Christmas with the Reeds (Reed Brothers)
Read Christmas with the Reeds (Reed Brothers) Online
Authors: Tammy Falkner
Copyright © 2015 by Tammy Falkner
Christmas with the Reeds
by Tammy Falkner
Night Shift Publishing
For Tasha
Dear Readers,
I took a little bit of artistic license in this book, and went back in time to before Sam and Peck’s baby was born at the end of Zip, Zero, Zilch. So many of you wanted to know all about Matt’s new baby, and about Pete’s baby too, so I felt like going back a few days was the right thing to do. I also wanted to get to know Josh a little, since I’m writing Good Girl Gone and don’t know enough about him.
So please forgive me if I mess up the time lines in your heads. Sorry about that!
Thank you all so much for your support while I’ve been writing the Reeds. When I started Tall, Tatted, and Tempting, I had no idea that the Reed family would resonate with so many readers. It has turned into an adventure for me, and I have enjoyed every word.
From my family to yours, I wish you absolute best holiday season. Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Happy New Year!
Best regards,
Tammy
Copyright © 2015 by
Tammy Falkner
Christmas with the Reeds
First Edition
Night Shift Publishing
Cover design by Tammy Falkner
Cover photo by
© Val Bakhtin | Dreamstime.com
ISBN-10:1634550129
ISBN-13:978-1-63455-012-3
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Henry
When my Nan died, I thought my heart was going to go with her. We had been together for so many years and shared so much together that I couldn’t imagine what it would feel like when I couldn’t talk to her. When I couldn’t see her. When I couldn’t breathe the same air as her.
Her perfume still lingers on my pillow, and I hope it never fades.
She would be really proud of what the Reed boys have planned, and I’m proud just to know them. And I’m even prouder that they’re willing to let me help.
I put on the red suit and pull the suspenders up over my white shirt. Years ago when I wore this suit for my grandkids, it was too big. I guess I’ve grown. But my Nan, she never did mind my girth. And the kids don’t seem to mind either.
Tonight is going to be a fun night. I get to help the Reeds make some dreams come true. I get to see the smiles on little faces that have lost all hope. And some adults, too, if things go as the boys have planned them.
I pull the red hat over my head and adjust the tassel so that it hangs out of my face. There. All ready. I pat my belly and Faith, my granddaughter, smiles at me from across the room. She has one baby on her hip and her son has his arms wrapped around her knees. She’s going to leave them with a sitter for the evening, and we’ll drop them off on the way.
“You look really great, Grandpa,” she says.
I smile at her. “Where’s that husband of yours?”
She rolls her eyes. “He’s getting dressed at the Reeds’. He’s going to meet us there.”
“Getting dressed?” I ask. “As what?” Certainly, they’re not planning to have more than one Santa. I don’t want to be out-done.
She laughs. “You’ll see.”
Pete
I stand outside the prison, and jam my hands in my pockets. I was kind of hoping that someone else would show up for Josh, but no one has. I’ve been watching to be sure no family or friends come to pick him up.
I never wanted to be here again. I spent two years inside this facility. But looking back, I wouldn’t change the direction my life took, because if it did, I never would have found Reagan.
My phone dings in my pocket and I pull it out.
Reagan:
Where are you?
Me:
Waiting for Josh.
Reagan:
Oh. Okay. I have Josh’s suit.
Me:
Oh, good. Bring it to Paul’s.
Reagan:
He might not want to hang with the family tonight, Pete. He might want to go home.
Me:
He doesn’t have a home, princess.
I can almost hear her sigh through the airwaves.
Reagan:
Yes, he does.
Me:
How’s Kennedy?
Reagan:
Hungry, as usual. I put her in a green dress and she had a red felt bow in her hair.
Me:
Had?
Reagan:
As in past tense. I think she ate it.
Me:
Can babies eat felt?
Reagan:
I guess we’ll find out.
I can’t help it. I laugh.
The door to the prison opens and I see a wheelchair roll out onto the sidewalk.
Me:
See you in a few. Josh just came out.
Reagan:
Love you.
Me:
Love you more.
Josh rolls himself down the ramp and stops right in front of me.
“Josh,” I say with a nod.
“Pete.” He nods back. “Fancy meeting you here,” he says, his eyes narrowing.
I shrug. “I was in the neighborhood.”
“Sure you were.”
I stand silently until Josh opens his mouth to speak, and I suddenly feel like I need to cut him off. “You have plans tonight?” I ask.
