The hairs on the back of my neck prickled. “Yes. Tai Niko. My friend.” I emphasized friend though he knew the truth of what our relationship was now and what it had been.
“The one you spent a month fucking while I pined after you?” He slammed the axe into the tree again. Chips of wood went flying at the force of the hit.
I gasped. “That isn’t fair, and you know it. You were with Gina then, if I recall.”
He nodded. “Yeah. Worst decision of my life,” he said, followed by a deep scowl.
I wasn’t about to agree with him. Gina is and has been a sore subject for me, but I’d gotten over their relationship. Okay…lie. I’ve accepted what they now are to one another, and Wes had better accept that with Tai because the giant Samoan was one of my best friends.
“You say that now. Anyway, I’ve come to terms with Gina, and you need to with Tai. He’ll be here for our wedding.”
He hit the tree and backed away, jerking his head up. “What? You didn’t tell me that.” He gripped the axe, knuckles turning as white as the snow all around us.
“He and his fiancée, Amy, are two of my twenty-five people. We’re also going to attend their wedding this summer in Hawaii.”
“That’s who’s getting married this summer?”
I sighed. “Yes, Wes. That’s who. My friend Tai. The same man who got on a plane in June and helped nurse me back to health after my attack. Alongside Mason.”
“That should have been me!” He turned and swung the axe, hitting the tree so hard the trunk finally gave way and the tree fell forward. The air around us seemed to vibrate when the huge tree landed.
“You done now?” I asked, hands on hips, head tilted in frustration. He knew the look well enough by now.
His shoulders slumped. “I don’t like that other men took care of you. Okay?”
“I know. I get it. I don’t like that you had your time with Gina. But it’s in the past. That doesn’t change that these people mean something to me, if on a different level than they once did, and you know that.”
“You say his fiancée is coming?” Wes asked quietly.
I walked over to him and put my hand on his shoulder as he focused on the fallen tree. “Yes, baby, his fiancée, Amy, is lovely. She knows about our history as well and doesn’t hold it against us. Tai and I were something to one another for a single month out of our entire lives. We haven’t been anything more since the day I got on that plane at the end of May. I’m marrying you in a couple weeks. She’s marrying Tai in six months. We’re friends. We care about one another. That’s it.” I did the best I could to express my sincere feelings about Tai. The last thing I needed was Wes to be jealous of yet another man in my life. I’d had enough of that.
“I’m sorry. Just…the thought of you with someone other than me makes me see red. It’s not fair, but you’re right. We both have pasts, and you’ve been great while I’ve attempted to help Gina through her trauma. I’m sorry. You forgive me?” He turned around then and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“I’ll always forgive you. And I’ll show you just how much when we get this tree back up to the cabin and defrost our bodies in a steaming hot shower.” I waggled my eyebrows with intent. “How does that sound?”
He moved fast, and before I knew it, I was in his arms, my feet dangling, and my mouth on his. Right where I always wanted to be. He pulled away with an audible smack and let my feet hit the Earth again. “Are you suggesting we have make-up sex?”
“Um, hell, yes!” I giggled, and he kissed me once more.
“I accept! Now hold the sled while I hoist our first family Christmas Tree onto it.”
* * *
Wes and I spent a solid hour dragging that tree to the cabin, hefting it up the stairs and onto the patio, where he proceeded to shake it for a really long time. Apparently, it was necessary to shake the shit out of a real tree to dislodge any potential forest friends, loose pine needles, and remaining snow. Then—no kidding here—he got the leaf blower out, put it on a low setting, and blew the tree dry. Just like blow-drying hair. The entire process was fascinating from start to finish.
Afterward, we spent another hour in the shower, making up. That was more fun than the tree hunting experience by far, but I didn’t share that bit of information.
