Chapter 7
As the girls got dressed, Everly pulled a large tin catering pan out of the fridge and unwrapped the foil on one end. She peeked inside and rolled her eyes.
“Looks good?” Bam asked.
“Oh, my gods. Yes.”
He walked over to the kitchen island and looked over her shoulder. “Oh, man. That’s going to be so good.”
“You think I should put the Au Jus over it, or just save it for when it comes out of the oven?”
“It’s already cooked, so I think pour the juice over it and let it all warm together. It’ll keep it moist.”
Everly nodded as she peeled back the rest of the foil, poured the Au Jus over the already sliced brisket, covered it, and put it in the oven to warm.
“Buying that premade is the best thing we did this year. We need to do that every year,” Bam said.
“Agreed. I like all the sides we make, but it’s so much easier than having to smoke a brisket.”
“Should we have gotten two?” Bam asked.
“No, Bane got one, and Kaid’s bringing a ham. We’ll have plenty.”
“What sides?” Bam asked.
“I have the dirty rice going, and I made the cheese sauce for the cauliflower before I started breakfast. All I have to do is wrap the asparagus in bacon and get them seared in a skillet. I’m not sure what everyone is bringing but I’m sure all the usual holiday favorites.”
“Alright. Man, I’m hungry.”
“We just ate!”
“That was three hours ago.”
Everly laughed. “Well, I’m sure everyone will start streaming in any time now. I told them to come whenever they’re ready. You can taste test when they bring in their food.”
Bam smiled and kissed her. “I’m glad we’re doing Christmas here this year. Sometimes I just want to stay home with my people.”
“They’re all your people,” Everly reminded him.
“Yeah, but not like you and the girls. I like when it’s our turn to host Christmas.”
“Me, too.”
Emmalyn walked into the kitchen and sniffed the air. “Ohhh, brisket?”
“Yep,” Bam said. “And cauliflower and dirty rice and bacon and asparagus.”
“Oh, yum! We could just eat here and not have to go anywhere,” Emmalyn said.
“We are.”
“Wait, what?” Emmalyn asked, looking back and forth between her parents.
“It’s our year to host Christmas. Everyone is coming here.”
“Everyone?”
“Of course. We’re not going to exclude anyone.”
“Well, no, of course not. But Havoc? He’s coming?”
Everly and Bam shared a look.
“He’s family, too.”
“I know, but Analise?”
“Well, it’s better it’s here, then, because she can hide in her room if it gets to be too much,” Everly said.
“Maybe.”
“It’ll be fine,” Everly said.
“Yeah,” Bam agreed.
“I think I’ll go warn Analise,” Emmalyn said, heading back down the hall.
“Is she dressed yet?” Everly asked.
“No, she was waiting for me to get out of the shower,” Emmalyn called back.
Everly turned to Bam quickly and pulled him near. “Go in Analise’s room, get her car keys out of her purse and hide them.”
“What?!” Bam asked, looking at his mate like she was crazy.
“She told me she was thinking of going home early. Like today or tonight. That was before she found out we were hosting everyone including Havoc. Hide the keys, and whatever else you think might slow her down if she decides to go early.”
Bam didn’t say a word he just rushed down the hallway, slipped quietly into Analise’s room and snatched her purse off the chair at her small writing desk. He dug around inside it for a few seconds before he located her keys. Then he took her wallet and held onto that, too, while he laid the purse on the floor near the chair. He shook a few of its contents onto the carpet so it would look like it fell and spilled, then quickly left the room. Bam walked back into the kitchen and opened the small cabinet above the fridge. He tossed the keys and the wallet into the back of the cabinet, then moved the vases Everly kept there in front of them.
He turned around and grinned at Everly. “Done.”
Everly giggled a little, and accepted a kiss from him before she went back to finishing up their portion of Christmas dinner.
~~~
Analise pulled the shower curtain open and glared at Emmalyn. “Say what?”
“Really, if you think about it, it’s no different than being at Kaid’s. But now, if you get overwhelmed, you can retreat to your own bedroom. So, it’s better.”
Analise sighed. “It didn’t even occur to me to ask who was hosting Christmas day this year.”
“You’d have been exposed to him over there, too, though.”
“I know. It’s just that, this is MY space. And he’s going to be walking all over it.”
“With a little girl that you absolutely love.”
Analise smiled and her expression softened. “I really do. She’s such a sweet child, and at the same time, so strong.”
“He’s done a really good job.”
“That’s what I said! I’m so proud of him.”
“You’re proud of him?” Emmalyn asked.
“Yes. Aren’t you?” Analise asked.
