LOVE on The Horizon (Breaking The Rules #1) (26 page)

She finally turned toward me. “I knew you were going to say that.”

Reaching between us, I took her hand in mine. “Remember what Reverend Russell said? We need to use the love we feel for each other to fuel us, and we’ll use our happiness as a shield.”

“I like that idea—my super powers: love and happiness. Maybe by the end of the night, I’ll be able to shoot lasers out of my eyes.”

“Just don’t accidentally get me in the cross fire.” I leaned closer and kissed her lips. “Ready, wifey?”

“Did I ever tell you that I ran track and the chances of you catching me were slim to none?”

“This car goes fast.”

She dragged in a deep, fortifying breath. “I’m pretty sure I hate you right now.”

“You’ll get over it.”

Rebecca and I stood on the porch, listening to the laughter and chatter that was going on inside the Stanton house. You could hear Christmas music faintly in the background. The smell of a wood-burning fire hung in the cold December air, and the twinkling lights that decorated the house made it all very festive.

And then there we were standing at the door like that nasty man Americans loved to hate so much…Scrooge?

“Here goes nothing,” she said as she rang the bell.

A smiling Sam yanked the front door open. His Santa hat sat askew on his head, and it was clear he was tipsy. Even with whatever Christmas spirits he consumed, at the mere sight of us, his wide smile fell right off his face.

“Becks.”

“Hi, Sam. Can we come in?”

“Of course.” He moved into the house, allowing us access.

Uncomfortable silence filtered in from the living room, as the rest of her family no doubt sat wondering who the hell was ringing the bell at nine p.m. on Christmas Eve.

Sam pulled his hat off his head and clutched it in one hand. When we reached the entrance of the living room, every face stared at us openmouthed.

“Surprise,” Rebecca said, plastering a smile on her face.

Once the shock wore off, which was approximately three minutes later, Mrs. Stanton flew up off the couch and exclaimed, “Rebecca! Marco!” She folded us both into one combined hug, causing Rebecca to raise a brow questioningly.

“Hi, Mom.”

“You have no idea how happy I am to see you
both
,” she said once she pulled away—adding a few syllables to the word both.

“You can thank Marco. He surprised me.”

Her mother’s tearful gaze landed on my face. “Thank you.”

I nodded wordlessly while uncomfortably absorbing everyone’s confusion.

Mr. Stanton put his coffee mug down on the side table and walked to us determinedly. “I just got the best Christmas gift,” he said as he pulled Rebecca into a crushing embrace.

No one knew what to do as father and daughter had their moment. I saw Rebecca’s shoulders move against her dad’s in a way that would mean she was crying, causing a lump to form in my throat. That right there was worth every ounce of doubt I had about dragging her here.

He pulled away, wiping his eyes in a quick, impatient manner. As he held her at arm’s length, he said, “I love you, my baby girl. I’m sorry I acted so badly.”

Relief flooded me when it was obvious that my wife had been right. Just as Rebecca had hoped, they had digested our situation and decided to accept it. However, a flash of panic bobbed within me like a small life preserver in that flood of relief.

Maybe we shouldn’t tell them we’re married, after all
, I thought to myself.

Mr. Stanton kissed her cheek and released her to pull me into an awkward hug. “I apologize, Marco.”

“No problem, sir,” I said when he let go. Rebecca met my eyes, and between us, we exchanged a knowing look. Once she told them, this apology could be the shortest-lived one ever given.

Following his parents’ lead, Cooper was next to greet us enthusiastically. “Glad you’re here, man,” he said genuinely.

“Me too.” I looked toward Rebecca and winked.

A petite, pregnant version of my girl stood and slowly walked closer. “Janis,” Rebecca said emotionally. They embraced much as Rebecca had with her parents and brother, but there was something different in the way she clung to her sister. Janis was older, yet Rebecca had several inches on her.

“I am so glad you came,” she said when Rebecca pulled away. “Our last phone conversation, you were still very upset with them.”

“Marco,” Rebecca responded and glanced at me, making it clear I was the only reason we were there. Rebecca reached out and held the tiny bump on her sister’s body. “You look so cute. When?”

