Falling for Jillian (18 page)

“I’ll cook you anything you want.”

“I’m in then. A nice steak and salad would be
super
cool.”

He laughs and shakes his head as he approaches the stoplight at the bottom of the mountain. “Been hanging out with Seth a lot, huh?”

“Yeah. Maybe he’s rubbing off on me.”

“I would say so. You fart like crazy in your sleep.”

My jaw drops in outrage and I smack his shoulder as hard as I can. “I do not!”

“No.” He shakes his head as he laughs. “But your reaction was
super
worth it.”

“You’re a
super
ass.”

He laughs even harder as he drives toward town.

“Why didn’t you trim the tree weeks ago?” I ask Zack as he passes me another ornament for the tree. Josh and Cara are stringing popcorn while Ty and Lo fight over the pros and cons of tinsel.

“I haven’t had much time,” he replies with a chuckle. “A certain woman has kept me busy.”

“Plus,” Seth adds and hangs bulbs on the tree, “we had to cut the tree down ourselves, and it’s been too snowy. But I got to drive the snowmobile and drag it behind us back to the house.”

“I still say fake trees are better,” Lo says with a grimace, eyeing the tree like it’s evil.

“I agree,” Cara says and glares at Josh. “He made me have a real tree.”

“I can cut them down for free on my own property,” he insists, as though this is an argument they’ve had a hundred times.

“I like the smell of the real ones,” I say and take a deep breath. “You bring the outside inside.”

“Along with spiders and who knows what else,” Lo says.

“Oh God.” I feel my eyes grow wide and turn to Zack. “Did you shake it? What if there’s a squirrel? Or birds?”

“There is no wildlife in this tree,” he insists as his dad, Jeff, laughs hysterically.

“It would be so cool if there was a squirrel!” Seth exclaims.

“I’m sure Thor would appreciate that too,” I murmur. Thor’s ears perk up at his name and he tilts head. “No squirrels for you.”

“Oh, Joshy, remember this one?” Nancy says as she pulls an ornament out of the ancient box that Zack rescued from the attic.

“
Joshy
?” Ty echoes, earning the flip of the bird from Josh.

“I made that in the second grade,” he replies and rolls his eyes.

“Where are its legs?” Seth asks, eyeing the old gingerbread man with a string through its head. “Did you eat them?”

“No, they probably fell off,” Nancy says with a laugh. “It’s about twenty-five years old.”

“You’re such an artist,” Zack taunts his brother.

“You don’t have much room to talk, son,” Jeff says and holds up a photo that’s been choppily cut into a circle and glued to red construction paper that
has faded to a light rust color. “I do believe this is you.
Zacky.
”

“That’s Josh,” Zack lies and laughs.

“Nope, it’s you,” Josh confirms.

“Oh, your first Christmas ornaments,” Nancy announces with tears in her eyes. “Look!”

“Oh God, Mom’s gonna cry,” Zack mutters.

“You were just tiny little things,” she chokes and Ty laughs while pinching the bridge of his nose.

“I love this so much.” He laughs.

“Shut up, man.” Josh punches Ty in the shoulder.

“I think it’s wonderful.” Lo glares at her fiancé.

“Don’t cry, darlin’.” Jeff kisses his wife’s cheek and pats her back. “Just hand the ornaments to the kids to hang on the tree.”

“Can I put the angel on top?” Seth asks excitedly.

“Yes,” I reply and smile at him. He’s been so fun today, so excited for Christmas. It’s been a challenge keeping him away from all of the wrapped gifts with his name on them, because he wants to shake them and try to guess what’s inside.

I can’t wait for tomorrow morning.

The tree that Zack, Jeff, and Seth chose is at least eight feet tall, almost meeting the ceiling of the grand family room. Zack and Jeff strung the lights and garland around it this afternoon before the rest of us arrived, so it would be ready to dress right after dinner.

“Hey, boys, let’s go get the fire started outside.” Jeff motions for all of the guys to follow him outside.

“Be right back, sugar.” Zack kisses my cheek and follows the guys out the back.

“Does it take four grown men to start that fire?” Cara asks with a laugh.

“I’m going too!” Seth cries and runs for his boots to follow the men.

“Make that four and a half,” Lo says.

“Yes, because they have to choose the perfect wood and argue about the best way to start the fire and then admire it once it’s been started,” Nancy informs us. “It’s a man thing.”

