Heels clacked as the twenty-eight year old strode down the hall and was met by her executive assistant who held out a coffee and a manila folder.
"Here are the contracts for the two authors you're signing today along with the advancement checks you've been approved to give them for the first five chapters of their novels," Leanne said. "You have a brunch meeting with Mickey Dowd to discuss the plot development of her new science fiction series and a dinner meeting with Lucille Donovan."
Melinda stopped in her tracks, right in the doorway to her office and turned slowly, eyes closed before releasing the breath that had been held hostage. "Lucille Donovan? Founder of Donovan-Rothchild Publishing?"
Leanne nodded and said, "and your boss. She called—well, her assistant called—this morning and scheduled it. Apparently the matter is urgent and the only reason why I got it pushed back to dinner was because Mrs. Donovan wants Mickey Dowd signed before Declan & Black swoops in to spirit her away."
Mel pinched her fingers to her forehead as panic set in. "This is about Cook's novel getting less than stellar reviews, isn't it? I'm going to get fired," she said and rounded her desk to throw herself gracefully into her computer chair.
Melinda Halliwell had risen quickly in publishing, although she had put her dreams of publishing her own works on the backburner in order to get her foot in the door. It had helped that she had connections through old Mrs. Banks, whose son used to work with Lucille at HarperCollins publishing company together.
Her work had always been impeccable up until last month's release of Theodore Cook's Lasting Impressions, and though the book hadn't been a flop it still hadn't yielded the increase in followers to Cook's once popular series. Lucille expected more; Melinda expected more from herself.
Sitting there, in her sleek camel colored dress and matching pumps with black patent leather details, Melinda was the vision of a young, sexy professional ready to take on the world…with the exception of the frantic terror displayed on her face. Biting her finger, Melinda could care less about damaging her perfectly applied viper red lipstick.
Gaining her composure back, Mel leaned forward and opened her laptop before looking to her assistant. "Go get my dress from the drycleaner and cancel drinks with the Phaes, will you?"
Leanne began typing a message on her tablet. "Message sent to Phaedra and Phaenna," the tablet read in its robotic voice. "Done," she told Melinda. "Would you like me to reschedule with them while they're still in New York?"
"Please," Mel said and drank her coffee. "I know Phaedra leaves for Chicago in three days and Phaenna has to get back to work on her fashion line before its release. I'd like to see them at least once before Christmas."
"Speaking of which," Leanne said, "I booked your flight back to San Francisco. Only three weeks until your mother's famous Christmas duck and eggnog."
"Don't worry," Mel smiled. "Mom already sent some eggnog for you. She asked for your address last week."
Leanne glanced at the ceiling and whispered 'thank you.' "Your mom is the best—but if you tell my mother I said that I will deny it until the day I die," she pointed at her friend and boss.
Mel laughed. "Just go get my dress. I'm going to start putting together potential new projects to sell Lucille on."
"Does that include any of your stuff," her friend wondered.
Leaning over her laptop, her head lifted to glare at her friend. "March," she pointed to the door and her assistant left. After a moment, she stood up straight and walked over to a filing cabinet where she kept her writing.
It didn't matter how sophisticated technology continued to get, publishers and editors still loved the feel of paper in their hands especially when making notes. She looked for her most recent book and when she couldn't find it, figured she must have left it at home when she was working on it and grabbed the very first novel she had finished. Maybe this was her chance.
"I'm glad I wore my winter jacket to the airport," Melinda shook some of the winter snow off her coat. "I didn't expect it to be snowing in San Francisco."
Wyatt laughed and swung his sister's duffel over his shoulder. "Right? I don't think it's snowed here in close to fifteen years. The kids are ecstatic!"
"Speaking of kids—where's Chris? I thought he was supposed to pick me up."
"Well, it seems our dear brother is going to have a December baby. Bianca went into labor a few hours ago."
She smacked him on the arm and her mouth dropped. "I'm going to be an aunt again? Why didn't anyone call me?"
"Everyone's getting ready for the birth and with everything going on I barely made it here to get you on time," he laughed. "Mom ruined the batch of cookies she was working on when Bianca's water broke."
They walked through the parking garage and made it to a dark corner before orbing to the Manor.
Christmas was in full force. Just two days before Christmas and the Manor was decked out with decorations and cookies. The cousins were sitting around drinking and listening to music while the kids played and the aunts hung out in the kitchen.
The doors open and everyone burst forward to meet Melinda, exchanging hugs and kisses. Her niece ran forward and Mel dropped down to pick her up. The two year old had beautiful platinum blonde hair and jade green eyes on a heart shaped face. "Hi, Pearl," she cooed. "Are you excited?"
"I get a cousin soon," the little girl said. "I want a girl!"
Everybody laughed and Wyatt reached over and took his daughter. "Has anyone heard anything about Bianca," he asked.
"It's going to be a couple of hours," Hannah said and kissed her husband. "We might have a Christmas Eve baby on the way. I think the baby will probably come closer to the morning. Good thing we're not on call for the next couple of days."
After talking with the Phaes, Melinda made her way to the kitchen where her mother and aunts were racing around to fill baskets with baby layettes and gifts. One basket held baby mementos like a silver hairbrush and antique mirror, a silver piggy bank and birth certificate holder along with a handmade baby book and a photo frame that would eventually hold the baby's first picture.
