by Amber Kelly
“That’s my good girl,” I say as I sink my teeth into her collar.
I find her opening and start pumping one finger in and out. I curl it inside her and find that spot that I know makes her wild. I feel her spasms, and I know she’s close.
“Yes, Walker, right there,” she encourages me.
I add another finger and bring my thumb up to press in and run circles around her clit. She braces against the shower and starts riding my hand until she explodes. I hold her as her body quakes from her release. When the last tremble shoots through her, she goes limp against my chest.
“Oh no, you don’t. We have to hurry,” I say as I turn her into the water. “You’re going to make us late, woman.”
Bellamy
“How do I look?” I ask as I twirl for Brandt.
“Like I want to lock the door, turn out all the lights so everyone thinks we’re not home, and peel that dress off of you.”
“Awesome. That’s just what I was going for,” I say as I wrap my arms around him.
“How much time do we have?” he asks.
“About half an hour,” I say.
He starts walking us backward toward the bed.
“Brandt, that’s not enough time.”
“Sure it is,” he says as he brushes my hair off one shoulder and starts to run his mouth up my throat.
He knows how much I like that.
“You’re going to mess up my makeup,” I whine.
“Don’t care,” he says as he makes it to my mouth.
His hands run up into my hair as he tilts my head to get better access.
“And my hair,” I complain.
He kisses me deeply, and I melt into him. All thoughts of my appearance fly right out of my mind as his hand slides up my thigh, fingering the lace at the top of my garters.
“I like these,” he growls.
“I know. That’s why I wore them.”
“To tease me all night?”
“Yep,” I say as I arch into his touch, “but just until everyone leaves. Then, you can take them off of me—or not. Whichever you prefer, Doc.”
“I need a preview,” he demands as he sits on the edge of the bed and pulls my hips to him.
I straddle his legs, and he raises the hem of my dress and kisses the inside of my thigh as his hands come around and palm my ass.
I thread my fingers into his hair as he kisses me through the lace of my panties.
I moan.
That’s when the doorbell rings.
“Ugh,” he murmurs as he lets my hem down.
“To be continued,” I tell him. “Get dressed!”
I step away and adjust my dress before heading to answer the door.
“Do I have to wear a tie?”
“Nope. Walker and Myer will probably show up in jeans and boots.”
“I just thought, with you looking so ravishing, you might be expecting everyone to dress to the nines.”
I shrug. “We don’t get many occasions to pull out our fancy duds, so us girls decided to get dolled up.”
“Mmm, lucky us,” he says as he crosses the room and catches me. He lays one last kiss on that spot right below my ear that he knows drives me mad.
I push at his chest. “Oh no, you don’t.”
We hear the doorbell ring again.
“That will be Dottie and Marvin with the food. I’ll go let them in, and you finish getting ready,” I command as I rush past him and down the staircase.
Back when we were just friends and I found out Brandt had purchased this house, he jokingly promised me that he would have a ballroom added for us girls to throw posh holiday parties. I bet he regrets that right about now because I planned just that. This home was made for entertaining, and I have been dying to play hostess since we moved in.
I peek outside and see Dallas’s parents unloading. I open the door and step out to greet them.
“Hi, Dottie. You are right on time.”
She has her arms full as she comes up the steps, so I prop the door open and hurry to help her.
“Thank you, Bellamy,” she says as I take a box from the top of her pile.
She walks in, and I guide her to the kitchen, where she begins setting up as Marvin carries in the rest of the spread.
“Do you need me to stay and serve?” she asks.
“No, ma’am. I hired Pete, one of Butch’s off-duty bartenders, to man the bar, and his girlfriend and her sister are coming to keep everything stocked and refilled on the buffet. They’re also doing cleanup.”
“Bells!” we hear Sonia’s voice from the foyer.
“In the kitchen,” I call to her.
She walks in, wearing a gorgeous emerald-green cocktail dress, and her hair is in long, flowing curls.
“Wow, you look amazing.” Dottie admires her.
“Thank you. Momma made the dress. I love how it floats,” she says as she twirls, and the hem of the dress flows out around her. “I’m going to go drop my bag upstairs, and then I’ll come help. Which room is mine for the night?” Sonia asks.
“The first one on the right. The gray and white room.”
Brandt follows Marvin in with another load.
“Bellamy, those need to be refrigerated, dear, and added to these dishes here right before people begin to arrive. There is extra shrimp in the cooler as well. The cocktail sauce for the shrimp and the horseradish cream for the roast beef is also in there. I sliced lemon wedges for you, and they are in a Ziplock bag. I did extra in case your bartender needs them too,” Dottie instructs.
“Can you stay until the servers arrive? I don’t want to forget anything, so I want them to hear this as well. They should be here in about ten minutes or so.”
“Of course,” she agrees.
Sonia reappears. “What can I do to help?” she asks.
“You can help me get all the trees and candles lit, please.” I accept her offer.
We have six Christmas trees. One in almost every room. The outside of the house is trimmed with icicle lights, and all the trees lining the long driveway are lit up as well.
