Chapter 21
Twenty-One
“Whatever souls are made of,
his and mine are the same.” —Emily Bronte
Max and Caden returned to work and school the following Monday, and the next few weeks flew by in a whirl of holiday preparations and festivities.
They attended parties at school, at Cub Scouts and at Hunter and Megan’s house while working long shifts at the Christmas Tree Farm, which was one of Caden’s favorite holiday traditions.
Max was on him constantly not to overdo the activity, but Caden was almost back to normal by Christmas Eve, as was Chase, who was now allowed to eat soft foods.
The excitement level was through the roof as the family gathered at the barn for Christmas Eve for their annual sleepover.
That tradition had started five years ago, after Linc reconnected with his siblings on an emotional trip to Philadelphia right before his father died.
The entire family had spent Christmas Eve at the barn, and it’d been so much fun, they’d done it every year since.
The barn got more crowded as the family grew, but they found room for everyone, with air mattresses all over the place and every bedroom occupied.
Max, Caden and Daisy were in his dad’s study, sleeping on the sofa and an air mattress.
Long after Caden was asleep, Max was still texting with Lexi, counting down to the twenty-eighth when he would fly to Houston to drive with her to Vermont.
He couldn’t wait to see her. The last few weeks had felt endless as they made plans and talked for hours every night.
They were stuck texting tonight so he wouldn’t wake Caden or anyone else.
She was spending Christmas with her family as they, too, prepared to move back to Vermont.
I’m looking forward to next Christmas when you can join the holiday madness at the barn. Head count: forty-six people. Hunter said tonight that we need to bring in some RVs next year before we burst at the seams.
It’s such a sweet tradition. I’m looking forward to being number forty-five.
The volume, though… Are you sure you’re ready for this???
Haha, quit trying to scare me away. It’s not going to happen. Did you work out a time for Chloe to see Caden?
They’re going to lunch the day after Christmas. Their first outing without me.
How do you feel about that?
I’m fine with it. She’s been in regular contact with us, visited a few more times and hasn’t asked for anything unreasonable. I keep telling myself that having her in his life is what’s best for him.
It is. You’re doing the right thing for him.
It’s amazing how much she’s changed.
We all grow up eventually.
I guess so.
You’d better get some sleep. Your boy will have you up early.
Last year, the kids were up at four thirty.
Stop it! No way.
Yep. The entire house was awake by five.
OMG. LOL.
Still looking forward to it?
I can’t wait for all of it. Love you so much, Max Abbott.
Love you, too, Lex. So much. Looking forward to everything.
Call me when you can tomorrow.
Will do. Merry Christmas.
She responded with all the Christmas emojis, and Max fell asleep smiling, full of excitement for the week ahead.
In a bedroom upstairs, Colton Abbott was trying to make love to his gorgeous wife, but she wasn’t having it.
“If you wake them up,” Lucy said in a harsh whisper, “I’ll kill you, and I’ll make it hurt.”
His low chuckle came out louder than he’d intended. But how was that his fault? She was funny.
She elbowed him in the gut. “You think I’m joking?”
“I know you’re dead serious,” he whispered. “Ha. I made a joke.”
“Go to sleep.”
“Not yet. You’ve got me all worked up.”
“You did that to yourself.”
“No, you did it by crawling in bed with me wearing flannel. You know what that does to me.”
“The passing breeze does the same thing to you.”
“Only when you’re the one causing the breeze to pass.
” His hands slid under her pajama top and up to play with breasts that were lush and full after having given birth to their three sons.
He kept thinking the fiery attraction between them would eventually fade, but instead, it only grew more intense the longer they were together.
“I love you so, so, so much, my Lucy in the sky with diamonds. You have no idea how much.”
“I can feel just how much.”
“That’s just a fraction of the total.”
“Are you calling your precious manhood a fraction of anything?”
“Allow me to rephrase that.”
Her silent laughter made the bed shake.
Colton played with her nipple. “I want to love you, Luce. I want you so bad.”
“Tomorrow, when we’re home and the hellions aren’t sleeping two feet from us.”
“I can’t wait that long.”
“Honestly, Colton…”
“Honestly, Luce.”
“Fine. Make it quick.”
“I’m so good at quick.”
“You’re good at all of it.”
He stopped short. “You think so?”
“Yes, Colton, I think so. That’s why I married you.”
“Is that the only reason you married me?”
Though the room was dark, he could imagine her rolling her eyes at him, as she did many times in an average day.
