His For Christmas Read online

  Not to be outdone by the cuteness of Esme, Alex ran back as well but in her exuberance, she ended up tackling him instead.

  “Dang, girl, you’re strong.” He knew she liked showing off her strength.

  She grinned, her newly grown front teeth disproportionate against the background of baby teeth that hadn’t yet fallen out. The result made her look a little buck toothed but she was still beautiful to him.

  “We’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

  He rumpled her hair. “Yeah. Yeah. Get out of here. And don’t forget to bring me back a cupcake.”

  Chapter 3

  “I think we should make it up to Uncle Derek somehow.” Alex licked her Bunny Loving Carrot Cupcake, her favorite so far.

  “How?” Esme was focused on the sprinkles on top of her Classic Vanilla Cupcake. She was still a baby and didn’t like anything that wasn’t chocolate or vanilla.

  “I have an idea but we’re going to need adults to help.” They looked over at Aunt Dani, their favorite sucker. She was talking to Charlie, Anabelle’s best friend, at the counter.

  Aunt Dani was always good for assistance, no matter what their plan was. She was the best aunt in the world and Alex was super glad she lived at the farmhouse with them.

  “I like Anabelle and I think she’ll be another great aunt, don’t you?”

  Esme nodded, her pigtails bobbed with enthusiasm. “She’s nice and smells pretty.”

  “I think we should plan a wedding party for them. I think it’ll make up for our oopsy. And I know Uncle Derek really likes her, they’re always kissing and hugging. I heard him tell her that he loves her so I think he’ll like our surprise.”

  Esme grinned. “Me too.”

  Alex shook her head, “Personally, I don’t get this love business. Except for Uncle Derek, I will never love a boy. Not even when I grow up, I don’t care what adults say. Boys are yucky with a capital Y.”

  “They’re not all bad.”

  “That’s because you like Clay.”

  “He’s my bestest friend at pre-K. He gave me an Ariel necklace last week. She’s my favorite princess.”

  Alex rolled her eyes. “Clay is a cute kid now, but wait until he gets my age. Eight-year-old boys are gross. They pick their noses right in front of you, write their names in pee and have ‘who can eat the fastest’ contests. Last week, Kevin Campbell shoved his peas, meatloaf and mashed potatoes in one huge bite and started talking to me with his mouth open. He was spitting out food.” Alex shuddered.

  “Ewww. How do you know they write their names in pee?”

  “Davey.”

  “Yuck.”

  “You don’t have to tell me.”

  “Don’t have to tell you what?” Aunt Dani sat in the chair next to them with a half eaten cupcake and a small to go box.

  “That Davey Booth is gross.”

  “Aw, he’s a cute kid and I think he shows off because he has a crush on you.”

  Alex jerked back in her chair. “Please, Aunt Dani. I’m trying to enjoy my cupcake.”

  “Okay, okay. I’m just saying.”

  “And I’ll ignore any comment involving Davey Booth.”

  “He’s always around the house so you must like him a little.”

  “To play chase with and video games but sometimes when he thinks he’s so smart, I want to punch him.”

  Aunt Dani made a face. “Calm down, Rocky. I don’t think you’re mom wants to get a call from his parents.

  Alex shrugged and let it go. “Aunt Dani, we need your help.”

  “For what?”

  “Esme and I want to plan a wedding for Uncle Derek and Anabelle.”

  Aunt Dani choked a little and Esme pounded her back. “A wedding, you say?”

  “Yep. Janie watches wedding shows all the time, so between the three of us, we’re practically wedding experts.”

  “So when will this wedding take place?”

  “I think we can do it by Christmas.”

  “By Christmas?”

  “Yep. It’s doable.”

  “You realize Christmas is a week away, correct?”

  “Yes, but if we all work together…”

  “Charlie can bake the cake and make it pretty.” Esme said.

  “And Joe can help with Uncle Derek.”

  “Mommy cooks really well so she can take care of the food.”

  “What about me?”

