by Box Set
That bird was a real ham, and at that moment, Ben couldn’t be happier. He’d helped Brittney more than anyone else. Hopefully, it had softened her up and she would be ready to accept his abject apology.
Chapter 75
~ Ben ~
After speeches by the Mayor, Police Commissioner, and Amy Suzuki, who took the stage to accept twenty bins of toys on behalf of the children of Sonoma County, Brittney’s father blasted Christmas rock music and told his employees to clean up the barn to prepare for Nash’s Anti-Slut-Shaming Benefit Concert.
Ben scratched the remnants of glue off his face and removed bits of yak’s hair from his jaw. He still held onto Brittney’s hand, but wasn’t sure if she was truly okay. For now, everything was going great since the police commissioner had gotten the judge to drop the charges against both of them for indecent exposure and lewd conduct caused by their wardrobe malfunctions at the last event.
Ben’s eyes were full of flash explosions from having his and Brittney’s pictures taken with Amy, the Mayor, and Brittney’s parents, as news crews reported what a rousing success the toy drive had been.
“You’re free! Now I can’t tell the baby her aunt is an ex-con.” Lacy swarmed over Brittney with a baby bump A-frame hug.
“I never was guilty,” Brittney replied as she loosened the ties on the angel wings. Her halo had already fallen to the floor when Ben had swung her around, saving her from face planting on the platform. She wagged the hand she was holding. “As for Ben here, he has guilt written all over his face.”
He turned in time to see her wink. Whew. She seemed to be going with the flow. Was she truly okay with him right now? Or was she being polite in front of everyone?
Even though he’d done his good deed and gotten Amy to drop the charges, he wasn’t sure if Brittney would truly forgive him for being a jealous dumbass.
The thing with Nash would always grate, but not having Brittney in his life was unbearable. The pain and suffering he’d endured apart from her was worse than losing his mother and baby sister.
Yes, he felt guilty over the comparison, but somehow, he figured his mother and Colleen would be okay with it. After all, they’d want him to have the perfect angel they picked out for him that night at the Christmas cottage.
“Where are you two having dinner before the big concert?” Lacy asked, her eyes darting from Brittney to Ben.
“Uh, I wanted to—” A movement attracted his attention and his jaw fell to the ground. Nash had the entire Powers clan with him, except for his eldest brother, Braden.
Ben blinked hard and swallowed, clearing his dry as bone throat. Once again, Nash came off as the good one, and Ben would be blamed for not telling anyone about Grandpa’s two heart attacks.
“Hey, Bro, glad you got off scot free,” Nash said. “That was a surprise with Amy Suzuki. Didn’t know you had it in you.”
As usual, Nash’s remarks carried a double-edged dig. His stepsisters beamed at Nash as if he were the second coming of country rock stars, and of course, his stepmother clapped a hand on Nash’s shoulder and gave him a loving pat.
“Why didn’t you call me back?” Susanna said, rushing forward for a hug. She was the eldest of the Brant bunch, the one who’d texted him when he and Brittney were waiting in the parking garage.
“Son, it’s good to see you.” Ben’s father stepped forward and clapped him on the shoulder. “Why’d you keep it secret? Why didn’t you tell us about the heart attacks?”
“I, uh, well, was going to call once he was all better. I didn’t want you to worry.” Ben scrambled for a semi-reasonable explanation. His father had to have known that Grandpa wasn’t up to speaking to him, even after all these years.
“Ben, we missed you,” his stepmother, Jolene, said from behind his father. “We’re so glad to see Grandpa up and around. We were so worried when Nash told us.”
“He’s doing fine with his recovery,” Ben said. He dutifully gave her a hug. She’d been a fairly decent stepmother, certainly nothing evil about her, and while she was obviously closer to her own brood, she’d taken in three teenage boys without too much drama.
“Thank the Lord,” his father said. “We came too close to losing him. This year, we’re putting all our differences aside. All I want is for us to be a family together. We figure, if you two can’t come up to Wyoming for an honest to goodness white Christmas, we’d head down here for a foggy, Californian one.”
