Christmas in Tinsel Town

by Teagan Brooks

  I felt his body instantly relax before he stepped away and turned to face me. With a comforting hand on my shoulder, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

  I clasped my hands and began to fidget nervously. Ronan was a good man and the last thing I wanted to do was take advantage of his kind nature, but I needed his help. I shook off my nerves and began to explain the situation with Gabby. Then, I showed him her drawings.

  “Do you think we could do it? Maybe on a smaller scale than what she has planned, at least for this year.”

  He left me in limbo for several long minutes before he finally spoke. “Is it doable? Yes. The question is how much are you willing to invest in this project?”

  “I’ve been thinking about that aspect of it, too. If we opened the village to the public and donated all proceeds to charity, I would be willing to invest quite a bit. I donate at least one hundred thousand dollars to various charities over the holiday season each year. Why not invest it in something that could raise donations year after year?”

  “That is a very good point, but you already knew that, and you knew it was doable. So, what’s the real reason you were beating down my door a few minutes ago?” he asked knowingly.

  I playfully slapped his chest, and promptly ignored the fact that I was flirting with my head of security. “I wanted to know if you’d be willing to help. I know it isn’t in your job description, but with such short notice, I’m going to need all of the help I can get. I will pay you generously, as well as anyone else willing to pitch in, for their time and labor.”

  He smiled kindly with a hint of a twinkle in his green eyes. “Of course, I’ll help. You didn’t even need to ask. I’m sure Seth and Ian will be happy to help, too. Just let us know what you need.”

  “First and foremost, I need to go shopping for building materials.”

  “About that…I have an idea I think will save you a lot of time and energy,” he said carefully.

  “I’m open to any and all suggestions.”

  “Most home improvement supply stores have a few prefabricated storage sheds on site. You could purchase those instead of building your own and paint them to your liking. You may have to pay a little extra for expedited delivery, but in the end, I think it would be worth it.”

  “That’s a brilliant idea! Thank you so much, Ronan!” I couldn’t stop myself from wrapping my arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. He didn’t hesitate to slide his arms around my waist and return the embrace. I took the opportunity to relish in the feel of his firm body pressed against mine. He felt so right.

  Ronan cleared his throat. “Should I call Cameron to bring the car around?”

  I stepped back and nodded. “Yes, please. Gabby and I will be ready to go in fifteen minutes,” I blurted and turned to leave.

  Ronan chuckled lightly. “I’ll be at the front door whenever you’re ready.”

  With that, I rushed off to tell Gabby the good news.

  3

  Jacquelyn

  We spent the day moving from store to store. While Ronan was arranging and scheduling deliveries, Gabby and I ventured off to other sections to gather supplies—cans of paint, Christmas lights, and decorations. At one particular store, we purchased every paint brush, roller, and sprayer they had in stock. By the end of the day, we had purchased twelve storage sheds from various stores that were scheduled to be delivered the next day. We also rented a box truck to haul everything else home with us.

  I was exhausted, so I wasn’t the least bit surprised when Gabby fell asleep in the car on the way home. “Don’t wake her,” Ronan said quietly. “I’ll carry her inside.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to do that.”

  “I don’t mind. She’s going to need her rest for tomorrow. No sense in waking her up if we don’t have to.”

  I laughed. “She’s not the only one who’s going to need rest for tomorrow, but I still have several things to do before I can call it a night.”

  “Is there anything I can help you with?” Ronan asked.

  “I hate to ask, since you’ve already done so much, but would you mind ordering us something for dinner?”

  “I’ll be happy to.”

  “Please, order something for Seth and Ian as well and invite them to eat with us in the main house.”

  Thirty minutes later, the four of us were sitting down to dinner in the dining room while Gabby was fast asleep upstairs. “Thank you all so very much for helping us today. Please, don’t feel like you have to assist with the project. Your employment with me will not be affected one way or another by your participation.”