  “No offense, Aunt Dani, but you don’t cook very well. So, we’ll need you to help decorate. You made your room look so pretty so we know you can do it.”

  “Sounds like you have everything planned out.”

  “I think so. Are we missing anything?”

  “Have you thought about whether or not Uncle Derek and Anabelle want to get married?”

  “Of course they do,” Esme said. “They’re all the time kissing and hugging. Even you can see that, Aunt Dani.”

  “True.” Aunt Dani looked like she wanted to say more but she took a bite of her cupcake instead.

  “So, will you help us? We feel really bad about breaking the model dream house and we think Anabelle would like our surprise.”

  Aunt Dani laughed. “Who wouldn’t, sweetie? Okay, I’m in.”

  Alex was so happy. She really did have the best aunt in the world and pretty soon she would have two awesome aunts.

  ***

  “A little to the left.”

  Derek moved the tree to his left.

  “Your other left.” Dani called out as she stood next to Dylan, his other sister, as they directed him and Joe in the placement of this year’s Christmas tree.

  “Smart ass.” He muttered under his breath and grunted under the awkward weight. They’d caravanned to and from the tree farm two hours away so the girls could pick out a tree. In his desire to appear manly in front of Anabelle, he’d brushed aside the kid who’d offered to trim and load the tree.

  Big mistake as it had probably taken him and Joe twice the amount of time to load the monster on his roof rack. Comments and criticisms from the peanut gallery led by Dani hadn’t helped.

  To top it off he’d almost been blinded by a rogue branch that bitch slapped him when they’d toppled the eight foot Douglas Fir behemoth from the roof of his Range Rover.

  Joe grinned. “I don’t think your brother appreciates your helpfulness, Dani.”

  “Thanks guys. I really appreciate this. I promised the girls a real tree this year and I know I couldn’t have managed this without your help.”

  Dylan’s words smoothed away his irritation. She had her arms around Esme and Alex, trying to control their excitement as they hopped up and down from the sidelines. They’d been under clear instructions to stay out of the way until the tree was in place. The last thing he needed was to trip over his nieces and impale himself on a branch.

  “A little more to the left, boys.”

  “Looking good.” Anabelle said next to Janie on the sofa with a bowl full of popcorn in front of them. Plastic bins of family ornaments were stacked nearby. Tonight the plan was for dinner and decorating.

  “Something smells good.” Joe, the food whore, had been the first to volunteer when Dylan had requested assistance, mentioning ‘homemade’ in her invite.

  “That’s meatloaf and loaded garlic mashed potatoes.”

  Joe licked his lips.

  “We have apple pie for dessert with vanilla bean ice cream.”

  Derek glimpsed drool at the corner of Joe’s mouth. “Control yourself, man. If she knows your weakness, there’s no telling what kind of jobs she’ll rope us into.”

  Joe made an effort to be cool but Derek caught the man inhaling deeply when he thought Derek wasn’t looking.

  “You’re toast man. Toast.”

  “Two steps forward.”

  Joe shrugged and they shuffled forward. “Sorry. Your sister is an awesome cook. She had me at ‘homemade’. Seriously, her cooking reminds me of my Aunt Eugenia, bless her.”

  “Yeah, well if you don’t co
ntrol yourself, next year, instead of the eight foot tree we barely managed, she might get inspired and want a ten footer. Picture that, food whore.”

  Joe blanched so he figured he’d made his point. They both wore badges of honor in terms of multiple scratches received from wrestling with nature. Man, moving this bitch was a pain but what could he do. Anabelle had been watching and he couldn’t let the pimple faced teenager get kudos from his women folk while he stood and watched.

  “It’s perfect guys! Absolutely perfect.”

  They both sighed in relief and stepped away from the tree.

  Janie handed him five boxes of white Christmas lights with a smirk. “Here you go, Uncle Derek.”

  “Thank you, Janie.” Not.

  Anabelle slid an arm around him. “You’re such a good brother.” She squeezed him. “And you smell good…all Christmas like.”

  “Yeah. Like my car deodorizer,” Dani sniffed and walked away.

