still hear them, just as they had been spoken, and the long echo of happy pleasure furred her voice as she added, “... Because you’re my Merry Christmas. ”
CHAPTER SEVEN
LIKE all the Christmas lights in the world switching on inside him ...
Nick found himself captivated by that image, realising it was uncannily accurate. He sat staring at the woman who’d conjured it up, wishing he could read her mind, wishing she was not such a disturbing enigma to him.
He hadn’t even tried to define what he felt when he’d spotted her amongst the crowd. She’d been standing still, her whole being concentrated on him, an energy force that zapped across the distance between them and set off a host of electric charges through his nervous system. The impact had stunned him for several seconds.
She was still affecting him. Not only was the physical attraction disconcertingly strong, his mind was being continually teased by the sense of recognition. He figured the only way to deal with that was to wait for her to reveal more about herself, hopefully something that would explain the inexplicable to him.
Whoever Kimberly’s real father was, he’d undoubtedly been a smooth-tongued bastard to come up with that apt and evocative description. It was all too clear that lover boy had taken his Merry Christmas and left her pregnant, the fanciful words just so much tinsel when it came to a test of integrity and commitment.
Looking at the sad wistfulness on her face, the memory of him lingering in her mind, Nick had no trouble believing she’d fallen for the guy like a ton of bricks. Then the harsh realities of being left with a baby must have fallen on her like a ton of bricks.
She couldn’t have been much more than a kid; innocent, naive, trusting, caught up in romantic excitement, falling in love for probably the first time. The odd part was, she didn’t sound bitter about the lover who hadn’t stood by her. It was almost as though she cherished the memory.
Kimberly heaved a huge, sentimental sigh over the romantic story. “I think that’s lovely,” she softly gushed. “Thank you for telling me, Merry.”
Her mother’s face lightened as she swung her attention back to his niece...her daughter. “It was the best Christmas of my life until now. Meeting you today is the most wonderful thing that’s happened to me since.”
“But you must have had good times in between.” Kimberly was appalled at the idea of twelve Christmases going by with not much to say for them. They had always been a big deal for her. “Don’t you have a family to go to?” she asked in concern.
A sad shake of the head. “My mother died when I was eight. My father remarried when I was twelve. He was swept off rocks by a big wave while fishing and drowned when I was fourteen.” She grimaced. “Which left me with my stepmother.”
“You didn’t like her?” Kimberly popped in.
“We didn’t get on very well.” The reply was clearly understated.
Kimberly flashed a pointed look at Nick. The message was loud and clear. She didn’t want a stepmother. If he was thinking of marrying Rachel he’d better take notice.
Rachel, however, had never been further from
“Yes?” Kimberly urged.
Meredith took a deep breath to steady her voice. “It was Christmas time, you see. Just as it is now. And he looked at me, his eyes sparkling so much it felt like I was in a shower of beautiful fireworks. I’ve never forgotten the moment or the reply he gave me.”
She paused, fighting back tears.
Kimberly was breathlessly hanging on hearing it all.
Nick Hamilton remained still and silent.
“Merry...” she repeated softly, hugging the poignant memory to herself as she turned her head away from both of them and stared out across the endlessly shifting waters to the old stone fort that had once served as a prison. History, she thought. It’s past history. Old history. Forgotten history. Only she remembered the words. She could still hear them, just as they had been spoken, and the long echo of happy pleasure furred her voice as she added, “... Because you’re my Merry Christmas. ”
CHAPTER SEVEN
LIKE all the Christmas lights in the world switching on inside him ...
Nick found himself captivated by that image, realising it was uncannily accurate. He sat staring at the woman who’d conjured it up, wishing he could read her mind, wishing she was not such a disturbing enigma to him.
He hadn’t even tried to define what he felt when he’d spotted her amongst the crowd. She’d been standing still, her whole being concentrated on him, an energy force that zapped across the distance between them and set off a host of electric charges through his nervous system. The impact had stunned him for several seconds.
She was still affecting him. Not only was the physical attraction disconcertingly strong, his mind was being continually teased by the sense of recognition. He figured the only way to deal with that was to wait for her to reveal more about herself, hopefully something that would explain the inexplicable to him.
Whoever Kimberly’s real father was, he’d undoubtedly been a smooth-tongued bastard to come up with that apt and evocative description. It was all too clear that lover boy had taken his Merry Christmas and left her pregnant, the fanciful words just so much tinsel when it came to a test of integrity and commitment.
Looking at the sad wistfulness on her face, the memory of him lingering in her mind, Nick had no trouble believing she’d fallen for the guy like a ton of bricks. Then the harsh realities of being left with a baby must have fallen on her like a ton of bricks.
She couldn’t have been much more than a kid; innocent, naive, trusting, caught up in romantic excitement, falling in love for probably the first time. The odd part was, she didn’t sound bitter about the lover who hadn’t stood by her. It was almost as though she cherished the memory.
Kimberly heaved a huge, sentimental sigh over the romantic story. “I think that’s lovely,” she softly gushed. “Thank you for telling me, Merry.”
Her mother’s face lightened as she swung her attention back to his niece...her daughter. “It was the best Christmas of my life until now. Meeting you today is the most wonderful thing that’s happened to me since.”
“But you must have had good times in between.” Kimberly was appalled at the idea of twelve Christmases going by with not much to say for them. They had always been a big deal for her. “Don’t you have a family to go to?” she asked in concern.
A sad shake of the head. “My mother died when I was eight. My father remarried when I was twelve. He was swept off rocks by a big wave while fishing and drowned when I was fourteen.” She grimaced. “Which left me with my stepmother.”
“You didn’t like her?” Kimberly popped in.
“We didn’t get on very well.” The reply was clearly understated.
Kimberly flashed a pointed look at Nick. The message was loud and clear. She didn’t want a stepmother. If he was thinking of marrying Rachel he’d better take notice.
Rachel, however, had never been further from
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