“No. I’m not looking for an opportunity to castrate him anymore, so there’s that, but I’m not proud of him.”
“You should be. He’s overcome a lot, and risen to the occasion. He’s a good dad.”
“Good for Harley. Wasn’t anything he wasn’t supposed to do.”
“True. So, when?”
“Same time, just everybody’s coming here.”
“Alright. Let me finish getting ready. I’ll be out in a minute.” Analise reached up to close the shower curtain and Emmalyn noticed the shake in her hands.
She reached up and covered her sister’s hand with her own. “It’s gonna be okay.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“You want some vodka?”
“No! Lord, no, and it’s not just potatoes. You lied.”
“No, I didn’t. It’s made from potatoes.”
“How can I ease your nerves?” Emmalyn asked.
“Bourbon?”
“Oh, honey, hell yeah. I’ll be back,” Emmalyn said.
Emmalyn popped into the kitchen and started digging through the cabinets.
“What are you doing?” Everly asked.
“I’m looking for liquor. Where’s the liquor?”
“All we’ve got is wine. Why do you want alcohol?”
“It’s for Analise.”
“No! We’re not giving her liquor.”
“Mom, she’s not a kid anymore. She asked for a little bourbon. I’m gonna get her some bourbon.”
“We don’t have any,” Everly said.
“Damn.” Emmalyn went back to the bathroom, knocking on the door before she opened it. “Hey! All they have is wine.”
“Ewww.”
“I can run to the store real quick.”
“The stores are closed. It’s okay. I’ll manage. Maybe I still have enough in my system to take the edge off.”
“Where you’d have some last night?”
“Christian’s. He’s a bourbon connoisseur.”
“Oh, well, I’ll go get some from Christian’s.”
“He’s not there, he went to his parents’ house.”
“It’ll be alright. I got this.” Emmalyn closed the door, grabbed her own purse from her bedroom, then headed out of the front door.
“Where are you going?” Bam demanded from the formal living room where he was setting up the table.
“I’ll be right back. Just over to Christian’s for a second.”
“Fine, but don’t be long. People will start getting here in the next hour.”
“I’ll be ten minutes,” Emmalyn promised, closing the door after herself and rushing off.
Emmalyn hopped in her car and drove straight to Christian’s house. She pulled up in the driveway and turned off the engine. She got out slowly, and took a minute to admire the house. “Damn, Christian. Very nice. Very, very nice.”
She walked up to the door and tried the handle. It was locked.
She walked around to the back door and tried it. It, too, was locked. So she started trying each window as she got to them. They were locked. By the time she’d made it almost around to the front of the house, she was no longer alone.
“Can I help you?”
Emmalyn turned and looked at the owner of that voice. A slender woman, about her own age with light brown hair and big brown eyes was standing at the edge of her own driveway watching Emmalyn try to break into Christian’s house. “Nope. Just trying to break into my friend’s house.”
“I think maybe you should just leave.”
“No, see, my sister wants some bourbon. Her ex is coming over with his family for Christmas, and she really needs a drink. All we have is wine, and she’s like ‘ewww’; so, I’m here to get some of Christian’s bourbon, because she knows he’s got some because they drank it last night.” Emmalyn smiled prettily, then went back to trying windows.
“Ma’am. Miss, whoever you are, if you don’t have a key, you obviously don’t belong in that house. That’s my neighbor’s house and I’m not going to just stand there and let you break in.”
Emmalyn huffed an irritated sigh and turned back to the woman. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Addie.”
“Addie. I’m Emmalyn. Christian is family. In fact, my sister spent the night here last night, and I’m just trying to get some of his bourbon.”
“I don’t know who your sister is, but I saw the woman who was here last night. You look nothing like her.”
“I know. Because I look like my dad, who’s a Bear, and she looks like our mom, who’s a Fox. Who do you look like?”
Addie opened her mouth to answer and realized the question was ridiculous in this particular setting. “Stop trying to break into his house!”
“Why do you even care?”
“Because I’m protecting his place and his things.”
Emmalyn canted her head sideways as she considered the woman’s response. Something unexpected was lingering under those tones, an emotion Emmalyn couldn’t quite put her finger on, but stood up and yelled ‘hello’ nonetheless. “Did he ask you to?”
“No.”
“Then why do it?”
“Because he doesn’t know you’re here trying to break in.”
“He might.”
“I’m pretty sure he doesn’t.”
“Does he know you’re here trying to stop me?”
“He doesn’t know I’m here at all.”
And that was what let Emmalyn know that Christian had an admirer. Emmalyn smiled at Addie as she approached her, her heels clicking on the pavement of Christian’s drive. “Is he yours?”
