A Bryson Family Christmas: Brothers in Blue, book 4

by St. James, Jeanne

  “And you still have Pop.”

  Mary Ann laughed past her tears. “Yes, I still have him.” She turned to Carly. “If you need me, yell.”

  “I will.”

  “I’m going to walk Ma out.” He planted a kiss on Levi’s forehead and placed him back into the stroller. He pressed a kiss to Carly’s lips and whispered, “I’ll see you later.”

  With a last look at his family, he walked his mother out the door.

  Chapter Seven

  Teddy & Adam

  Teddy couldn’t control his foot tapping nervously on the sidewalk. But it was better than chewing his nails down to the quick. Plus, if he did that, all he would do is get a mouthful of blech since he was wearing leather gloves.

  He wanted to feel better after his conversation—and hot sex—with Adam early this morning, but something still niggled at him. He needed to talk to his best girlfriend.

  Where the hell was Amanda, anyway?

  She tended to be late, but not this late. And he could see and hear the high school marching band now coming up the street.

  The parade order was always the band with the “Happy Holidays” banner and all the high schoolers in their cute uniforms freezing their asses off, then the mayor on a float with the town council. Not freezing their asses off since they got to dress for the weather and probably took nips from their whiskey-filled flasks they had secretly stashed in their coat pockets. Unlike the teenagers.

  After them, came Max, the town’s Chief of Police, usually freezing his sexy tush off as he sat on the back of a convertible, handing out Manning Grove PD patches to anyone who came up to the car and asked for one. If it was a kid, the child got a little bag of candy, too. Max tended to be very popular with the under eighteen crowd and also with women over eighteen. But for two different reasons.

  One for handing out candy, the other for looking like eye candy.

  Amanda had gotten herself a catch. But there was no way she was retracting her claws from her man. Not that Max ever looked at other women the same way he looked at his wife.

  Teddy sighed.

  He wanted what they had. He thought he would get it with Adam. He was starting to wonder.

  Ugh, he overthought everything! If he wasn’t careful, he could push his lover away.

  Oh, thank the best friend gods, there Amanda was, fighting her way through the crowd, her eyes on him and wearing a secretive smile.

  What. The. Hell?

  “You better explain that and you better do it right now!” he insisted as she settled into the seat next to him.

  “Should I say hello to my spawn first?”

  “No!”

  Amanda laughed. “So, what do I need to explain?”

  Teddy circled his hand in front of her face. “That look you’re wearing, like you know a good secret. You need to share that with your BFF.”

  “Okay, I will...” Amanda leaned forward and called out to Leah. “Hey, Leah!”

  A loud gasp escaped Teddy.

  “Hey, Amanda!” Leah called back, unaware of the drama unfolding at their end of the group.

  “Baby good?” Amanda asked. She shot a wicked look at Teddy.

  Leah gave her a thumb’s up. “She’s good. I don’t know about me.”

  “That wasn’t funny,” Teddy hissed. “BFF means best friends forever. That means it’s for-ev-er. You are stuck with me.”

  “Damn,” Amanda muttered.

  “Okay, dish, girl. What was with the secretive smile?”

  Amanda leaned back in her folding chair, unfolding the blanket that had been left on it and throwing it over her legs. “Nothing. I was just thinking about the surprise we’re giving you-know-who tomorrow.”

  You-know-who was Greg. Teddy chewed on that for a second. “I’m not sure that was it.”

  Amanda sighed. “I swear. That was it.”

  “Swear on your children’s life.”

  “I’ll swear on Hannah’s but not Oliver’s.”

  “Mom!” Hannah screeched next to Teddy. “I’m telling Dad!”

  “See? This is why. You’re a snitch,” she told her daughter, struggling to keep a straight face.

  “Snitches get stitches,” Ron announced from the other side of Leah.

  “Grandpa!”

  Ron shrugged. “Well, it’s true.”

  Leah, who was sitting between them, had her head dropped forward and she was shaking.

  “It’s not funny, Aunt Leah,” Hannah huffed.

