37. Deck My Halls
Chapter 37
Deck My Halls
Christmas Eve found Neve in her ugly sweater, lounging on the leather couch in front of the Hunnicutts’ massive stone fireplace. This was a big couch built for big men, and the cushions nearly swallowed her. At her feet lay Pearl and Chance, Noah and Hailey’s dog. Charlie had left his pups at home—one of them got a little too squeaky when she was with her pack of cousins.
Hailey, in an even uglier sweater than Neve’s, sauntered over and handed Neve a glass of red wine. “How’s the arm?”
“Hurts like a mother—oh hey, Marilyn. Come join us.” Marilyn’s sweater was the least ugly of all the Hunnicutt Christmas sweaters. Neve wagged her head between Reece’s mom and the empty seat beside her, inviting the woman to sit down.
Marilyn smiled tentatively. “You don’t mind if I join the girl talk?”
“You’d better!” Joy piped up from Neve’s other side. “You’ve got the best dirt on these boys, and we want to hear all of it.”
Marilyn covered her mouth, but a giggle managed to escape. “Oh, do I ever! Charlie was constantly pulling off his diaper, and Noah would forever try to pee on the dog.”
“Omigod!” Hailey shrieked. “Poor dog! And what did Reece get up to?”
Marilyn’s hand fluttered over her heart. “Now that boy was either the ringleader steering them into trouble, or he was pulling them out of trouble. And when I would give him what-for, he would conjure the face of an angel that had me ready to put my self on timeout.”
The women shared a round of laughter.
“Not so different from now,” Neve quipped. She knew that angelic look well. It was the same one he’d given her when he’d first pretended to know nothing about the money appearing in her account; the same one he’d given her a few days ago when he claimed he could do nothing to stop the funds transferring over; the same one he gave her when he claimed to not have a dirty thought on his mind—right before ripping off her clothes and showing her every dirty thought on his mind.
Marilyn patted her knee. “You’ve got your hands full with that one.”
Don’t I know it! But Neve loved her hands full of Reece. And she was the best woman for the job.
Marilyn settled beside her and looked around at her daughters-in-law. “You all have your hands full. I did my best, so blame their father when they don’t come to heel.” More easy laughter bubbled over. “Seriously, I want you all to know how tickled Hugh and I are that our boys chose so wisely.” A huge smile lifted her cheeks. Plop a red cap on her head and add a pair of half-moon glasses, and she would pass for Mrs. Claus. Neve wanted to hug her.
“I just love this,” Marilyn continued, gushing. “I love having you girls here.” She reached for each woman’s hand and squeezed them in turn. Neve was pretty sure she saw tears shimmering in everyone’s eyes—even Joy’s. She could feel them stinging her own.
The men began drifting over from the bar, where they’d been sampling fancy bourbons. Hugh cracked a genuine smile. “We’d better join the ladies before they get a chance to compare our deficiencies. ”
“ What deficiencies?” Hailey asked sweetly. “As far as I can tell, Hunnicutt men are the gold standard every other man should aspire to.”
With a smirk, Noah pointed a finger at his wife. “I’m going to remember that the next time you’re mad at me.” The room erupted in laughter and applause.
Charlie dropped his arm around Joy’s shoulders. “Finally, Mom’s not outnumbered.”
Neve cast her eyes to her ringless left hand as she wrestled with a bout of impostor syndrome. She loved being here among the Hunnicutt clan, but did she truly belong?
The idea of wearing the rings had felt weird, so they’d remained in the vault where they’d been locked up soon after the wild wedding night in Vegas. Other than her promise to pay Reece back, Neve hadn’t mentioned them again.
Now it felt weird not to wear a ring. Maybe it was time to put the big rock back on her ring finger and chase the impostor mindset away.
“Neve, are you going to wait to re-open the clinic until after your cast comes off?” Hugh prompted, pulling her from her whirlwind of thoughts. “I expect you’re limited in what you can do, and surgery has to be off the table for a while, right?”
She glanced up at Reece, whose hazel eyes shone with encouragement. “Well, actually, I plan to open after the New Year. I have a new tech and a new part-time receptionist starting then, so I’ll be busy training them. There will be lots to do.”
Hailey blinked. “You’re kidding! Where did you find the talent?”
“They were working for Dr. Bunting. When that situation, ah, fell apart, they reached out and asked if they could come work for me.”