“What?!” Addie asked, looking nervous all of a sudden.
“You’re really concerned about me being here. None of the rest of your family is. You know a woman spent the night with him, and watched long enough to be able to know what she did and didn’t look like.”
“Nothing happened! They just watched television.”
Emmalyn smiled brightly. “Like I said, you watched them. A little bit of stalking going on here, maybe? They’re just friends. Never been more. Is he your mate?”
Addie chewed her lip and looked back and forth between Emmalyn and her car, silently willing the woman to just leave.
“Look, I’m thinking if he is, maybe you should come with me to my house.”
Addie’s expression turned to one of complete confusion.
“See, our entire clan, including Christian and his family, are going to be spending the day there. If he’s yours, you should be there, too. Let him get to know you. Besides, it’ll take the attention off Brandt’s new mate, and my sister and her ex-mate, and me and Barron.” Emmalyn shrugged.
“Why do you need attention taken off you and Alpha’s mate?” Addie asked.
“Hah! You don’t know our family!”
“I’m not sure I want to.”
Emmalyn nodded empathetically. “And then there’s the fact that Christian has done more than enough for our family. A nice surprise for him would be a good thing.”
“I already know he deserves good things. But, I’m not sure I’m that thing. And that sounds like a lot of people. And he doesn’t really even know me. We only just spoke from across his drive yesterday morning.”
“But is he your mate?”
Addie weighed her options here and decided the fact that she may or may not have a connection to him shouldn’t be hidden. “I don’t know. Maybe. Yes. Can’t Lion’s choose? Maybe he won’t like that I’m trying to get his attention.”
“Have you tried to get his attention?”
“Not yet. I just kind of, watched.”
“Stalked! Tell you what, go throw on something other than sweats… jeans and a sweater or something. Come with me, and if you don’t like it, I’ll bring you back home.”
“Where is it?”
“Right across the highway.”
“Oh, Alpha Brandt said some of his family lived over there.”
“Yep. While I wait, I’m calling Christian. Maybe he’s left a spare key somewhere.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“I only ever have good ideas. But you don’t have to. You could just hang out and watch his driveway all day, or you could spend Christmas getting up close and personal with your maybe/maybe not mate.”
Addie didn’t even think about it. Phrased like that made it perfectly clear what she’d rather do. “I’ll be right back,” she said as she ran for her front door. She stopped halfway there and looked back at Emmalyn. “Hey.”
Emmalyn looked up at her from her phone.
“The kitchen window is unlocked.”
Emmalyn laughed evilly. “That’s my girl! I knew we’d be friends. Go get dressed!”
Ten minutes later Addie came out of her house wearing a long, gauzy blue and ivory patterned skirt, with a long-sleeve, tunic-length blue Henley belted loosely at the hips. Her just-past-her-shoulders hair was brushed and pulled back off her face in a barrette clipped in the back, and she had on a pair of leather clogs.
Emmalyn stood facing Christian’s home, her feet planted shoulder width apart, her phone pressed to her ear, her body tense, standing straight as a board. “Stop calling me!” she shouted into the phone.
“Oh, lovely, you’re going to crave the days when all I did was call you,” a sinister sounding voice whispered to Emmalyn harshly.
“Don’t call me lovely, and if you call this number again, I’ll track you down and cut your balls off and feed them to you one at a time,” Emmalyn threatened. “I will hunt you down like a rabid animal and put you down without a second thought.”
“I can hear the fear in your voice. Poor lost little girl, are you intimidated?” he asked poutily. “You should be.”
“You’ll regret you ever thought you could intimidate me. I don’t get intimidated. And I am certainly not lost.”
“No, you’re not lost. We both know exactly where you are — just outside your cousin’s home. Perhaps you should let him know to visit with you while he can before you’re no longer so readily available.”
“Where are you?” Emmalyn shouted, spinning in a circle, her eyes taking in everything around her because the threat on the phone obviously had eyes on her.
Addie stood silently waiting for Emmalyn to finish her phone call.
The moment Emmalyn’s gaze landed on Addie, she stopped looking frantically around, took a couple of deep breaths before raising the phone to her ear again. “Stop calling me. I will find you. And I will make you sorry.”
“Make the most of your last Christmas. Take care, lovely, until we can be alone together.”
“Fuck you!” Emmalyn shouted.
“Oh, lovely, that’s just the beginning I’m looking forward to.”
“I will remove your dick!” Emmalyn growled into the phone, but was answered by silence — he’d already hung up.
Slowly Emmalyn’s gaze raised from the phone she now stared at to focus on Addie.
“You alright?” Addie asked.
