He nudged her with his elbow. “I was only kidding. You can make fun of me. Socks are a dumb thing to want for Christmas. What’s on your list?”

“I asked for a new American Girl doll, but they’re kind of expensive. Not sure that’ll happen. But it’s okay if it doesn’t. I always get lots of cool stuff.”

“I’m sure you’re spoiled rotten.”

“Not really. It’s just me and Mommy, so we have to watch our pennies. That’s what she says anyway.”

Grayson wanted to buy her the doll and any other damned thing she wanted to make up for the fact that her father wasn’t in her life. He was drawn out of that thought by the arrival of Emma, who’d come to claim her daughter.

“Are you bothering Grayson?” Emma asked.

“Your name is Grayson?” Simone asked, giggling. “What kind of name is that?”

“Simone!”

“It’s a smart, distinguished name, I’ll have you know.”

Simone covered her mouth, as if that could contain her laughter, and he was utterly beguiled by the glee in her mischievous eyes.

“I’m sorry about her,” Emma said. “The charm school wouldn’t have her, so I’m doing the best I can on my own.”

“I’d say you’re doing a pretty great job,” Grayson said, looking up at her. She had a body that wouldn’t quit and absolutely stunning blue eyes.

“You should ask my mom to dance,” Simone said. “She loves to dance, and she doesn’t get to very often cuz of me.”

“Simone, honestly.”

For Grayson, however, the thought of dancing with Simone’s sexy, embarrassed mother was far better than sitting in the corner drinking scotch alone while old memories resurfaced to prove they could still hurt him all these years later. “That’s about the best idea anyone’s had all day,” Grayson said.

Simone’s expressive eyes widened with joyful pleasure. “Really?”

Grayson stood and extended his hand to Emma, who blushed madly. “Really.”

“Oh, um, you don’t have to,” Emma said haltingly.

“I’d love to. Shall we?”

As she looked up at him and took hold of his hand, Grayson felt like he’d been struck by lightning or gut punched or something equally unpleasant, except there was nothing at all unpleasant about it. In fact, it was the best feeling he’d had in a long, long time.

Hours after everyone else had gone to bed on Christmas night, five days after the wedding, Grayson lingered at his aunt Molly’s because he’d yet to run out of things to talk about with the beautiful, shy and funny Emma Mulvaney. They sat in the den on the sofa closest to the fire that he’d kept stoked for hours while they chatted about their lives in Boston and New York, her adorable daughter, her sister’s romance with his cousin and their jobs.