  “I disagree,” Leah said on an escaped laugh.

  Hannah crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

  “Santa sees you pouting,” Ron reminded her.

  Hannah quickly smoothed out the pout and then glared straight ahead, instead.

  “I have no idea where she gets that from,” Amanda said under her breath.

  Teddy snorted.

  The marching band passed them, and they weren’t able to talk for a few minutes as the band was loud and they’d pause on every block for the girls to swing batons and flags and whatever else girls did in a marching band while wearing skimpy outfits.

  He’d look good in one of those outfits.

  Hmm.

  Once the band moved on, the mayor’s float went by.

  Next up was the 1965 Chevy Impala SS Convertible—Teddy hated that he knew those details, but it was the same vehicle the chief always rode in—with Dutch’s son driving. Dutch always volunteered Cage and his classic car for the parade every year. The only difference this year—and last—was that Cage had joined the MC that Dutch used to belong to.

  He was now one of those leather-clad gorillas. As was the rest of Dutch’s manly, good-with-their-hands mechanics.

  However, Cage was not wearing his club “colors” today out of respect for Max. Dutch did his best to stay on good terms with the PD since he worked on their vehicles, both police and personal.

  But Cage was sexy as all get out, as was the rest of Dutch’s crew. Sometimes Teddy had the urge to flatten one of his own tires just to get one of them out to “rescue” him. Or at least bend over as they changed his tire.

  However, Adam was proficient with changing flats, so if he found out Teddy called someone other than him, he might be a bit miffed.

  “There’s Uncle Max!” Austin yelled.

  “Max!” Greg echoed him, bouncing in his seat and waving at every participant in the parade.

  “Hi, Daddy!” Oliver screamed, rushing to the edge of the sidewalk and waving to his father. Ron jumped out of his seat to hold on to the five-year-old so he wouldn’t dart into the street.

  “Sometimes I still want to scratch your eyes out for taking my first true love from me,” Teddy muttered.

  “You don’t want him,” Amanda said. “He’s stubborn.”

  Teddy arched what he knew was a perfectly manicured eyebrow. “Oh, and you aren’t?”

  “Not like him.”

  Teddy snorted again.

  “You have Adam. He’s cut from the same damn Bryson cloth.”

  Teddy hmm’d. “That he is, girlfriend. But...”

  Amanda’s head spun towards him. “But?” she yelled, catching her husband’s attention as he drove by.

  Teddy waved a reassuring hand towards Max, letting the man know he didn’t need to save his wife from anything nefarious. Except Teddy’s woes.

  Which he was about to unload on his BFF. “I had a little meltdown this morning.”

  Amanda’s brow lifted and not in surprise. “Little?”

  He grimaced. She knew him only too well.

  He squeezed his index finger and thumb together just leaving a little space between them. “An itty bitty one.”

  “There’s nothing itty bitty when it comes to you,” Amanda reminded him.

  “I know, right? Rawr!” He made a clawing motion with his hand.

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “But it’s true.”

  “Something I don’t need to know.”

  “But still fa
ct.”

  “I’ll take your word for it.”

  “Just ask Adam.”

  “I’m not asking Adam how big you are.”

  “Why? He’d vouch for me.”

  “Aaaaaanywaaaaay...”

  Teddy dropped his voice to a whisper and leaned close to Amanda. Especially since Hannah was sitting on his other side. Most likely eavesdropping. “Anyway, I really think he’s having second thoughts.”

  Amanda gasped. “He is not!”

  “Or possibly having an affair,” he said under his breath, just loud enough so she could hear him.

  Amanda shook her head. “Adam would never cheat on you.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “Are you crazy?”

  Teddy shh’d her to get her to keep her voice down. Which was ironic since he was the one who usually needed to be shushed.

  “Have you noticed how loyal Brysons are?”

  “He could be different. I’m starting to believe he only accepted my proposal to just shut me up. I think I’m good enough to live with and,” he leaned closer and curved a hand around the side of his mouth, to avoid Hanna hearing him, “fuck, but not good enough to be his husband.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “Then why has it been so long?” Oh God, the whine in his own voice made him shudder. But this was whine-worthy.

