Home For The Holidays

by Elena Aitken

  She caught a ride to town with Fila, and made plans to meet up again with her later. Meanwhile, since the painters were hard at work at the ranch again today, she spent the day at Kerri’s second-hand store. It was fun to help arrange new stock for sale and chat with Kerri in between customers. They finally had enough time to truly catch up, and Sunshine wondered why she’d ever been afraid she’d lost Kerri’s friendship. They got along as well as they ever had.

  “We have to do this more often,” Sunshine said when it was time for Kerri to close up shop. They planned to eat a quick dinner out, then head over to the ranch to meet up with the other women for a practice session.

  “Definitely. I’m so glad you’re home.” Kerri gave her a quick hug.

  After dinner, they bundled up against the cold and headed to Kerri’s truck. It took a long time for the vehicle to heat up as they drove the dark, quiet roads to Sunshine’s ranch.

  “Are you excited to see what the walls look like?”

  “More than I can say.”

  When they finally let themselves into the house, Sunshine whooped with delight. “It’s perfect. The painters did such a good job.”

  “If Claire uses them, you know they’re good.” Kerri joined her inside. They made their way from room to room, oohing and aahing over the colors in each of them. “The place looks classy and warm at the same time. Once you get furniture in here, it’ll look great.”

  “Bella is going to send Evan on errands tomorrow morning and I’ve hired a handyman to move some of her old things here for now. I’ll have enough furniture for a living room and bedroom. We’ll put a table and chairs in the living room to eat at until the kitchen gets fixed up.” She led the way to that room and sighed. “I didn’t bother to have it painted because the whole room needs to be gutted. There wasn’t time to put new cabinets or countertops in, let alone appliances and flooring. I’ll have to do all that after Christmas.”

  “The rest of the house looks terrific.”

  “Some of it does,” Sunshine agreed. “Enough so that Cole will get the idea.”

  A knock sounded on the door. Sunshine went to answer it and found Mia outside.

  “Rock band time!” Mia said. “Can you help me unload my drums?”

  “Of course.” Sunshine grabbed her coat, pulled on her boots and struggled with Mia to get all the pieces of her borrowed drum set into the house. While Mia put it together, the rest of the women arrived. Bella and Autumn brought their guitars. Morgan came with her tambourine. Kerri and Hannah had their bases, and Rose was ready to sing, with Camila and Fila as back up. Claire arrived last, a portable keyboard under her arm.

  “Let’s get this party started,” Mia cried, banging out a beat that made the rest of them cringe.

  “Can’t you turn that down?” Hannah asked.

  “There’s no volume on drums,” Mia told her huffily.

  “We’re all going to be loud,” Autumn said. “Is everyone plugged in who can plug in?”

  “I guess we’re going to find out the state of your wiring,” Claire joked to Sunshine.

  “I had the inspector check that out before I bought. The panel’s been upgraded.” She had to laugh at how knowledgeable she sounded. In truth, it was the inspector who’d thought to look. When he informed her of the results, she’d had to look up what it meant on the Internet.

  “Let’s go then. Has everyone been practicing?”

  “I have,” Claire said.

  The rest of them mumbled.

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Mia said, thundering out another series of beats and ending with a clash of the cymbals. “I’ll play really loud. The rest of you do your best.”

  Their first attempt was an utter failure. The second was little better. Autumn finally put a stop to the proceedings and went down the line, forcing each of them to play by themselves. She identified their errors, made them play the piece until they’d memorized their parts, and then they tried it again together.

  “That almost sounded like Jingle Bells,” Fila said.

  “Almost,” Morgan snorted.

  “Let’s do it again.” Sunshine loved it. So what if they sucked? She was playing in a band with ten other women. She couldn’t wait for Christmas Eve.

  They practiced a few more times, then broke up for the evening, with plans to have another session the next morning.

  “I wonder if the men have actually learned a dance,” Bella said.