“That’s what I want too,” Ben managed to stammer. “Does Grandpa know you’re here?”
Grandpa had gone back to the house after the toy drive to rest so that he could come back later for the benefit concert.
“Not yet, we just got here and missed your toy drive,” Dad replied.
“That’s because we had to stop at the toy store and fill up the RV,” one of the twins, Macy, chimed in.
“I’m sure they’ll be glad to take the extra toys,” Ben said. He could feel his sisters’ eyes on Brittney, wondering who she was. Women were always so perceptive.
“I’m Susanna,” his eldest sister introduced herself to Brittney. “And these are my sisters, Macy and Riley.”
“Uh, hi …” Brittney gave a half wave at the same time Ben said, “This is my girlfriend, Brittney Reed.”
He cringed when he felt her stiffen. She gave him the look, the one that meant she wasn’t through with him, but pasted on a smile. “It’s nice to meet all of you. I didn’t know—”
“Lacy Reed Cole,” Lacy said, presenting her hand to his family. Whatever Brittney was about to say was cut off by her super-perceptive sister.
“Oh, how rude of me,” Ben’s stepmother said, stepping forward. “I’m Jolene Powers. It’s so wonderful to meet all of you, especially Ben’s girlfriend.”
“I’m Wes Powers,” Ben’s father tipped his ten-gallon hat at the Reed sisters.
“Enchanted,” Lacy grinned, all her marketing skills at work. “You and Ben look like twins.”
His father blushed visibly at her compliment. “They say that about all my sons. Where’s Damon?”
He scanned the barn looking for him.
“He’s with Grandpa,” Riley hollered, pointing at Damon who walked over with Grandpa and Treat.
Grandpa approached slowly, and a hush fell upon everyone in the barn. Ben eyed his father and grandfather as knots formed in his stomach. Would the two men truly bury the hatchet, or was this a showdown worthy of an old western ghost town?
“Son,” Grandpa said to Dad. “Welcome home. We each said some harsh words, and I hope this is all behind us now. When I had that second heart attack and worried I wouldn’t make it, I realized that no matter what our differences, there’s power in family. Forgive me for being unaccepting of this wonderful brood of yours—both Brant and Powers.”
“Yes, sir,” Dad said. “There’s always power in family.”
The two men hugged as Ben swallowed a lump in his throat. How many years had Grandpa resented Dad for marrying Jolene? How many years had he uselessly pushed Jolene away, believing he’d betray his mother if he accepted her love?
“Jolene, I’m sorry, too,” Ben found himself saying as he stepped toward her. “May I call you Mom?”
“You are always welcome to call me Mom,” she latched onto him. “I love you, Ben Powers, as if you were one of my own.”
You are hers and you’ll always be mine, too.
Ben looked up at the rafters of the barn and at the sound of wings fluttering, but it was only Big Blizzard sitting on the loft flapping his wings, or was it?
Thank you, Mom. Ben bowed his head and hugged Jolene tighter, unable to keep a teardrop from rolling down his cheek.
Chapter 76
~ Brittney ~
Ben’s large family tugs us every which way, all wanting me to share a nugget about how Ben and I met at the pet rescue event. Sure, they’d read the news and seen the bad press we both got, but now that I’m standing in front of them, they wanted to hear from me. They’re especially
curious about what it is that I like about their Ben.
His twin sisters are cute and bubbly, one blonde and one redhead, whereas his eldest sister, Susanna, is a brunette and a perceptive one—just like Lacy. While everyone else accepts on face value that I’m Ben’s girlfriend, as he said, Susanna stands back and observes us with a skeptical look creasing her eyebrows.
I try to keep up the happy act, but I don’t like the way he railroaded me into posing as his girlfriend so he can save face with his family. Yes, we were both exonerated from the bogus lewd misconduct charges, and golly gee, I’m more than ecstatic at meeting Amy Suzuki and having her drop her lawsuit, but still …
“You shouldn’t have surprised me the way you did,” I tell Ben when Lacy manages to bend Susanna’s ear, whispering some family secret, no doubt. “I’ll let it go tonight because of the concert, but tomorrow, we have to talk.”
