by SM Olivier
My teasing had only backfired on me as my vivid imagination conjured an image of us naked and writhing in my bed. The low burn spread throughout my body, and I could feel the warmth between my thighs.
I grabbed his hand and looked around, ensuring everyone else was sucked into the movie that they had started. They were currently watching White Christmas. Jemmy insisted that we view the new Christmas movie she had purchased for tonight after the visit from Greg, Miranda, Hazel, and Harry. I guided his hand into my pants so he could feel my heat and know how his words had affected me.
He turned us, shielding me from anyone that may look over. Anyone that may look at us would just see him embracing me. He groaned low against my ear as he slipped his fingers further down my pants. I hadn’t bothered putting on underwear, and he made another satisfied sound as his fingers found my core.
“You’re such a tease,” he hissed right before he thrust two fingers into me and his large thumb began to rub my sensitive nub.
I muffled my squeal against his arm. I just wanted him to feel my reaction to him. I never expected him to take it a step further. I closed my eyes and enjoyed his ministrations. I was just wondering if anyone would notice if we slipped away for a little while, when I heard my name. It broke through my desire filled euphoria.
“Can you grab me some more mac and cheese too, Blake?” Jaxson called from the living room.
“Sure,” my voice came out a little huskily, and I hoped no one else had noticed it.
Remy chuckled in my ear. “To be continued.”
“Not fair,” I whimpered as he withdrew his hand from me.
“Don’t think you’re the only one suffering,” he husked as he rubbed himself against my back.
I hid my aroused and slightly pained smile, glad to know I could still affect him. I hastily stepped away from him to try to regain some of my composure and fix up Jaxson’s plate.
We had parted just in time, as Drake came into the room to start the homemade hot chocolate. The only hot chocolate I had ever known was the kind that was in the powder form and even then, I had been wrong. I had always thought there wasn’t a huge difference between hot chocolate and hot cocoa. I had been so, so wrong.
Drake’s version of hot chocolate was the best I have ever had. It was slightly better than the hot chocolate Jace had gotten me the first time I had ever skied, the first time he told me he loved me.
I was surprised to see Drake bring down a large bottle of Rumchata.
He smiled at me. “For the adults,” he explained.
I smiled with a nod. I didn’t believe in using alcohol as a crutch, but I may need it tonight. There was a knock on the door, and my smile faded away. I took a deep calming breath before grabbing my plate and walking to the door.
“I’ll get it,” Jace stated as he gave me a reassuring look.
I gave him a grateful smile before I handed Jaxson my plate. “I threw on some ham for you,” I stated with a shrug.
“Are you sure, isn’t this yours?” he asked.
“I’m going to get the children. I can make a plate for myself later,” I explained.
“I already texted them.” Troy gave me a guilty look.
I took a seat next to Noah and snuggled into him. I was hoping to have a few moments to prepare myself, even though I knew they were coming.
“Merry Christmas Eve!” Greg exclaimed as he came in bearing gifts.
Hazel came in carrying more gifts, followed by Miranda who was holding a thrashing Harry. He was making the same keening cries he had been when I first met him.
“Merry Christmas Eve,” we all chorused back, some of us more enthusiastic than others.
Will hopped up and quickly started helping Hazel with the bags in her hands. “Wow,” Will joked. “You guys really did go crazy.”
“I missed too many Christmases with them,” Miranda said self-deprecatingly as she struggled with Harry.
I bit my tongue from any sarcastic or caustic remarks. It was Christmas Eve, after all. This wasn’t about me. This was about the kids.
“What’s wrong with him?” Ella was looking at Harry with something akin to confusion and disgust.
The children/teens all filed into the room, eyeing Miranda warily as they took seats on the floor near us.
“Ella Marie,” I stated sharply.
“What?” she gave me one of her ‘teenager’ looks with a shrug and a resigned expression.