“I suppose so.” I step back to admire the huge Christmas tree. “This is pretty.”

“I like the red and white lights,” Lo says, also admiring the tree.

“I do too,” Cara agrees.

“Those are new,” Nancy says. “Zack got them for Jilly.”

“For me?”
Holy shit!
“Why would he get special lights for me?”

“Because he knows your favorite color is red,” she replies and offers me a soft smile. “I do believe my son is in love with you, darling.”

“Oh.” I wave her off and shake my head. “There have been no exchanges of the
L
word.”

“It won’t be long,” she replies. “How did your little project turn out?”

“What project?” Lo asks and hangs a pretty red bulb on the tree.

“Nancy found a photo of Zack with Seth when Seth was a tiny baby for me. You’ll see what I did with it in the morning when he opens his gift.” I hug Nancy and kiss her cheek. “Thanks again.”

“You’re welcome.”

“What did Ty get you?” I ask Lo.

“He says we’re exchanging our gifts tomorrow night when we get home. He won’t tell me what it is.” She rolls her eyes. “How about you, Cara?”

“Josh says I can open it tomorrow morning.” She shrugs and continues to string her popcorn. “It doesn’t really matter to me, though. I have everything I need. What do you and Jeff usually do for each other, Nancy?”

“We typically don’t exchange gifts, but this year Jeff bought us tickets on an Alaskan cruise.”

“Awesome!” I exclaim. “You’ll love that.”

“It will be fun. I was surprised he thought of it. He likes to stick close to home.”

“I wonder what Zack got you,” Cara says.

“Oh, I don’t need anything. We’ve been seeing each other for less than a month.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Cara insists.

I shrug and smile softly. “As long as Seth has a good Christmas, that’s all that matters. He deserves it.”

“I agree,” Zack says as he walks into the room, clearly hearing the last part of the conversation. “And thank you.” He pulls me in for a big hug, and
when my breasts press against his chest, I have to catch my breath. They’ve been so sore the past couple of days. I must be about to start my period.

Merry Christmas to me.

“Are you guys ready to go outside? The fire’s roaring.”

“We’re not done trimming the tree,” I remind him.

“How much is left?”

“The popcorn is done,” Cara announces and begins draping it around the tree. Lo jumps in to help her, and within seconds they’re finished. “Now it’s just the angel on top.”

“Seth can do that when we come back in.”

“I’ll grab some extra blankets,” Nancy offers and opens a hall linen closet as we all bundle up into our jackets and boots. “Zack, will you grab the bags in the kitchen?”

“Sure, Mom.”

“I’ll be right out,” I say and set a pot on the stove and fill it with milk. “I’m going to make some hot chocolate real quick. I brought a thermos.”

“We have dozens of thermoses, sugar.” Zack kisses my cheek. “I’ll be right back to help.”

Zack and the girls go outside, leaving me alone in the kitchen. It smells fantastic, since Nancy and I baked pies this afternoon for tomorrow’s dessert. When the milk is on its way to a boil, I add the chocolate and vanilla—my secret ingredient—and mix constantly, not wanting the milk to scorch.

“How’s it going?” Zack asks as he rejoins me.

“Fine. Almost ready. I think I’ll need one of your thermoses too. I made a lot.”

He fetches me the thermos as I fill the first, then helps me fill the second.

“I brought disposable cups with lids too.”

“Thought of everything, didn’t you?”

“I’m a planner, can’t help it.” I turn to carry the hot drinks outside, but Zack stops me, sets everything back on the kitchen counter, and pulls me in for a long, firm hug.

“I’m so glad you’re here, Jilly.”

“Me too.” I grin and breathe him in.

“You spoiled the shit out of my kid.”

“How do you know? Everything’s still wrapped.”

“Because there are at least ten gifts over there for him from you.” He massages my lower back gently. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Once I started with that damn one-click button I couldn’t quit. It was fun, and I really want him to be spoiled rotten this year.”

Zack kisses my forehead then leans his forehead against mine. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Tomorrow morning is going to be fun.” I kiss him quickly before pulling out of his arms. “Let’s go. I want s’mores.”

“How do you know we’re having s’mores?”

“I saw the chocolate. I’m no dummy.” I wink and lead him out the back door, through the trampled
snow to the side of the house where everyone else is already huddled around the fire, sticks of marshmallows in the fire.

