This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
Copyright © 2020 by Christina Benjamin
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Crown Atlantic Publishing
Version 1.1
November 2020
Christmas in Pine Island
Christina Benjamin
Contents
1. Donovan Dunn
2. Chloe Martin
3. Jacob Eckhart
4. Stacy Davis
5. Eric King
6. Morgan May
7. Chloe Martin
8. Stacy Davis
9. Morgan May
10. Eric King
11. Jacob Eckart
12. Donovan Dunn
13. Chloe Price
14. Ethan Hall
15. Donovan Dunn
16. Jacob Eckart
17. Eric King
18. Margot Price
19. Chloe Martin
20. Stacy Davis
21. Morgan May
22. Chloe Price
23. Owen Hall
24. Donovan Dunn
25. Jake Eckhart
26. Eric King
27. Margot Price
28. Chloe Martin
29. Stacy Davis
30. Ethan Hall
31. Morgan May
32. Eric King
33. Chloe Martin
34. Donovan Dunn
35. Stacy Davis
36. Jake Eckhart
37. Morgan May
38. Eric King
39. Chloe Price
40. Donovan Dunn
Epilogue
Also by Christina Benjamin
About the Author
Donovan Dunn
Festive remixes of Santa Baby, Last Christmas, and All I want for Christmas pulse inside the crowded club. My chin bobs slightly as I sip on top-shelf scotch, my arm draped around my gorgeous fiancée.
Club Thorn is absolutely alive tonight. It’s packed from wall-to-wall with dancing bodies and Christmas cheer.
I'm glad we have our own dedicated VIP booth because as the holidays creep closer, more and more people have come out to party. I love the feeling I get when I'm at this club. The energy of the people, the beat of the music throbbing to the same energetic pace of my heart, and the way Chloe’s dark hair gleams in the flashing lights . . . it’s all so perfect.
Christmas Eve-Eve has arrived yet again along with the tradition of gathering our crew of best friends together to get a jump on celebrating the holidays. Even though we’re at a nightclub, the place is decorated for the mood. Not only are the lights of the dance floor blinking in shades of deep green and red, but the bartenders are dressed as scantily clad elves. The scandalous little outfits don’t exactly paint the picture of what Christmas is all about, but I feel jolly all the same. Which is probably thanks to the scotch.
My fiancée tilts up her head to look at me, a happy smile curving her lips. I can’t help but smile right back at her. I steal yet another glance at her long legs peeking out from her red sweater dress. I swear every time I blink she gets more beautiful. I can still hardly believe Chloe and I met when she came to work at my company. Before her, I had a strict policy about not having any sort of relationship with my colleagues. Hell, before Chloe, I didn’t do relationships, period.
However, without her, my nonprofit never would’ve taken off. And neither would my heart.
Vivian’s Vision, named after my late former fiancée, provides clean drinking water to impoverished countries. After losing Vivian I thought I would never love again . . . but then Chloe came along and opened my eyes to the idea that I might be lucky enough to have a second great love story in my life.
Chloe is my light, and now that she helps me run Dunn Advertising, I get to spend all day every day at her side. I honestly can’t think of anything better.
I don’t know what I’d do without her. She’s my everything.
“Do you think they’ll get here soon?” she asks, lifting her voice above the music.
I chuckle and roll my eyes. “With our crew, you never know when they’ll show.”
As much as I adore every one of them, meeting up has become pretty difficult lately.
Chloe and I are both self-proclaimed workaholics and it’s rare for us to find time away from the demanding office. You don’t make billions without putting in the time.
Then there’s Jake with his NFL career and his guardianship of his nephew, not to mention that Jake’s fiancée Stacy is busy with her teaching career. At least Jake and Stacy tend to be more locally based, unlike Eric and Morgan. Those two are constantly hitting the road to travel between his band’s sold-out rock shows and her modeling gigs.
Things have definitely been changing . . . but not everything needs to.
For Christmas, at least, we can pretend that time will stand still a little longer. Which is why I’m more than happy to wait for our friends to meet us at Club Thorn. We’ve been coming here for so long I can’t even remember how the silly tradition started.
“There they are!” Chloe gasps.
She leaps up as the doors of Club Thorn swing open and four more people are escorted in by the hulking bouncer.
There’s no doubt it’s our crew. They’re pretty hard to miss.
Tall and broad-shouldered, Jake’s football physique looms over just about everyone else in the club, while Eric’s bold tattoos and cunning brown eyes glint as though he’s already coming up with some sort of prank to pull while we’re celebrating together. Petite Stacy is tucked under Jake’s arm, which is wrapped even more protectively around her than normal. Morgan saunters ahead of the group, tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulders and drawing just about every man’s eye. Luckily Eric doesn’t seem to mind; he knows she’s all his.
Chloe rushes over squealing her greetings. I can’t help but grin as I watch her hopping up and down as the three girls squeeze each other while laughing and chatting about something that I can’t hear over the music.
It’s always like this with them, and I find myself appreciating the consistency.
Yet another thing that hasn’t changed.
My friends often tease me for being a stick in the
