Chapter 35
“Merry Christmas!” Rita greets as Killian and I step inside the house. A Mrs. Claus apron is thrown over her knee-length red floral dress, and a Santa hat perched on her head.
“Happy Christmas, Ri.” He embraces her in a hug.
She stretches up, placing a kiss on his cheek before she turns to me. “Kaia! What a wonderful surprise it is to see you.”
My eyes flick up to Killian and back to Rita. “Killian didn’t tell you I was coming?”
She shoots him a look. “No, he didn’t.”
“Oh, God, I don’t want to impose.”
She lays a gentle hand on my arm, giving me a warm smile. “Nonsense, dear. You’re more than welcome, and there’s plenty of room and food to go around.”
“Thank you.”
Killian grabs my hand, leading me through the hallway. “Not so fast, Killian,” Rita calls behind us and he groans.
She grabs an identical Santa hat from the bag by the door. “Everyone else is wearing one. You should know by now it’s a requirement in my house on Christmas day.”
Killian sighs, shaking his head with a small smile before he bows, allowing her to put the hat on him.
“Now your turn, honey.” She places the hat on my head and tugs it down so it stays in place. “There, much better. Go on and put your coats and shoes in the closet. Everyone’s in the living room, help yourselves to a drinks.”
“Thanks, Ri.”
When we enter the living room, there’s barely an inch of space not occupied. The entire club is here, along with some of their girlfriends and children, all of them wearing identical Santa hats.
“Ah! Here he is!” Jett hollers from across the room, raising a beer above his head.
“Killian Hunt! Fashionably late as always,” Alex says.
“Better than coming too early, I’m sure that redhead you picked up the other night will know all about that.” Killian shoots back, clearly proud of himself, and judging by the look on Alex’s face, it has the effect Killian wanted.
The room fills with whistles and laughter.
“Thank you for that wonderful mental image, Kill. Really. I don’t need to be thinking of my brother like… that,” Shelley cringes, her face falling into the palm of her hands.
“From a guys who talks a big game, Kaia seems to be walking pretty well this morning. Have you been slacking in the bedroom, brother? Or are we much smaller than we let on?” Cruiser chimes in, his eyes zoning in on Killian’s crotch.
My cheeks flame.
Killian’s eyes narrow. “You’ve seen my dick, asshole. Now yours on the other hand… Anyone got a magnifying glass handy?”
The room erupts in laughter.
“Kaia! I thought it was you!” Fi slams into me, almost knocking me over as she embraces me in a hug. “Merry Christmas, babe!”
I smile. “Merry Christmas.”
She releases me. She’s dyed her hair bright red and it’s pinned up into a high bun at the top of her head. I’m guessing the reason she’s not wearing a Santa hat like the rest of us is because it already looks like she’s wearing one, what with dusting of flour in her hair and across her face.
I swipe at the spot of flour on her cheek with my thumb. “There’s flour in your hair. What are you doing, using it as dry shampoo?”
She cackles. “I’m helping cook dinner.”
“You’re cooking?” Oh, Jesus.
“Ugh, yes.”
“I hope Ray and Rita have a fire extinguisher nearby, they’re gonna need it.”
She slaps me on the arm. “Rude. Very rude. For that remark, you can help. Come on!”
I toss a glance over my shoulder for Killian to rescue me, but all he does is laugh.
The bastard.
Rita, Allie, and her mother, Amelia are in the kitchen when we enter, each with their own jobs. Fi heads off to continue covering herself in more flour than she’s actually using to make whatever it is she’s making.
“Is there anything I can help with?” I ask Rita as she slices up some carrots.
“You can chop up these potatoes if you’d like?”
“Yeah, absolutely.”
She slide over a bowl of potatoes ready for peeling. “Thank you, honey.”
“Do you do most of the cooking?” I ask, picking up a knife and reaching for a potato from the bowl in front of me.
“I love cooking, but Ray works up a storm in the kitchen every Thanksgiving, if he sets one foot in my kitchen on Christmas Day, he gets my shoe up his behind. Christmas is my time to shine.”
I laugh. “How did you meet Ray?”
She laughs softly, as if recalling a memory.
“It’s quite the funny story, actually. The rain was biblical one day, never experienced anything like it so I took refuge in a cafe.
My glasses fogged up the second I stepped inside.
I couldn’t see a thing. Anyway, I shook off the water from my umbrella, not realising there was a man sitting on the table just inside the door.
I soaked him! When my glasses cleared, I remember thinking I’d never seen a more handsome man in my life.
I bought him a coffee to apologise and he asked me to join him.
We talked for hours and the time just slipped away from us.
I knew as soon as I met him he was the man for me.
I fell in love with him instantly. Two months later, he asked me to marry him. ”
“Two months!”
“When you know, you know. We’ve been married forty-one years last September.”
“Do you have any children?”
Her smile fades a fraction. “No, we weren’t blessed in that department, but those men out there keep me busy enough that I don’t pay it any mind. They’re all the family I need. Hell, I’m more of a mother to some of them than their own flesh and blood.”
“I expect they’re quite a handful.”
“Oh, yes,” she agrees. “Especially your man.”
“My man?”
She gives me a knowing smile. “That man is in love with you.”
I drop my gaze back to the potatoes in front of me. “I don’t know about that.”
