Read Online The Tycoon's Cupid Surprise (a Valentine's novella) (Holiday Babies) by Tabitha Robbins - Free Book Online
Authors: Tabitha Robbins
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…friends.”
“ Close friends.”
“Actually… ” She exhaled and accepted it. “Extremely close.”
She could have stood there all day, watching those two entertain the crowd , but duty called.
An hour later, when the tidal wave of customer s had receded, Brooke stepped away from the cash register. Her stock was depleted—flowers, balloons, cuddly toys. Ella lashed her arms around Brooke’s shoulders while Hannah held and squeezed her hand.
Drawing back, Ella punched the air. “ Yes . We did it. We freaking smashed it!”
Brooke slumped against the counter. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you two today.”
Hannah smiled toward the front of the shop. “You need to thank two other people even more.”
Brooke glanced over. Xander was crossing the shop floor, which was littered with petals and glitter. His eyes were bright—completely satisfied. Brooke ached to go to him. How could she thank him for what he’d done today? For everything he’d done for her and Chance.
“Hope you don’t mind me borrowing the baby,” he said, meeting her as she rounded the counter and her sisters busied themselves tidying up paper and ribbon. “I thought about donning a pair of wings myself,” he said in that deep, honeyed voice, “but Chance is showman enough for us both.”
On the inside, Brooke was trembling, overcome with gratitude and, yes… love . There was no use denying or trying to pull it back now.
“ Do you have a moment?” Xander asked.
When a sleepy Chance put his hands together and opened his fingers as if asking to be held, Brooke scooped him into her arms and all three moved out back for some privacy.
“I haven’t stopped thinking about you and Chance ,” Xander said, while Brooke held the baby close and her heart pounded louder in her ears. “No matter which way I try to cut it, I only know one thing.” A pulse was popping wildly in his jaw. “I want you both in my life.”
“ Xander, we want you in our lives, too, but…” She chose her words carefully. “Every time you step up to the plate, you hit a homerun. You’re a brilliant man, and it’s not that I don’t trust you—I do. ” Particularly after speaking to Kurt Downing and then Jake on the phone. “But you can’t make every decision for me. For us.”
That pulse beat faster. “I can do compromise.”
“You sure about that?”
“I’m a real quick study.”
When he grinned, she smiled softy and Chance hiccupped. They both looked down. Exhausted, the baby had fallen sound asleep.
“Can I put him down?” Xander asked.
Brooke handed the baby over. After she slipped off the wings, Xander laid Chance in his cot, draping a light blanket over his legs and tummy. When he joined her again, Xander searched her eyes for a long, heartrending moment.
“ I haven’t given you my Valentine’s gift yet,” he finally said.
Seriously? “I think you’ve done enough for one day.”
“ One more thing.” He added, “Of course, it’s absolutely up to you.”
Was that an attempt at compromise?
Grinning, s he nodded. “Sure.”
He pul led a box out from his pants pocket. Without looking, Brooke knew what lay inside. She backed up a step. “I don’t think we’re ready for this.”
“It’s not what you think.”
When he flipped open the lid, her head began to tingle. It was pretty much what she’d expected. And it wasn’t. As Xander slipped the ring out of its box, Brooke fought the urge to shake herself awake.
“The stone… ” she murmured. “It’s the color of a tulip.” A beautiful, sparkling, delicate mauve. And in the shape of a heart. “Is it an amethyst?”
“ A diamond.”
She lost her breath. “It must be five carats .”
S he’d read somewhere that violet-colored diamonds were the rarest on the planet. But she was getting off track. Something more important than the worth of that ring needed sorting.
“ I’ve only known you a month.”
“Don’t panic. This isn’t a
“ Close friends.”
“Actually… ” She exhaled and accepted it. “Extremely close.”
She could have stood there all day, watching those two entertain the crowd , but duty called.
An hour later, when the tidal wave of customer s had receded, Brooke stepped away from the cash register. Her stock was depleted—flowers, balloons, cuddly toys. Ella lashed her arms around Brooke’s shoulders while Hannah held and squeezed her hand.
Drawing back, Ella punched the air. “ Yes . We did it. We freaking smashed it!”
Brooke slumped against the counter. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you two today.”
Hannah smiled toward the front of the shop. “You need to thank two other people even more.”
Brooke glanced over. Xander was crossing the shop floor, which was littered with petals and glitter. His eyes were bright—completely satisfied. Brooke ached to go to him. How could she thank him for what he’d done today? For everything he’d done for her and Chance.
“Hope you don’t mind me borrowing the baby,” he said, meeting her as she rounded the counter and her sisters busied themselves tidying up paper and ribbon. “I thought about donning a pair of wings myself,” he said in that deep, honeyed voice, “but Chance is showman enough for us both.”
On the inside, Brooke was trembling, overcome with gratitude and, yes… love . There was no use denying or trying to pull it back now.
“ Do you have a moment?” Xander asked.
When a sleepy Chance put his hands together and opened his fingers as if asking to be held, Brooke scooped him into her arms and all three moved out back for some privacy.
“I haven’t stopped thinking about you and Chance ,” Xander said, while Brooke held the baby close and her heart pounded louder in her ears. “No matter which way I try to cut it, I only know one thing.” A pulse was popping wildly in his jaw. “I want you both in my life.”
“ Xander, we want you in our lives, too, but…” She chose her words carefully. “Every time you step up to the plate, you hit a homerun. You’re a brilliant man, and it’s not that I don’t trust you—I do. ” Particularly after speaking to Kurt Downing and then Jake on the phone. “But you can’t make every decision for me. For us.”
That pulse beat faster. “I can do compromise.”
“You sure about that?”
“I’m a real quick study.”
When he grinned, she smiled softy and Chance hiccupped. They both looked down. Exhausted, the baby had fallen sound asleep.
“Can I put him down?” Xander asked.
Brooke handed the baby over. After she slipped off the wings, Xander laid Chance in his cot, draping a light blanket over his legs and tummy. When he joined her again, Xander searched her eyes for a long, heartrending moment.
“ I haven’t given you my Valentine’s gift yet,” he finally said.
Seriously? “I think you’ve done enough for one day.”
“ One more thing.” He added, “Of course, it’s absolutely up to you.”
Was that an attempt at compromise?
Grinning, s he nodded. “Sure.”
He pul led a box out from his pants pocket. Without looking, Brooke knew what lay inside. She backed up a step. “I don’t think we’re ready for this.”
“It’s not what you think.”
When he flipped open the lid, her head began to tingle. It was pretty much what she’d expected. And it wasn’t. As Xander slipped the ring out of its box, Brooke fought the urge to shake herself awake.
“The stone… ” she murmured. “It’s the color of a tulip.” A beautiful, sparkling, delicate mauve. And in the shape of a heart. “Is it an amethyst?”
“ A diamond.”
She lost her breath. “It must be five carats .”
S he’d read somewhere that violet-colored diamonds were the rarest on the planet. But she was getting off track. Something more important than the worth of that ring needed sorting.
“ I’ve only known you a month.”
“Don’t panic. This isn’t a
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