Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
His eyes water, but he blinks it away and kisses the breath out of me. The way it should be. And the way it always will be.
Christmas 10 Years Later
Bells
“What happened?” I peer at the cut on Garrett’s knee.
“Vivian’s still a dick,” he gripes as Barrow walks over and kneels down to check it out.
“That’s a bad scrape, buddy. I may have to amputate.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his knife.
“Daaaaad.” Garrett rolls his eyes. “That hasn’t been funny in forever.”
I laugh and ruffle Garrett’s dark hair. “You know, maybe she picks on you because she likes you.”
Barrow gives me a long look.
“What?” I shrug. “That’s what they used to tell me in school. It seems only fair to flip that script.”
“Of course she likes me.” Garrett stands up and brushes himself off. He’s almost as tall as I am, and he’s only nine. “Everybody likes me.”
“I don’t.” Jude chimes in from his spot in the loft, a book in his lap as he glares down at Garrett.
“Bullshit,” Garrett says. “You love me.”
“Language,” I scold.
“Seeing you every year at Christmas is an acute pain in my ass.” Jude closes his book and jumps down from the loft. “So no, I don’t love you.”
“Lies.” Garrett settles back in what seems like a nonchalant pose, but what I know from watching him spar with Barrow, is actually a fighting stance.
“Boys,” Barrow growls.
“Oh, loosen up Jude.” Garrett punches him lightly in the shoulder.
Jude grabs Garrett’s wrist and tries to get him into some sort of hold, but Garrett spins. Jude counters by dropping and kicking out to trip Garrett.
Barrow grabs both of them by the backs of their sweaters. “Guys, take it outside!”
I point to the tree with the now-wobbling ornaments. “If you knock over Aunt Clover’s Christmas tree, she might have Charles wipe both of you off the map.”
That seems to bring them back to reality.
“Come on, pansy-ass, let’s go see if Leonard’s hungry.” Jude hooks his arm around Garrett’s neck, and they head off toward the courtyard.
I shake my head. “Boys.”
Barrow shrugs. “That’s how they are. Fighting one minute, best friends the next.”
“Well, it doesn’t help that they’re all trained to do damage.”
“That’s what makes parenting fun.” Barrow pulls me into his arms and sinks onto the big couch in the living room. “Settle in, beautiful.”
“I should go wrap presents,” I whisper. “Now, while the kids are busy.”
“You aren’t going anywhere.” He arranges me at the end of the couch by the fire.
His manhandling ways still make me hot.
“You’re giving me that look.” He smiles and sits at my feet, then draws them into his lap.
“What look?” I moan as he starts rubbing my arches.
“This was supposed to be a PG foot rub, but if you keep making those sounds …” He trails off and licks his lips.
“I can’t help it.” I lean back and just enjoy. I enjoy Barrow, the tree, our kids, and the friends that are all around us, making this lodge a home.
“Vivian really is a badass.” Barrow says thoughtfully as the fire crackles behind me.
“She’s going to break hearts.” I nod. “And bones.”
“I just hope none of them are Garrett’s.” He sighs.
I doze off with him rubbing my feet, the scent of Aurora’s famous cake in the oven, and the sounds of children all through the house. This lodge is magical, always has been.
Christmas 20 Years Later
Daphne
“I still can’t believe we got stranded in the snow and rescued by mountain men. I mean, what were we living in, a Hallmark movie?” Aurora tucks a lock of hair behind her ear as she stirs her icing.
“Well, we thought they were mountain men. Turns out they were actually … Well, you know.” Bells draws her thumb across her throat dramatically.
“Trained killers.” Clover nods.
“With delicious bodies and filthy minds,” Aurora sighs.
“And a mafia god who I’m still obsessed with.” I rest my chin on my hands.
“How’s the website going?” Aurora taste her icing, then adds more powdered sugar.
“Great.” I shrug. “I have a team of six reporters who dig into everything from crime to child beauty pageants to hair smuggling.”
“Hair smuggling?” Bells frowns.
“Yeah, people pay big money for real hair weaves. There’s this whole black market where women are more or less forced to sell their hair. It’s a big issue in a lot of developing countries, actually.”
“Wow. Mind blown.” Aurora makes an explosion sound.
“Now that you’ve got your team to do all the legwork, do you and Tiernan plan on staying at the lodge more often?” Clover asks hopefully.
I steal a taste of icing. “That’s the other big news. We’re going to stop traveling so much. I mean, we’ll still hit the road if a big story comes my way and gets me excited, but I’m editor in chief, so I can do a lot more directing instead of chasing down leads.”