“No. Not you either.” Charlee glances over the kids’ heads, pressing her lips together to suppress a laugh.
I cross my ankles and lean back against the counter and watch as the family gets bundled up. Charlee is taking the crew out to play while I finish filling the stockings with candy, small toys, and video games.
Liam rolls his eyes and gives a long suffering sigh. He knows, as we all do, the minute the three are outside the two girls will gang up on him and even though he could run away or overpower them physically, he will allow himself to be taken to the ground and smeared with snow. He’s a good brother.
I set down my coffee mug and walk over to ruffle his hair. “Don’t let them be too hard on you, son.”
“Nah. It’s fine. How are they going to have fun otherwise?” He dons his snow pants and shoves his feet into his boots. I bend down to tie them. Once I’m finished, I tuck a heat warmer into his pocket, give the girls kisses and then wave as they troop outside.
As I hang and fill the stockings, the sound of screaming laughter echoes outside the large picture window. Little bodies zoom by. A snowball strikes the front door. My mouth curves into a smile. When I first saw Charlee at the newsstand outside my office, I knew instantly I wanted her in my life. I didn’t have a full idea of what the future with her would look like but it didn’t include a small cabin in the woods of Winter Falls. In the years since I first trapped Charlee here, we’ve done some improvements. The exposed rafters have all been clean of the smoke damage. Two new bedrooms and bathrooms were added. The kitchen has been upgraded but it’s still a small space compared to what everyone is used to. Even so, I feel like the family is closer when we’re here. Maybe it’s partly due to the holidays, maybe it’s the coziness of Winter Falls where the town is full of kind and friendly people, or maybe it’s the memories of how we almost fell apart and if it wasn’t for this town, this cabin, this space, we wouldn’t have made it this far.
The family spills in, a pile of snow, laughter and gusts of cold.
Olivia rushes over, nearly falling on her face when she reaches me. “Daddy, Liam hit me with a snowball.”
I catch the little girl up in my arms and rub her cheek against mine to warm her up. “I’ll take him out behind the shed later.”
Olivia rears back. “No! Don’t hurt Liam!” Her fists come up. “I’ll fight you.”
Liam laughs and pulls Olivia into his arms. “He’s just joking. Aren’t you dad?”
There’s a slight quaver in his voice as if he’s not sure. I wink. “Since it’s Christmas, I’ll let it go.”
“Come on, Little Liv. Let’s go get washed up for dinner so we can open presents.”
“I’m not little!” She squeaks but tucks her hand into her brother’s and hops down the hall. Ava follows sedately behind as if she’s eighteen and not eight. The three are my pride and joy. I feel so fucking lucky I could explode.
Charlee comes over and tucks herself under my arm. Her fingers burrow under my shirt, the cold digits sending chills along my spine.
“You’re an evil woman,” I say, pulling her hands out from under my clothes and bringing them up to my mouth so I can blow some hot air onto them.
“Everything all taken care of?” she asks.
I kiss her fingers and then her cheek and then her mouth, her cold lips parting under mine. My tongue slips inside, sweeping around the warm cavern to tangle with her tongue. I place her warm hands back under my shirt and pull her closer.
“The kids,” she whispers against my mouth.
“I know.” I kiss her again and then lean back to stare at her rosy mouth. “Damn, but how are you more gorgeous today than when I first saw you?”
“It’s the snow and cold. My cheeks are pink.”
“No. It’s just you.” I press my lips against her forehead. “Aging is better than wine. Can’t wait to bend you over the sink tonight and fuck you until you’re breathless.”
“You sweet talker, you,” Charlee teases.
“I’ll let you wear my Christmas gift.”
“I don’t know whether to be excited or scared.”
“Both? It’ll make your orgasm better.” I grab a blue velvet box and hand it to her. “First gift of the season.”
She arches her eyebrows and opens the lid. Her eyes pop wide and she gasps. Inside is a delicate choker of diamonds, shaped like snowflakes falling off thin chains to look like snowfall. “What is this?”
I pluck the necklace out and toss the box aside. “I told you, first gift of the season.”
The necklace looks even more beautiful draped around her neck.
“Mommy, you look like you’re wearing snow!” shouts Olivia as she runs down the hall and launches herself into Charlene’s arms.