“I know the look of love when I see it. He might not realise it himself, but he loves you. He’s a different man since you two have been seeing each other.
” She drops her knife and turns to me. “Ask yourself this, when was the last time he took part in one of those fights at the bar since you two got together?”
I search back through my mind. The last fight was at the barn. He hasn’t fought at the bar in weeks.
When I don’t say anything, her smile widens, knowing she’s right.
“He fights to numb the pain inside. The fact he hasn’t fought since you grew close tells you everything you should know. He doesn’t need to, because you are the balm for his pain now. He’s more at ease. Less reckless. You’ve given him focus, a purpose.”
With that, she turns back to chopping her carrots, leaving me with that thought to play on my mind.
An hour later, we’re all sat around the dinner table with enough food in front of us to feed an army.
It looks a little excessive, but the amount of food these guys pack away I’m starting to wonder if we should’ve made more.
Both Jett and Killian are on their second helpings by the time I’ve finished my first and the thought of going in for more is enough to make me feel sick.
If I eat anymore Killian’s going to have to carry me home.
“Okay, everyone,” Fi calls, jumping up from her seat, stealing everyone’s attention. “Pick out a fortune cookie, but keep it to yourselves otherwise it won’t come true.”
Fi does a lap around the table, letting us all pick one out of the bag she’s holding.
I snap open mine, pulling out the piece of paper inside and unfolding it.
An unexpected blessing is coming your way.
My belly does a little flip, though I’m not sure if it’s from excitement or nerves.
An unexpected blessing… I wonder what that could mean.
Beside me, Killian is unfurling the tiny piece of paper inside his. He takes a moment to read it, but his face gives nothing away.
Once the table has been cleared, someone suggests karaoke.
Fi, who’s always up for anything gets us all in the Christmas spirit by doing her best Mariah Carey with All I Want For Christmas Is You.
Jett channels his inner Jon Bon Jovi with his not-so-terrible rendition of Living On A Prayer, while Alex completely annihilates Highway To Hell by AC/DC, sounding more like a cat being strangled than the lead singer.
We follow Kit’s lead in playing charades. We play board games and Kit teaches me how to play the new zombie video game he got for Christmas.
Every now and then, I glance across and catch Killian staring at me, though his gaze is pensive.
What is he thinking?
Rita’s words from earlier play on my mind.
Does he love me?
Is it possible?
It’s late when Killian and I arrive back at his house.
My belly aches from laughing so hard. It’s the best Christmas I’ve had.
Well, since my grandmother died, that is.
It felt like a family, the house filled with love and warmth, something my parents’ house severely lacks.
And as much as I’ve loved today, I’m not going to lie and say I’m not happy I’ve now got Killian to myself.
I head into the kitchen to make a coffee and while I’m busying myself, I feel Killian hovering by the door. Out the corner of my eye, he’s shuffling his feet awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot.
I turn to him, my hand finding my hip. “You shuffle any more you’ll start to moonwalk. What’s wrong?”
He huffs a laugh, scratching the back of his head. “I uh, I got you something.”
He crosses the room, dropping a small red gift bag into my palm before leaning back against the kitchen island opposite me, crossing his arms over his wide chest.
“Killian, if I’d known we were doing presents…”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“But I didn’t get you anything.”
“You’re here with me, that’s all I need. Now, open it.”
“Yes, Daddy,” I tease.
“Fuck me, Kaia,” he groans, his eyes darkening. “Don’t say shit like that if you’re planning on getting out of bed in the morning.”
“Assuming we even make it to bed.” I smirk.
He adjusts himself through his jeans. “Open the fucking bag.”
I go to open my mouth, a second or two away from calling him daddy again and he must see it in my eyes.
“Don’t you fucking dare,” he grumbles, but there’s an amused undertone in his voice.
I giggle as I untie the ribbon and open the bag, pulling out a silver metal bracelet. There are three thin rigid pieces of metal that make up the structure of the bracelet, a few tiny silver flowers on the outer pieces, but placed in the middle is a silver butterfly.
“You know the spare bike wheel in the garage? It’s made out of the spokes,” Killian explains.
My eyes flick to his. “You made this?”
“Did it when you were at work. It’s no big deal.” He shrugs.
“What? Of course, it’s a big deal! It’s amazing.”
“Alex helped with the soldering, and making the butterfly and the flowers.”
“But. Why?” I blurt out.
He pushes off from the counter and takes the bracelet from me, helping me slide my hand through. “Your necklace is important to you because of your grandma, I wanted to give you something that represents me… Us.”
“Killian,” I breathe out, tears stinging my eyes. “I… I don’t know what to say…” I’m speechless, literally stunned into silence.
“I know it’s stupid—”
“No. Not it’s not stupid at all,” I interject. “Killian, this is the most thoughtful gift anyone’s ever given me.” I reach up onto my toes and wrap my arms around his neck. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
He holds me, his heart pounding so hard I can feel it against my chest. “You really like it?”
“I love it.” I love you.
Does he love me? I’ve been wondering about that all day, but this bracelet on my wrist, the one he poured so much love into to make it perfect, it’s the only answer I need.
He loves me in his own way, whether he realises it or not, just like Rita said.
“It was nothing,” he says with another shrug.
“Killian, it’s everything.”