He jerks a thumb toward the prison. “Well, I was going to hang out here and see if they’ll let me back in. Three squares and a cot ain’t that bad, you know?” He shivers. “It’s cold out.”
“There’s a convenience store on the corner you could rob. I bet they’d let you right back in.”
He finally grins. Then he sobers. “Why
are
you here, Pete?”
“You’re family, Josh. This is what family does.”
He shakes his head. “I am not a Reed.”
“You might as well be.”
“But I’m not.”
I throw up my hands. “Look,” I say, “you might not want us, but you’ve got us. All of us. You went back to jail for us.”
“No, I didn’t,” he says quietly.
“Yes, you did,” I argue.
His voice is loud and sure when he speaks. “I went to see Bone so I could get revenge. You just happened to be there. I just happened to shoot him between the eyes. Revenge, Pete. Not sacrifice. Not a good deed. I killed someone. And I meant to do it.”
“Thank God you were there,” I bite out. I remember that day. The crack of Bone’s gun. The reverb from Josh’s. The way we all fell to the floor. The silence while we waited to see who was dead. The deafening roar of the quiet while we counted our heartbeats.
“God didn’t have anything to do with that day,” he tells me.
“You see it one way. I see it another.” I throw up my hands again. “Either way, we’re all alive and you’re out of jail, and we need a favor.”
“What kind of favor?”
I laugh. “Don’t worry. All you have to do is wear tights and look pretty.”
“Tights?”
I nod. “Yep. You in?”
“Hell, I don’t have anywhere to go anyway,” he says. My heart lurches. He does have a place to go. He just doesn’t know it yet.
Paul
Friday has had way too much fun putting together the costumes for tonight. “What the fuck, Friday?” I ask as she tosses me a pair of red and green striped tights.
“Daddy said f—,” Hayley sings out, but Friday covers her mouth really quickly. She scowls at me.
“I thought she was in her room,” I say, trying to defend myself. I look down at the tights. “I am not wearing these.” I toss them onto the coffee table.
“You’re all wearing them. And the elf shorts. And the pointy hat.”
The door opens and my four brothers walk into the room together, and they have Josh and Daniel with them. My heart stalls a little. I knew Pete was going to get Josh, to try to get him to come home with him. I just wasn’t sure if it would work or not.
“Josh,” I say as I get to my feet. I shake hands with him, and he smiles at me. “So glad you could make it.”
Josh looks around, his eyes wary. “So, what are we doing?”
“We’re going down to the homeless shelter and taking toys for all the kids. And Henry is going to be Santa.” I jerk a thumb toward Friday. “My wife decided that all of us men have to be elves.”
Friday holds up a pair of tights. “You’re going to look so handsome.”
Sam reaches for a pair. “Oh, I love it when Peck lets me wear her tights. Those things are
warm
.” He starts to unroll them, and he actually looks excited about it. “I’m totally serious,” he says. “Even better than thermals.” Suddenly, he starts to laugh. He turns to Friday. “I am not wearing these things.”
The door opens and Peck, who is eight months pregnant, walks in, along with Reagan and Kennedy, Emily and Kit, and Sky and her brood. Sky has Seth, who is technically not a kid anymore. He’s in college. And she has Joey and Mellie, along with Hoppy and Matty, and their new baby girl Gracie. Gracie is screaming at the top of her lungs. Sky passes her to Matt and she immediately shuts up. Sky looks like she wants to punch him.
“Great,” she murmurs. “Now, she’s quiet.”
Matt talks to Gracie and she giggles and coos.
“You should just put her in a pouch and take her everywhere,” Sky says.
“Okay.” Matt shrugs. He would be just fine doing that.
Now that all my brothers and their families live in one single building, the same one Friday and I live in, it’s easier for all of us to share babysitters and spend time together. We found ourselves shuffling from one house to another on opposite sides of town, so we just bought the building we’ve lived in all our lives. We renovated all the apartments and made them look like new. Some people who already had apartments kept them. Some left. We rearranged ourselves so it all worked out.
The elevator never worked in our lifetime, so we had that fixed first thing, mainly because we were hoping our plan for Josh would work out. And now he’s here.
I nudge Josh’s shoulder. “You got a minute to take a walk with me?” I ask.
He looks down at his legs and grins. “Well, that might be difficult.”
Heat creeps up my cheeks. But I motion him toward the door. “Come on. I want to show you something.”