Chapter Five
BOONE
Outlaws was packed with people eager to witness the Santa contest. It was the day after our devastating news, but life waited for no one, and Verity insisted that we support River Pearl in promoting her gallery and her plans for Christmas Eve.
“Are you sure about this, sugar?” I said, shifting Duel onto my other hip so I could hold her against me. As we came in the door, people cheered to see one of the contestants arriving. She was holding Henry’s hand.
“I’m sure.” She smiled and I smiled back. She was trying so hard, and I decided to just let it all go for now and have a good time.
In fact, what troubled me more right now was the sorrow I saw in Henry’s eyes whenever I visited. Most of the time Baker kept his distance, but there didn’t seem to have been any more episodes of violence. Of course, I couldn’t be sure, and it kept me up at night.
The conversations in Outlaws were loud and boisterous, and there was great warm-hearted community vibe going on here.
River Pearl’s heroic revelation of the first Duel Outlaw’s true story at her ancestor’s Founder’s Day Festival had changed the tide for us.
Suttontowne no longer made the festival about the Colonel, but about celebrating the town’s existence and prosperity.
I was so proud of River Pearl and her family for making that change, and for embracing us, which included my ma, now happily married to Winchester Sutton.
People were more open and welcoming to us and the Outlaws restaurant, and its reputation, already solid, gained momentum, plus word was spreading, bringing in patrons from New Orleans and other communities through the state.
“Yes. I’m very sure. I’m not going to let this ruin our and our family’s Christmas, Boone. We can get through this together like we agreed on.” She smiled and I hugged her hard.
“Wow, it looks great in here,” Verity said. She was right. The place was festooned with wreaths and garlands, beautifully and tastefully done, the crowning glory the huge wreath over the stage.
“Yeah, we’ve decked the freaking halls, all right,” Brax said from behind them. “Thanks to River Pearl and the womenfolk.”
“I made the bows for all the wreaths,” Verity said with a smile, nudging Brax. “Brax was like the Grinch who stole Christmas, the way he kept trying to take some things down. But River set him straight.”
“Yeah,” he grumbled. “She threatened to fa-la-la all over me.” He hooked his arm around Verity’s neck and hugged her close.
“You made some beautiful bows, sweetheart,” he said, his voice husky.
He hung onto her just a little longer than necessary, making it obvious he wasn’t really talking about the bows.
Verity blinked a few times and kissed his cheek. “Why, thank you, Mr. Grinch.”
I looked around. “What was that noise?” I said. “I think…I think his heart just grew three sizes.”
“Laugh it up, elf boy, and be prepared to jingle all the way,” he chuckled and headed for the stage.
Most of my family was already there, having heard all about this contest and our rivalry. Even my Cajun cousins, my aunt, and my uncle had come. It was going to be pandemonium.
Right then Booker and Aubree arrived. I saw Aubree looking through the crowd, and as soon as her eyes landed on Verity, she was moving.
My throat cramped up at the look on her face when Verity saw her.
The way those two friends looked at each other made me a little jealous.
Aubree threw her arms around her, holding her tight and rocking a bit.
I had to turn away. It was too much for me to watch, especially when River Pearl arrived and the entire scene was played out again.
I could only think what a great job my brothers had done picking the women they had chosen as their own. I hated that there was this…distance…between my feelings for Verity and how I used to feel. My gut churned some more.
Finally everyone had arrived, and my brothers and I took the stage. River Pearl stood up. “All right. The first category is Onomatopoeia. We’ll need to hear each one of you perform your best ho-ho-ho.
I went first and deepened my voice, but Brax’s was amazing and Booker… Well, he was Booker.
“Two Santas walk into a bar—” Everyone broke into laughter, and he grinned at his wife. “What?”
Once we recorded the audience’s approval levels for each of us based on the applause, Booker won that round.
River Pearl was at the microphone again. “Okay, this part of the competition is open to interpretation. We’ve named it the Belly Shake, and our contestants had to come up with their own idea of what that means. We’d like to see their imaginations at work. After all, Santa is all about imagination.”
Brax signaled Rory at the bar, and he started passing out small cups. “This is The Belly Shake, a combination of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, cranberry liqueur for adults and cranberry juice for the kiddies, and a sprig of holly for garnish. Enjoy.”
“Very nice, Santa Braxton.” River Pearl said, “now on to Santa Booker.”
