by Maren Smith
The man in the red suit winked at Trent and then at Jessie. “Well, it was very nice to meet you, too,” he said in a deep, exaggerated voice. And as he helped her off his lap, there were plenty of smiling eyes watching closely.
“What did you ask Santa for?” a little boy who was next in line innocently asked.
Jessie stooped to whisper in his ear. “I didn’t ask him for anything. I finally have the family I’d always wished for,” she said through a beaming smile as Trent, Sammie, and Pete put their arms around her.
“I think we all should know by now where we’re heading for lunch, right?” Sammie asked, linking arms with Jessie.
Pete elbowed Trent. “I guess I’ve told that cheeseburger, French fries, and Coke story one too many times.”
“Are you hungry yet, sweetie?” Trent asked Jessie.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I just saw your visiting Elf and his buddy the Mensch grab a table for two to watch and make sure that you’re eating a nutritious lunch,” Pete mentioned from behind, “so we probably should ask the hostess to seat us close to them.”
With arms crossed, Jessie stomped her foot as they entered the restaurant, but Trent quickly took her by the elbow and arched his eyebrow. “Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you, princess. Unless, of course, you’d like a quick bop on the bottom in public.”
“The tantrums just come naturally to her,” Sammie whispered to Pete through a heavy sigh. “Maybe I should take a lesson or two from the master...”
Jessie threw a sideways glance to her sister before twisting her neck. “Are you two keeping something from me?”
“Could we have a table for four in the back corner, please?” Trent asked the hostess as Sammie stared into space like a reindeer in headlights.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE TWO COUPLES GOT comfortable in a corner booth of the restaurant as their waitress handed each of them a colorful laminated menu.
“The lunch specials are listed on the back. Can I get anyone something to drink while you check them out?” the older woman asked, straightening her white uniformed jacket.
“Yes, thank you very much,” Trent said in a quiet tone while studying the faces at the table. “Is everyone up for a Coke?”
Acknowledging the nods and smiles all around, the woman sauntered off as Jessie laid her menu down and looked across the table at her sister. “So, what’s going on that I don’t know about? What are you guys hiding from me?”
Trent’s square jaw suddenly tightened. “Keep your voice down. We’re in a public place, Jessica Nicole,” he warned through clenched teeth.
She glared at him defiantly. “I know where we are, but would love to know what’s been going on behind my back. Could someone please fill me in?”
“Pete and I are giving the daddy/little girl lifestyle our best shot,” Sammie admitted, her words crammed into one breath.
Trent peered at Jessie and then at his brother and sister-in-law. Everyone at the table was silent, and no one blinked.
Jessie’s brow furrowed as she bent forward. “That’s it? That’s all you got? Who didn’t know that was going to happen!” she blurted out with a giggle.
“Pete thought you’d be jealous, so I was sworn to secrecy,” Sammie confessed, throwing him a sideways glance. “Jesus, why didn’t you tell us that you knew?”
“Of course, it was just a hunch, but after you started indulging in the DD lifestyle, I had a feeling that would be the next road you’d travel. Really, I’m glad for you guys,” she said before turning her attention to Trent. “Obviously, I wasn’t happy to see our age-play fun take a detour, but our trip to see Santa today showed me that we’re going to have a great time over this holiday season.”
A sigh of relief spilled from Trent’s mouth as he crossed his arms and grinned. “This was only the start of my little Christmas plans for you.”
Playfully crossing her arms to mirror his, she met him nose to nose. “My husband knows how much I’ve missed this kind of play.”
“Thank God, Pete and I can finally come out of the kinky closet. It was killing me not to tell you how we live.”
“Let’s not reveal too much, my dear,” Pete warned, lifting a dark eyebrow. “There’s no need to share everything we do behind closed doors. And I’m going to add that to your list of rules, right now.”
“Oh great, just what I need—another rule.”
Jessie and Trent’s eyes locked together in amusement before returning their attention to Pete and Sammie.