Now, I sat on the couch, unloading box after box of ornaments, lights, and other Christmas decorations from not one, not two, but four huge tubs. For a family who didn’t come to this cabin that often, they sure loaded it up with the comforts of home. I’d already decorated the mantle where Wes had lit a fire. Greenery with fake poinsettia bows were strategically placed alongside some silver candle holders Wes informed me were a wedding gift from his grandparents to his parents when they were married all those years ago. I displayed those priceless treasures on high and lit some deep red candles to give the look even more appeal.
Together, Wes and I loaded up the tree with lights and many ornaments. Included with the store-bought ornaments was a box filled with special homemade ones. On the back were Wes and Jeananna’s names.
Wes smiled when I picked up a plaster cast of a small hand. Each finger was painted a different color and then splashed with gold glitter. On the back was Wes’s name and age five written in his mother’s careful script.
“When we were little, Mom would have Jeananna and I pass the time up here by making Christmas ornaments. Then she’d leave those here to use when we had another Christmas in Aspen. It was a great tradition.” He held up the little hand and smiled.
“We can do that with Isabel. Have her create one and add it to the box.”
Wes plopped down on the couch next to me. “And we’ll have our kids do them one day, too.”
Kids. We’d talked a little about it but not much more than a cursory discussion with us both agreeing that we wanted them one day.
“When do you want to start a family, Wes?” I asked, nervous about his answer.
He picked up my hand and kissed each knuckle sweetly. It was kind of our thing with one another. Something uniquely us. “Depends on when you want to start taking a break. If it were up to me, we’d start right away. I’ll be thirty-one this year. But you’re only twenty-five and have your entire career ahead of you. Not that you need to work,” he reminded me.
“How about we take a year for us, and then revisit this discussion, the same time next year?”
“Sounds like a date to me, sweetheart,” Wes agreed easily. Man, he really was amazing.
“Well, that was easy,” I joked.
“Why wouldn’t it be? Marriage isn’t about one person getting everything he wants. My parents always compromised with one another. I think that’s the key. And honesty. If I have a burning need to have children, you and I will talk about it. Make sure it’s something we’re both ready for. I think that’s the best way to handle anything that comes up. Don’t you?” he asked.
I thought about it while turning another ornament around and around in my palm. “Yeah, I think you’re right. If we’re honest, and willing to compromise, we should do just fine.”
He grinned and kissed my cheek. “We’ll do more than fine. As long as I’m married to you, the woman of my dreams, there’s nothing that we can’t solve together.”
His words sent a flutter of happiness coiling around my heart, wrapping it in joy. I turned to my man and kissed him. Then we spent more time making out on the couch before finishing the tree. Just as Wes had me straddling his lap and his hands up my sweater covering my breasts, a loud ringing noise sounded through the cavernous room.
“What’s that?” I stopped, my hands under his sweater.
He kissed my neck sloppily. “Doorbell. Your family is here.”
“My family is here,” I said back, still in a bit of a haze. Then it hit me. My family was here. “Woo hoo!” I jumped up. “My family is here. They’re here!” I yelled, running on my Santa Claus-socked feet to the huge set of double doors.
I flung open the doors and was greete
d by Max’s scowling face. “Jesus Christ, sugar. It’s freezing! You had to pick a snowy place to have our first Christmas, didn’t you? Just had to!” Max scolded, and I jumped up, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek. “All right, I guess you’re forgiven.” His cheeks pinked as I ushered them in.
“Mads,” I whispered, happy to see my girl.
“Mia!” She wrapped her long arms around me and squeezed me so hard I lost my breath. “I’ve missed you so much!” Her voice was thick with emotion. “I can’t believe we’re in Colorado! This is so cool.”
“Cool being the operative word,” Matt said, before giving me a one-armed hug. “Thanks for having us, Mia.”
“Thanks for coming, Matt.”
Max went back outside and then came up the steps with the baby car seat covered with a blue blanket. He handed me the car seat, which weighed a ton. What the hell was he feeding my nephew? The blanket moved, and I peeked in. Jackson was smiling and gnawing on his hand. I carried the baby into the warmth of the living room and set him on the floor near the tree. I pulled the blanket off so he could gaze at the lights before going back to help the family unload.