Reece lifted his old-fashioned glass, and ice made a pleasant clinking sound. “They kept hearing from Dr. Bunting’s clients how great the Fall River Vet Clinic was, so naturally, they wanted in. Some good came out of that whole mess.”
“Wow!” Joy enthused. “Between the new hires and picking up that madwoman’s clientele, your clinic is going to explode, Neve.”
Marilyn’s forehead furrowed. “Not that it’s any of my business, but can you afford it, honey? I know it’s been a struggle in the past.”
Jeez, had Neve blabbed her troubles to every one? Oh, right. This was Fall River. You only needed to blab once, to one person, and the coconut wireless took on a life of its own. It went even faster if you told that one person you were confiding a secret.
Unsure what or how much to say and worried Marilyn was about to offer financial help, Neve exchanged another look with Reece. At least they had the whole silent communication thing down.
He took the lead. “Neve will be fine, Mom. She’s been making it on her own for a long time, and she’s got a financial safety net now that will allow her to grow the business.”
Her heart overflowed with warmth. She owed this man so much, and she was still trying to wrap her head around his limitless generosity, around everything he’d done for her. And he’d done it all quietly, and not for any personal reward coming to him. He’d done it for her . He’d been thinking of her the entire time. He had always cared.
Accepting that “safety net” had been hard for Neve to swallow, but then they had struck on the idea of Reece owning part of the business, and that had calmed her prideful, ruffled feathers somewhat. She couldn’t think of a business partner she’d rather have—and he had insisted it was an investment in Fall River. A win-win, he’d said.
“I could always put the money into Dell’s or the Brothel,” he’d teased her. Neve had asked why he didn’t put it in the depot renovation, and he’d confessed that he already had, which had left her more speechless than she already was. Reece Hunnicutt was a silent partner in a myriad of Fall River ventures, which made her fall that much harder for him.
Marilyn winked at her oldest son. “Financial safety net, huh? Well, if you’re going to invest in something, I’m glad to see it’s in your own hometown.” He beamed her a secret smile.
Hugh cleared his throat. “Speaking of hometowns, Reece, when do you leave for Vermont?”
Reece took his time setting down his drink on a coaster before sliding his hands into his front pockets. “I’m not.”
His father’s caterpillar brows crawled to his hairline. “I thought you were all set. What happened?”
Reece began rocking on the balls of his feet. “I told them I’d changed my mind and thanked them for the opportunity.”
Now his father’s brows crowded together.
Neve couldn’t take the tension and rushed in to defend Reece. “He did it because San Juan Search and Rescue offered him the incident commander position,” she blurted out. All eyes riveted on her. “They want him really, really bad, and frankly, we need someone of his caliber right here in our own backyard. I told him he should take it.” Neve hadn’t really told him, but when he’d shared the offer from Reuben Keyes and she’d seen joy dancing in his eyes that hadn’t been there in a long time, she’d encouraged him to go for it. His father didn’t need to know he’d turned Stowe down before the county’s offer. No one needed to know that detail but Reece and her. One more secret binding them together, and one more reason to be head over heels for him. He had given up a search and rescue dream job to stay in his hometown … with her.
She stole a covert look at Hugh to gauge his reaction, but he was focused on his wife, his expression so tender it nearly brought tears to Neve’s eyes. Beside her, Marilyn sniffled quietly.
Hailey clapped and gave Reece a quick hug. “I’m so happy you’re not going anywhere! And I’m happy for this town!”
Hugh stealthily fetched a tissue and handed it to his wife. “Well, Marilyn, your baby’s staying where he belongs after all,” he said softly. She could only nod, and Neve pulled her against her side in an embrace. Meanwhile, her sons watched her with identical expressions of helpless alarm.
Hugh put up his hands. “It’s okay, boys. Those are happy tears.” He turned his attention solely to Reece, and Neve noted the slight flinch in Reece’s shoulders. She braced for what would come out of his father’s mouth.
But Hugh surprised them all when a smile tipped his lips. “You didn’t belong in Vermont, son. I’m glad you threw a scare into San Juan and made them come to the table.” He tapped his temple with his index finger. “That was a smart maneuver. Good job.” He closed the distance between himself and Reece and shook his son’s hand, seemed to reconsider, and pulled him in for an awkward man hug and a slap on the back.
