by AC Netzel
“They said they didn’t want to impose.”
“Bull. They probably want to get their senior citizen freak on, make some hot monkey love, and don’t want you to hear it.”
“Eww.” I hold up a hand. “Don’t speak another word.”
“Hope your dad doesn’t blow out his back.”
“Val,” I warn. “Stop.”
“Okay, Okay. So, what’s on today’s agenda? Tequila and Christmas Romance movie binging?”
“I thought we’d do something different.”
“Jello shots and movie binging?”
I shake my head.
She frowns, then her eyes widen. “Oh, no, no, no. We are not going to some hokey town event.”
“It’s not hokey. And yes, we are. The Christmas barn dance is fun. You’ll see a lot of people you met at our wedding.”
“That’s what I’m trying to avoid.”
“You’re so full of crap. I know you had a good time.”
She tilts her head side to side then rolls her eyes. “Maybe. Can I bring my flask?”
“No.”
“You are sucking all the fun out of this visit.”
“You’ll live. So, will you come? Pretty please.”
“You’re a bitch.”
“I know.”
“All right, fine. But I accept no responsibility for any facial expressions I might make while I’m there. Deal?”
“Deal.”
“How do I look?” I ask while fixing my hair in front of the full-length mirror in our bedroom.
Nick looks me up and down like he’s about to devour me. “Gorgeous.” He stands from our bed, where he’s been patiently watching me get ready for the past twenty minutes and walks behind me. Our eyes meet in the mirror’s reflection. “I like this skirt. It gives me easy access. Now, take off your panties.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“Yes, for you. Do it.”
“Nick,” I warn.
“Sloane,” he murmurs in my ear, pressing a soft kiss to my neck. “Drive me crazy tonight.” He slides his hand under my skirt, skimming up my leg, palming the curve of my ass until his finger hooks on my panties. “Will you do that for me?” His voice is low and seductive.
Our gazes meet again in the mirror, and, like always, he melts me from the inside out. Exhilarating waves of carnal desire shoot throughout my nerve endings—from the core of my center to my fingertips.
“Are you trying to seduce me?” I whisper as I lean my head back against his chest.
“Yes.” He tugs on the elastic. “What do you say, my beautiful, gorgeous, sexy wife? Get a little naked for your husband.”
Slowly, I nod. A wicked smile lifts from his mouth. Leisurely, he pulls my panties down, crouching until I step out of them.
“Those fucking boots,” he mutters. “Do you want to bend over? I could take care of you right now.”
“No. Dirty boys have to wait.”
“I better be the only dirty boy waiting for you.”
“You are.”
He stands and turns me around until I’m facing him. Gently, he cradles my face and leans into a deep, soulful kiss that sends my pulse racing.
“I love you, Summer.” He kisses me again, this time gentle and sweet.
Caressing his cheek with the back of my hand, I smile. “I love you too.”
“Let’s get Noelle and Val and get the hell out of here before I lose what little control I’m holding on to.”
I chuckle. “Okay, let’s go.”
“Isn’t it beautiful? I ask, staring up at the twinkling white lights covering the ceiling beams. “It’s like a dream.”
“It is pretty amazing,” Valerie says with wonder. “This place is stunning. How the hell did they make a barn look so damn elegant.”
“That’s how I felt the first time I saw this place all decked out last year. Holly and Kris do an amazing job.”
“Can I get you ladies a drink?” Nick asks, slyly slipping his hand down past the small of my back and patting my naked ass through my skirt. I close my eyes briefly and suck in a breath as my face heats up.
This is going to be an interesting night.
“Sure. A double shot of vodka, club soda,” Val pinches her thumb and index finger together, “and a teeny tiny splash of cranberry juice.”
“She’ll have an apple cider,” I tell him.
“That’s not what I ordered.” She scowls.
“That’s what you’re getting.” I turn away from her and direct my attention to Nick. “Just go.”
“Why can’t I get a drink?”
“There’s no alcohol served at community events,” Nick explains.