“Nothing is wrong with him,” Hazel said bluntly as she peered down into Ella’s face. “The doctors think he has autism, but we think he’s special like you guys are.” She shrewdly looked at my siblings before she gripped Ella’s face gently. She turned in to the side, and I saw a sheen of tears in her eyes for a moment before she said, “You look just like your father, but you have Miranda’s tongue.”
Greg was well aware of my sibling’s gifts. Since he could read the gifted, he saw it immediately. We would have liked to keep it from them longer, but we had no other choice. We couldn’t hide the children from them at meal times. They had respected our wishes by not approaching them until we were ready for them to.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Ella said staidly before she curled into Remy’s lap with a brush and hair tie.
Remy immediately started to brush it. Ella no longer came to me to get her hair braided. She knew my mountain of a man had a soft spot for her and liked to exploit it whenever possible. She had most of the guys wrapped around her finger.
Hazel barked with laughter as some of the adults tried to hide their smiles. “Definitely Miranda.”
We were trying to nip this attitude of Ella’s that she was starting to acquire. She had matured quickly in the time she had gotten her gift. The influence from the older girls she’d begun to hang out with wasn’t helping, either. She was getting too big for her britches.
“Mom,” Miranda said in a resigned sigh. “I really wasn’t that bad. It was just Andy was such a saint. Everyone would have looked like trouble children compared to him.”
“Can you tell me more stories about my dad?” Ella asked eagerly.
“Let’s save the stories for later,” Will stated with a gentle smile. “We have cookies, and soon we’ll have hot chocolate. Would you like any?” He turned to everyone who had just joined us. “We have some leftover prime rib, ham, and other sides if you want something heartier.”
“I’ll make some coffee, too.” Troy jumped up, clapping his hands. “Hazel, please take my seat.”
“I hope you’re telling me that as a gentleman and not because you’re calling me old,” Hazel said saucily as she walked over to the chair. Hazel was older, but you couldn’t tell by the way she moved around. She was nimble and quick, which was a surprise, considering how long she had spent in an assisted living facility. “I’ll take some prime rib with horseradish sauce, if you have it, and surprise me with the sides.”
Troy laughed smoothly. “A gentleman always gives up a seat for a lady,” he gave a pointed look at Jaxson. “I’ll get your plate as well.”
“Miranda, please take my seat,” Jaxson said with false brightness as he got up from the couch.
Alex hissed, clutching his head as he crept towards the boy Miranda had just put down. The boy had ran and was now hiding under one of the end tables. He was a solid little boy of around three. He had our wild curls, but he had the same russet color as his father. He looked like a miniature version of Greg, with our curls and vivid green eyes like me, Micah, and my grandmother.
“Be careful,” Greg said with a weary sigh as he sat in an open sling back chair. He was older than Miranda by twelve years, and even though he didn’t look like he was in his mid-forties, generally, he looked tired. I imagined caring for a child such as Harry could be taxing after a while. “He will kick, and sometimes hit, when he’s afraid.”
I went to stop Alex before Jace put an arm around the back of the couch and lowered his head next to my ear. `
“He’s afraid,” Jace whispere
d to me leaning back. “But he’s not going to hurt him.” He gave me a pointed look, and my eyes widened.
I knew Jace was weak now with my struggle, but I also knew he could still feel strong feelings from time to time. Harry must be exuding strong feelings for him to sense it.
“I’m not the greatest cook,” Miranda muttered self-mockingly as she eyed Alex kneeling next to the end table. “Mom barely touched the ham and mash potatoes I’d made. I’ll just take cookies and hot chocolate, please.”
“You’re trying babe, that’s all that matters,” Greg quickly reassured her. “Prime rib does sound good, though.”
Miranda laughed and shook her head. “I saw you try to stomach my food. I told you there’s a reason I let you cook all the time. How about you, Blake? Do you cook? I know Andy was restricted to eggs, bacon, ramen noodles, spaghetti, and anything from the frozen food section.”
I wasn’t in the mood to entertain her. I knew she was trying, but I wasn’t ready to act like we could be friends or that she could mend our relationship—or lack thereof—so easily.