  “I think it’s unlikely,” Hannah said.

  “We’ll see tomorrow night.”

  The crowd broke up and everyone left in their vehicles, leaving Sunshine and Mia to shut out the lights, turn down the heat and lock up. As Mia walked toward her truck, Sunshine paused and touched the front door of her house. “One more day,” she whispered.

  She hoped Cole would love the ranch as much as she loved him.

  Chapter 9

  Cole was relieved when Sunshine and Mia returned home. When Luke asked how their practice session had gone, Mia merely said, “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  Cole didn’t care about anything except getting Sunshine alone.

  When they finally went upstairs to their room, however, she immediately headed for the bathroom. “I need a soak,” she groaned. Cole didn’t want to wait another minute, but she did look tired.

  “I wouldn’t mind company,” she went on, unbuttoning her blouse and throwing him a come-hither look.

  That was an invitation he wouldn’t refuse. Cole grinned. “Light those candles,” he said, referring to the decorative ones Mia had placed around their small bathroom.

  “I don’t know if we should. Those look fancy—”

  “I’ll buy her new ones.” He tossed her a book of matches.

  “If you say so.”

  Cole stripped off his clothes as quickly as he could and grabbed the fresh towels Mia had laid on the bed for them. He joined Sunshine in the bathroom and watched the water fill the tub. The little room looked like it had been added after the original construction of the house, and the tub wasn’t fancy, but Cole didn’t care. As long as he was with Sunshine, everything was fine.

  Sunshine finished lighting the candles, turned and took him in. If he’d worried that time and closeness would diminish the rush between them, he’d been wrong. He knew Sunshine well, and her survey of his body was appreciative. Without a word she began to undress as the hot water sent billows of steam into the small room.

  Her languorous movements were a slow torture. He wanted to touch her, but somehow he knew that she wanted to set the pace. That was fine with him. When she was finished undressing she stepped closer to him, placed her hands on his hips and knelt down before him, her fingertips tracing down his skin.

  Cole shivered, then let out a breath as she took him into her mouth. With a groan, he braced his right hand on the counter, the fingers of his left tangling in Sunshine’s hair. She started slowly, tracing the tip of him with her tongue, but when she slid him deep inside, the hot, wet heat of her mouth set every nerve in his body alight.

  Cole had meant to seduce Sunshine tonight, but now he was putty in her hands. As she set up a slow, powerful rhythm, he could only try to hang on.

  “Oh… God.” It wasn’t original, but he couldn’t manage anything else. Her mouth teased him, taking him so close to the edge he had to brace himself not to end this before it had hardly begun. He felt like a sixteen-year-old, every touch brand new, but he was glad he wasn’t a teenager, because he wanted to make love to Sunshine like a man.

  Sunshine slid her tongue over him and aroused him even further. He was so hard he ached with wanting her. When he began to think he might black out if he didn’t find a release soon, he gently pulled back, tugged Sunshine to her feet, turned her around and braced her hands on the counter.

  Perfect.

  Now he could see her reflected in the wide mirror, and he wanted to watch her as he made her come. Sliding one hand up to cup her breast, he reached down with the other between her legs
. Just as he suspected, she was more than ready for him.

  It was her turn to moan as he sampled both delights, squeezing her breast gently, savoring the heft of it in his hand, using his thumb and forefinger to play with her nipple until it was as hard as he was. He set up a rhythm with his hand between her legs and soon Sunshine rocked against him, echoing that rhythm unconsciously. Cole loved the look of his hands on her body, and he loved watching her expressions as he teased her. When she panted his name—half a cry, half laughing, Cole gripped her hip, and pushed inside of her.

  Sunshine cried out softly and bit her lip again. He knew she was trying to keep it down out of respect for Luke and Mia. Cole couldn’t care less about anyone else; he was too far gone. He crushed Sunshine to him, thrust inside her again and kissed the back of her neck, her hair tickling his nose. Sunshine pushed back against him, her eyes closed and her expression so blissed out, Cole knew she felt as good as he did.