Once everyone was settled and warm drinks were served all around, the family helped Wes and me finish the tree. As I suspected, Maddy loved having a Christmas tree. Her eyes were huge as she stared at the finished product. I put my arm around her waist and tipped my head to her shoulder. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”
“It is, Mia. It so is. Thank you. For this, for bringing us together. It’s…I don’t know. A lot.”
“It is a lot. And we’ll enjoy it together,” I promised her.
Max came up and wedged in between the two of us so that both of us rested our heads on his massive shoulders. Exactly where the big guy liked being. Surrounded by family. He squeezed both of us closer.
“Tomorrow, we’ll talk about her,” I said to them both. “But not today. Today we celebrate being a family, have a meal together, and share in the magic of the season.”
“Agreed,” Maddy said, her voice roughened.
“Whatever my girls need. Family takes care of family.” Max tightened his arms, pulling us even closer.
I sighed and enjoyed looking at my first Christmas tree ever with my sister and brother. Even with the looming issue of our mother hanging over our heads, we still had this. Family. No matter what. Our lives were only stronger for what we’d gone through. It made us appreciate what we had even more. Days like today were new and beautiful memories I’d take with me until the day I died.
Chapter Seven
Breakfast was done and Wes and Cyndi were in the kitchen cleaning up. Matt was entertaining Isabel, who’d already taken to calling him Uncle Matt, which Maddy told me he adored. Matt was an only child so having a niece and nephew was apparently something he really enjoyed. It made him more likable in my opinion. He knew the value of family. However, he’d better not have any ideas about knocking my sister up any time soon.
Max, Maddy, and I sat on the sectional facing the fireplace. Maddy curled her long legs up under her while I sat cross-legged. Max was all business. Knees straight, elbows down on them, and his hands clasped in front of him.
“All right, girls, we need to decide how we’re going to deal with our mother. No more pussyfooting around. So, Mia, tell us what happened in the gallery.”
I went through as much of the story as I could remember, including striking her, which I was most certainly not proud of, and her pathetic attempt at claiming she didn’t know Maddy was Jackson’s biological child. How she claimed not to remember any of it, including the times she’d taken me to the casino so she could continue her long-term affair with Max’s father. I told them she even said she’d done it to keep us safe and that I didn’t know the whole story, as if she knew something that would make what she did to the three of us acceptable. Not in this lifetime.
Max lifted a fist to his lips. “I, for one, want to see her again. Say my piece. I think it would be good for us all to go together. Hear her out, make sure she hears us. Thoughts?”
A scowl I couldn’t hide slipped across my face. “You think she’s really going to care?”
Max shrugged. “Don’t know, don’t care. This isn’t just about her. It’s about us, what we experienced, and we have a right to tell her to her face how she wronged us. Maddy?”
Maddy’s hand reached out for mine, and I intertwined our fingers, lending my support. Sister solidarity. That’s always been our way. Now, we had a brother and we needed to open that door even wider and let Max stride through. Technically, it wasn’t just her and me anymore. It was Max, his family, Wes, Matt…they all had a stake in this reunion because it affected the ones they loved most. Namely, us.
Maddy let go of a deep sigh. “I’m scared. I don’t even know what to say to someone I don’t remember.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
“Fair enough,” Max nodded. “Mia, do you think you’ve said everything you have to say to her?”
I scoffed. “I don’t know.”
“Well, how’s about this? The two of you come with me, lend some support, so I can get through what I need to say to our mother.” He said it as a statement, but it definitely held a note of stress.
Max didn’t like asking for help. Under normal circumstances, he probably never would. This request hit me like a two-ton vehicle that backed up and ran over me again. “Max…” Emotion clogged my throat.