“Looking forward to it.” His eyes twinkle as he takes my hand and squeezes it. “Will you be my date to Nash’s concert tonight?”
Being so close to him while his family chats with mine is turning my brain to mush and making me wish we didn’t have this major disagreement about his brother.
“I need to go on stage and appear with Nash,” I remind him. “He’s doing the concert for my benefit.”
“I know he is. But while you’re off the stage, I want to claim every dance. Hope you like line dancing. You got a good pair of boots? Because if you’re with me, you’re going to have to do a lot of two-stepping.”
Since when did Ben turn so charming? I almost pinch myself because he’s drawling a little like Nash.
“I’m sure I can scare up the right clothes.”
“Great.” He gives me a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll pick you up at eight.”
Dropping my hand, he grabs a black felt cowboy hat from Damon’s head and places it on his own before swaggering from the barn—a Santa in a Stetson.
“What just happened?” Lacy, ever observant with a nose for drama, takes my arm as we watch Ben amble off. “He didn’t ask you to have dinner with him?”
“Guess not. He wants me to be his date to Nash’s benefit concert. I didn’t think he wanted to go, much less be seen with me.”
“Yes! It’s working.” Lacy snaps her finger and grins as if she has something up her sleeve, which no doubt she does.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing … Let’s get you ready for your hot date tonight.” She pushes me from the barn, waving to Ben’s assorted family.
“What did you do?” I demand once we’re back at my parents’ farmhouse. “You look like a cat after swallowing a canary.”
“Will you relax? Ben is a good man, you’ll see.” She winks and drags me to her closet. “You’re going to be sexiest cowgirl elf this side of the Rockies.”
“Oh, no!” I groan, but deep inside, I’m tingling and bubbling with hope tinged with worry.
I’d expected Ben to keep his hand clamped to mine and stick to me like glue, and yes, ask me to dinner to apologize and maybe do a little groveling, but watching his sexy backside as he walked away from me has me hotter and more curious than ever.
What does he have planned for me tonight?
Chapter 77
~ Brittney ~
My heart is thumping faster than the rotor blades on a helicopter as I wait for Ben to pick me up for our date. Mom and Dad are hovering around, and Lacy is in full sister mode.
“It feels like our very first date.” I fan myself, unable to stop from fidgeting.
“In many ways, it is,” Mom says, standing behind me while we examine my reflection in the dresser mirror. “Are we sure he’s a good guy? I haven’t been meddling as much since Lacy’s on maternity leave and I figure she could use the diversion, but what happened between you two at the cottage?”
“Please, Mom, can we wipe the slate clean?” I hope I’m not blushing, or if I am, they think it’s the makeup Lacy is busily brushing on me.
“Do elves really go to country-western line dances?” I primp at my fake-fur lined Christmas top which barely covers my boobs, but leaves my waist and stomach exposed. It used to belong to Lacy before she got pregnant.
Instead of a red or green skirt, I’m wearing a denim miniskirt and cowgirl boots made of white calfskin. The heels on them are reasonable, nothing like those fur-trimmed stilettos Lacy made me wear when I was the sexy elf.
“Bounce around some,” Dad says. “I want to make sure you don’t have another wardrobe malfunction.”
“Dad!” I exclaim, covering my melon balls. “I’m not going to bounce in front of you. Besides, this isn’t a tube top, so it’s not going anywhere.”
“I don’t want you to get arrested again after you just got off.”
I roll my eyes. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“Wonder if Ben will bring you flowers,” Mom says with her hands clasped over her chest. “You are my perfect little angel.”
Now it’s Lacy’s turn to roll her eyes. “And what am I, your perfect little devil?”
“Well, you girls were always opposites.” Dad chuckles. “Brittney slept through the night while—”
“Enough.” I hold out my hand to stop the familiar litany. “We’re both good and bad, but mostly we’re good, and the bad is what makes us interesting.”
“I’ll toast to that.” Lacy raises her hand for a high-five, and I slap her one. It’s days like this that I realize how blessed I am to be adopted into my family.