“I can’t believe I didn’t know you guys did this every year,” I say as I sit next to Seth and Zack settles next to me. I grin to myself. I love being sandwiched between my guys.

“Can I have some hot chocolate?” Seth asks. “Please?”

“Of course.” I pour him a cup, then everyone else too, passing the cups around the circle.

“What do you do if it’s snowing?” Cara asks around a bite full of s’mores.

“This,” Josh replies with a shrug.

“What if it’s a blizzard?” Lo asks.

“This,” Zack confirms.

“Well,” Nancy adds, “the one year that we had twenty-below weather we had to take it inside and roast the marshmallows in the woodstove.” She grins as her gaze circles about the fire. “I’ve truly missed this. Think of how different last Christmas was.”

We all fall quiet lost in our own thoughts as Zack leans over and kisses my temple.

“So how did s’mores become a Christmas Eve tradition?” I ask as Zack blows the fire out on my marshmallows and helps me place them on my chocolate and graham crackers.

“I don’t remember,” he replies. “Do you, Dad?”

“I’m out of marshmallows!” Seth announces and licks his fingers.

“Stop sharing with Thor,” Ty says with a laugh, earning a wide grin from the boy.

“The boys were about five,” Jeff begins and passes a fresh bag to Seth. “And they wanted to sit outside to watch for Santa.”

“That’s right.” Nancy nods with a laugh. I’ve always loved the King family. Nancy is slim with dark hair like her boys. Jeff is tall and broad, but where his boys are dark, he’s got light hair, sprinkled with gray. They had the twins in their thirties after many years of struggling to have children. “They refused to sit inside and watch out the window. They didn’t want to miss it. So, Jeff built the fire and we bundled up and made s’mores to pass the time.”

“Did you ever see Santa?” Cara asks with a nudge to Josh’s arm.

“We always fell asleep,” he replies with a grin.

“And how did you know about this?” I ask Ty with a frown.

“The guys invited me out here on Christmas Eve in high school, and we’d hang out here, make the s’mores that Mama King bought for us, and lie to each other about girls.”

“You never mentioned it,” I reply.

“It wasn’t a secret,” he says with a laugh. “I guess I never thought to tell you.”

“Hey! I never lied about girls,” Zack insists.

“Right.” Ty rolls his eyes and then kisses Lo on the temple. “Do you need anything, sweetness?”

“Nope, I’m good.”

“Warm enough?”

“Mm.” She nods and smiles happily. “The fire is nice.”

“So, Seth,” I say and tousle the boy’s hair. “Are you going to stay up long enough to see Santa with me?”

“There’s no Santa,” he insists as he blows out a burning marshmallow.

“What did I say last week in my kitchen? Yes, there is. If you keep saying there isn’t, he won’t show up tonight, and I for one want to see what he brings you.”

Seth raises a brow and stares at me like I’m crazy. Conversation swirls around us as I scoot closer to the boy and wrap my arm around his shoulders and speak softly to him.

“Even if you don’t believe in the man himself, you have to believe in the magic of Christmas, Seth. That’s what Santa is.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s the whole season. The lights and decorations and good food. It’s sitting right here, by this fire in the middle of a snowy Montana winter, eating s’mores and slipping marshmallows to your dog.”

Seth smirks and flips another marshmallow to Thor as I continue.

“Christmas is the magic of being generous to others. And it’s about remembering that a little baby
was born so that you and I are forgiven our sins. Christmas is special.”

I lean back to find that everyone sitting around the fire is watching us, listening. Nancy is smiling widely and nodding, and murmurs simply, “Well said.”

I shrug and feel my cheeks heat. “I like Christmas.”

“And that’s saying something, considering how shitty Christmases were in our house,” Ty mutters with a grimace.

I shake my head in warning. I don’t want to talk about Mom and Dad now, here in this special place. We’re having too much fun to bring old, bad memories into it.

Zack pulls me into his arms, cradles my face in his hands, and kisses me long and slow, right here in front of all of our family. When he finally pulls away, Josh yells, “Get a room!”

“What was that for?” I ask breathlessly.

“You’re a special woman, Jillian Sullivan.”

“I’m just a girl who loves Christmas. And s’mores. Give me some of those marshmallows, brat.” I steal the bag from Seth and giggle when he sticks his lower lip out in a pout.

Jeff stands to throw more logs on the fire and glances around the yard, taking in a deep breath. “We lucked out on the weather. Stopped snowing just in time.”