  “It’s not a rush. It’s not like you need to hurry and get pregnant because you’re past your prime.”

  “I am not past my prime. I’m only forty-five. And I would love to have his baby. You know he wants one.”

  “Mother nature hasn’t figured out how you can do that yet.”

  Which might be a good thing, since it would ruin his figure. “No, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get a surrogate and use Adam’s swimmers. But that takes time and planning. We would need to start that process soon.”

  “You want to use Adam’s and not yours?”

  Teddy half-shrugged. “I finally got my Bryson buck, now I want that buck’s baby. Honestly, I want it to look just like him, not me. Oh, and I could dress him up so cute!” He grabbed Amanda’s thigh and squeezed. “Adam has to love me, right? He puts up with all my shit. Nobody would put up with me unless they did.”

  Amanda smiled and patted his hand. “Yes, he loves you.”

  “Then he should want to marry me.”

  “The Bryson bucks always had problems with commitment,” she reminded him. “Even Adam.”

  “But if we’re going to have a baby, we need to do it soon. I don’t want to be asked if I’m my kid’s grandfather,” Teddy shuddered, “when I pick him up from school. It’s bad enough he’ll probably be teased for having two dads.”

  The clip-clop of horses headed their way, followed by a few other floats from businesses around the area and the high school football team.

  He sighed. “Speaking of two dads, Manning Grove needs a Pride Parade.”

  “Hmm. Yeah. Though, that might end up being a single float parade.”

  “But I’d rock it.” He did his signature two snaps and a clap.

  “That you would.”

  “And you know Adam and I aren’t the only ones flying the rainbow flag. I bet a couple of those leather-clad gorillas riding those hot, rumbly motorcycles are, too.”

  “I doubt it.”

  “You never know, since men in leather is such a gay thing.”

  “Depends on the leather. I haven’t spotted any of them riding their motorcycles in assless chaps yet.”

  “Oh. Now that—”

  “It would give your blue hairs a heart attack,” Amanda said.

  “It would be so hot, though. Some of them have really nice tushies.”

  “I haven’t noticed,” Amanda lied.

  “Mmm hmm.”

  “Well, if you arrange a Pride parade, we’ll walk the route with you.” Amanda waved a hand down the line of sitting Brysons. “We all will.”

  “At least it would be in June instead of this crazy cold weather. Brrr.” He hugged his shoulders and shivered dramatically. “Since my man isn’t here, I might have to find one of those bearded gorillas to keep me warm.”

  “I’d stick to hot chocolate, Teddy. Adam isn’t the sharing type.”

  Teddy’s eyes lit up. “No, he isn’t. I love, love, love when he gets all jealous over me.”

  “See? Proof he loves you.”

  “Mmm. I don’t know why.”

  “Honestly? I don’t know, either,” Amanda said in all seriousness.

  Teddy’s mouth dropped open. “You didn’t!”

  She laughed. “I think I did.”

  “Oh! Here comes Du—“

  “Santa,” Amanda quickly corrected him.

  “Oh, yes, right. Santa. Santa’s beard needs a trim, it’s looking a little ragged. I’ll have to get him into my chair. He fights me tooth and nail but I’m learning how to tame that savage beast.”

  “Not until after he delivers the kids’ presents, please. We don’t want him delayed or we’ll hear a bunch of whining tomorrow morning.”

  “That would not be pleasant.”

  Amanda gave him a look. “Right. Whining isn’t pleasant.”

  Teddy rolled his eyes. “Unless there’s a good reason for it.”

  “Here comes that reason.”

  Teddy’s head twisted in the direction Amanda was staring.

  Adam hoped to hell that Amanda hadn’t spilled the beans. She and Teddy were as thick as thieves, but he didn’t want to ruin his surprise for his fiancé.

  It had been a struggle to keep it secret since Teddy felt the need to know everything that happened in the Bryson family, even if it didn’t concern him.