  “I have to admit, Mrs. Marks, I’m more than a little excited about helping you and Gabby build a life-size Christmas village,” Seth shared. Seth was a kind young man in his late twenties. He started out filling in for one of my other guards and readily stepped into the full-time position when it became available.

  I looked to Ian for his response. “Same here, Mrs. Marks. I love Christmas, and I’m happy to pitch in and help with anything that benefits those less fortunate, especially children.”

  I was a bit surprised by Ian’s response. He was older than Seth, probably in his early forties if I had to guess. He was certainly the quiet one of the bunch, but he was excellent at his job and hardly ever took days off or called in sick.

  “I don’t know how I got so lucky. You three truly are a blessing.”

  The three of them looked at their plates and ignored the compliment. Nice guys, but still men, I supposed.

  “So, do you fellas have any friends looking to make some extra cash for the holidays?” I asked hopefully.

  “I know a couple of guys I can ask,” Seth said.

  “I’m afraid my resources are limited in that aspect,” Ian confessed.

  “Jacquelyn,” Ronan said and reached over to place his hand on top of mine. “Have you considered asking your son and his friends to help?”

  My eyes widened in surprise. “Well, no, I hadn’t thought of that. Gabby did say she wanted it to be a surprise, but maybe I can convince her otherwise. I’ll give Jacob a call as soon as we finish dinner.”

  Ronan gave my hand a reassuring squeeze before he let go and returned to his meal. I glanced up to see if Seth or Ian noticed, but they weren’t paying us any attention.

  After a long, hot shower, I checked on Gabby one more time before I retired to my room for the night and dialed my son.

  “Yeah,” he answered distractedly.

  “Is that any way to greet your mother?” I playfully scolded.

  “Mom, sorry. Is everything okay?”

  “Yes, dear. Gabby is sound asleep. We had a very busy day.”

  “I’m sure you did. She’s been talking about the village for weeks.”

  “That’s why I’m calling. It seems there was a bit of a misunderstanding. Gabby thought my Christmas village was a real, life-size village, not a miniature one,” I explained.

  “Oh no. Was she upset?”

  “She was at first, but we came up with…a different idea. Hear me out before you say anything.”

  Upon his agreement, I began explaining our idea and the plans we had already put into motion. “Basically, the ball is already rolling and this is happening. But, I called to ask if you and your friends would be interested in helping us get the village set up. And I also wanted to know if Gabby could stay through Thanksgiving to see as much of the process as possible since it was her idea.”

  “Mom, you know I’ll help, but I’ll have to ask the guys. I’m sure some of them will be able to pitch in.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful, Jacob! The more the merrier. There’s plenty of room at the house if anyone wants to stay for a couple of days,” I exclaimed.

  I exhaled in relief once we ended the call. I’d met most of Jacob’s friends from the motorcycle club, and those men were nothing short of mountains of muscle. I had no doubt one of them could do the work of three men.

  4

  Jacquelyn

  I was up
bright and early the following morning—partially because I had so much to do and partially because I was too excited to sleep any longer. Gabby’s excitement had her awake and raring to go only an hour after I was.

  She entered the kitchen completely dressed with her hair in a high pony tail and her notebook tucked under her arm. “Good morning, Gigi! When can we get started?”

  I placed my cup of coffee on the table and clasped my hands in front of me. “In just a little bit, but I wanted to talk to you about something first.”

  Her little face fell and tears started to well in her eyes. “Oh, sweetie, it’s nothing bad. I know you said the reason you didn’t show Keegan and Jacob your drawings is because you wanted the village to be a surprise, but we need all the help we can get to make this thing happen. Would it be okay if Jacob, Keegan, and some of their friends from the club came to help us?”

  “Can Papa come, too?”

  “Of course, he can, if he’s available.”

  “Will you call him? Please?”

  I’d gotten to know Ranger around the time he found out Keegan was his granddaughter. Neither of us were Gabriella’s biological grandparent, but both of us were happy to step in and fill those roles.