“The band will be here soon, and they will be setting up on the veranda. I hope the heaters we got keep them warm. I didn’t realize we’d be getting flurries today. I’d move them inside, but I want everyone to be able to carry on a conversation. If it gets bad, we can move them to the sunroom. We can dance out there as well.” I give her the rundown as we go through each room, illuminating it.
“You guys went all out.”
“I want this to be our new tradition every year—something for all our friends and us to look forward to,” I admit.
“I love that idea,” she agrees.
“Hey, did somebody order ice?” Myer’s voice comes from downstairs.
“Yes, coming!” I yell down to him.
We finish in the guest rooms and descend the stairs, and he and Braxton are standing there, each with four bags stacked in their arms.
“Let’s set them over at the bar. Brandt and Pete can decide where to put it all,” I tell them.
They walk into the den and set the bags on the bar.
“Thank you. You’re a lifesaver,” I tell my big brother as I give him an appreciative hug. “You too, Braxton. I didn’t think you and Sophie could make it,” I say as I hug him as well.
“I dropped Sophie, Lily Claire, and Vivian over at Myer’s place with Dallas and the kids. They are going to spend the evening making Christmas cookies with Beau. She needed out of the house, and I needed some mother-in-law-free time, so she talked me into coming with Myer. She’s sorry she couldn’t make it.”
“Well, I’m glad to have you both here, and I know Brandt will be too. I completely understand why the new mommies aren’t able. There will always be next year, if you two studs don’t ruin it again,” I assure him.
“I make no promises,” Myer chimes up.
Braxton chuckles.
“Anything else you need help with before this thing gets underway, sis?”
> I look around. Everything looks ready.
“I don’t think so. Grab yourselves a beer and go outside and find Brandt. People should start coming in the next hour or so.”
They do just that as the bartender and the servers arrive. I show Pete to the den, and Dottie goes over the food instructions with the girls. Then, she and Marvin head home.
The band gets set up and begins to play as guests start arriving.
Elle and Walker are the next ones to show, and before long, the house is humming with laughter and conversation.
Everyone seems to be enjoying the cocktails and food. People are dancing, and I finally relax and soak up the joy of being in my new home with my love and our people.
It’s pure bliss.
Brandt
“The place turned out good,” Braxton praises as he takes in the glass sunroom I added off the veranda for Bellamy.
“It did, and it feels good, knowing that most of it was done with my own two hands. With lots of help from all your hands too, that is. Thank you, if I didn’t say it enough at the time,” I say as I look at the group of Myer, Walker, and Braxton.
Walker slaps me on the back. “You’re welcome, Doc. Besides, you’re about to get the chance to pay it forward. I wanted to talk to you all. I need help with a surprise for Elle,” he begins.
“We’re all ears,” Braxton offers.
“You know that chapel where your parents got married? Elle has her heart set on us having our wedding there, too, but the church moved a few years back and let that little chapel fall into ruin. The land it stands on is going to be turned into a neighborhood park, but the pastor of the church, who owns it, agreed to let us donate our time to do the repairs, so we can use it for our ceremony. Afterward, it will serve as an event space and restroom facility for the park.”
“What kind of repairs are we talking about?” Myer asks him.
“Nothing major. Painting, laying a new floor where they tore out the pews, fixing a roof leak and maybe a few plumbing issues. I also said we’d bring some tractors out and clear some of the land for the playground equipment when the time comes,” he gives us the list as he pleads with his eyes.
“Count me in,” Braxton agrees.
“Yeah, me too.” Myer is next to jump in.
“Make that three. I’ll be happy to help,” I tell him.
“Thanks, guys. It’s going to mean a lot to Elle. Can you keep it under your hats though? The pastor gave me a key, and I’m going to sneak over there Christmas Eve and string the place with twinkling lights and fill it with flowers, so I can take my girl there Christmas morning and tell her the good news. He was the one who married your parents, Brax. He remembers them fondly, and he agreed to be a part of our wedding,” he says.
The tremble in Braxton’s jaw as he reaches out and clinches Walker’s shoulder says all he needs to. It obviously means a lot to him as well.
“Since we’re on the subject, I’m working on my own Christmas surprise for Dallas. I’m fixing up my uncle’s old carriage and turning it into a working sleigh. I want to extend the cab and add upholstered benches that face each other. Foster and Truett built a hitch that will hold four horses to attach to the front. I’m hoping if we get another good snow before Christmas Eve, I can have it ready and take her and the kids for a sleigh ride through the woods to Mom and Pop’s house. We can keep it and store it, and as our families grow and all our kids get older, we can pull it out each year,” he says.
“We could add retractable wheels so that it can be used as a sleigh or buggy. That way, even if it doesn’t snow, you can use it,” Walker suggests.
“And Doreen found these cool, large bronze bells at the antique store. She’s been trying to figure out what to do with them. They’d make great sleigh bells,” Braxton suggests.
“I’m available the next few nights once the clinic closes,” I add.
He nods. “Sophie wants a hot tub. Which means I need to do a reinforced add-on to the current deck. She also wants a tin roof over it, so she can soak in it when it rains and enjoy the sound of it hitting the tin,” Braxton starts.
