A Buckeye Falls Christmas (Buckeye Falls #5.5)

CHAPTER 1 | Kibble wars and holiday plans

CHAPTER 1

Kibble wars and holiday plans

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“M ax!” Ginny shouted her husband’s name from the kitchen, where she was elbow-deep in dog food. “You got a minute?” she asked as she attempted to tidy up the pile of spilled kibble. Meanwhile, their rescue dog, Zippy, scarfed down every morsel he could get. Their son, Henry, found the whole scene hilarious, considering he was the cause of the chaos.

“Look at Zippy’s tail,” the young boy exclaimed, clapping from his perch on the counter. “It’s going a million miles an hour.” He slapped his forehead and cried, “I should be filming this.”

“Holy crap,” Max exclaimed when he joined the fray. His salt-and-pepper hair was still wet from the shower, curling at his temples. Ginny lamented that she wouldn’t get to enjoy a moment with her husband, as she adored the smell of his skin fresh out of the shower. Max crunched over to the hound and grabbed Zippy’s collar. “All right, buddy. Let’s go.”

As soon as Max opened the back door, Zippy sprinted outside and barfed in the grass, much to the delight of Henry. “Awesome!”

Ginny slumped against the stove and huffed out a laugh. “That was like, fifty bucks of kibble he just tossed.”

Max walked to the counter, scooped up their son, and plopped him down on the floor. “Good news, Hen,” he said, striving to keep his smile at bay. “You get to do two chores before school today.” Max waggled two fingers in front of his son.

Henry rolled his eyes and looked more like his older sister, who was dangerously close to her teens. “Dad, I’ll be late.”

Ginny joined them at the counter, thrusting a dustpan and broom at the men in her life. “Should have thought of that before you decided to play kibble wars with Zippy.” She winked at Max and went to work making coffee. Her morning routine had been sadly interrupted when she’d discovered Henry upending the dog food canister onto the floor and setting the kitchen timer.

“Otis said their dog ate a whole bag in five minutes,” he’d declared over his shoulder, clearly undeterred by his mother’s reaction. “I said Zippy could whoop his butt.”

By the time Ginny had cornered the poor dog, his snout was covered in kibble dust. While she loved Otis, her best friend’s son had become a bit of a role model for Henry. It was great he had friends in his corner, but she could have done without the literal double dog dare unfolding in her kitchen. “Remind me to thank Natalie for this little challenge.”

Max pushed Henry toward the mess and looped his arm around his wife’s waist, pulling her flush against him. Even after fifteen years, he savored every chance to touch Ginny. Their life was busier than ever, but they still made time for each other. Although lately, not nearly as much as he wanted.

Ginny leaned into Max’s embrace and kissed his cheek before groaning at the time. “Crap on a cracker.” She sighed and stepped back, glancing at her smartwatch. “Shouldn’t Josie be pestering us for breakfast already?”

Henry tossed his head back and bellowed his sister’s name so loudly, the walls shook. “Good Lord, Hen,” Max said, covering his ears. “What did we say about yelling in the house?” The young boy merely shrugged and went back to shoveling dog food back into the bin.

“Um, ewww.” Their daughter announced from the doorway. She was the spitting image of her mother. Josie’s reddish-brown hair hung down by her shoulders, and she wore one of Ginny’s old red sweaters. “Why is Zippy barfing all over the yard?”

Her brother spun on his heels and triumphantly held up the empty dustpan. “Great news!” he beamed, pushing past his parents to get in his sister’s face. “Zippy ate over half a bag of kibble before Mom ruined it.”

Josie wrinkled her nose and shuddered, already looking like a teenager much to her parent’s chagrin. “I’m not cleaning that up,” she said after gagging.

Max ruffled Henry’s hair and chuckled. “You’re right, Josie. Your brother is—right now, so I can make breakfast.”

Ginny patted her daughter’s shoulder before pouring a cup of coffee. Her feet crunched down on a pile of kibble, and she winced. “Hen, come on. You need to clean this up before we let Zippy back inside.” Judging from the unholy sounds coming from their yard, it wouldn’t be anytime soon. Glancing back at the time, she winced. “We’re so late already. I cannot wait for Christmas break.”

Max snorted a laugh. “Because we’re so ready to host our friends and already bought all our presents?”

Not only was Christmas a week away, but the Sanchez clan was hosting. Despite co-owning an events business, Ginny was woefully behind on the details. “Don’t remind me. I need to check with Natalie about what they’re doing. Fortunately, it sounds like Alice and James will have some free time to lend a hand.”

