Grace (The Family Simon 5)

Betty Jo had told her to wear it home to Michigan. Said Matt would die when he saw her in it.

She giggled and finished her glass of Dom Perignon before handing it off to a waiter and grabbing another. Courage. She needed courage. She took a sip and leaned back against the wall, enjoying the Christmas music and the couples that filled the dance floor. Her parents swept by, their love for each other shining like a beacon among the crowd.

It made Grace’s heart swell.

“I want that,” she whispered. Only with Matt.

“Miss Simon?”

She turned to her intern, Bailey Devlin, who’d been assisting with the gala. A fresh-faced, college grad not unlike herself a few years ago, he’d been a godsend. And he blushed profusely when she smiled at him.

“It’s time,” he said, pointing to the podium at the front of the ballroom. “We’ve got the final figures ready for you.”

“Wonderful.” Grace reached for the crisp envelope. “Let’s do this.”

She grabbed her parents on her way up and signalled at Beau to follow suit. Betty was nowhere to be seen and Beau shrugged when she asked for her whereabouts. The band finished playing and after the crowd grew silent, Grace approached the mike.

The Simon family foundation raised funds extensively, and most of their allocated monies were earmarked for wildlife preservation. But the Christmas gala was different. All monies raised on this night were set aside for children’s charities and this year the funds were being awarded to schools in need. Food programs would be shored up, computers bought for classes and supplies given to those who needed them.

Grace was happy to let the gathered crowd know that the evening had been a success and that they’d blown their monetary goal out of the water. She thanked each and every one of them for their time and money—for their kindness and their giving spirit. She was in the middle of introducing several key players—those who’d helped make the night a success, and yes that included the chef who’d been a pain in her butt—when something happened.

People starte

d murmuring—looking away from her and motioning with their hands. At first she was annoyed because, seriously, how rude was that? But then she heard a yip. Or a bark. Or something that didn’t belong in this grand ballroom. And the crowd parted like the red sea.

It was a bark. A small, excited bark.

Grace stilled. She closed her eyes and tried to keep her heart from beating out of her chest. When she finally managed to get that done, she realized the entire room was dead silent.

All she could hear were her breaths falling from her body. A rustle of silk. A cough. And a whine and a bark.

As if in a dream, she slowly opened her eyes.

“Oh.” She slammed them shut again, because in that moment, she couldn’t deal with what was in front of her. And she didn’t want to fall apart in front of hundreds of strangers.

“Hey.”

“No. Not yet,” she said, barely able to talk.

“Bluebell, look at me.”

The voice was directly in front of her and she had no choice. Grace opened her eyes and knew she would never forget this image as long as she lived.

Matt Hawkins looked like every woman’s dream. The cut of his black tux was exquisite and damn but it looked good on him. His dark hair gleamed beneath the muted lighting, and that devastating smile was aimed directly at her.

The kicker? In his arms was a puppy all tied up in a big red bow. Her puppy. Her Rookie.

“Merry Christmas,” Matt said slowly. “You look—“

She didn’t give him a chance to answer. She took that last step forward and claimed his mouth. Grace kissed Matt as if she was dying and he responded in kind. The fact that they stood in front of hundreds of strangers didn’t matter because, in that moment, they were in a world of their own.

When she finally came up for air, the band had kicked into another set of Christmas music. Aware that a great many of the patrons were still looking at them, and that her family stood several feet away, Grace grabbed Matt’s hand.

“Come with me.”

She kissed Rookie and handed him off to Betty Jo (who’d appeared from nowhere) and then led Matt to the kitchen. The staff was preparing to serve the buffet and they looked up in surprise as Grace and Matt strode through. She didn’t stop walking until she reached a small alcove near the kitchen manager’s office.

“I’m mad at you,” she said, whirling around. “So…” She could barely speak. “So mad.”