  Though, in a few days, Teddy would probably be whining about too much sex and also sand in all of his cracks and crevices.

  He could see the man wearing a big floppy sun hat, white zinc on his nose, oversized Jackie Kennedy-Onassis sunglasses and sipping a tropical drink with one of those little colorful umbrellas.

  And maybe even wearing a banana sling bathing suit.

  Hopefully, Adam could talk him out of the last. Not talking him out of it, but talk him out of wearing one. In truth, it would be easy to talk him out of it. All Adam would have to do is get naked himself.

  His future husband was crazy, but it was the type of crazy Adam could deal with. It kept his life from being boring, that was for damn sure.

  And Teddy kept Adam’s thick eyebrows on point. That was a plus.

  As he hit the Brysons’ spot on the sidewalk, he stopped at every chair and gave hugs to the ladies, a handshake to Uncle Ron, and hair ruffles to the kids, even Greg, who laughed and jumped out of his seat to give Adam a bone-crushing hug, anyway.

  One kid’s hair he did not ruffle was Hannah’s. She would’ve squawked like a hen trying to lay an egg if he even tried. So, he stopped in front of the ten-year-old going on sixteen and held out his hand.

  Hannah knew the routine. She unburied one of her hands from under the blanket she was huddled under, pulled off her purple glove and placed her hand in his. He dropped to one knee, bowed his head and kissed the back of it. “Good day, Princess.”

  “Good day, peasant,” she responded like normal, lifting her nose and her voice sounding all hoity-toity.

  “If it pleases my princess, her peasant would like to pass so I can visit with my fiancé?”

  “You may,” she said like an eighty-year old queen. A queen of the royalty, not of the drag variety.

  Adam got to his feet and tipped his head in thanks. “Your highness is so generous and kind.”

  Ron snorted beside her. “If her highness doesn’t keep her hiney in line, all her presents are getting thrown into the fire. Or donated to charity.”

  “What did you do?” Adam asked Hannah as her face began to twist.

  “Nothing,” she muttered.

  “Were you calling your brother a piece of organ meat again?”

  “No.”

  “Yes!” everyone yelled
in unison, including Greg.

  “Tsk, tsk, Princess. You won’t be allowed to attend the ball.”

  Hannah rolled her eyes, but her lips curled slightly. “I don’t have a prince to escort me, anyway. Dad said no princes ‘til I’m thirty.”

  “Forty,” came from Ron.

  “Grandpa!”

  “Okay, young lady, fifty. Keep it up and I’ll add another decade.”

  “You’re not my father!”

  Everyone froze. No one moved.

  That was, everyone except Ron, whose head turned slowly toward his granddaughter. “You’re right. I’m not. I’m your father’s father, so that makes me the king of this family. All hail the king!”

  Greg laughed and boomed, “Grampa is king! He needs a crown! Gramma that means you’re... you’re the queen.”

  “Uh uh,” Teddy butted in. “I’m the queen in this family. No one is usurping that position from me.”

  No, they weren’t. But Teddy’s crown just might be a bit tilted.

  Adam grinned at his fiancé, who blew him a kiss.

  When he moved in front of his future husband, Teddy held his hand out, too. “This queen expects the same treatment, peasant.”

  Adam chuckled and dropped to one knee onto the cold concrete, kissing his fiancé’s hand.

  “Oh,” Teddy purred. “I like you on your kn— Ow!”

  Amanda had given him a good shot to the ribs. “She’s ten. Remember? She’s not dating until she’s fifty. Let’s not give her ideas in the meantime.”

  “Like you and that buck of yours don’t.”

  “Mom wants Dad to spank her,” Hannah announced loud enough that even the crowd nearby turned. Everyone in the Bryson bunch once again froze.

  Ron coughed sharply, trying to cover a laugh.

  Teddy turned to Hannah as Adam got to his feet. “Get it right. Everyone wants your dad to spank them, girl. Ev-ery-one.”

  “I don’t!” Oliver piped up down the row.