by Kay Maree
“How did you pull that off without me knowing?”
“Beth and your mom helped me arrange everything.”
“Tommy you are the most wonderful man. I am so lucky I get to be your wife.”
“No, I am the lucky one.”
“Let’s agree to disagree and just have a happy life.”
“Deal. Now we better go tell everyone you said yes.”
Ella kisses me and then looks around. “Why did you pick here to propose?”
“Don’t you remember? This is where your truck broke down last year. This is the first time I saw you again.”
“You never cease to amaze me.”
“Let’s hope I don’t. This is just the beginning. Oh and by the way Lina wants a baby brother.”
We are both laughing as we get into the truck. This truly is just the beginning of the rest of our life as a family.
The End
About the Author
Cari Robe is an avid reader of all genres and a contemporary romance author. She loves alpha characters with good hearts and healthy appetites of all kinds.
The stories she writes come with guaranteed happy endings, no cheating ever, a little laughter and most importantly enough heat to melt your e-reader!
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JASPER
Banks Family
Novelette #1
GEMMA ARLINGTON
JASPER
Banks Family Novelette
Copyright © 2019 by Gemma Arlington
The right of Gemma Arlington to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000
All rights reserved. This publication (or any part of it) may not be reproduced or transmitted, copied, stored, distributed or otherwise made available by any person or entity (including Google, Amazon or similar organisations), in any form (electronic, digital, optical or mechanical) or by any means (photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise) without prior written permission from the author.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
CHAPTER ONE
Timber
‘It's going down, I'm yelling timber. You better move, you better dance. Let's make a night, you won't remember. I'll be the one, you won't forget. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. This biggity boy's a diggity dog.’
I couldn’t contain the laughter. It was lunch on the job and Teddy our sight skidder was performing… well I couldn’t entirely tell you what the hell he was performing because I’d never seen anyone have a group of men in such fits of laughter that we honestly couldn’t care what he was doing. I was loving this way too much!
“You look ridiculous,” I yelled, as me and other guys clapped and cheered him on, he was doing slapping butt move. I don’t know really know what he was doing but it was probably from lack of sleep and not enough coffee. Yesterday had been a busy one and today would be no different. This wasn’t a job for faint of heart, if you didn’t have guts, reflexes, stamina or the luck behind you could find yourself in deep shit.
People thought this was an easy job, little did they know it had been named the worst job for an American to partake.
“You must be looking forward to a few weeks off?” Mark asked.
“I’m keen to catch up with my father, my mother on the other hand….” I trailed off.
Mark chuckled. “Your mum like mine, tries to set you up with any single woman within a hundred-foot radius.”
Oh, if only he knew what my mother was like. She’d have every woman at this anniversary of hers fighting for my attention.
This has been months of planning in the making. The big thirty-fifth wedding anniversary of my parents and I was heading home for their biggest celebration to date.
Thirty-five years maybe small in some people eyes but to me thirty-five years is a lifetime in a small existence on this earth. Of course, they were planning this big shindig around the Christmas season, so it also meant an extended stay for the festive holidays. It kinda worked out perfectly as the industry often shutdown over the Christmas/New Year period. It gave the tired, overworked workforces a small break from what was known as a tough job.
CHAPTER TWO
Home Sweet Home
“Finally,” my mother shrieks joyously as I step out of my dads’ truck and scoot around the front to embrace her in a bear hug.
My family are the kind to show affection in many ways like hugs and kisses, long drawn out embraces. My aunt Doris is a cheek pincher and I don’t mean the cheeks on your face. Yeah… you get it. I guess she likes a man with a firm ass and apparently the last time I saw her, I’d impressed as she told my mother in conversation. No shame, nor did they have any idea of people’s boundaries.
“My beautiful boy,” mom continued as she embraced me for way beyond what I’d call a normal hug.
I love my momma, and it had been a several months since I’d last seen her. I tried my best to come back home often but it was hard when your job wasn’t even remotely close to your hometown. I didn’t mind, I enjoyed what I did for a living even if it wasn’t my father’s choice.
“Looking as handsome as ever,” she said she pulled back to look up at me. She was a short woman, but she packed a good amount of punch if she needed to. My father called her the pocket rocket and I knew why. Growing up I often coped a good stern talking to when I’d misbehaved.
“I still can’t believe you’re actually home for the Christmas period,” mother joyfully pronounced.
I wanted to laugh because while she was joyful in her actions, the underlying tone spoke volumes. Last year I’d skipped out on the usual family Christmas for more warmer conditions and Lexie Banks aka my momma, never let me live it down. She’d been pestering me for months to come home this Christmas and with her and my dad’s thirty fifth anniversary I couldn’t say no.
“Your father made up the cabin out by the lake. We thought it would be much quieter for you, not to mention private especially when your aunts, uncles and cousins start arriving tomorrow,” she announced.