  “I’ll do it right now,” I told her and picked up my phone.

  “Jacquelyn,” Ranger grumbled into the phone. “I haven’t even had my coffee yet.”

  “I assure you I have just cause for calling before noon.”

  “Let’s hear it.”

  After a brief explanation and request for his help, Ranger promised he would hit the road as soon as he got the rest of the boys “off their asses and on their bikes.”

  “You better eat a good breakfast, little miss. Papa and his friends are on their way.”

  Gabby cheered in excitement just as Ronan entered the room. “Good news I assume?”

  “Papa’s coming to help. And he’s bringing his friends!” Gabby shouted.

  “Is he?” Ronan asked, trying and failing to sound surprised. “When will he be here?”

  “Likely around lunch time,” I answered and clapped my hands together. “We better get busy getting things organized so we can start assigning jobs as soon as they arrive.”

  “I’m ready to go, Gigi,” Gabby announced proudly.

  “As soon as Ronan has had breakfast, we’ll head down to the field.”

  My home was situated on eighty-nine acres of land, most of which wasn’t being used for anything other than looking pretty. For convenience, I thought we could use the section of land closest to the road for parking and have the Christmas village set up in the next field over.

  “I’ve already had breakfast. I was just indulging in a second cup of coffee before we get to work.”

  I snapped my fingers and headed for one of the cabinets. “That reminds me. I need to fill a thermos with coffee and bring some snacks with us. Gabby, go ahead and get your coat. Be sure to bring your gloves, too, and meet me in the garage.”

  Ronan grabbed the thermos and snacks while I put on my coat and made sure I had my own pair of gloves. “Can I ride in the middle, Gigi?”

  “Of course, you can, sweetheart,” I said and gestured to the golf cart. She climbed in and scooted as close to Ronan as possible.

  “I don’t need that much room, you silly goose,” I laughed and pulled her closer to me.

  “She’s fine,” Ronan whispered over her head. With a wink, he opened the garage door and drove us down to the field.

  I was surprised to find three trucks with storage sheds waiting for our arrival. “Sorry, Mrs. Marks, we weren’t sure where you wanted the sheds to go,” Seth explained.

  I looked to Ronan for help. “Is there an easy way to mark where the ice-skating rink is going to go?”

  “Gabby, will you be my assistant?” Ronan asked her without answering my question.

  “Yes, sir,” she beamed. Ronan handed her a few flags to hold. Then, he produced a wheel with an extendable stick and started walking. When he came to a stop, he said something I couldn’t hear to Gabby and pointed. She made a show of sticking the flag into the ground. They went on to place two more flags before they returned to where I was standing.

  “The flags mark the corners of the ice-skating rink,” Ronan announced proudly.

  “Okay, well, let’s start by placing buildings on the corners and work our way in.”

  As the words were leaving my mouth, more trucks carrying storage buildings arrived. “Should we leave some space for them to deliver the rink?” I asked worriedly.

  Ronan smiled and patted my shoulder. “I scheduled a few of the sheds to be delivered tomorrow afternoon to make sure there was adequate room to install the rink.”

  “I still cannot believe you can order an ice-skating rink kit online.”

  “I can’t believe you managed to get it next-day delivered,” Ronan added.

  I waved my hand dismissively. “That was because the company is only about thirty minutes from here. I just got lucky.”

  While the men gave directions on where to place the sheds, Gabby and I went to each one and wrote out detailed painting instructions. Then, we delivered the correct paint colors and supplies needed to each shed. After that, we ordered enough sandwiches, chips, and drinks to feed an army and went back to the house to wait for our helpers to arrive.

  I knew Jacob and Ranger would bring a few friends to help, but I had no idea they would round up almost the entirety of not one, but two motorcycle clubs. Their rumbling engines shook the house far worse than Jacob’s helicopter ever had.

  Tears were welling in my eyes when I opened the front door to greet them. “Oh, Mom, don’t cry,” Jacob said and wrapped his arms around me.