  “I’ll have you know, I use the fancy kind that smells like Hawaiian Passion Fruit and the ladies love it.” Joe said, waggling his eyebrows.

  “Neanderthal.”

  The food whore growled and rushed after Dani to further debate her.

  Derek shook his head and wrapped Anabelle in a full body hug. “Come here, woman. It’s been at least thirty minutes since our last kiss.” He made sure their kiss was G rated since they had an audience but it was hard keeping his hands off Anabelle when they were around each other.

  Despite his best efforts, Janie muttered, “Behave, children.”

  “Go do the lights, babe, while I help Janie with the popcorn string.” A Christmas Story played in the background and little Ralphie was about to be pushed down the slide by a scary looking elf. Alex snuck a handful of popcorn.

  “Watch it. If you eat all the popcorn, there won’t be enough to string for the tree.”

  Alex stuck her tongue out at her older sister.

  “Punk.”

  “Janie, don’t call your sister a punk.” Dylan had bat like hearing because she was in the kitchen and nowhere near the girls.

  “But she stuck her tongue at me.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “How come you get to call me punk?” Derek muttered under his breath.

  “I heard that. Do I need to remind you of all the things you’ve done to earn that moniker?”

  “Hush, woman. No need to recite my misdeeds.” He gave Anabelle one last smacking kiss and tried not to kill himself putting up the lights. After fifteen minutes of going up and down the stepladder he knew he needed the food whore. “Joe, a little assistance here.”

  His best friend ignored him or hadn’t heard him. He and Dani were heavy into their debate. Derek shook his head. He should stick them under mistletoe and let them have at it.

  “Joe!”

  Their heads snapped in his direction. “What?”

  “A little help, here?”

  “Oh. Okay. Coming, man.” He muttered something under his breath to Dani that made her eyes squint and rushed over.

  “Your sister thinks that guys who writes poetry are hot. Can you believe that? She told me on a sliding scale of Neanderthal to polished male, I’m closer to the Neanderthal side. Can you believe that? I sat through three rounds of Twilight with three different women for chrissakes. I’m in tune with what women want.”

  Derek chuckled. “You’re a model of evolution, man. A regular Edward Cullen.”

  “You know it. I knew you’d have my back.” Joe shook his head. “Your sister…”

  ***

  “This one is for me and Anabelle.” Derek claimed the big chair in the corner.

  “I like this chair and a half. I wonder who makes this?” Anabelle looked behind the chair for the manufacturer.

  “Dunno.” Derek shrugged, used to his love looking over and under furniture for manufacturing information, a result of dating an interior designer. “Don’t care. I picked it so we can sit close.” He sent her an inviting grin.

  She chuckled but didn’t argue and they settled in. Dylan claimed an upholstered glider with an ottoman while Dani and Joe were matching bookends of crossed armed irritation on the long sofa with his three nieces in between.

  Dinner and decorating were done and it was family movie time. Home Alone was on the screen and bowls of popcorn had been distributed. The evening had been fun bonding with the only hiccup being when Dylan put up the girls’ baby ornaments.

  She’d looked sad. He knew the holidays were hard without Kurt. He did the best he could to help but he knew it wasn’t the same without her husband around. His sister used to be fun and full of zest but life had kicked her to the curb. Raising three kids alone had to be tough. He knew Dylan appreciated Dani moving in to help but it was only temporary.

  He wanted his sister to be happy again.

  When he was nine, Dylan had been in charge of picking him up from school because their father worked all the time and their mom had been long gone. Dylan always brought his skateboard because she knew he loved it. Together they’d skate home, taking the long way. She wore her hair loose back then, long and straight, sort of like a modern day Rapunzel with the light shining from her eyes.

  These days, she seldom smiled. Not unless it was about the kids. He wanted his sister to be happy again. She wasn’t old and he knew men found her attractive. Hell, growing up half his buddies had crushed on her big time. The way she laughed and smiled, she’d been magnetic.