“Blake’s an excellent cook,” Kade stated as he went towards Alex. He looked just as anxious as I felt. Alex had filled out, but he was still the smallest second grader in his class. Harry was a big and sturdy three-year-old.
“How about you, Kade? Do you like to cook? What is your interest?” Miranda smiled warmly at him.
“I’m learning to cook.” He didn’t seem to put off by her intrusiveness. “And I really like the lessons I’m getting in martial arts, but I use to play football.”
“What position?” Greg asked in interest. “Will and I used to play back in the day. Did the boys ever get into it?” he asked Will.
“I play tight end,” Kade answered.
“Remy, Jace, and Jaxson all played,” Will said with a small smile.
“Brace yourselves,” Megan whispered loudly towards us. “Here come the high school stories.”
Will chuckled. “We won’t get into that yet. I know it’s Christmas Eve.” He held his hands up with a fond smile at Megan.
“What interests do you have, Micah?” Miranda asked him with a bright smile.
He looked over at me with a questioning look. I shrugged. I’d already told him he didn’t have to interact with her if he didn’t want to.
“He lifts weights with me, and he loves comic books,” Remy finally said as he tied the hairband on the bottom of Ella’s long braid.
“I like drawing, cooking’s okay, dance is enjoyable, and I like learning to play the piano,” Ella piped up from Remy’s lap.
Everyone laughed at her exuberance. I attempted to. I really wished we could quickly get this over with. I wanted to finally relax for the night.
“Piano? Did you know your dad was a prodigy?” Hazel stated softly. “Most parents had to force their children to practice. I had to beg him to go outside. If I allowed him, he would go to school and play all day. First it was the piano, then the guitar, cello. He started to teach himself the saxophone, last I remembered.” She grimaced. The memory was probably a painful one.
Ella leaned forward with interest. “What’s a prodigy?”
“Someone that’s young and has exceptional abilities.” Hazel smiled.
“Like Blake?” Ella asked pointed towards me. “She’s young, and she knows how to play the piano, guitar, and violin.”
Everyone laughed at her guilelessness. “Did Andy teach you to play?” Miranda asked.
I wanted to sigh in frustration. I really didn’t want to be involved in the small talk. I was just trying to give the children the opportunity to get to know her if they wanted to.
“He did,” I finally said succinctly. “Jace and Pops encouraged me to learn the violin, though.”
“He tried to teach me, too,” Miranda said with a smile. “I could sing, but I couldn’t play to save my life.”
“Blake can sing too!” Alex exclaimed enthusiastically.
“Really?” Miranda's eyes brightened like she was excited to find out we had something in common. “Maybe−”
“What about you Alex?” Greg interjected as he squeezed Miranda’s leg fondly. I knew he was just trying to be a mediator and was trying to prevent Miranda from being too overbearing in her quest to get to know us. “What do you like doing?”
“I like video games, and football’s cool,” Alex stated with a shrug.
I looked over and was surprised to see not only was Harry out from under the table, but he was now curled up in Alex’s lap.
I could hear everyone else’s surprise reflect my own. Alex was slowly stroking the boys head.
He looked up at me. “Can you please find Otto,” he whispered as tears filled his eyes. “He’s not okay. I keep trying to talk to him, but he’s afraid. He won’t listen. He’s afraid to sleep at night, he’s afraid to sleep at all. That’s when he sees the bad people.”
Greg knelt down next to him as he looked over at Will, then Hazel. “He’s so young. I can’t tell. Sometimes I think he’s a dream walker but other times it’s so hard to tell.”
Will frowned. “We already know Alex isn’t quite the same telepath that we’re used to. It’s a possibility that Harry may have similar markings of a dream walker but a different kind we’re not aware of.”
Greg went to take Harry from Alex, but Harry immediately began screaming. Alex awkwardly patted Harry’s back. “He wants to sleep,” he explained calmly as he continued to pat his back. “I’m helping him,” Alex said grimly.