“Please don’t test me in a public place, Sammie. We’ve talked about this before, and the conversation never ends well.”
Brazenly, she leaned forward and angled her head toward Trent. “Well, well, well, isn’t this a double standard? Since I already know that my husband has come to you for age-play tips. Do I have that information correct, brother-in-law?”
“Should I take my darlin’ wife home to hear the answer loud and clear while she’s over my knee? Because if she doesn’t stop the sass, that’s exactly where she’s going. And I don’t need any tips on how to do that!”
“Jesus.” While an odd desire stirred deep inside her belly, Sammie’s face reddened with embarrassment as she slouched back into her original position.
Pete’s tone was gentle as their server approached with a tray of Cokes. “Well, what will it be, little one? Shall we order lunch or should I take you home? Your choice.”
“I’ll have a cheeseburger with a side of French fries,” Sammie ordered in a small voice, hoping that the waitress hadn’t heard what her husband had just said.
“Shall we make it easy and all order the same lunch special?” Trent asked, helping Jessie remove the paper from her straw.
As their server walked out of earshot, Jessie turned to Sammie and her brother-in-law. “I know you were all just trying to protect my feelings by keeping your AP fun out of my sight, but I’m absolutely fine now, so let’s head into this fun holiday and enjoy it together. No more secrets, okay?”
Once again, Sammie leaned forward, but this time her eye was on Jessie. “There is one additional thing I need to get off my chest.”
Pete smiled while placing a straw in her glass.
“I’ve been a little jealous that you’re pregnant and I’m not,” she admitted, giving a sidelong glance to her husband.
“You’re only human,” Jessie said in barely a whisper, her face flushing a deep pink as she peered into her sister’s sapphire blue eyes. “We’re twins, and we’ve been like paper and glue our whole lives. For God’s sake, we even married brothers!”
Pete warmed her hand with his. “You need to be patient, Sammie.”
She scrunched her nose and tilted her head in his direction. “Patience doesn’t come naturally to me, but I understand the concept.”
“In the meantime, I intend to be the kind of daddy that you’ve always dreamed about,” he whispered, angling his lips against her ear.
Though excitement bolted through her body like lightning, she tried to appear calm on the outside. “You already are,” she said in a serious tone before returning to her usual animated one. “Hey, Pete and I have started putting a menu together for Christmas Day dinner—”
Trent darted one finger in the air. “I’m sure whatever you’re planning will be wonderful! Just let us know what we can bring.”
“It’s not likely that Pete will let anyone participate in his grand plan. I’ve been trying to get him to talk, and he won’t budge an inch.”
“Don’t you spend one minute, worrying. I’ll be taking charge of all the details,” he promised, his dark eyebrow springing upward.
“Really? You’re going to be in charge? Hmm, that’ll be something new and different,” she retorted.
Trent’s grin was wide. “Sounds like you’ll have nothing to stress over, Jessie.”
Their server approached, carrying full plates on a large tray. “I hate to interrupt, but the potatoes just came out of the fryer, so be careful.”
<
br /> Pete beamed, mirroring his brother’s expression. “We will, and I’ll take the check.”
CHAPTER SIX
TRENT STROLLED INTO Pete’s living room and spotted him gazing at his laptop screen. “I hope you don’t mind me walking in, but someone left the front door open. I thought we were all trying to be careful about locking our doors.”
“Sammie and Jessie just ran off to do some last-minute Christmas shopping. They were probably so excited to get started that they forgot. Your wife definitely has a talent for shopping.”
Trent’s sigh was deep as he folded his arms. “It’s her gift to mankind and the economy.”
“This whole holiday season has been a good distraction for Sammie, and the added benefit of our girls being out of the house this morning gives us a chance to put together a gift I bought for her,” Pete said, closing his laptop and placing it on a nearby table.
Trent’s eyebrows shot up. “You bought her a toy? What kind?”
“Well, I guess you could call it an adult toy. Thank God, UPS delivered the box after the girls left, and if you’re not too busy, how about following me back to the spare room?”