  He’d meant to pace himself and drive into her with slow, steady strokes, but Cole lost control, thrust into her again and again, and Sunshine arched against him, her breasts slipping through his fingers as they rode the wave of his desire to crash-land together in an orgasm that shook both of them simultaneously.

  By the time he’d pulsed out the last of his release, Sunshine had folded over to rest her forehead on her arms. She was shaking so hard that Cole became concerned. Was she…

  Crying?

  “Sunshine?” He pulled her upright, slid himself out of her and turned her around. “What’s wrong?”

  But she wasn’t crying—she was laughing.

  And she couldn’t stop.

  Cole watched her, bemused, but in short order he became uncomfortable. Was she laughing at him?

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Us,” she managed to say. “I don’t know about you, but I was aiming for a long, drawn-out, passionate night. That took us what—five minutes?”

  “We could do it again.” Cole was affronted.

  “Of course we’ll do it again.” Sunshine flung her arms around his neck. “I love the way we’re always in sync. I love the way you make love to me. That was one of the best—”

  Cole cut her off with a kiss. He knew exactly what she meant. Slow or fast, hard or soft, every time they touched each other was magic. He moved her toward the tub. “Better get in there before it gets cold.” He steadied her as she stepped into the water and then joined her there. He sat down and pulled her into his lap as he sat back against the wall of the pleasantly deep tub. Locating the soap, he lathered up and began to wash her body, paying particular attention to her breasts. Sunshine’s breathing hitched.

  “Oh, that feels good.” She lay back against him, relaxed and for a moment Cole knew true contentment. His eyes drifted closed as he explored Sunshine’s body and he couldn’t help smile. This was his definition of heaven.

  He was well along to being ready for another round of lovemaking when Sunshine spoke again.

  “Cole, about what I asked you…”

  When Cole stiffened behind her, his hands stopping mid-stroke, Sunshine knew she had his attention. She hadn’t meant to spoil the mood, but things needed to be said and now was the time to say them.

  “I’ve thought about that a lot,” he said, his deep voice rumbling against her back.

  “I know,” she hurried to say. “I know that I was asking you a lot. I’ve realized I don’t—”

  “I’ll do it.”

  Sunshine twisted around to look at him. “Really?”

  “Really. There’ll have to be compromises, though. If we’re both working full time, we’ll need help.”

  “Of course.” She hadn’t realized how much it would mean to her for Cole to say what he’d said. “But do you really mean it?”

  “I just said I did.” He chuckled. “Don’t you believe me?”

  “Of course I do. It’s just—”

  “It’s just nothing. It’s what I want to do. There’s something else we need to talk about, though.”

  “What’s that?” Worry gripped her again. Cole sounded so serious.

  “We need to set a date for our wedding. I was going to wait until Christmas morning to ask you when you wanted to get hitched, but I can’t wait any longer. I’m ready to move ahead with our lives.”

  Sunshine couldn’t wait either. Suddenly she wanted Cole—all of him—and not just between her legs but in her life, signed, sealed and delivered with Montana’s stamp of approval on it. “When?”

  “Whenever you want. How about on New Year’s? We can throw together a wedding in a week, can’t we?”

  Sunshine didn’t care if they could or not. “Yes. New Year’s. We’ll invite everyone. I’ll ask Mia for help.” She reached up and kissed him under his chin. He turned her back to her original position, lifted her up and settled her more firmly on his lap. It was obvious he was ready to make love to her again.

  She was ready for him, too.

  She lifted her hips and sank down again as he pushed inside. The water rippled with their movements and Sunshine sighed, knowing what bliss was to come. Once again, Cole made good use of his position to stroke her body until Sunshine was burning with desire. Cole thrust in and out of her slowly until he had her writhing against him, wanting more. Her position gave her no control over the situation, so all she could do was lie back and let Cole love her, which he did with a skill that brought her to an earth-shattering climax before too long. As he pulsed into her, his groans mingling with her cries, Sunshine knew she’d found the man she was made to spend her life with. Their lives would be complicated, but she didn’t care; not as long as she had Cole.