“Group hug, group hug,” Dad says as he and Mom surround us.
“Doorbell! Doorbell!” Big Blizzard screeches from his cage. A split second later, the doorbell sounds, and he starts barking. “Warf, warf, warf!”
I swear, this bird is like a watch dog or I should say, watch bird. I tug at my clothes, check my hair one more time, and head for the door with my family in tow.
“I take yellow roses for fifty,” Mom says.
“Red. On a hundred.” Dad places his bet.
“Forget roses, I’m betting on chocolates,” Lacy says, licking her lips.
I’m a little nervous now. What if Ben’s empty-handed? How’s that going to go over with my family?
Taking a deep breath, I pull open the door.
What is that monstrosity he has in his hands? Pieces of driftwood stick out in odd angles among a nest of pinecones, red and burgundy roses, pine boughs and stalks of deep red gladiolas, all tied with a forest green velvet ribbon.
“Hi, Brittney,” Ben says. “Mr. and Mrs. Reed, Lacy.”
“Why, that’s so beautiful,” Mom says. “A Christmas centerpiece.”
“I wanted to make one just like this.” I accept it from his hands. “Thanks so much.”
“It’s certainly unique,” Lacy says.
Mom takes it from me and marches it to the formal dining room. “It’s perfect for our Christmas dinner.”
“Yes, perfect,” Dad repeats, being the good husband he is.
“Well, you two have fun,” Lacy calls out as Ben and I head for the door.
“Aren’t you guys coming to Nash’s concert, too?” I wave at my family.
“We can’t help but be there. It’s our barn,” Dad says, chortling. “But you guys have to take the long way, so you have to leave early.”
“The long way?” I stare at my family as they smirk and grin. Lacy makes a ‘my lips are zipped’ motion so I know I’m not getting anything out of her.
Ben takes my hand and his warmth makes me dizzy with delight. He’s wearing a black Stetson, so low on his face, I can barely see his dark, broody eyes. His jaw is square and rugged, and he’s wearing a soft blue chambray western shirt with the snap buttons and a darker blue yoke. His shirt sleeves are rolled up and the top three buttons on his shirt are unbuttoned just enough to show a silver charm locket tucked between his pecs.
Jeans, a belt with a silver buckle, and boots complete his Mr. Wyoming outfit. There’s not a hint of Santa on him, not a scrap o
f red or green. Now I feel stupid with my elf top. At least it’s forest green and not bright red or pink.
“Ready for our date, Cowgirl Elf?” Ben winks as he leads me down the porch steps.
“Why do we have to take the long way?”
“Because we have to talk,” he says as the clip-clopping of hoof beats draws my attention to my parents’ driveway. “I couldn’t bring a sleigh with reindeers or flamingos from the North Pole in time, so I hope you’re up for a horse-drawn carriage ride through the redwoods.”
His words caress the nagging worry I held inside me, that he would avoid opening his heart to me. There’ll be no one to disturb us as the driver walks the carriage through the groves of redwoods at a nearby preserve.
“I’d love a carriage ride. I never knew they had them here.”
“Shhh …” He holds a finger to his lips. “It’s a Santa secret. When the weather’s too warm, I use old-fashioned carriages and horses to make my deliveries. Can’t disappoint all the children I promised presents to.”
“You never disappoint.” I step into the carriage. The sun is setting and the shadows are long, but everything’s good when Ben slides in beside me and pulls a cozy plaid carriage blanket over us.
He speaks to the driver who snaps a picture of us with Ben’s old fashioned instamatic camera before taking off.
I cuddle close to Ben and lay my head on his shoulder, inhaling his woodsy cologne mixed with the scent of redwoods and dusk. Crickets chirp softly. The hoof beats and the creaking of the carriage make me want to enjoy and remember every detail of the ride.
He rubs my shoulder and back and tips my chin up. His gaze is warm and his face radiates love—for me. It’s starting to feel magical again, like we’re being transported back in time to the Yuletide Zone where dreams and wishes always come true and happiness and love reign all year round.