I smiled and leant in to give her a kiss on the cheek before I focused on helping my dad retrieve my bags. I hadn’t packed much but I knew he’d insist on helping me regardless. I guess it was just the Alaskan way or maybe it was just the town of Kislet that had such hospitality, after all the unofficial town moto was to shower visitors in kindness.
“Bet aunt Doris is keen to pinch you,” dad joked as I helped him grab the bags from the back of the truck.
I shook my head and laughed, “You need any help around the house, while I’m here?” I asked changing the subject as we headed around the side of the house.
“I could always use the help,” he smiled as he escorted me down the back toward the lake. He’s clearly been shovelling snow so we could have better access to the lake. My parents called the house beside the water, a cabin but in all honesty, it was like an oasis. They had it build years ago as a place to relax by the water, but had it renovated a couple months back.
“We had the cabin painted, the shutters replaced, the timber floors have been repolished and the kitchen got a makeover. Yes, the fridge is stocked with beer,” he chuckled as we stepped up onto the porch of the cabin.
“It’s still a beautiful place,” I uttered. It was more a statement to myself then a conversation piece
with my dad.
“Well, it’s your beautiful place for the time you’re here,” my dad said as he tapped me on the shoulder and left me standing on the porch staring as he headed back toward the house.
Come morning, I knew I’d have to shovel the snow from the path. I didn’t mind, the thought made me smile. I bent down to pick up my bags before opening the front door, stepping inside the beautifully revamped oasis. It was toasty inside and I could see my father had been the one to stoke the fire before I arrived. I dropped my bags and walked over to the floor to ceiling windows, starring out at the frozen lake.
My parents really had picked the best place to live. This property featured what I liked to think was the very best Alaska had to offer. Stunning mountain vistas that were so breathtaking not only now but during the summer times when you could take to the lake for water activities. Now, in the winter, was my favourite of all as I could go snow machining, skating. I could even watch the Northern Lights from the sundeck on the second floor of the cabin or in the jacuzzi on the back deck.
I was mentally high fiving my parents for allowing me to have the cabin for the time I was here. Usually I stayed in the main house, but I guess I’d been allowed an upgrade.
I continued to look out at the frozen lake as I thought about all the jobs I could get done while I was here.
CHAPTER THREE
Family
I woke the next morning to the sound of someone banging on the front door. The noise echoed through and woke me with a startle. I glance at the clock through hooded eyes and groaned as I shoved my head into the pillow. It was barely 6am, who the heck woke up at this time? I knew my dad It had to be one of the relations because only they would dare disturb me on the first morning of my holidays.
“Hey Logger, get that butt out of bed.”
I groaned more into the pillow. The instant I heard his voice, I knew who it was. My ranch dwelling, horse loving, cowboy riding cousin from Texas. If I didn’t get up and answer the damned door, he’d probably bash it down. Although I knew his momma would clip him across the ears for rudeness.
I rolled over and rubbed a hand over my face, through my hair and dragged myself from the bed and down the stairs. I thought for a split second I’d flick the kettle as I needed coffee but instead, I reached for the door handle and swung open the door where I was greeted by Emmett Banks, my cousin.
“Finally! It’s fucking cold out,” he said as he stepped into the house and extended his hand for a welcoming handshake. While most of my family were too friendly, Emmett knew I wasn’t a fan of the warm embrace.
“Emmett,” I mumbled as I shook his hand, I quickly ushered him in and closed the door behind us. It was cold indeed, but it was warm inside with the open wood fire, it was still going but it would need some more wood to keep it lit.
“Coffee?” I asked as I hit the button on the kettle to start it up.
“Perfect,” he smiled in reply.
Emmett and I talked for a half hour over coffee, catching up on what we’d missed in each other’s lives. Apparently, we were both single, I could picture our mothers inside plotting a double date of sorts with some local Kislet girls. We laughed about the fact, but both knew it was a real possibility that neither of us wanted. Emmett told me about his local rodeos and how he’d won trophies for this and that, but that his real passion was the love of animals. He was taking in potty calves and young unwanted livestock and starting up a sanctuary for the less fortunate four-legged kind. The way spoke, his tone, I could tell he was passionate and driven to make this a success.
“Aunt Doris is here, you know,” Emmett chuckled.
“Let me guess, she’s already felt your backside,” I replied shaking my head as I couldn’t help but laugh about it.
Aunt Doris was my momma’s sister and a woman in her early 70’s, clearly age didn’t stop her from being the booty pinching aunt from Tulsa, Oklahoma. My dad’s family was mostly here in Alaska, but others were scattered through America. Emmett lived on a ranch in Texas alongside his parents. He was a born and breed, Texan cowboy. Cousin Kate was a law student at Yale, her sister Rebecca was a mom of 2 little ratbags. Luke was a Tanker captain on an oil rig in the Arctic ocean. While not the most glamour’s of jobs, he loved his work and got paid well to do it. Archie was a schoolteacher in California and Slater was well… far too young to be anything than a crazy toddler. I was barely scraping the ice with the family details but there is just too many aunts, uncles and cousins to name everyone.
