Once Upon a Texas Christmas

by Katherine Garbera

  “Yes.”

  “They aren’t,” Avery said. “He’s rock-hard and solid.”

  Savannah chuckled and Rachel joined her. “He’s rock-hard?”

  She flushed, getting where their minds had gone. “Not there. I mean I don’t know if he was—I’m leaving before I say another thing that sounds even worse.”

  Her friends called out their goodbyes as she walked out of the café. She had always prided herself on her independence and she knew that she could function well without the help of anyone else; but having Savannah and Rachel in her life made it richer.

  She walked back to the Calloway Foundation offices and drove the SUV out to the Devil’s Rock airfield that was on the outskirts of town. The sun was shining and it was a gorgeous day. Hard to believe that the forecasters were right and that there was going to be a wintry front moving in over the weekend. Today it was just a gorgeous Texas day. The sky was bright blue with hardly a cloud in it and Avery got out of the truck to lean against it, watching for Logan’s jet.

  She saw it on the horizon before it came in and landed smoothly. She told herself that the butterflies in her stomach were just due to getting all of her work done but she knew that for the falsehood it was. She had missed Logan.

  And as he stepped out onto the jet way, pushing his sunglasses up on his head and giving her a little wave, she felt that jolt of excitement as she waved back.

  He’s your boss, she reminded herself.

  But she didn’t care. It wasn’t like they were a large company or he was pressuring her to have a relationship with him to keep her job.

  Chapter Six

  Logan walked through his bedroom to his dressing room where Avery had directed the stylist from Dolce & Gabbana to set up. There were three men dressed in suits ready to custom fit the suits he’d requested for himself and his friends. Due to his crazy schedule and the fact that Eli had just returned to Whiskey River they were doing it on the day of the event.

  Eli had remarked back in Malibu that his life was odd and truer words Logan hadn’t heard. It was damn strange some of the time, but then it had perks like this. He remembered how they’d never had the money for prom or homecoming dances and Logan had wanted to show off just a little bit tonight. Show the good people of Whiskey River how far he’d come.

  And if he could help out his friends in the process then that was even better.

  “Sir, we had your measurements on file so if you want to try your tux on it should already be the right size,” the head stylist, Marco, said.

  “Thanks, Marco,” Logan said going to his dressing area where a valet waited to help him.

  “Holy hell,” Harlan said as he entered the dressing area. It was as large as a regular-sized bedroom in a normal house and bigger than the house that Logan had been raised in.

  “Harlan, good to see you,” Logan said, going over and giving his friend a bro hug. “Marco will take care of you and get you fitted with whatever you want. Tux, dinner jacket, suit, whatever.”

  “I have a suit,” