Soulmates 2.5: A Christmas Novella

by Sienna Grant

  The door opens banging off the wall. Why the fuck is everyone so loud? “What’s up bitches? You ready to get married?” Adam’s voice in my ears sounds like a megaphone. He taps my head laughing.

  “Don’t touch my head you little fucker!” Placing the coffee on the table I hang my head in my hands again. “Let me just have another half an hour and I’ll be okay.”

  “No, you need to drink that coffee and have a shower.

  “Do you need anything from your cabin?” Todd asks.

  “Just aftershave and shit.” I whisper. I fall back against the cushions and look to Adam. “Why are you not hungover?”

  “I’m not a pussy like you!” My middle finger makes an appearance as it springs up at Adam’s insult.

  “Fuck you!” I pull my phone from down the side of the cushion and pull up my messages. The one I must’ve sent last night has been seen but not answered. Shit.

  Me: Good morning, sunshine.

  Placing it on the arm of the couch I wait for her to answer me. My eyes close automatically hoping it’ll help my head. It doesn’t. Adam is flicking through the telly annoying the fuck out of me. “ADAM! Will you stop doing that?”

  “Someone has his boxers in a twist.”

  Sitting back up I drink the coffee that Todd made me and hope it helps to stop the washing machine in my stomach to settle. Todd comes back in the room with two paracetamols and puts them in my hand with a glass of water. I drink them down and go back to my coffee.

  Aidan walks into the room, I look between Adam and Aidan, wait for the showdown but it doesn’t come. Adam gives him a chin lift and Aidan just smirks. What alternative time zone have I been catapulted into. Maybe he was the one to give him the talking to...

  Twenty minutes later the tablets have eased the ten-man band that’s been playing in my head and I’m feeling a little bit more human. By the time that happens it’s one in the afternoon and time is pressing on. Adam walks to with an outfit in hand. “Here, I got the size I thought you was…” Aidan takes it from him and holds it up in front of him.

  “A kilt? Really?”

  “Suck it up big boy. The rest had to!” Adam smirks and walks away.

  I look at my watch for the hundredth time maybe, I don’t know if it’s nerves rattling around in my stomach or the remnants of stale alcohol and getting shitfaced. My hand rests on my stomach hoping it’ll ease as Ryan walks in with a bottle in his hand. “No fucking way!”

  “What? It’s just a toast to my best buddy for signing his life away, that’s all.” He laughs at the raised eyebrow I’m giving him right now. “I’m only kidding bud. You’re a lucky bastard, Taylor is great - just a handful.”

  “You talking about my daughter?” David says as he walks in.

  “How did you know?” Ryan laughs.

  “There’s only one handful that I know!” I smirk, I know he’s right.

  “Right, get some glasses.” Just the thought of that shit hitting my stomach is making me nauseous already. Adam brings some short tumblers over and give each of us one as Ryan opens the JD and pours a shot in each.

  We’re standing in a circle all dressed the same all in kilts. While we were choosing colours, a little birdie told me the Ash and Darcy were wearing red, so I chose red tartan to match. I may have a little surprise for Taylor too…

  The smell of the whisky makes me gag, I turn my face away so the smell can’t waft up my nose. “To Chris and Taylor.” Ryan shouts.

  Everyone raises their glasses in a toast to us, taking a deep breath I knock it to the back of my throat and wait for it to hit my stomach. When my stomach doesn’t reject it, then I know I’m ready for this shit.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Taylor

  The snow has been falling the last hour and there’s an inch covering the ground. When I saw my Dad in his kilt I almost squealed but he didn’t look very happy. All he said was, ‘the things I do for you’ and shook his head.

  My dad drives the Mercedes to where the wedding is being held. It’s a small, intimate room seeing as it’s only us. There’s a minister at the top of the room as I walk in but my eyes are fixed on the mousy haired man standing before her, dressed in all traditional Scottish dress all in red tartan kilts, everything else is a blur as I can only see Chris. A smile etches to my face and stays there as the music starts and my Dad leads me down the man-made aisle of chairs with the girls following me. My eyes fill up with tears of happiness, he did what I wanted but he made them all dress in kilts. I can’t believe my eyes.

  Chris watches every step I make towards him, as I join him he cups my shoulders gently. “You look beautiful.” He whispers as he leans forward and kisses my lips. The minister starts the civil ceremony by asking who gives me away, my Dad speaks up and smiles at me as only a proud father could.

  “Do you want the traditional vows or do you have your own?”

  “I have some. Taylor didn’t know.” The minister nods and asks who has the rings. Ryan pulls them from his pocket of his jacket and places them on a cushion. We go through my vows first as I slip the ring on his third finger. Tears threaten to make an appearance but I bat them away. Chris is next.

  He pushes the ring to my first knuckle he’s been instructed and starts to speak.

  “Taylor. I know you didn’t get much say in the planning of this wedding but I hope it’s everything you wanted. You are the ray of sunshine that lights up my life every single day and will carry on for the rest of my life. The day you told me you’d give us a go, I felt like screaming it from the rooftops. You’ve made me the happiest man on this earth.

  “I promise to protect you, to love you with all my heart.” he slips the ring all the way on. Before the minister has had the chance to say, ‘I now pronounce you man and wife’, I’ve taken hold of his soft clean-shaven face and pulled his lips to mine. His large hands cup my face as he takes over and changes the kiss to a more intimate one, with the slightest touch of his tongue to mine he kisses me leaving me wanting so much more.

  Once the register is signed and they hand over our marriage certificate, we head out of the room with everyone. I didn’t even notice Aidan when I walked into the room, I’m so happy he’s here though, it wouldn’t be complete without him. “Hey! When did you get here? When you weren’t with the others I didn’t think you were here.”

  “I wasn’t. I came last night. Congratulations Taylor.” He bends to kiss me on the cheek so I fling my arms around his neck and hug him.

  “I know Chris will be really happy that you’re here.”

  “Well, I had my arse handed to me in the shape of my little brother - making me realise what was important again.”

  “Todd?”

  “No, Adam.” My eyes nearly pop out of my head when he says Adam. Todd, yes, I understand that but Adam, I’d never thought that would happen.

  “Well, I’m glad he did. In fact, you’re lucky I didn’t know about all this because I would’ve done the same.”

  “Right you, go get those pictures done, so we can get out of the cold.” Aidan demands with a smile, I nod and stand by my husband.

  “Are we doing this or not? I think my dick is gonna drop off it’s so cold!” Adam shouts, his Dad though is standing behind him and clips him around the back of the head while Annemarie stands with a satisfied grin on her face.

  Adam wanted to do the photo’s outside, with the snow covering on the ground and the scenery, he said it would make for amazing photo’s but who is he kidding - it’s bloody freezing! The snow has stopped falling but still…. he gets his way anyway, but when it his turn to get on the pictures he says no because he doesn’t want to hand over his precious camera. “Adam get on this picture.” I tell him fiercely. He sets up the tripod and sets it to timer just so I can get a few with him on. In all fairness, he does an amazing job and I can’t wait to see how they turn out. He took a lot of different photo’s, I've even managed to capture him and Darcy together. Adam made us stand on a small bridge, the snow-cover
ed trees gave it a romantic feel - it was beautiful.

  Once the main photos were done, I made Chris and all the rest stand in a line and have their photo taken, I’ll never get to see this again. They stand together all in their kilts as Ash takes the picture. Chris is the middle with both our Dad’s standing either side, Adam stands on the end, as the camera clicks he lifts the Kilt to show some thigh with a cheeky smile, laughing I just shake my head because that’s Adam all over. Chris booked us into a restaurant where we had a beautiful meal and also decided we’d have a proper reception when we get home. The idea is to have a New Year’s Eve party/ wedding reception and believe me it’s going to be huge.

  Outside the lodge door Chris picks me up and traditionally carries me over the threshold. “You know you have to do this when we get home, it’s tradition.”

  “I’m going to carry you over every threshold in that house I can find.” He kisses me as we walk in, kicking the door shut behind him.

  A few hours later it’s just me and my husband in the lodge, no lights on except the twinkling fairy ones, the glow of the fire as the flames flicker and the tree lights from the corner. My hand smooths up Chris’s leg but he stops its journey halfway.

  “Erm, hello I have a license now, Christopher. It officially belongs to me.”

  “Is that right, Mrs Willows?” My hand edges a little higher but he moves away from me and stands. He pulls me to stand with him and instantly my hands clutch his arse. I smooth down as far as I can then hitch up the kilt until my palms are smoothing up his strong thighs. His hands cover mine to pause their path, “Do you want to know what a Scotsman wears under his kilt then?” My eyebrows bounce in anticipation as a smile spreads across my face, they travel up further until my palm has made its way around to the front and I’m cupping his balls in my hand, while my other hand is smoothing over his butt cheek.

  “Now that is what I’m talking about Mr Willows.”

  Pulling down the zip at the back slowly, it parts. “Now, as much as I love seeing you in this beautiful dress I much prefer to see your gorgeous body out of it. So…” He pulls the straps down and lets the dress drop then takes my hand. He kisses my knuckles and my wedding ring as I step out. “I love you Mrs Willows.”

  “I love you too. This is probably the best Christmas I’ve ever had. Thank you.”

  “It’s definitely my pleasure. Just seeing that smile on your face makes me the happiest man in the world. Now can I take my wife to bed and make love to her all night?”

  “Ohhh, I’m sure I can oblige.”

  “Good.” His lips kiss mine in a passionate embrace as his arms lift me, cradling me against him as he takes me to our room and does exactly as promised, maybe not all night but until the early hours at least.

  Chris

  I’ve been awake for over an hour, lying here watching Taylor sleep - still not quite believing she’s my wife. It’s been a long and sometimes bumpy ride but we got there and it’s a good job because there’s no other woman for me.

  It’s Christmas, we have a couple of more days here, the others are heading back tomorrow but we’ve had the best time. I’m dying to wake her up but I’m going to let her sleep. I slip from the bed and prepare some bacon, eggs and toast for breakfast with a cup of coffee for her and take it to her on a tray.

  Placing the tray on the bedside table, I sit beside her, stroking her hair, I place soft kisses all over her face. Her hand covers her face to stop me. “Christopher! Stop it.” Kissing and nibbling down her neck. “Let me sleep, please.”

  “Merry Christmas, sunshine.” Her eyelids flutter open until her blue eyes are shining at me. “I’ve made breakfast.”

  “Pity, I thought you were breakfast?”

  “I can make that happen if you like cold food.”

  “Is that bacon?” Her eyes light up as she asks me.

  “It is.”

  “Then food comes first.” Laughing I sit up after kissing her lips and bring over the tray onto the bed in front of her. I sit by the side of her as she leans across slightly and kisses me again, smacking her lips against mine.

  I hand her a present and an envelope once breakfast is over. “What’s this?”

  “Open it and find out.” She rips open the envelope and pulls out the contents. This is the only thing I managed to keep from everyone. She looks at the picture and the printed tickets.

  “Hawaii? Are you kidding me?”

  “Nope. We’re going to Hawaii for honeymoon, we leave the middle of January.” She flings her arms around me and pushes me down to the bed.

  “My present seems a little lame now.” She pulls a box from the bed. I open it and find a watch, an expensive watch. It’s Armani, I love it.

  “Thanks, but you didn’t need to buy me anything. Having you is all I need.”

  “Aw, Christopher, you’re such a romantic. I love you.”

  “I love you too until you call me Christopher.” With a raise of an eyebrow, she laughs.

  “I only do it because I know it gets on your nerves.”

  “Right then.” I drag her to the edge of the bed and throw her over my shoulder. “Right Mrs Willows, you’re gonna pay for that. I take us to the shower not dropping her until I’ve turned on the spray. We walk in, Taylor squeals, as the water hits us, it’s freezing cold for the first thirty seconds, once it starts to warm up, I then prepare to drag the t-shirt off her that she put on as she ate her breakfast before making love to her once again.

  Everyone has come to our Lodge again to spend Christmas together. There’s Christmas songs playing courtesy of the girls, candles lit and everyone exchanging gifts, I look over my family and I know just how lucky I am. I have my wife, my parents then there’s my brothers and also the new additions to the family. Plus, my extended family, David and Michelle, I couldn’t be happier right now, Taylor is right, this is the best Christmas ever. It’s definitely one to remember.

  Taylor stands when she realises I’m not there and stands in front of me. “You okay? Pulling her gently towards me, she rests her arms around my neck.

  “Merry Christmas baby.”

  “Merry Christmas.” She gazes into my eyes. “What’s up?”

  My head shakes. “Nothing, I’m just thinking how lucky I am. It’s Christmas, this place is beautiful and the most gorgeous woman in the world is my wife. I don’t think anyone could beat that.

  “It’s funny how things start out don’t you think? Whoever thought I’d get married or even settle down?”

  “I always knew you’d be mine, I had no doubt.” she laughs and pushes my shoulder in a light shove. “My girl, the other half of me. My Mirror. I love you.”

  As a lazy smile creeps onto her face, she leans an inch forward and presses her mouth to mine in a gentle but loving kiss. No matter what life throws at us in the future, I’ll always have my soulmate.

  The End

  Epilogue

  Todd

  Clink, clink, clink.

  Chris taps the glass from the front of the room to get everyone’s attention. Taylor stands next to him looking absolutely stunning in her wedding dress as Chris wraps an arm around her shoulders, waiting for the chatter to die down.

  “My wife and I want to thank everyone for being here tonight and making it extra special for myself and Taylor.” The guests roar with cheer as they clap their hands, making me smile. “As you all know last week I married the love of my life up in the highlands in a small ceremony of just family, so we thought we’d have a party!” Everyone cheers again.

  “Thank you to Todd, Adam, Aidan and Ryan for being our best men and to my Dad for being there for me always and David for having the most beautiful daughter in the world.”

  He pulls her closer to him, tucks her under his arm then kisses her temple, she looks up at him full of love, admiration. It makes me a little jealous, I want that someday. I want to be the one on the receiving end of all that love and devotion. Chris carries on his speech as my eyes flit around the room, ever
yone here stares at the happy couple. The room is full of love for them, they both deserve it.

  Adam holds Darcy close to him as she stands with her hand resting against her pregnant belly. My gaze finds the front again as Chris kisses Taylor, not bothered about the fact that around a hundred people are watching. Instantly my mouth pulls into a smile, happy for my brother.

  “I love you Taylor, you complete me.” Chris tells her. A tap on the shoulder pulls me away from the happy couple as I look behind me. “You’re late.” I eye him from head to toe, appreciating the sight before me. He’s dressed in dark jeans with a white shirt, his sleeves rolled up to the elbow, his thick, muscled forearms a sight to behold. His short-trimmed beard gives his handsome looks more edge and makes my mouth water, as it always does.

  My eyes cut from Chad and I look ahead again as Chris tells everyone to have a good time and get drunk. Clapping and cheering for my brother and sister in law, I stand from my chair.

  “Where are you going? I just got here.” Chad tells me irritated.

  “To speak to my brother. I won’t be a minute.” Smiling, I turn, but hear him sigh, but instead I walk away. After speaking to Taylor, Chris and the rest of the family we head to the bar and get some shots in. The barmaid pours six shots of JD, I hand some money over while the others stand in a circle and I pass the glasses. Holding up my shot glass I speak.

  “To Chris and Taylor, wishing you every happiness in the world.”

  We clink glasses and knock back the dark liquid in one swig and place them back on the bar.