Val huffs. “Afraid people might lose their inhibitions and break out into spontaneous Christmas caroling?”
“They do that anyway. Do you want to lead?” he asks her, knowing full well that’s not her jam.
“Pass.” An evil smile grows from her lips. “I suppose it’s for the best. We wouldn’t want anyone divulging personal information in a moment of drunken unclarity like one might do at…. Oh, I don’t know… a bachelorette party.” She raises a brow at me then turns back to Nick. “Don’t you agree, Nick—or should I call you… Sex Stallion?”
Furrowing my brows, I glare at her. I may have overshared some of our private details due to an overabundance of tequila during our pre-wedding girls’ night.
Nick shakes his head and laughs. “On that note, I’ll get the drinks.”
“Yippee Ki Yay, Stallion. Trot along.” She winks obnoxiously.
“Back in a few.” Nick kisses my cheek then walks away, amused.
I turn to Val and scowl. “You suck. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, I know. You love me anyway.”
Chuckling, I nod. “I do. Come with me. I want to put down this tray of cookies I’ve been holding.”
We walk to the potluck dessert table, and I place the sugar cookies Noelle and I baked this morning with the rest of the donated sweets. They’re Nick’s mom’s secret recipe. Holly gave me the recipe when Nick and I got engaged. That thoughtful gesture had me crying like a blubbering idiot.
Val grabs a cookie and takes a bite. “Damn, that’s good. When did you learn how to bake something outside of cookie dough in a tube?”
“My husband and daughter taught me.”
“This nutty place has done you well, Summer Snow.”
I glance across the room. Noelle is giggling with her two best friends as they hold hands and dance in a circle. I scan the room and spot Nick talking with Holly and Kris, and I smile. “It sure has.”
Val smiles back at me. “I’m happy for you,” she says, her expression sincere.
“I know. Thanks.” I wrap my arms around her and give her a quick squeeze. “You may suck, but you’re still the best.”
“And you may be a bitch… but you’re my bitch.” She laughs, and I join in.
“I’m so happy you came,” I tell her. “I love it here, but I sure miss conversational cursing.”
“Nick doesn’t curse?”
“Only in private. Very private—if you get my drift. Then he’s, umm… filthy.”
“That’s a good man you got there.”
“Yeah.” I smile. “He sure is.”
Val’s eyes widen, her brows furrow, and her head jerks back a little.
“What? What’s wrong?” I ask.
“That woman, the one standing near the guy with the over-gelled hair,” she says.
“Which guy? They all have over-gelled hair.”
“Over there.” Discreetly, she points across the barn towards the hot cocoa table.
“Okay. I see her. What about her?”
“Doesn’t she look exactly like…?”
“Yes,” I interrupt her question.
“From that sitcom. The one that takes place in San Francisco, or was it San Diego? The one with a couple of kids and some uncles, aunts or something like that.”
I hold up a hand, s
topping her thought. “Yup.”
“Is that her?”
“Nick swears it’s not, but I have my theories.”
“That’s some fucked up shit.”
“Pfft. No kidding.” I cup my hand and whisper. “There’s a few of them who live here. It’s like this is where they congregated when their shows ran their course.”
“Your drinks.” Nick joins us with Jeb at his side, interrupting our alleged doppelganger sightings. He hands a steaming cup of apple cider to each of us.
“Hi Jeb,” I say, then turn toward Val. “You remember my friend, Valerie.”
“Of course. Good to see you, Miss… Miss Valerie,” Jeb stutters, his face turning a brilliant shade of red.
“Jeb,” she says, feigning indifference. “Nice to see you as well.”
“How long will you be staying in Arid Falls?” Jeb asks.
“Through Christmas,” she says, casually taking a sip of her cider.
He looks down to the floor, trying to hide his smile. It’s adorable. “That’s… that’s good to know.”
“Holy crap, this is good,” she says, then takes another sip. “What’s in this magical elixir?”
“Ask Jeb,” I tell her. “It’s his recipe.”