A relieved laugh tore from Neve’s lungs.
“I propose a toast to more good news.” Charlie held up his glass. “The renovation of the depot.”
“Is this any different from other toasts we’ve made to the same cause?” Reece jabbed.
Charlie bowed. “It sure is. As soon as I’m done with Noah’s renovation at the tavern, we’re moving forward with the depot project. I spoke to Leo Cantrell early this morning—he called from his mega yacht in the Caribbean, no less—and he told me the holdouts had caved and were fully on board. In fact, they set next Thanksgiving as a deadline to have the entire project completed. I’m gonna be busy for a while.” He basked in his family’s cheers and whistles.
“I would also like to congratulate my big brother, Reece, for his outstanding rescue of our very own Doc. Frankly, I would have sorely missed Neve’s trash-talking on the ice.”
Marilyn gasped and swiveled her head to Neve. “You trash talk ?”
“She’s the best at it,” Charlie declared.
“Why do you think I married her?” Reece chortled.
Marilyn leaned in and whispered in Neve’s ear, “You’ll have to teach me.” They giggled together.
“Here’s to Neve and Reece, everybody,” Charlie cheered.
More clapping and laughing and drinking followed. Even Neve felt her heart lifting a few inches from where it had been mired in the hollow of her chest.
Maybe she did belong here after all.
Neve awoke Christmas morning with her good side nestled against Reece’s front, his heat making their space beneath the covers a toasty cocoon. He began rolling away from her, and she reached out, grabbing the cut ridges of his abs. Had her arm been longer or the angle different, she might have grabbed his cock instead. She was a winner either way.
A chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Uh, whatcha looking for there, sweetheart?”
“My heater. Where are you going?” she protested. It was still dark out.
He turned and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Pearl has to go out. You stay here and sleep.”
Normally, she woke when Pearl became restless in the morning, but apparently she’d slept right through the signal because she hadn’t heard a thing .
“Are you coming back?” God, she sounded like a pathetic little kid begging for her Binky when it came to this man.
“Eventually.” The amusement was obvious in his tone.
She stretched onto his side of the bed, pulling his scent from his pillow and his warmth from the covers. As she drifted, she heard unusual rustling and clinking from the living room. The quiet that followed was what brought her to full consciousness, though. It was too quiet.
She slipped into sweats lying beside the bed and padded to the bathroom, did her business, and tried to shape her hair and face into a semblance of attractiveness. With a defeated snort, she flapped her hand at her reflection and switched off the light. Good thing it was dark out.
Pausing by the window, she took in the vast midnight-blue sky. The Milky Way was sprayed across the inky backdrop as if a painter had taken silver paint and, with a stroke of his brush, left his mark on a dark velvet canvas.
Breathtaking. The night sky, without the light pollution from a big city, was one of the things she loved best about living in the mountains.
Wait. Night sky? Her phone lay on the nightstand, and she flipped it over and blinked at the numbers. Four thirty? In the morning? No wonder her eyes felt like they had grit in them. Why was Reece up so early?
She tiptoed down the hallway, avoiding the creaky spots in the wood floor, and peeked around the corner. He was crouched over, fiddling with something under the beautiful tree he had put up for her. Pearl was curled up on her dog bed, looking completely uninterested. Neve got it—the dog wanted to sleep. Mr. Whiskers, however, trotted over and began batting at something shiny.
“Knock it off,” Reece hissed. “You’re just making it worse.”
Neve crept a little closer, which, unfortunately, alerted Pearl, who popped to her feet. Reece whirled and fell on his ass, his eyes as big as the Christmas balls hanging from the tree limbs. “You’re not supposed to be up yet!”
Neve shrugged. “You left, and I was cold. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” he grumbled in return.
She pushed up on her tiptoes and tried to peer around him. “What are you up to over there?”
He acted like a goalie, throwing out his arms and legs to block her view. She ducked under his arm and snuck past him. Her eyes fell on an oddly shaped bundle of wrapping paper with a cockeyed bow and miles of scotch tape. Mr. Whiskers batted at a piece of ribbon that had come loose from the bow.
Reece puffed out a defeated breath. “I was trying to wrap your present. Turns out I’m really shitty at it.”
“I thought you weren’t picking it up until after Christmas.”
“I pulled some strings to get it on time.”