He shook his head. “Now, I know you two were abandoned, and she hurt you badly. She did the same to me. Didn’t even stay long enough for me to get my first tooth. Hell, the woman was dust before I needed my first haircut. I’d like to see her. Put a face to a mother in name only. I could really use my sisters there. Backing me up.”
I stood up, went over to Max, sat by his side, and looped my arms around him in a loose hug. “I’m sorry. I was being selfish. It’s not just about me. It’s about all of us. You were hurt, too. And you’re right. We need to go there as one solid unit. Because that’s what we are now. A family. Right?”
“Damn, right!” His voice was so sharp, it cut like glass.
Maddy crawled over the couch and snuggled against Max’s side. “I want to be there for you. As long as you’re there for me, I’m there for you. Okay?” Her eyes were glassy and sad. The fire crackled and sparked within those pale green depths.
“It’s settled then. I’ll call Kent Banks and set something up,” I said.
Max nodded and we all sat quietly, lost in our thoughts, watching the fire.
* * *
Kent Banks was eager to meet with us. He said there were things that we needed to know before he’d approve of a face-to-face meeting with our mother. At that request, we ended up sitting in a booth back at Zane’s Tavern. Wes and Matt were sitting at the bar, shooting the shit with his buddy Alex. Close enough to keep an eye on us if things went to hell in a hand basket, but far enough away to give us the illusion of privacy. I’d met with Kent before. He’d seemed odd but harmless, though extremely protective of his wife. Technically, he wasn’t even married to her. I wonder if he knew that. I knew it because she’d never bothered to get divorced from my father all those years ago.
My father. I let out a slow breath. Another disappointment. He’d been ignoring my calls since soon after I left Vegas and we’d set him up back in his home with a couple nurses. The nurses said he was responding well to treatment, but mentally, he was relapsing into his old woe-is-me pattern. I’d had faith he’d stay strong, break out of his endless spiral of self-loathing, but maybe it was too much to hope for. At this stage, I just had to pray that he stayed away from the drink and stuck to his therapy. I’d done more than I should over this past year and definitely more than he deserved. That was on him, now.
I’d learned a very valuable lesson through all of this. Love was not always kind. It could be cutthroat, ruthless, and spineless, but that didn’t mean it disappeared. I was dealing with it, and Wes was helping me with the emotional woun
d that was left when the woman that gave me life left me hanging.
A swoosh of frigid air blew across my face as Kent entered. He clocked us right away. He sat down in the empty seat we’d left at the edge of the booth. None of us wanted to be that close to him, so Maddy and I shared a side, and Max made sure his large body filled up the other. If Kent noticed this tactic, he didn’t say anything.
Kent rubbed his hands together, warding off the chill. “Thank you for coming.”
Max, as the alpha male at the table and the one who had the strongest desire to see our mother, spoke first. He held out a hand in greeting. “I’m Maxwell Cunningham. You’ve met my sister Mia Saunders. This is our baby sister, Madison Saunders.”
Both Maddy and I pasted small smiles on our face but didn’t offer our hands.
“I’m sure you’re eager for me to get right to it. In order to do that, I need to start from the beginning.” Kent said, his voice low and steady.
Max nodded and gestured for him to continue. Maddy and I sat silent.
Kent inhaled slowly. “When I met Meryl, she was lost, traveling through the countryside in a vehicle on its last legs. She was filthy, hadn’t showered in days, maybe even weeks. Later, I found she only had a couple changes of clothes and very little to her name. I figured she was escaping a violent man, and at the time, she didn’t say otherwise, let me assume the worst.”
I huffed and rolled my eyes. Kent glanced at me but continued.
“I met her at the local library. I was there to pick up a book I was researching for school. She was there to get warm.”
Maddy’s hand clenched mine under the table. Hearing about another person hurting the same way we had would hit my sister’s soft soul harder than my own. Except it was unfounded. Our mother had a warm home to go to. She chose to leave it. There would be no sympathy from me.
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