“Really?” She looks at Jeb and cocks her head to the side. “Mister, you got skills.”
He chuckles, his face reddens as he kicks his boot to the worn wooden floorboard. “Thank you.”
She takes another sip and winces.
“Too hot?” I ask.
“No, it’s my damn neck again. Stupid airplanes should have more comfortable seating for their petite customers. I need a chiropractor, STAT.”
“The closest chiropractor is in Dry Hollow, about fifty miles away. Her office closed at five,” Nick tells her.
“I can fix your neck,” Jeb offers.
“Ah, no, thank you. I don’t want to make it any worse or end up in a wheelchair for life.”
“He’s actually pretty good at it,” Nick says.
She turns her head slightly to look at me and winces again. “Is this guy legit?”
I shrug. “I trust him.”
“Oh, what the hell. Here, take my drink.” She hands her apple cider to me. “Jeb, don’t cripple me.”
“No, ma’am.” He grabs a folding chair and places it in front of Valerie. “Have a seat.”
She sits, nervously tapping her foot on the floor.
He walks behind her, placing a hand on either side of her face. “Look forward and close your eyes.”
“You won’t break my neck, right?” she asks as she looks forward.
“No, ma’am,” he says confidently.
She inhales a deep breath and closes her eyes.
In what has to be the quickest I’ve ever seen Jeb move—he twists her neck to the side.
And crack.
We’re silent as we wait for Val’s reaction. She turns her head side to side then side to side again.
“How’s your neck?” I ask.
“I’ll be damned.” She closes her eyes and bites down on her bottom lip.
“Miss Valerie? How do you feel?” Jeb asks with a serious look of concern across his face.
“Mistress Valerie,” she answers in a breathless Marilyn Monroe voice.
I roll my eyes and cover my mouth with the cup of cider in my hand to hide my grin. I know where this is going. I don’t think Jeb is ready for what’s about to be unleashed on him.
“Pardon?” he asks.
She stands and faces him. “You may now refer to me as Mistress… Dr. Jeboriah.”
“My name is Jeb.”
“Not anymore, Doctor,” she purrs, walking two fingers up his chest. “What other chiropractic tricks do you have up those flannel sleeves?”
“I… umm. I guess I can straighten a spine,” he answers hesitantly.
She coils her arm around his. “Let’s take a walk around the barn. You can tell me more about your techniques in neuromuscular manipulation.”
“Neuro what?” he asks.
“Tell her how you crack backs, Jeb,” I tell him.
“Ta-ta. See you later.” Val says to Nick and me with a wink then drags Jeb along with her.
Nick turns to me, amused. “What the hell was that?”
“I told you she’s chirosexual. He chiropracted on her, and I think it turned her on.”
“Chiropracted? What kind of English major are you? That’s not a real word.”
“In Valerie’s world, it’s the only word that matters.”
“Is he going to be okay alone with her?” he asks with humor in his tone.
“She might corrupt him a little, but I think he’ll be okay.”
“You know, I like Val, but she’s…” He shakes his head.
“Insane,” I finish his thought. “I know.”
Taking the ciders from my hands, he places them on the dessert table. He wraps his hands around my waist and leans in. “I’m still thinking about what’s not under your skirt,” he whispers in my ear, sliding his hand ever-so-slowly down the curve of my ass. “And fucking you in those boots tonight.”
“Nick,” I warn. “People are going to see you groping me.”
“No one is looking.”
“Yoo-hoo, newlyweds!” Hope calls out, flailing her arms as she approaches us with Faith and Chase Harrison with his wooden cane in tow.
Nick takes a quick step back, separating his wayward hand from my ass.
“Told you,” I whisper. We smile politely as they join us.
Nick kisses the ladies’ cheeks, and they blush as usual, then shakes Chase’s hand. “Good to see you again.”
“Are you enjoying the barn dance, Chase?” I ask.
