Cowboy Christmas (A Henley Christmas Novella) (Down Under Cowboy series) (4 page)

“How you feeling, Ace?”

“Good, baby,” she smiles up at me.  I smile back and kiss her forehead.  “Where’s my girl?”

“Destroying Oscar’s bedroom,” she grimaces, but I know she’s only
joking.  My little girl wouldn’t destroy anything!

The Pine Creek Sport and Rec Grounds is packed with people.  It’s Carols By Candlelight night.

We find a clear space near the stage and I lay out a picnic rug and sit Olive down between my legs.  Jackson sits behind me with legs stretched either side of mine.  Jeremy, Ava and Oscar are beside us on their own rug.  We pull out the food from our baskets and lay it all out.  We’ve got sandwiches, fruit, cheese, crackers and dip.  Ava bought a bottle wine for herself, the boys have beer and I have soft drink.

Jackson pulls out a lighter and lights our candles, and we begin singing along with the choir.

“Okay, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, how about we sing Jingle Bells, Aussie style.”

The kids all cheer and Skip’s wife, Rhonda, who is manning the piano for tonight’s festivities, begins pounding the keys to the tune of Jingle Bells.

Everyone begins to sing.

Dashing through the bush
In a rusty Holden Ute
Kicking up the dust
Esky in the boot
Kelpie by my side
Singing Christmas songs
It’s summer time and I am in
My singlet, shorts & thongs

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Christmas in Australia
On a scorching summer’s day
Jingle Bells, jingle bells
Christmas time is beaut
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a rusty Holden Ute.

~*~

During a break in the singing, I make my way to the toilets. 
Ava was busy talking to an ex-friend of her sister’s – Carrie someone, I think.  So, I head off alone. 

Thankfully, when I make it to the bathrooms, there isn’t a line up.  I suspect it’s because the singing is about to restart and everyone is back at their spot.  I quickly do my business and then wash my hands, singing along quietly to “Away in a Manger”, with the Caroler’s outside.

The main door to the bathroom opens, but I take no notice.  Grabbing some paper towel, I dry my hands and turn, tossing the rubbish in the bin.  I catch a glimpse of who walked in and I stop dead.

Dannika.

She glares daggers at me, while I stare back at her in shock.  I thought she left town.  She was fucking a married man, and from what Ava told me, the wife of the man hunted her out of town.  She threatened to shoot them if she ever saw them again.

“Eden,” she snarls.  “So it is true,” she glances down at my stomach.  “You did trap Jackson with a baby.”

What!

“Pardon?” I splutter.

“Thought I told you to stay the fuck out of town,” an angry voice sounds from behind me.  I feel my body stiffen and I watch as Dannika’s face drains of its colour.  I turn my head slowly, and standing behind me is a woman I’ve never seen before.  She’s about forty, with short hair and a roundish body.  And she looks
livid
.  My eyes dart to her hands, where she’s holding a silver pistol.

Oh, fuck
.

“Eden,” she nods at me.  “I don’t think we’ve been formerly introduced.  I’m Sara James.”  Her tone is polite, and given the situation we’re in, that makes it unnerving.

“N-n-nice to meet you, Sara,” I stammer.

She smiles kindly at me, then she turns her attention back to Dannika and her features harden.  Slowly, I slide myself out from between them so I’m now standing off to the side.

“What do you want, Sara?”  Dannika whispers.

“Hmm, let me see.”  With the hand holding the gun, Sara taps her finger on her chin.  “Revenge, for starters.  You slept with my husband throughout our entire marriage.  I think you should pay for that, at least.  Then there’s the fact that you humiliated me beyond belief, and how you can’t listen to instruction. I told you to leave and never come back.  Now, I find you harassing Eden in the toilets at a family function – and so close to Christmas as well.  Do you have no moral compass, Dannika?” 

Wow.