In another were tons of quilts and blankets, little crocheted outfits and booties along with a velveteen rabbit. Her mother and aunts—though, mostly her mother—had outdone themselves with their crafting and in the third basket were tons of baby clothes.
"Does this mean what I think it means," Mel asked. "Is Chris having a girl?"
Piper turned to see her only daughter there and walked up to hug her. "Oh, honey it's so good to have you home," she said and turned back to finish the baskets. "And yes, you're going to have another niece, although Bianca and Chris haven't told anyone else and we've had to kick everyone else out before they see these."
"Okay," she drawled, "but then why am I allowed in here?"
"Well," Paige said getting up to steal a cookie, "you are the baby's god mother," she said and Melinda's breath got stuck in her belly.
"Seriously? Oh, where is that little booger," she cried and turned to go find her brother.
Racing up the steps, she made her way to the guest room where Chris and Bianca were staying. Knocking, she peeked her head in and saw Bianca throwing a teddy bear at Chris's head. "Stop telling me to focus on that dumb thing," she yelled at him.
"Hey, guys. How's it going?" She walked in and Bianca grabbed her hand.
"Tell your brother to go downstairs and hang out with the men. I can't take this anymore. Every time I have the smallest contraction it's, 'focus on the bear' and 'breathe.' But I don't want to!"
"Chris," Mel said and her older brother was nodding his head and leaving. Turning to her sister-in law, she took Bianca's hand and smiled. "How's my niece?"
"She's a slow mover, I'll tell you that. The contractions are still ten minutes apart and Hannah told me to expect another six or eight hours of this. Thank the lord for Paige," she said. "She keeps sneaking me herbs for the pain and to help the labor progress. Hopefully they'll work soon."
"Anything I can get for you?"
"Something chocolate," Bianca asked. "And maybe send up some of the girls to keep Chris out of here and me distracted."
"Okay. I'll send up the Phaes."
"Thank you!"
Melinda walked down the stairs and went straight through the foyer to the conservatory where the Phaes were laughing and drinking Christmas cocktails. In a simple v-neck sweater, sleeves pushed up and hands in her dark denim trouser pants, Melinda was the image of pure beauty and her cousins smiled and called her over.
Phaedra and Phaenna were two years younger than Melinda, and the identical twin daughters of Henry and Paige. Like Melinda, the two girls had settled into highly professional careers and were excelling. Phaenna had been featured in fashion week in Bryant park and was gaining popularity as a top designer, while Phaedra worked as a television producer in Chicago.
Laughing and giggling, the two sisters and best friends glowed and Mel climbed in between them, wrapping her arms around their shoulders and kissing their cheeks before stealing Phaedra's drink and downing it.
"Hey!" Laughing, Phaedra patted her cousin's leg. "What's up?"
"Your presence is required in the birthing room. Bee kicked Chris out and wants a layer of companions to keep him from entering the premises. Apparently he's annoying the hell out of her."
Rising, the girls got up and made their way to Bianca. "Hey," Phaenna said and climbed into bed with Bee, who laughed at the antics.
"Thank the Lord," the older woman said. "I thought it was Chris coming back up the stairs and I was about to throw something at the door!"
"Ah, so in love they are," Phaedra joked and sat in the rocking chair next to the bed. Picking up a teddy bear, she held it in front of her face. "When are you going to give munchkin a little brother or sister?"
"Oh, God," Mel said and ripped the teddy bear away from her cousin. "They haven't even gotten the first one out. Give them some time, please."
"I'm too old to do this again," Bianca said. "I'm thirty-four now, and if we wait for this one to be potty trained before we have another I'll be thirty-seven. I don't want to be one of those forty year old women who pops out another kid," she freaked out.
"Woah! You are not too old," Phaenna said and grabbed her hand, kissing it and cuddling. "Besides, maybe you'll get lucky and have twins next time. Two for the price of one! Worked for mom," she said.
"Look how well that turned out," she said before another contraction hit and she dug her nails into Phaenna's hands. "This one's really bad," Bianca yelled and Mel ran for the door.
"Hannah! Get up here, now!"
Hannah stepped into the hallway. It had been three hours since Bianca's contractions progressed and it was time. "You can come in now, Chris. We're ready for you," and the anxious father walked in, striding right to his wife and kissing her on the head.
"Bianca, lean forward and let Chris sit behind you so that he can support you while you push," Hannah said. "Phaes, I think it's time for you to go and tell the aunts we're ready up here."
"I'm going to go help mom," Mel said and Bee grabbed her hand.
"Please stay. You're the only sister I have," she said and Mel's heart warmed. There had always been a kinship between the two girls, even when Chris had started dating her and the whole family was torn about having a phoenix around. Not Mel.
She had seen the way he looked at her when they first met. The tension could be cut with a knife as the two looked at each other, not knowing whether to kill one another or jump them. Mel also recognized the chemistry between them for what it really was…true love. Something she had claimed once a long, long time ago. How can I catch up when I don't don't want to? How can I catch up when I still want you? You have had your fill your fill of me. How could she not embrace the person who inspired that in her older brother?
Hannah lifted the flat sheet to expose Bianca's legs. "It's time to push."
December baby, you are my; December baby, you are mine.