“It’s magnificent. Holly and Kris have really outdone themselves. Will I be seeing you at The Blooming of the Christmas Cactus Celebration in a few days?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” And the truth is, I wouldn’t. I’ve grown to love these quirky small-town festivities.
“Who would have thought two New Yorkers would transplant themselves in the same little town?” Faith asks.
“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Summer.” Chase smiles at me with gratitude in his eyes.
“I could say the same, Chase.” I smile back and nod. “If you didn’t sing my praises to my boss, she never would have sent me here.”
“Kismet,” Hope says. “Fate brought the two of you together, then brought you both here.”
“Well, I thank fate every night,” I wrap an arm around Nick’s, pulling him close to me, “that I’m here.”
“As do I,” Chase adds.
While we chat about Chrysanthemum Park, nativity alpacas, and Hope’s experimental chutney recipes, a warm sensation fills my heart. I watch my new friend blossoming in this town like I did, and contentment washes over me. Who would have thought that a few minutes stuck together in an elevator sharing a couple of Kit Kat bars would change our lives?
With a steady stream of new friends, fishing buddies, and a new lady in his life, Chase is no longer lonely. His family visits often and have embraced the eccentricities of their dad’s new home.
As for me…
I found love.
So much love.
After catching up, our three friends move on to mingle with the Gel-crispy barber Joseph, his wife Mary, and their sweet baby boy, across the room.
“Now,” Nick says seductively. “Where were we?” He walks behind me, wraps his arms around my waist, pressing his groin to my ass.
I chuckle. “You are so bad.”
“You love it.”
“Yeah. I do.” I look out at the dance floor full of my friends and neighbors. Merry, in her Christmas spandex, is dancing with the no-neck man again. I’m pretty sure they’re hooking up, but she won’t kiss and tell. Winter and Rainbow are dead center, dancing in their own psychedelic world, tapping their ribbon filled tambourines. Rainbow has made her peace with me since I’m no longer part of the “esta
blishment.”
“Hey,” Val comes out from nowhere, placing a hand on my shoulder. Nick takes a quick step back.
“Hey, where have you been?” I ask.
“Dr. Jeb and I broke into the house to the side of the barn.”
My eyes widen. “You did what?” My hand flies to my forehead. “That’s Kris and Holly’s house. That’s their inn.”
“Sheesh, it wasn’t like we damaged a door. The place was unlocked. It was like an invitation to enter.”
“That’s not what it was.”
“We had a couple of shots of vodka from the liquor cabinet and left.”
Nick shakes his head and laughs.
“You did not,” I say in disbelief.
“Yup, we did. Seems innocent ol’ Jeboriah has a little bad boy in him.”
“You’ve corrupted him for real.”
“They always say to look out for the quiet ones. Well, I want to wash that crunchy gel shit out of that quiet one’s hair and bang him like a screen door in a hurricane.”
“Oh my God.”
“I’m going to Chitty Bang Bang that flannel shirted stud.”
“Stop,” I say, unsure if I’m mortified or amused.
“I’m going to bang him like Maxwell’s silver hammer. Then I’m going to bang him again like the drums in a John Phillip Sousa march.”
“Just how much did you drink?”
“Enough to take the edge off the wholesomeness in the air. No biggie. Did you ever notice his hands? His strong, skilled hands?”
“No, I never really…”
“You should,” she interrupts. “His hands are hot.”
I elbow Nick’s side to stop him from laughing, but my efforts are futile. Once he laughs, I can’t help but laugh along with him.
“Do you mind if I, err, not come back to your house tonight?”
“It’s fine. Go out and have fun. I’ll see you in the morning sometime.”
“Make it the afternoon.”
“You got it. Please don’t break him.”
“I make no guarantees.” She kisses my cheek. “Thanks, amiga.”
Once Valerie disappears to find Jeb, Nick turns to me. “Do you think she’s going to kill him?” he asks with humor in his voice.
I tilt my head side to side. “Most likely, no. But I can’t one-hundred percent promise that.”
He laughs again. “So, your best friend and my best friend…”