“Something tells me this weekend is going to a hectic one,” Emmett chimed in.
I laughed, picturing my whole family here at the Alaskan home I grew up in. The last time we were all together was for the wedding of Rebecca to her husband Eric. It was a crazy ass affair that ended with uncle George being taken to hospital because he drove his electric chair off the balcony in a drunken huff after being cut off from the bar. It was epic and gave Emmett and I the best laugh we’d had in a long time. Of course, we’d vowed to keep the incident from ever being revealed to Rebecca and Eric at least for the duration of their wedding night and honeymoon. It was a real shame that, uncle George’s drunk trip to hospital wasn’t the only thing that went down that night.
I heard someone knock on the cabin door before it opened, my father peeping in. He already looked like he’d been up for several hours and I honestly wouldn’t have been surprised if he had been. Probably back and forth to the airport to pick up the many hordes coming in for this event.
“Breakfast will be on in fifteen,” he announced.
“Do you need any help?” Emmett asked.
“The ladies have it sorted but be there in fifteen or you may have a fight on your hands to get any food,” he smirked before closing the door and leaving us.
I looked at Emmett and grinned. Oh, this was going to be an affair to remember….
CHAPTER FOUR
Breakfast
I’d showered and then headed into the main house for the chaos I could tell that awaited. Family, it’s a complicated mess but it’s built on such strong foundations that you couldn’t not help but see the beauty chaos within.
The instant I stepped inside; it was anarchy. The noise echoed through the house, clanging, banging of kitchen utensils. The smell of fried bacon encased my senses and made my stomach grumble.
“My Jasper,” Aunt Doris shrieked as I walked into the dining room. I wanted to sidestep her and run so she couldn’t get to me but that would warrant my mothers wrath. Instead, I embraced her in a hug and endured the bottom pinching. She thankfully didn’t linger and quickly moved on to greeting more family members who were coming from every corner of the damned house. Most had seemed to arrive already minus a few that weren’t scheduled until tomorrow morning due to work or family commitments.
I grabbed a plate, put a few breakfast items on it, before pouring myself a cup of coffee and taking a seat at the dining table. The racket was incredible, everyone was talking over the top of everyone and the sound of laughter. You would almost think this was The Banks family Christmas, though that jolly occasion was weeks away.
“How’s work?” Uncle Braydon mumbled as he shoved food into his mouth.
“Hard work, as usual,” I replied.
Uncle Bray, as he was affectionately known was married to Aunt Laura and the proud parents of non-other than my cousin Emmett.
“How’s ranch life? Emmett was telling me about the expansion he’s doing, rescue animals,” I stated.
“Busy,” he simply remarked as he took a mouthful of coffee.
Uncle Bray was a man of very few words, unless you got to talking about football then you may as well buckle up and bunker down because he would talk for hours about that subject.
In Texas football’s intensely popular, it’s known as the king and people had a reputation for caring a great deal about the sport after all they had two NFL teams, The Dallas Cowboys a personal favourite of my uncles and The Housto
n Texans. Football was hardwired into their DNA down south. They lived, breathed and dreamed everything football. It was no doubt that they were mad about the sport in Texas, my uncle played during his high school years and even won a scholarship to the university of Texas in Austin where he played for the team and eventually worked his way in to coaching.
I picked up my cup to take a sip when I heard the room brake out into cheers and laughter. I watched as my cousin Adley stepped into the kitchen wearing a grandma style nighty with smeared make-up across her mouth, she had panda eyes and a messy bed hair. She looked like a fucking train wreck.
“Coffee,” she groaned as someone poured her a mug and handed it to her. She didn’t seem to have a care in the world about her appearance and as she picked up a piece of bacon, she let out a god-awful shriek.
“Oh my god, Jasper,” she gleefully screeched putting her cup down and rounding the table to hug me.
I hadn’t seen her in over a year. We were very close growing up as she only lived across the street. Sleepovers, movies nights even when we were in high school, things stayed the same although she often dated friends of mine which made for complicated situations, but she was like the sister I never had. I got up out of my seat and embraced her.
“Fuck dude, you’re smoking hot!” she said as she squeezed me.
I laughed. “Cut it out,” I said as she stepped back to look up at me. She wasn’t a short girl, but she could never measure up to my height.
“Stop it! You know your fucking hot and if we weren’t cousins, I’d bang you,” she voiced.
“Me to,” Aunt Doris piped up.
I looked around my mother was shaking her head as she often did at the many things that came out of Adley’s mouth. She was a wild child and often let her lips run rapid much like Aunty Doris.