“You, of all people, know I’m lacking in the mechanical aptitude department,” he admitted, trailing Pete down the hall.
After he opened the door, Pete motioned to a large cardboard box in the middle of the room.
“That’s quite a large box, which means there must be a lot of parts,” Trent said, rubbing the back of his neck. “What in the hell is it?”
“It’s a spankin’ bench. I thought it might help to spice things up in our marriage.”
“Because things aren’t spicy enough?” Trent asked through a sly grin. “That’s definitely not what Jessie tells me.”
Pete’s eyes sparkled. “And your wife calls mine Little Miss Talking Barbie? To be quite honest, since Sammie’s been upset about not getting pregnant, I thought it might help take her mind in another direction.”
Trent’s hand scrubbed the stubble on his face as he stared at his brother. “I don’t know, Pete. This project sounds like a task for the Geek Squad.”
Pete spread his arms wide and bowed. “One nerdy cowboy at your service.”
“Right. Just what you’ve always wanted to be. Well then, let’s see what we’re in for.” Trent stood to the side and groaned as Pete displayed a boxcutter. “I really hope this came with instructions and a diagram.”
After making a slit down the middle, Pete unfolded the top flaps. “Damn, I was hoping it would come partially assembled,” he admitted as the two of them lifted the contents and set the pieces down on the floor, glaring at the plethora of parts.
“Do you see an instruction guide, or did they expect guys like us to have an innate knowledge of how to put something like this together?” Trent muttered, lowering his head into the large box.
“Here it is.” Pete held up a sheet of paper with a drawn picture and a short list of ten steps. “Not much to go on, but we’re two intelligent cowboys. How hard can it be?”
Trent glided his fingers over the bench. “It looks like supple leather seating,” he said, cocking his head. “Tell me, how much research did you do before buying this particular model?”
“There were only a select few on Amazon, and this seemed like the most practical.”
“You were searching for practicality in a spankin’ bench? It never would have occurred to me,” Trent joked with one raised eyebrow.
“There were several selling points from all different angles, especially comfort, and they advertised it came with a paddle that I could have inscribed for free. Do you see that anywhere?”
Trent bent over, rummaging through the stack of parts. “Here it is on the bottom, no pun intended,” he said, his chuckle deep and throaty as he pulled the wooden implement from the box. “A Stiff Reminder? That’s the inscription you ordered?”
Rolling up his sleeves, Pete laughed. “Hey, it was the best I could come up with at the last minute. Okay, you read the instructions while I fire up my new drill, and together we’ll decipher what they mean.”
“All right, and I hope that new tool of yours has different heads.”
“Why?”
“Because everything’s in metrics,” Trent mumbled, his eyes drifting to the last words on the page. “This wonderful item you purchased was not made in the USA.”
“No problem. I have a set of those drill bits, too.” Pete reached into his toolbox as Trent read the first couple of steps, and with a skill of an engineer, he bolted the a few pieces into place. “So far, so good,” he pronounced proudly, stepping back to admire his progress. “So, what’s next on the list?”
Trent continued reading the instructions while Pete assembled, but when they were finished, there were a couple of pieces still lying in the middle of the floor. The two of them just stood there, staring down at the carpet.
“Damn,” Pete groaned, lifting a part off the floor. “What the hell happened?”
“I don’t know, but there are only two screws left over.”
“What do you mean by only two? Jesus, Trent. Missing pieces can mean the difference between holding this contraption together, or it crashing to the floor with Sammie in the hot seat.” Pete reached for the single sheet of paper and read it over. “I can’t see where we missed anything, but let’s go over it one more time just to be sure.”
Trent started with the first step and carefully read all of them aloud while Pete checked his handwork. “I still don’t understand why these parts are left over, but here they are,” he said with a hint of exasperation. “Every hole is filled, and the bench looks exactly like the diagram.”
“You know, there’s only one way to see if it’s safe,” Trent said as his eyes flashed upwards.