Max cracked a carton of eggs into a bowl and started whisking. “Are he and Alice back from New York?” He tossed a pat of butter into a frying pan before snapping his fingers at Henry. “Hen, you missed a pile over here.”

Ginny added cream to Max’s mug before sliding his caffeine across the counter. “I think they got back this morning, but don’t quote me on that.” She took a sip from her cup before adding, “Or they might have been in Canada? You know those two, I never know where they’re jet setting to next.”

Josie paused her texting long enough to glance up at her mother. “Do you think we’ll get to go to New York again in the new year?”

Ginny smiled at her daughter. “I hope so. We had so much fun with Alice last year.” Alice had joined her husband in the Big Apple for an art show in the spring. She decided to host a girl’s weekend for all her Buckeye Falls ladies who could get away. It had been amazing, palling around the city with her daughter, showing her places she’d loved while she was a temporary New Yorker. Natalie had brought her daughter Madeline, and Mallory and CeCe had made it as well, rounding out their friend group.

“No peppers in my eggs, Dad,” Josie said, already with her nose back in her phone.

Max bit his lip. “I know, honey. This isn’t my first time making you breakfast.”

Finally finished with his kibble clean-up, Henry joined his sister at the table and sighed. “Are we having bacon?”

“No time,” Max replied, scooping out cheesy scrambled eggs for his family. Henry’s plate was covered in diced peppers and ham, while Josie’s plate was a sunny pile of frill-free eggs.

Both children dug into their breakfasts without a word, earning a reminder from Ginny. “What do we say when someone slaves away over a meal for us?”

“Dad does this for a living,” Josie said. “Like, all over town.” She flapped her arms around her, as if her father fed all of Buckeye Falls. Well, he kind of did.

Ginny stifled a groan. “Yes, Dad is a chef, but he’s not on the clock. What do we say?” She raised an eyebrow at her children. Through a mouthful of eggs, they mumbled “Thanks.”

Yes, Max was a chef, but he had also started a restaurant empire in Buckeye Falls. Not only did he own the only diner in town, but he and CeCe and Evan had a successful side hustle with their food truck, yet Max wasn’t done expanding. His newest restaurant, Max’s Gin Joint, was set to open after the diner’s renovations began. It was the first time he’d own a place with a liquor license, specializing in higher-class fare. The new place was also a way for him, CeCe, and Evan to stretch their culinary muscle.

Max had poured his heart and soul into the diner, but the old girl needed a facelift. The kitchen was out of date, the booths were lumpier than cozy, and the steps outside were bordering on a liability. This Christmas meal would be the last in the space, and Max wanted to say goodbye in style—with his dearest friends.

At Ginny’s insistence, they invited everyone they loved for Christmas dinner. It would be a potluck affair with their best friends and all the kids. Most everyone’s parents were traveling for the holiday this year, so the friends looked forward to an intimate celebration. Max’s fingers itched with the need to cook something fabulous; the necessity to feed his favorite people something truly festive and over the top.

Max’s musings were interrupted by a wailing sound from the backyard. Henry was on his feet in seconds, dashing out the backdoor before Ginny could even put her fork down. “Wait!” she shouted as she clambered to her feet, Josie followed right behind her.

Max was faster, pushing outside just in time to see Henry carry Zippy in his arms. The young boy’s lips trembled as he cradled the dog to his chest. “Z ... Z...” his words faltered, stopping Max dead in his tracks. Opening his mouth again, nothing came out but a whimper.

When they’d had their children, all Max prayed for was healthy kids. He’d begged the universe to spare his children from the pain of a stammer, from the embarrassment of needing to find their words. He’d dealt with his fumbling tongue his whole life, and despite gaining confidence over the years, he knew it was draining for Henry.

It was almost as if his mouth was too quick for his brain, desperate to spew out every thought all at once, causing the letters to tumble together into alphabet soup. During his childhood, the stutter made Max a popular target for bullies. The one person who never wavered with patience and kindness with his infernal stammer was Ginny. When they’d met in high school, she’d never giggled or rolled her eyes, instead choosing to wait while he found his words ... and in some ways found himself.

Yet there were circumstances where time didn’t heal all wounds. Watching his son struggle brought a lump to Max’s throat, and he stuttered as he fell to his knees and took Zippy from Henry’s shaking grasp. His throat was dry, constricting against the anguish. “Z ... Z ... Zippy will b ... be okay.” He held up the dog’s front paw and saw a nail embedded in the pad.

Ginny was at Max’s side, rubbing her hand up and down his back in soothing circles. “Looks like he stepped on a nail, but it’ll be okay.” Turning over her shoulder, Ginny found Josie waiting. Her sullen pre-teen expression evaporated; the girl’s eyes were the size of hubcaps. “Call Gramps, and tell him to swing by with the crate for Zippy. I’m taking him to the vet on my way to work.”