“I...uh…”

“No, I don’t think you do,” Sara answers her own question.  Her tone is contemplative.  Like she’s having a normal, calm discussion with someone.  Not like she’s holding a pistol and without directly saying the words, she’s threatened to shoot someone with it.  “You’re a disgrace to the sisterhood, Dannika
, and I plan on putting a stop to your evilness.”

Oh shit.

Just as I’m sure Sara will do something she’ll live to regret, the bathroom door bursts open and in walks Dory and Rhonda.  They’re chatting amongst themselves but their mouths soon snap shut when they take in the scene before them.

“Oh, dear,” Rhonda says quietly.

“For God sake,” Dory surprises me by snapping.  Her hands go to her hips and she looks between Sara and Dannika.  “Sara, you don’t want to do anything that will end up with you being in jail for this piece of shit,” she jerks her finger towards Dannika.  “And Dannika, what makes you think you’re welcome in this town?  You’ve caused more hurt than you’re worth.  I don’t know what made you think it was a good idea for you to come back here, but I’m telling you now, it was a stupid thought.”

Dannika’s eyes glance to me and Dory’s mouth drops open.  “You thought Jackson would want you back?”

You can see it on her face.  That’s exactly why she came back.

Dory begins to laugh…actually, no, it’s an evil cackle.  I stand there, frozen and wide eyed watching the craziness before me.

Dannika, clearly offended by Dory’s outburst, puts her hands on her hips and glares daggers at her.  “Why
wouldn’t
he want me?  Jackson knows I’m a catch. He had me before and then he wanted to
play
with Eden,” her lip curls when she says my name.  “Now, he’s had some fun with her, he’ll want me back.  Haven’t you ever heard the saying, absence makes the heart grow fonder?”

Dory scoffs.  “Ain’t
you
ever heard the saying, no-one wants someone who’s got a first class ticket for the crazy train?”

A burst of laughter escapes my throat before I can swallow it down.  Rhonda’s got a glimmer of a grin on her lips and even Sara chuckles.

Dannika eyes glow with rage.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she snaps at Dory.

“Oh, I don’t,” Dory feigns shock.  “Because it looks to me like Jackson doesn’t want you.  He’s building a beautiful family with Edie.  Tell me, Dannika, why would Jackson want trash like you, when he’s got a treasure like Edie?”

“Anyways,” Sara cuts in, drawing out the word.  She looks to Dannika.  “I warned you what would happen if you came back to town.” 

My mouth falls open when she raises the pistol and points it at Dannika.

“S-sara, you don’t want to do this,” my shaking voice betrays my nervousness.  “She’s not worth it.  If you shoot her, you’ll spend the next twenty-five years in jail.”

“I don’t care.  It’ll be worth it to know she’s off this fucking Earth.”

“Okay, but then she wins.  She’s dead,
yes, but you have to pay for it,” I say softly.

“At least
she
won’t be able to tear anymore families apart,” she seethes.

Crap.  I need to think of something quick.
  I don’t know the woman from a bar of soap, so I don’t know what will get through to her.
Think, Edie, think…

“Do you have kids, Sara?”

“No.”

“What about your family?  What about your mum and dad?  Think about what this would do to them, how much it would hurt them.”

At the mention of her family, her shield comes down and her eyes are full of the hurt.  They shine with the betrayal and humiliation she’s been burying since she found out about her husband’s sordid affair.  Her hand shakes, causing the gun to tremble.  I take that as my moment to step forward and take the gun in my own jittery hands.  She lets it go easily and I step back, taking a deep breath.

Then, she begins to cry.

“Best you leave and never come back, if you know what’s good for you,” I hear Dory snarl at Dannika.

“Yes,” Dannika whispers before bolting out of the bathroom.

“Are you okay?”  I ask Sara.

“I will be,” she replies, determinedly.  She sucks in a deep breath and wipes her wet cheek dry.

“Well, that was some excitement,” Dory mutters.