“We’re in,” we all say before he even asks.
“Thanks, guys,” he offers.
“Well, Doc, what about you? You need help with something for Bells for Christmas?”
“Nope. I bought her diamond earrings,” I say.
“Smart man,” Walker praises.
“I will take a rain check on the help though. She wants the garden out back restored to its former glory with a working fountain and gazebo. She wants to have our wedding out there.”
“When are you thinking?” Myer asks.
“Next spring will be the best time to work on it. We aren’t planning to marry until she’s done with school in Denver, so it won’t be for another couple of years. So, it’s not a rush.”
“You just tell us when you’re ready to get on it, Doc,” Walker says.
I nod. It’s nice to be a part of a brotherhood of sorts. These guys aren’t just friends; they treat one another like family. I didn’t have that before I moved from Portland to Poplar Falls. I didn’t even know it existed.
“Hey, what are y’all doing out here, looking so serious?” Elle asks.
“None of your business, woman. If you girls can have your secret talks, so can we,” Walker tells her.
“Are you ’bout done? I want to dance, and if you don’t come to swing me around this dance floor, I’m going to be forced to let one of Bells’s handsome cousins do it,” she dares.
“Gotta go, fellas,” he says before he takes the last drink from his bottle and sets it on the railing.
“Whipped,” Braxton yells after him, and Walker’s middle fingers wave at us from behind his back as he follows after Elle.
“I think that’s my cue to go find Bells as well. She’s been flitting around, making sure everyone else is enjoying themselves. I want to make sure she is doing the same,” I tell Braxton and Myer.
“Go find your girl, Doc. We’re going to hang out a while longer until Sophie calls and lets me know that she and her mother are ready to go back home. We’ll catch up to you before we head out.”
I find her leaning against the back of the house, wineglass in hand.
The sight of her lit by the moonlight, watching guests dance as the band plays, takes my breath away.
I walk over and offer her my hand.
She looks up and smiles. “I thought you weren’t much of a dancer.”
I shrug. “It’s growing on me,” I tell her as she sets her glass aside and takes my hand.
I guide her out into the crowd and pull her close.
“The party turned out amazing. Just like you,” I praise her.
“Yeah, it did. Thank you for indulging me.”
I plan to spend the rest of my life indulging her.
Sonia
The party is beginning to dwindle. We are all a little tired and a lot wobbly on our feet. I take a break from the dance floor and walk to the front porch to get some fresh air.
The cold winter air hits my damp skin and instantly cools me down. Bellamy had large propane heaters brought in to line the porch and back deck, so I move closer to the one on my left and place my hands on the railing. It’s a beautiful night. The stars are so bright. The music drifts out through the window, and I close my eyes and soak up the Christmas cheer.
I wait as a few guests meander out and to their cars. When a light breeze kicks up, I turn to go back in when I hear my name being called.
I look out over the yard, and I search the darkness.
Finally, a figure steps out of the shadows and into the light.
Ricky.
I look around to see if anyone else is out there.
“What are you doing here?” I ask as my eyes come back to him.
“I wanted to talk to you. I figured you’d be at this shindig.”
“I don’t think you’re welcome. You shouldn’t have come here.”
“I kn
ow. I won’t stay. I just wanted to see you and wish you a merry Christmas. I miss you,” he says, and my stupid, traitorous heart skips a beat.
He takes a few tentative steps forward, and I back up. He stops, puts his hands in his pockets, and lowers his head.
“I wanted to apologize. I was angry, and I didn’t mean all those things I said at Doreen’s party.”
He looks up, no doubt waiting for my reaction. I just stay quiet, so he continues, “I’m a mess, but I’m getting on my feet. I want to be a good husband. I want to take care of you and buy you that house. I want to make babies with you and be a family. I’d be a good dad. I know I would. I just need you to believe in me again. To believe in us.”
He is saying all the things I wanted to hear two months ago. All of the things that I convinced myself he could be.
“Say something,” he pleads.
“I don’t know what to say,” I whisper.
“Say you’ll give me a chance, give our marriage a second chance. We should be spending tomorrow night together. It’ll be our first Christmas. Aren’t you always preaching about forgiveness? All I’m asking is that you grant it to me, your husband.”
“I do forgive you, Ricky.”
He smiles at that and starts forward, but I put my hand up to stop him.
“You’re saying all the right stuff. Everything that you promised me when I agreed to be your wife, and you still have the potential to be all that. But the problem is, I fell in love with who you could be and not who you are. I gave you all of me, the real me, but you never gave me the real you. I needed you to be that man, not have the potential to be him,” I confess.
He drops his head. “You’ve let those girls get into your head and turn you against me. Now, nothing I say or do is going to make a difference, is it?”
“This isn’t anyone’s fault, except for yours and mine. I was content, having part of you, and you were content with letting me. I’ve seen what real love looks like and what we had doesn’t compare. I want something real. I deserve it.”
“Right,” he bites out.
Before he can continue, the front door opens, and a giggling Elle stumbles out with Walker close behind, guiding her.