  “I can’t believe you got all these people to come help on such short notice.”

  “He didn’t. I did,” Ranger announced proudly.

  “Shut it, old man,” Jacob grumbled.

  “Oh, hush up and go on in the house. I have lunch waiting for you in the dining room,” I said and made a shooing motion with my hands.

  “Wait just a minute. My mother would have a conniption fit if I didn’t properly introduce her to my friends,” Jacob said in the voice he used to mock me.

  “Well, get on with it. We’ve got a lot of work to do today, and I’m sure your friends are hungry after a long ride.”

  Jacob snorted. “Yes, ma’am. You already know Dash, Duke, Phoenix, Carbon, Byte, Edge, and Ranger. Carbon’s wife, Harper, is the pretty blonde tucked into his side and Duke’s wife, Reese, is beside him. Phoenix’s wife and Dash’s wife stayed home to take care of the little ones.” He used my shoulders to gently turn me to the other group of bikers. “Copper is Phoenix’s cousin and the President of the Devil Springs chapter. That’s his woman, Layla. His brother, Bronze, is the VP. Judge and his wife, River. Then, Savior, Batta, Tiny, Spazz, Splint, Grant, and Coal.”

  “Thank you all for coming. Words can’t express how much this means to me, and to Gabby. Once you see the plans she came up with on her own, you’ll see why I had to make her dreams a reality. And it’s all for a good cause. So, please, come inside, have some lunch, and let me know if there’s anything you need.”

  5

  Ronan

  I met Jacquelyn’s husband, Jay, many years ago when he hired me for a temporary position. One of his regular guards was having gallbladder surgery that would keep him out of work for six weeks. It was perfect timing, because the band I was working for at the time was between tours.

  Over the years, I filled in for Mr. Marks several times. He always offered me a permanent position, but I couldn’t take it. My brother was a member of the band I worked for, and I truly enjoyed being on the road with them. Until I met a woman.

  At first, Sarina was okay with me being on the road, or so she said. Things changed after the first time I was home for an extended period of time. She didn’t like it when I had to leave again, and she did everything she could to get me to quit and stay home with her.

/>   Foolishly, I gave in to her demands, quit my job with the band, married her, and agreed to start a family. We hadn’t been married a month when Sarina told me she was pregnant. We were nearing our two-year anniversary when I found out the baby wasn’t mine. And that hurt, because I loved our son, and she took him away when she served me divorce papers and vanished like I never existed.

  I was too proud to ask my brother for my job back, so I started my own security firm and called Mr. Marks. He hired my firm immediately. And then he told me something that Jacquelyn nor Jacob knew, and still don’t know. He was sick. And he wanted to make sure his wife was looked after and protected for the rest of her days.

  Jay died a little over a year later. Jacob was grown and out of the house, and with me always being around, naturally, Jacquelyn and I developed a close friendship. And then that friendship changed. At least it did for me.

  I was in love with Jacquelyn Marks and had been for well over two years. Watching her take the dreams of her tiny granddaughter and help her turn them into a reality for the benefit of others took my feelings for her to a level I didn’t know existed.

  The woman was as rare as they came. She was born into a wealthy family and had been surrounded by luxury and riches her entire life. Yet, she was more down to earth than anyone I knew. She didn’t spend money like it was going out of style. She didn’t spend her free time socializing and trying to be someone she wasn’t. She was kind and caring and carried herself with elegance and grace.

  And she was way out of my league. Which was part of why I had never approached her. The other part was obvious; she was my boss. If I did try to pursue a romantic relationship with her, it would be the end of my employment with her, and I liked my job. A lot. But I wasn’t sure I would be able to hold myself back much longer.

  Seriously. The woman wore designer gowns to galas and balls and socialized with some of the wealthiest people in the country. But she had no problem putting on a flannel shirt and faded jeans while working alongside leather-clad bikers. She was beyond perfect.