“Are you insane?” Pete asked, watching his brother’s lips rise into a smirk. “Please tell me you’re not suggesting—”
“Should I remind you of the time Dad tried to put together a tricycle for you and the wheels fell off?”
“No, thanks. I remember the day all too well.”
“Dad did love to revisit that story at every Christmas dinner!”
Pete’s face reddened as he knelt on the padded bench step and leaned his torso over the top support. “Was there any warning about weight limits?”
“Come on, we just need to take this for a little test spin. Now be a sport and wriggle around to see how stable it is,” Trent directed as he walked the perimeter of the bench, waiting for his brother to comply.
“No videos, please. I don’t need this to end up on YouTube.”
“How does it feel?” Trent asked, wiggling his brows.
“Aside from being in this awkward position, it seems pretty secure. I think we’re good to go.” Pete got back up on his feet and proudly admired his new toy. “Thank God, the girls went shopping today.”
“My suggestion would be to lock this bedroom door to make sure Sammie doesn’t see it before Christmas morning.”
“I don’t think that will be a problem. She only comes in here to use the exercise machines, and she’s already done that today,” Pete said with confidence.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“PLEASE TELL ME WE AREN’T going to have a talk about whether I’ve been a good girl or not this year,” Sammie spewed in a cheeky tone, removing a hot tray of cut-out cookies from the oven. “And where in the hell did you get that costume?”
“I can’t believe anyone would have the nerve to sass Santa on Christmas Eve,” Pete scolded, adjusting the white beard on his face, gazing down to admire the red, rented suit.
“Okay, I’ll bite. Are you having a dry run with the reindeer to make sure everyone is able to fly tonight?”
“Actually, I stopped by to see if the stories about Samantha Anne Reynolds being disrespectful are true. I’m assuming that’s you, right?” He stroked his long beard and took a step backward to admire her curvy body.
Sammie took her baking mitts off, threw them on the counter,
and approached the large man wearing the red tassel cap. “Yep, that’s me.” Placing a hand on one cocked hip, she looked him up and down. “What kind of allegations are you talking about, big guy? Because I might counter with a defamation of character suit. In case you haven’t heard, I run a boutique law firm with my sister.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Reynolds & Reynolds. Catchy name,” Pete said, obviously trying to hide a jagged smile while pulling a list from his pocket. “Let’s see, I have your naughty list right here, and it seems to be a rather long one. How much time do you have?”
She rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Stop stalling and read the damn thing. These cookies don’t bake themselves, you know.”
“Well, let’s see here...sassing your daddy, coming home late without calling, purposely going over budget, being jealous of your sister, using profanity...I could go on, but I’ve got my reindeer double-parked outside.”
She waved her hand dismissively. “No, no, no. I’ve heard enough. But has anyone bothered to tell you that I’ve already been punished for some of my past misconduct? Have you ever heard of the term double jeopardy where you can’t be tried twice for the same crime following a legitimate acquittal or conviction?”
“Yes, but it says here that you haven’t been properly punished for any of the disrespect spewed at your daddy recently. Though the employees are enjoying the holidays with their family, your daddy still has a lot of responsibilities on this ranch, and you took advantage of how tired he is.”
Sammie’s eyelashes lowered. “You’re right, Santa. I’m guilty as charged, but tonight is Christmas Eve! Don’t you have a heart, big guy? Isn’t Christmas a time for forgiveness?”
“I agree, this is a very special holiday. But we both know you’ve been a naughty girl, and I wouldn’t be a good Santa if I let you get away with such things. Remember, I have a reputation to uphold in this town.”
“And exactly how did you get this information anyway? Wait a minute, let me guess, it was those fucking Benedict Arnolds that like to call themselves ranch hands! I know damn well that they’ve been spying on me since we tied the knot.” Sammie took a deep breath and swallowed hard, finally deciding to rein in the attitude as she chewed on her cheek nervously. “Oh, what’s the use. As usual, you’re right, Santa. I’m guilty on all counts. Especially, the profanity part.”