He loved driving her crazy. “Time’s a-wasting, my friend.
Your spawn will be up in a couple of hours, and if their mother doesn’t sleep, it’s not going to be a merry Christmas for anyone. ”
“Hey, Luce?”
“Yes, Colton?”
“Just so you know… You’re the best thing in my whole life. You and the devils. I love you so, so much.”
“I love you, too.”
“Even when I’m driving you bonkers?”
She ran her fingers though his hair. “Even then.”
Colton kissed her and loved her to a quiet orgasm that had them gasping from the power of what they created together.
As it had been from the start, sex with Lucy was almost a religious experience.
As he came down from the incredible high, he kissed her and rubbed his nose against hers. “Love you forever and ever.”
“I’ll love you longer.”
“No way.”
“Yes way.”
“Sleep, Colton. I need sleep.”
He withdrew and made his chest available to her, wrapping his arms around her to keep her close, thankful for every second he got to spend with the incomparable Lucy Mulvaney Abbott.
Hunter was about to go looking for Megan when she snuck into the bedroom, where their kids, Carson, Cory and Claire, were asleep on an air mattress. It’d taken Hunter more than an hour to get them to sleep, as they were not used to sleeping together and had been full of beans at bedtime.
“Where’ve you been?” he asked her in a whisper.
“I had to run home for a minute.”
“I would’ve done that for you.”
“It was something I had to do myself so I wouldn’t spoil the surprise.”
“I’m intrigued.”
“Can you come to the kitchen for a minute?” That was the one room in the house where no one was sleeping.
“Yep.” He got out of bed and followed her to the kitchen, stepping over Charley and Tyler’s girls, who were asleep on air mattresses in the dining room.
“How were the kids at bedtime?”
“Terrible, but funny. We knew the sleepover would be dicey. Claire wanted to sleep between the boys, but they didn’t want her touching them, which hurt her feelings.”
Megan stifled a laugh. “Business as usual, huh?”
“Poor Claire can’t catch a break with those boys. I’m working on getting them to be nicer to her, but it’s a long-term project.”
“They’ll get there.”
“It’s just so strange for me because I was always so close with my sisters.”
“They will be, too. They’ll be so protective of her. I’m sure of it.”
Hunter put his arms around her and rested his forehead against hers. “Since you’re the wisest person I know, I’m going to believe you’re right and hope for the best.” He lifted his head to kiss her. “Now, about this surprise…”
She retrieved a gift bag off one of the chairs in the kitchen and handed it to him.
Hunter was surprised by how heavy it was. He pulled the tissue paper out and found three inches of paper held together by a big binder clip. Glancing at her, he said, “Is this what I think it is?”
As she nodded, her smile was so big it could probably be seen from space.
“You finished it?”
“Earlier today. I had to go home to print out the last three chapters.”
“Oh my God, Meggie. You did it! You wrote your book while running a business and raising three kids and being the best wife and mom ever.” His heart was so full of love for her, he could barely contain it all.
He set the bag on the table and reached for her.
“I’m so, so proud of you, and I can’t wait to read it. ”
“I couldn’t have done it without you and the info you gave me about search and rescue and the story ideas. I’ve already got three more books planned.”
Hunter hugged her tightly. “Best Christmas present ever.”
“I also want to thank you for all the times you took care of the kids so I could write. When I say I couldn’t have done this without you, I mean it.”
“We’re a team, babe. Whatever you want is what I want.”
“Not every author has a husband like you. Some of the women in my writing group talk about how their husbands don’t take their writing seriously. I never have anything to add to those conversations, because my husband is amazing.”
“Watching this dream come true for you has been one of the most exciting things I’ve ever experienced.”
“Look,” she said, flipping to the second page where the dedication said, “For my husband, Hunter, the love of my life who makes everything possible.”
Hunter’s eyes filled with tears as he kissed her. “Thank you for that. I’m so honored. What happens next?”
“I find an editor and a cover designer and make a plan to publish it in the next few months.”
“You decided to pursue the indie path?”
She nodded. “I’m too busy to be beholden to someone else’s deadlines. I don’t want it to turn into another chore that has to get done every day, which it will if I chase the traditional route.”
“We’ll have the biggest party ever when your book is published.”
She kissed him and hugged him. “I can’t wait for that.”
“Me either. Merry Christmas, my sweet love, the soon-to-be published author.”
“Merry Christmas, best husband ever.”