  On the television screen, Kevin slid down the stairs and through his front door but Derek didn’t hear the kids laughing. He looked around but the sofa was empty and Dylan was wrapped in a quilt making little snoring noises.

  He pulled Anabelle closer. “Cold, sweetheart?”

  Before she could answer, he pulled a red plaid flannel blanket around them, thanking his sister’s forethought in keeping a throw around. Although he didn’t think she had the same intentions in mind as he had.

  He brushed his hand against Anabelle’s breast.

  She jumped and looked over at him in question.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered.

  “Except for Dylan, we’re alone. Haven’t you noticed?” he whispered.

  She looked around for confirmation then relaxed under the blanket.

  He stroked her thighs. With each stroke his hand got closer to her core where wet delights awaited. She spread her thighs in welcome, flapping the blanket so it hid their movements for which he was grateful. It would hide his tenting action.

  “Thanks sweetheart.”

  Anabelle grinned, her eyes sparkled in the dim lights and at once he felt like he’d been sucker punched.

  “Derek?”

  He grabbed her hand and held it in his. He loved this woman. He’d known it for a long time but the need to claim her and make it official overwhelmed him.

  The ring he’d been carrying around for days burned in his pocket. Though it was early in their relationship he knew with a certainty, she was the one. It had taken time to convince her and for a while he’d been afraid, but she’d come around. The original plan had been to wait for Christmas and present the ring along with the model he’d slaved over but since that wasn’t happening, why wait?

  The current trend was to make a big splash and possibly incorporate a song and dance before climaxing into a public proposal, but no one wanted to hear him sing. And never mind a choreographed number. He’d only mastered slow dancing for the sole pleasure of holding a woman close. If he tried anything more complicated, he was afraid the romantic moment would be lost if his girl was literally rolling on the floor laughing.

  “Are you okay?” Anabelle asked and he cleared his throat. He glanced at the television and saw the McCallister family running like maniacs through a Parisian airport worried about Kevin being home alone.

  “Anabelle.” His voice came out funny so he tried again. “Anabelle.”

  “Yes?” she whispered presumably in case Dylan woke up. From the sounds coming from his
sister, she was into deep sleep mode.

  “You know I love you, don’t you?”

  “I do. And I love you, too.”

  The temperature in the room was scorching and he fanned his t-shirt for circulation. This wasn’t going how he planned it but he knew he couldn’t wait. He shoved the blanket away and slid to one knee in front of her. He pulled out the ring that burned through his jeans.

  “Oh my God.” She said at the sight of the two-carat vintage set platinum ring he’d bought.

  “I sincerely hope that was a good ‘oh my God’.”

  Her beautiful eyes glazed with tears and she fanned herself with both hands so he figured he was on the right track. He wished she’d fan him a little bit. He was hot as hell.

  “Anabelle Magdalene Broussard, you are my moon and my stars and the reason I fall asleep with a smile every night. I’ve spent the last year salivating and admiring you from afar, wishing you were mine with every beat of my heart. At last, you deigned to notice my presence and have since made me the happiest of men. Will you please continue bestowing happiness and consent to be my wife?”

  The bouncing bundle of excitement that was Anabelle launched at him and they fell in a tangled heap on the rug.

  “Yes. Yes. Yes.” Anabelle rained kisses on his face, her hair fell like a blanket around them. “A million times, yes.”

  “Thank God.” He closed his eyes for a moment while happiness and relief filled his body. He grinned up at her, probably looking like an idiot but he didn’t care. He held her face in his hands and brushed a kiss on her lips. It was meant to be a kiss of thanks but one kiss turned into two, then three and in their excitement, they rolled into the coffee table and knocked over Dylan’s Christmas ornaments on display.

  “Huh? What?” Dylan sat upright, struggling against the sleep cycle that gripped her.

  “She said yes.”

  “Yes to what?” Dylan rubbed her eyes and shuddered.

  He held up Anabelle’s finger and slid the ring on.

  “Holy shit balls!” Dylan sat up, shrieking. Sleep was forgotten.