“July ninth.”

“How are you feeling?”

“The only thing I want to eat is hot dogs,” she responded, widening her eyes dramatically.

Rebecca burst into laughter and her sister followed. “That is hilarious, Janis.”

“I know!”

Wondering what was so funny about hot dogs, Rebecca explained when she saw my questioning look. “Janis despises hot dogs, sausages, any long, cylindrical meat product.”

“Not every one,” a tall blond hovering in the corner quipped, causing Sam and Cooper to laugh out loud with Dean quickly joining them.

“Dean!” Janis instantly blushed.

Mr. Stanton’s facial expression instantly stopped their laughter.

Janis rolled her eyes and then turned toward me with an exact duplicate version of Rebecca’s smile. It was strange seeing the part of my girl’s face that could bring me to my knees on someone else.

“I’m Janis. I’ve heard so much about you, and it’s great meeting you.”

“I hope you won’t hold it all against me,” I joked. Janis cut her eyes to Sam and scowled. “Most of it was good. And Mom was right, you are very handsome and you do have the best accent.”

Chuckling at the look on Rebecca’s face as she gawked at her mother, I offered Janis my hand. She immediately shook her head, instead wrapping her arms around me in a warm hug.

“That jackass is my husband, Dean.” She motioned at him impatiently. The way Dean met Sam’s eyes as he walked closer made it obvious he was clearly “Team Sam.”

“Dean, Marco,” Janis introduced us.

Despite whatever opinion he had already formed, he smiled tightly while offering his hand. “Hey, man.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

He then gave Rebecca a hug of her own. “Merry Christmas, Pain in the Ass.”

“Merry Christmas, Jerkface.”

After our last visit, Rebecca had shared tidbits of her relationships with her older siblings and their spouses.

Remembering her words, “
I was so young when Griffin and Lily started dating, and the same with Janis and Dean. So, I kind of have six overbearing siblings. Dean and Sam dole out the most abuse, though,”
it made sense the way Dean was ribbing her.

Rebecca turned and stared at her brother, Sam. “Are you still going to be an asshole?”

“Rebecca.”

Ignoring her mother, she put her hands on her hips, challenging him. I was so proud of her in that moment. She clearly didn’t take his shit.

He walked closer and smirked. “If it weren’t for us assholes, you shitheads wouldn’t be here.”

“Sam! I did not raise you kids to use vulgar language.”

“Sorry, Mom.”

Expecting Rebecca to unleash on him, I couldn’t hide my shock when she shoved him playfully before cracking up with laughter. He hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head. Assuming this was some sort of private joke between them, I slowly unclenched the fists I hadn’t realized I made.

With an arm still around my wife, he reached between us and said, “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas.” I nodded as I accepted his peace offering.

“Griffin isn’t here?” Rebecca asked the room.

“They’re still in California,” her mom pouted. “They decided to spend the holidays there.”

“And Ginny’s working?” Rebecca asked next, earning a nod from Sam.

Once all the awkward greetings were over, Mr. Stanton rushed to get us chairs from the dining room. Mrs. Stanton served us coffee and platters of cookies that sat on the coffee table. And the siblings all started an insult war as I watched, amused.

Mr. Stanton offered me whiskey, which I actually accepted in preparation for what was to come. My wife quirked a brow knowingly when I did.

The Stantons continued with their night before our arrival, chatting and laughing and ribbing each other. All the while, my wife’s hand would periodically clench in mine. The smile on her face hid the fact she wasn’t paying much attention to anything that was being said. I knew what was going through her mind as we sat spectating from the sidelines.

I need to tell them…I need to tell them…
She looked up at me lost, almost pleadingly.

My gut wanted to say,
“Screw this. Let’s get out of here.”

Instead, I squeezed her hand firmly and nodded encouragingly.

“Isn’t this lovely, Kevin?” Mrs. Stanton said out loud, moving her gaze around the room with a warm smile. “How long are you two staying?” she asked us eagerly.