Kade sat down next to him and threw an arm around Alex’s shoulder. Micah took the seat on the other side of him and sat as close as possible.
“Alex,” Will said with a warning. “Remember what I taught you. If you get tired, pull out.”
“Yes, Pops,” Alex said wearily as he closed his eyes for a moment.
“Is it time to open up gifts yet?” Ella asked expectantly.
“Impatience,” Hazel said with a mock look of sternness before she grinned widely. “Now that’s all me. Let’s eat while the kids open their gifts.”
“Can I open mine after he’s asleep?” Alex asked with a smile.
“Of course,” Greg said gruffly as he patted Alex’s head fondly.
Chapter 6
I was emotionally drained by the time they left. Will left shortly after that, carrying a sleeping Alex. Alex had finally opened his gifts after taking a small break from helping Harry, but he continued to ‘peer’ into Harry’s head to make sure his dreams weren’t disturbing him. It had taken a lot out of him, and I knew with my and Jace’s help, we could have made it more comfortable.
Maybe over time, we could even heal him completely. I wasn’t going to feel any ill will towards Harry because of who his mother was. The more time I spent around Greg and Hazel, the more I liked them, too. Ella had already forged a bond with Hazel. I had a feeling those two would be thick as thieves soon enough.
“Let’s go to bed before Santa comes.” Megan stood with a smile. “Thank you for everything tonight, guys. We’ll see you in the morning. Maybe around ten-ish.”
“That sounds good,” Remy smiled before he went to pick Ella up. She had just fallen asleep on him.
“I’ll take her,” Kade volunteered. “I know you guys want to watch your new movie. Plus,” he said with a mischievous grin. “I know Santa won’t come if we don’t hurry up to bed.”
Remy smiled at him before handing him off.
“Are you guys still up for a movie?” Gavin asked as he gave me a questioning look as the door closed.
I wavered between dragging Remy off to bed or enjoying the last few hours of Christmas Eve with everyone.
“Please?” Jemmy pleaded. “We can even help you pull out all the gifts while we watch the movie. I really want to watch it.” She shot Troy a smirk. “It has Eva Carver in it.”
Troy shot back with a look of annoyance.
“Really?” Jaxson perked up before he plopped down in Megan’s newly vacated seat. “Count me i
n!”
I felt like I was missing something, and from Jemmy’s gleeful expression and Troy’s closed expression, I had a feeling I was going to find out soon enough.
I looked over at Remy, and he gave me a nod. “Sierra, can you get the movie started? Let’s head down and get the rest of your gifts.”
“I’ll grab the wagons,” Noah stated.
“Do you think we should hold off on giving them some of their presents?” Jace said skeptically. “Everyone truly went crazy this year.”
“I agree.” I laughed as I went to help Jaxson get our folding wagons. “Alex’s birthday is in a couple of weeks. Ella’s is in April. Kade’s is in June, and Micah’s is in February.”
“We’re giving them all of their gifts,” Remy stated in a tone that brooked no argument. “This is all our first Christmas together. It should be one to remember.”
“Sounds right to me,” Troy stated resolutely.
“Okay let’s go.” I set the wagon up.
We went down the hall to a locked room at the far end. A lot of the families had rented rooms for this purpose. They didn’t want to store their gifts where their children may stumble across them. The rooms were bare, with just long tables in the middle and a few chairs.
We loaded up the wagons, and it took a few trips, but we finally got it all. On our last trip back, we noticed someone had turned the lights off, so only the Christmas tree illuminated the living room and kitchen. It didn’t take us long to arrange the gifts around the tree.
“Are you hungry?” Remy asked as he gathered me close. “You didn’t eat your plate from earlier.”
“Actually,” I said with little thought, “I am.”
“I’ll fix you a plate, save me a seat,” Remy lightly smacked my butt as I went into the living room. I shot him a look full of promise as I grabbed a blanket from the blanket ladder we had.
“The movie’s starting,” Jemmy said in a high-pitched sing song voice as she sat down and gave Troy a smug look.