Josie nodded and dashed inside.

Max dipped his head; his tongue as heavy as a cinder block, a dark curl falling over his forehead. “Th ... thanks.”

Ginny pressed a kiss to Max’s temple, whispering words of encouragement as his heart rate slowed. “You’re both just a little excited,” she cooed. “It’s okay.”

Henry wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. “Will Zippy be all right?” he asked, his speech recovering quickly.

Ginny nodded, reaching out to smooth back his cowlick. Much like his father, Henry’s hair loved to curl in every direction.

“Zippy is fine. Gramps will be here soon, and we’ll get him all sorted out.”

No sooner had Ginny uttered the words, her father, Harold, bounded outside with the crate and his wife, Mona, hot on his heels.

Mona was clad in one of her signature Christmas ensembles. This sweater was green with red handprints all over and flashing lights the colors of cranberries. Josie and Henry had made it years ago, and Mona wore it every chance she got as soon as the Halloween sweaters were packed away for the season.

“We got here as fast as we could,” Mona gasped as she helped Harold with the crate. Max lifted the dog inside, muttering words of reassurance as they closed the door. Zippy sneezed and curled up in the crate, seemingly resigned to his impending vet visit.

Josie came outside holding her brother’s coat. “Hen, the bus will be here any second.” Her hands trembled as she shook the garment in his direction.

Henry hugged Max and Ginny before following his sister inside.

Max ran a hand down his face and stood. “Thanks for saving the day,” he said to his in-laws.

Harold patted his shoulder and nodded. “I’m just glad we were driving by when Josie called. We’re on our way to pickleball at the community center, but we’ll drop Zippy off on the way.”

Ginny hugged her step-mother and sighed. “You’re both lifesavers.”

Mona shook her head. “We’re family. It’s nothing. Now, you two take a moment to calm down. I’ll make sure they get on the bus.” She turned and headed back into the house, humming Jingle Bell Rock under her breath.

Harold shared another round of hugs before sidestepping a pile of Zippy’s puke. Pointing with his toe, he frowned. “Do I want to know?”

Ginny snorted with laughter. “You might want to tell Dr. Fredericks that Zippy took part in the Buckeye Falls dog food eating competition.”

Harold raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. “I have a feeling the Snyder boy put him up to it.”

“History repeating itself,” Max said with a chuckle. While hardly hell raisers, he and Anthony got into some trouble back in the day. “Be sure to send the bill to Representative Snyder’s office.” He winked and Harold guffawed.

Once the house was empty, Ginny took Max’s hand and pulled him to the living room. They collapsed onto the couch, both still buzzing from the morning’s excitement. Ginny held one of Max’s hands in hers, squeezing it tight. “This has to be a record.”

“What does?”

“Two pet emergencies in one hour.”

Max grimaced. “Poor Zippy.”

“He’ll be okay.” Ginny nudged Max with her elbow. “Will you be?”

Sighing, he pulled Ginny close, draping his arm around her shoulder. “It breaks my heart,” he said, nearly choking on the last word. “Hen shouldn’t have to deal with a freaking stammer.”

Ginny kissed his cheek, tasting his tears on her lips. “Max, honey. This rarely happens. Hen’s teachers said they seldom hear it in school, and he’s never complained. C’mon, he’s going to be the lead in the Christmas pageant. He’s a tough kid, just like his father.” She punctuated her statement with another kiss.

Max coughed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “Oh yeah, I’m a real macho man.”

“Yeah, because you know they’re my type.” She theatrically rolled her eyes.

“I shudder to think of what your type is,” Max said, gesturing at his current state. His eyes were red, he was covered in dirt and kibble, and he probably could stand another few hours of sleep.

Ginny leaned back, tapping her chin. “Well, let’s see. I like a man who can take care of me and my children. Someone who can cook, like really well. And it would be nice if he was a small business owner and took care of my father like his own. Oh, and if he’s also best friends with my best friends, that would be perfect.” Ginny huffed and pulled herself to her feet. “Looks like that’s a pretty tall order.”

Max snatched Ginny’s hand and pulled her onto his lap. “Okay, Mrs. Sanchez. Point made.” He kissed his wife, relishing in the fact they were still together after all these years. Life wasn’t always perfect, but it was from where he sat.

“I need to get to the diner and start working on the menu for Christmas.”

Ginny kissed him one more time before pulling back. “And I’m needed in the office, but I’ll swing by the vet on my way in.”

“Love you, Gin.”

“Love you more.”