“I’m fine.”
“That didn’t sound fine,” Addie said.
“It’s fine. Hazard’s of the job. It’s a private call, and we’re not going to mention it again, deal?”
“Not my business, not my problem,” Addie said, holding her hands up to show she was not involved.
“Exactly,” Emmalyn said. Then her demeanor changed as she noticed Addie’s outfit. She smiled brightly, the carefree person she’d been when she sent Addie in to get changed. “Wow, you clean up nice.”
“Thanks. Is this okay?”
“Yep. Come on. I already got the liquor.”
Addie hurried over to Emmalyn’s car and just before she got in the passenger side she looked up and waved at her sister who was standing in the doorway of their home and looking toward them.
Emmalyn waved at her, too, as Addie got in the car and closed the door. Emmalyn put the car in gear, but stopped it as she thought about the lecture on respect she’d gotten from her father earlier that morning. She rolled down her window. “Hey! I’m Emmalyn, Brandt is my cousin, our dads are brothers. We live across the highway. If you’re looking for Addie, just head over that way and listen for the house that is overflowing with people and noise. Matter of fact, you can come, too, if you want.”
“I think we’ll just have a quiet Christmas day,” Abby called out.
“Okay. Suit yourself, but that’s where we’ll be.”
“We don’t want to be an imposition.”
“Not possible. We’re all part of the same clan, here…” she paused not knowing the woman’s name. Emmalyn looked at Addie, “what’s your sister’s name?”
“Abby.”
“All part of the same clan here, Abby.” Emmalyn rolled up her window, waved again and backed out of Christian’s driveway before gunning the engine and racing off down the road.
“Like that’s not confusing.”
“What’s that?”
“Abby, Addie.”
“Tell me. Always has been,” Addie said, picking at her nails as she looked out of the window as Emmalyn drove her to face so many people, she knew she’d not remember their names. But Christian would be there, and she couldn’t pass up a chance to spend a little time with him.
“Don’t be nervous, Addie.”
Addie turned and looked at her.
“Christian is the nicest male I’ve ever known in my life and you’re doing me a huge favor, too.”
“How’s that?”
“Like I said, taking the attention off me and mine. Someone new to watch instead of the usual drama.”
“You think they’ll mind?”
“Nope. I think they’ll be curious. Just hang with me and Analise and act like you belong there. Lots of good people in our clan.”
“Thank you, Emmalyn. For giving me this chance.”
“Oh, girl, you live next to him. It would have happened sooner or later.”
“Maybe. Alpha Brandt said he’s not around much.”
“He’s not. He’s a doctor and finishing up his residency in New Orleans most of the time.”
“A doctor? He won’t even look at me.”
Emmalyn drove like a bat out of hell, she always had. She’d managed to not run into anything, and get them back to her house in only minutes. “What do you mean, he won’t even look at you?” she asked, as she swerved around the couple of cars already parked in her driveway and just on the edges of it to bring her car to a stop almost on the porch. She turned and looked at Addie after throwing it in park. “Explain what you meant by that.”
Addie looked at her woefully, trying unsuccessfully to hide her insecurities. “He’s an educated male. A doctor. I’m just some little female from Podunk wherever the hell we’ve been until now and I’ll never be more.”
“Hey, let me tell you a few things… my generation, we all came from an established clan thanks to our parents. But our parents didn’t. Each of them struggled to find a place, to belong, to be accepted. Some of them had nothing, not ever, others lost everything and had to start over. Some of them are educated and some aren’t, but all are successful, good people with unquestionable integrity and heart. And you’ve got a good heart, too. You’re a good person. Don’t cut yourself short because of what life has handed you. I know these things. It’s my job.”
Not giving Addie time to reply, Emmalyn threw open the door and got out of the car, leaning back in to grab the five bottles of liquor she’d taken from Christian’s house. She handed two of them to Addie, and held three of them herself.
Addie followed her up onto the front porch of a beautiful Acadian style home. “How is it your job to know if I have a good heart?”
Emmalyn grinned at her. “I’m a profiler for the FBI.”
A horrified expression crossed Addie’s face. “Oh, sweet Jesus.”
Emmalyn laughed joyously. “It’s okay. You passed. Sixth sense and all, plus the extra stuff I get from my dad’s side. We know things. You’re good.”
“Explains the phone call earlier, too,” Addie said.
“What phone call? There was no phone call, was there?” Emmalyn insisted.
“Nope. Not a single phone call. Didn’t hear a thing.”
“Exactly. I think you're going to be my new best-friend.” Emmalyn opened the door and stepped inside. “Hey, guys! Meet my new friend, Addie!”