“Strings?” Crap! Now she felt even worse about not having his gift ready. She’d thought she had more time. Getting abducted tended to put a dent in the schedule.
“Yeah, strings … named Charlie and Joy. They happened to be close to the place where your gift was, so I asked them to pick it up for me.”
Neve bit back a laugh. The scene was too damn adorable. “What did you get me?”
“Not just you. I have some presents for Pearl and Mr. W, but I don’t think they’ll care how badly wrapped they are.”
“You got presents for the animals? And wrapped them?”
“Of course.” He gave her a “duh” look.
Her heart ballooned, and she felt an overwhelming urge to get her hands on him—more overwhelming than usual. She pushed up on tiptoe, wrapped her good arm around him, and kissed every available swath of exposed skin on his neck and jaw.
“Hey,” he laughed, “what’s this all about?”
“God, you’re sweet! Who knew you could be so sweet?”
He smirked. “My mom did.”
Neve kissed the side of his mouth “And thoughtful.” Kiss . “And kind.” Kiss . “And cute.” Kiss . “And hot as sin.” Kiss. “Like sex on a stick.” Kiss .
He burst out with another laugh. “What is ‘sex on a stick’?”
She drew back. “You’ve never heard that expression before?”
“Never. But I think I like it. Makes me sound like a stud.”
“You are a stud. You tried to wrap something for me, and you bought presents for the pets.”
One eyebrow dipped. “I like where you’re going with this, but before you get too carried away, have you actually seen my wrap job?” He thrust the gift at her and led her to the couch. “Open it.”
She sat beside him, so close she was practically in his lap. “Is this why you got up at four thirty in the morning? ”
His look turned sheepish. “I was kind of excited about giving it to you before we go on our hike later this morning, but I wanted it to be perfect, and, well … it’s not.”
The hike. She’d put it out of her mind, but he’d insisted, explaining it was a tradition he followed every year, and if she was going to be part of his life, he wanted her to be part of that too.
“You need to give me this one,” he’d insisted, though with a heaping helping of sweetness she’d found irresistible. Oh well. She’d bundle up in extra layers. They wouldn’t be out too long, he’d promised. He’d also promised to warm her up in the very best ways when they got back, for hours if that’s what it took. She’d had no choice but to agree; she was only human. She’d have challenged any other woman in her Uggs to say no to his wish.
Wiggling her fingers in between the taped bits, Neve finally found purchase and ripped the gift open, revealing a cardboard box labeled “Littmann.” “You didn’t!”
Reece sprouted an adorably dopey grin. “I did. Open it.”
She opened the box slowly, with reverence, and gasped when she pulled out a brand-new stethoscope with blue tubing. “You replaced my broken one,” she whispered.
“You wear a lot of blue, so I figured it’s your favorite color, and your eyes are blue, so …” Like an excited kid, he took it from her and showed her the instrument’s head. “And it’s engraved.”
Her eyes blurred with tears the instant she read her name with DVM after it.
Hesitation flickered in his eyes. “I kinda presumed. I hope that’s okay. If not, we can change it.”
She ran her fingertips over the last name. Hunnicutt . How many times had she doodled this very name in her youth? A tear spilled as she looked up at him. “It’s perfect.”
He gently placed the stethoscope around her neck, and her fingers found it, learning its shape. “That’s so … I’m … It’s too much.” She launched herself at him and accidentally whacked his head with her cast.
“You’ve got a dangerous weapon there, toughie. Keep it under control.” He hoisted her onto his lap.
“I love you!” She proved it when she laid her lips on his. A forgotten detail poked at her, and she drew back, her heart sinking. “I’m so sorry. ”
Even as his brows drew together in confusion, his hand caressed her back in comforting circles. “About what?”
“I won’t have your present until next week.”
“I. Don’t. Care.” He started tickling her, and giggles bubbled in her chest. “Put away the pouty lip,” he warned.
She released her laughter, and the pouty lip went right along with it. Pearl and Mr. W pounced at the same time, and they became one happy mess of limbs and barks and laughs.
Best Christmas ever.
Except for that frigid hike looming in her future. With his words dancing in her head, she told herself it might not be so bad. And the sooner they got to it, the sooner they’d be back and rollicking on the couch … or under the tree … or in bed. Better yet, all three. Oh yes, for this man, she would endure whatever he asked of her.