Rebecca licked her lips and shrugged. “We haven’t decided that yet, right?”

“As long as you want,” I responded.

“Oh, that’s wonderful.” Her mother clapped like she had just heard the best news ever.

“Um…we have to tell you guys something.”

“Again?” Sam blurted out.

“Shut it.” Rebecca pointed a finger at him, pretending to be stern.

Oh boy, she’s jumping right in
, I thought.

Subconsciously, I squared my shoulders in preparation for another fight.

I slid my hand from Marco’s grasp, subtly turning it over on my lap to hide my rings. The fact that no one had noticed them yet, especially my sister, was just a coincidence. I just popped the lid on our can of worms. As my family all looked at me expectantly, all I could see in my mind were my hands trying to stop the worms from crawling out of the can. With the lid now off, the damage was done, and the imagery almost had a hysterical laugh bubbling to the surface.

My entire life an unexpected case of the giggles would develop at the most inopportune times, and this cringe-worthy moment was no exception.

“Okay,” I said before clearing my throat. “I first want to say I will not tolerate your attitudes. I am extremely happy, off-the-wall ecstatic, and most importantly, one hundred percent sure of my decision. What I’m about to say has nothing to do with you all and was in no way meant to personally hurt any of you. So, you can either be happy for us or not, your choice, but know that I will react based on the choices you make.”

My mother paled, my dad downed the rest of his whiskey in one large gulp, and most importantly, Sam’s face instantly tensed as his scowl toward Marco returned full throttle.

Marco shifted uncomfortably beside me, but his arm across my shoulders supplied the fortification I needed to blurt out my news.

I closed my eyes and blurted out, “Marco and I are married.”

“No fucking way!” Sam took a few threatening steps closer, causing Marco to immediately stand between us. My husband fisted his hands in preparation for Sam’s attack.

In a blur, he lunged at Marco, taking them both down in the process. Just as they fell, Marco’s foot hit the tree, sending it crashing on top of Cooper. A few dozen of my mom’s precious ornaments smashed into smithereens the instant they hit the floor. Coop’s arms and legs flailing beneath it did little to move the massive Douglas fir off his body.

My mom screamed, just as the angel flew across the room and knocked over a candle. The flame caught the edge of the evergreen garland, and we watched in absolute horror as the flame traveled across her breakfront and ignited every Christmas card she’d received.

“Someone do something!” I screamed as Dean gripped Marco’s shoulders while my dad took hold of Sam’s feet, but neither was successful in tearing them apart. Arms and legs rolling around the living room floor took with them every Christmas cookie my mom no doubt spent days slaving over. Random Italian curse words mixed with prick, fuckface, and cocksucker canceled out my mom’s screaming.

A shrill beeping of the smoke detectors droned out Frank Sinatra’s rendition of “White Christmas” like a chorus of out-of-tune crickets. I couldn’t believe what was happening, and I looked to my sister desperately, watching as she bawled with both hands clutching her belly.

“
Bella
.”

I blinked a few times, feeling Marco’s arm tighten around my shoulders. With his lips on my ear, he asked, “Are you okay? You look like you’re going to be sick.”

My eyes panned the room, first noticing my entire family gawking at me like deer in headlights.

“What the hell, Becks? Spit it out already!” Sam barked from across the room.

Holy shit, that visual had been so real!

After a quick check that the angel still sat proudly on top of the tree, and there was no evidence of charred furniture, Christmas presents, or cards from the fire, an immediate case of the giggles took hold, knocking into me with such force it caused me to double over in hysterics.

“Um…
Bella
?” Marco asked beside me.

“What is wrong?” I heard my mother ask. “Rebecca Anne, you’re scaring us.”

“Rebecca!” Marco shook me, losing his patience.

“Okay, I’m sorry.” I sat up, trying to calm down long enough to say the five fucking words that caused that horrific daydream. In an attempt to explain, I started babbling incoherently. “It was just so scary seeing Coop’s arms and legs sticking out, and the angel torpedoed across the room, and you should have seen how quickly the garland went up like a Roman candle.”