“Excitement we could do without,” Rhonda mutters back.

“You okay, Edie?”

“I’m fine,” I answer truthfully.

“Okay, well why don’t you go on back to Jackson.  I’ll help Sara home and Rhonda can go back to her piano duties,” Dory says.

“Okay, if you’re sure?”

“Positive, love.  Go on back to your husband.”

“Thanks, Dory. See you out there, Rhonda.  Uh, nice to meet you, Sara.”

I breath a deep sigh of relief when I leave the bathroom.  My hand unconsciously goes to my bump and run my hand over it.  My baby gives a kick and I thank my lucky stars he’s okay.

“Was the line long, Ace?  You took forever.”

“I’ll fill you in when we get home,” I answer.

He sits up straight.  “What happened?” He demands.

“Now isn’t the time, baby.  I’ll tell you when we get home, okay?” I stroke the stubble over his cheek.

“Everything okay?” Ava asks.

“Fine,” I smile.  “I’ll fill you in later.”

“Okey doke.”

I snuggle back into Jackson and Olive makes herself at home on my lap by curling herself around my bump, and we sing the final carols of the night.

~*~

“What the fuck?”  Jackson shouts when I tell him about my encounter with Dannika.

“Jackson, it’s fine. I’m okay. 
Please calm down.”  I try my best to placate him, but he’s pacing up and down, running his fingers roughly through his hair.

“Calm down?  Are you fucking serious right now, Edie?  Jesus Christ.  You could have been hurt.  You could have been
shot.
  The stress could have sent you into labour!”  He slams his fist down on the table before bending over and leaning his hands on his knees, breathing deeply.

“Yes, baby all of that
could
have happened.
But it
didn’t.
”

“Fuck,” he swear
s, drawing in a ragged breath.  My heart cracks a little and I walk over to him.  Wrapping my arms around his head, I pull him into my chest to soothe him.

“It okay.  We’re okay.”

“What the fuck was Sara thinking?” He asks himself…I think.

“She’s hurt, babe.  People who are hurt do things they wouldn’t normally do.”

“Still doesn’t excuse her putting you in the middle.”

“No, it doesn’t.  But what’s done is done and now we need to move forward.”

“Love you, Ace.  A life without you in it, doesn’t bear thinking about.  Couldn’t live without you, darlin’.”

“I know exactly what you mean, Jackson.  Because I couldn’t live a day without you.”  I bring my lips down on his and all is forgotten as our tongues tangle together.

Edie

I slam the car door shut and carry all my bags inside.  It’s two days until Christmas and I’ve spent the day shopping in Darwin. Thankfully, Jackson took Olive to work this morning and I’ve been able to do all the shopping by myself.  The mall was packed to the hilt and I’m so grateful I didn’t have to take Olive out in the heat and the crowds.

I unlock the front door and unload the bags onto the bench.  I sigh as the cool air from the air conditioner hits my face.  Then, I set about wrapping everyone’s gifts.

Four hours and thirty meters of wrapping paper later, I stick the last name tag on the last present.

Thank god Christmas only comes once a year!

I arrange all the presents under the tree and collapse on the lounge.

Ten minutes later, I’m fast asleep.

~*~

“Look at mummy, she’s fast asleep,” I vaguely hear Jackson baby-talking to Olive.  “She’s just like Goldilocks.”

“Locks! Locks!”

I crack my eyes open and see Jackson holding Olive above me.

“Hey,” I smile and stretch out.

“Hey, mummy.” Jacksons says.

“Mummy,” Olive holds her hands out to me and I reach up to grab her.  “Work.”

“Did you go to work with daddy, baby girl?”

“Traka,” she answers proudly.

I gasp dramatically.  “You went in the tractor?  Wow!”

She giggles and reaches to go to her father.

I roll myself off the lounge in the most unladylike way imaginable and set about fixing dinner.  Half an hour later, we sit down to grilled chicken breast and salad.