  “I guess this is as good as it gets,” Cole said cheerfully as he and Luke prepared to leave the restaurant the next afternoon. The youngest Matheson son, Luke, was every inch a cowboy, and reveled in running the Double-Bar-K. He had offered to lend Cole a hand to finish up the last-minute details at the restaurant, and he’d brought his daughter, Pam, along so that Mia could finish preparations for the Christmas Eve celebrations.

  Luke had managed to help a lot while Pam played with the toys he’d placed inside her portable playpen. Every twenty minutes or so, he lifted her out and carried her piggy back around the place to check things out. The little girl crowed with laughter every time he lifted her to his shoulders, using her tiny fingers to twist his short hair into reins which she used to guide him around. Cole had to laugh to see the cocky cowboy at the mercy of his daughter, but Luke bore it all with a sense of humor and good grace. “Can’t raise a pushover,” he said to Cole at one point. “I know what men are like. If I have anything to say about it, she’s going to be one formidable lady.”

  “I think the place looks great,” Luke said now. He pushed open the front door and let a swirl of cold air blow in. Still holding Pam in one arm, he picked up her portable playpen, hefted it through the opening, and set it down on the sidewalk outside.

  Cole agreed. The place was clean, all traces of the former 80s décor gone. The floors looked great and the walls had been painted a warm modern tone that would give Sunshine a hint of the possibilities the place held. While it lacked tables and chairs, he knew she’d want to pick out those herself. The space was clean and open. He felt sure Sunshine would love it.

  Cole stepped onto the sidewalk and locked the door. He gave the exterior a once-over and followed Luke to his truck. Before he could open the door and get in, however, his phone rang.

  “Cole, it’s Bella,” the voice on the other end said when he accepted the call. “You got a minute?”

  “Sure.” He got into the truck and fastened his seatbelt one handed. Luke got Pam into her car seat and went to start the engine.

  “You’ve probably got all your Christmas shopping done for Sunshine, but if you’re still looking for something, I have an idea.”

  “What is it?” He was pretty sure that nothing Bella could come up with could top the restaurant.

  “Back when you two stayed wit
h us, I showed her the animals in my shelter and she fell in love with one of the dogs. Duke’s a mutt—a big yellow dog that’s got some retriever in him and who knows what else—”

  “I’ll take him.” Cole cut her off.

  “But I haven’t even—”

  “If Sunshine wants a big, yellow dog, she’s getting a big, yellow dog,” Cole said. “It’s a done deal.” He remembered how he’d thought she might be cheating on him, and then he’d thought that she was trying to buy him a dog. Now he knew she’d been worried about juggling a career and kids.

  “Well… great! How about I bring him by tomorrow? I can take him home again until you have a place to keep him.”

  “I appreciate that. We’ll work that out as quickly as we can.”

  “See you tonight!”

  “See you.”

  “You’re getting a dog?” Luke asked as he pulled out into traffic.

  “That’s right.”

  “Now all you need is a ranch.”

  Exactly. But not a cattle ranch. A chicken and wind turbine ranch. Cole chuckled. Would all his friends think he was nuts?

  Maybe he was—for Sunshine, for Chance Creek—for this whole crazy life he was building.

  Pam squealed in the back seat.

  “Yeah, honey—I know how you feel,” Cole said.

  “It’s Christmas! It’s Christmas, it’s Christmas, it’s Christmas!” Mia sang as she packed the food she’d prepared in covered dishes and stacked them in preparation to load in her truck.

  “You love the holidays, don’t you?” Sunshine said. It was obvious. Mia and Luke’s cabin was decorated to the hilt and the petite brunette had been almost dancing around the kitchen for the last few hours.