I had a prop and turned around to fasten it on. Once I turned back around I was wearing an enormous, flesh-colored balloon filled with water, the tie of it positioned like a belly button. I ho-ho-ho’d again, and the thing shook exactly like a bowl full of jelly.
My Cajun cousins were roaring with laughter, people wiping their eyes and shaking their heads.
When I turned around and smirked at Braxton, he slapped my belly prop, and it exploded with a loud pop and drenched my jeans.
Laughter erupted again, and we had to wait a full minute before Booker could take his turn.
Once the laughter petered out, he motioned for the microphone, and River passed it to him.
“Since my day is filled with words, I have a poem for you. ’Twas the night before Christmas, and without my signature ho ho ho jelly belly, Christmas would be simply helly. Yo, yo, yo.” He did this to a rap beat.
The tally of the votes gave me that win, although Brax came in a close second.
Verity was next at the microphone, and said, “We hope everyone is having a good time and voting. The next category is Kris Kringle Q&A.”
“Santa Braxton.” Brax grinned and nodded. “Name three actors who have played Santa.”
He thought for a moment and said, “This one will be easier for Boone since he has a kid, but I’ll say, “Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, and…Sebastian Cabot.”
“Correct. The movies are The Santa Claus, The Polar Express, and Miracle on 34 th Street. Very good.”
“Santa Boone,” she said, her voice dropping a little, and it was already way too sexy. “Besides milk and cookies, what else should you leave for Santa?”
I thought, what the heck else was there?…oh….right! The reindeer. “Magic Reindeer Food?”
Verity looked toward the girls and both of them nodded. “We’ll accept that. We had in mind carrots.”
“Now for you, Santa Booker. There are 365 days in a year. What number is Christmas day?”
“Hitting me with a math problem, huh?” His blue eyes fell on his wife, and she winked at him. I chuckled.
“That answer is out of 365 days, Christmas falls on day 359.”
Aubree clapped and then realized she was supposed to remain neutral and stopped with a sheepish grin.
She rose and took the microphone from Verity.
“Now it’s time for Christmas Trivia. Be the first to raise your hand, and you get to answer.
” She looked down at her index card and said, “And laying his finger aside of his nose , And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose .”
Brax’s hand shot up while Booker and I were still frowning, trying to figure it out. “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” he said.
“Awww,” I said, smacking my forehead, and Booker laughed, because he should have known that from his whole ’Twas the Night rap poem.
“The next question is: what was the name of the island Rudolph landed on when he ran away from home?”
I couldn’t remember, but Brax got his hand up first. “The Island of Misfit Toys.”
“Exactly. Okay, the last question. “What is the name of Scrooge’s dead business partner?”
Braxton’s hand shot up. “Jacob Marley.”
“He would know that one,” I mumbled. He’d swept that round.
Aubree handed the microphone back to River Pearl. “Our last category is Reindeer Games. Each of you must answer one question.”
Brax got asked whether Santa’s reindeer were male or female, and I was floored when Brax said they were female, since males lose their antlers before December 25 th .
My question was to name the eight reindeer, and thank God I knew that one.
And, Booker’s was: How do reindeer fly? And he answered correctly: magic.
“All right, we are going to tally all the categories and announce the winner. In the meantime, Christmas cookies for everyone!” River announced.
I turned to my brothers. “I believe this was what’s known as a total rout. I suspect Brax will be the one who gets to wear the red suit and NOT wear pointy-toed slippers with jingle bells.”
“I can’t believe it.”
“He was totally motivated.”
Brax picked up his fiddle, and I grabbed my guitar. Booker settled at the piano, and while Brax’s delicious cookies were passed around and consumed, we sang Christmas carols.
Brax was named the winner, and even though I’d prepared myself, I was disappointed. It would have been fun to be Santa for all those little kids, but Brax won fair and square, and naturally he couldn’t resist subjecting me and Booker to a bunch of little digs.
As we were getting ready to leave, Aubree and Booker approached us. “Meet up at Brax’s for eggnog and a game of Christmas-opoly?”
I gave Verity a questioning look, and she nodded. “Yes, sounds great, and we can touch base about the preparations for the gallery party.”
“Would you like to come, too, Henry?”
He nodded his head vigorously. “Will there be more cookies?”
“You bet, huckleberry, but we need to get some dinner in you first.”
I called Baker. He just growled that it was okay and hung up.