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He grins. “Nanuk is the best name for a Husky. Everybody knows that.”
“I really like Snowbell.”
Jace nods. “Then we’ll have two.”
And I’m so happy. I didn’t know I could be this happy—the feeling swells in my chest and brings tears to my eyes.
“I love you, Jace,” I whisper.
“I love you, Evie,” he whispers back, and I know it’s true.
The Christmas tree lights cast soft colored shadows on the floor and the snow falls silently outside. Jace rolls to the side, taking me with him, holding me close as I snuggle into his arms.
“Merry Christmas, Jace.”
He kisses my forehead.
“Merry Christmas, baby.”
January 1st may still be a few days away, but this night here—this is the start of our new beginning, our new life, together.The EndJOYOUS: A QUANTUM CHRISTMAS - MARIE FORCEFlynnChristmas has never been my favorite holiday. Probably because it’s also my birthday—a year of buildup for one big day that’s over in a blink. When I was a kid, I’d get so excited for my big day only to experience massive letdown on the twenty-sixth, knowing I had a full year to wait for my big day to come around again. I also hated that my sisters got presents on my birthday. Sure, I knew it was Christmas and everyone got presents, but I didn’t think it was fair that there wasn’t one day that belonged only to me like their birthdays belonged to them.
I know, I know. I sound like a spoiled brat, but that’s how I felt back then. And I love my sisters. Always have, even if they’re a royal pain in my ass most of the time. They’re the reason the fame and success I’ve had as an actor never made me into a world-class jerk. They wouldn’t have stood for it, and I’m thankful for their influence on me even when they’re driving me nuts.
As an adult, Christmas and my birthday have been just another day—especially since my nieces and nephews began arriving and the day became even less about me. This is the first year in forever that I genuinely care about Christmas, but it’s not because of me. Nope, it’s all about my beautiful, sweet, sexy wife. Now that I have Natalie in my life, every day is like Christmas, and I want to put in the effort to make sure she has the best holiday ever. She was separated from her family when she was only fifteen, so it’s been nine years since she had a family to spend the holidays with. I want her to have the most amazing, special Christmas of her life, but I’m stumped as to how to pull that off.
Because I suck at this crap, I’ve brought in the expert—Addison York Roth, my faithful assistant, the little sister I never had and my business partner Hayden Roth’s new wife. Addie is the most organized human being on earth, and she loves Nat almost as much as I do. She knows all about the nightmare Natalie endured at fifteen and the resulting estrangement from her parents and sisters, so Addie will fully appreciate my desire to give my beautiful wife a Christmas she’ll never forget.
“I don’t give a flying fuck about my birthday,” I tell Addie. We’re in my Los Angeles office at Quantum Productions, the company I founded ten years ago with Hayden, one of the top directors in Hollywood. We’ve since added superstar actress Marlowe Sloane, cinematographer Jasper Autry and producer Kristian Bowen as partners in the company—and in life. The people I work with are also my closest friends. “Don’t let anyone make it about me. I want this Christmas to be all about her.”
Addie, still tanned from her three-week honeymoon in the Adriatic, has her iPad ready to take notes. “What do you have in mind?”
“I don’t know. That’s the problem. I want it to be amazing for her, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what that should entail. That’s where you come in.”
“I need consultants on this one.” She gets up to use the office phone. “Can you come into Flynn’s office? Bring Leah, too.” After a pause, she nods. “Thanks.”
“I assume that was Aileen?” She’s engaged to Kristian. My sister Ellie is having a baby with Jasper, and Leah is hot and heavy with Emmett, our general counsel. It’s been one hell of a year for the Quantum family, and we need a Christmas that does justice to the changes we’ve undergone. I want it to be perfect, which means it’d be a total clusterfuck if I tried to do it myself. With Addie overseeing the plans, however, there’s reason for hope.
Whatever. As long as I’m with Natalie, it’ll be perfect. The rest is just details. Or so I tell myself. I’m not sure why I’m so stressed about a holiday I normally don’t give two shits about.
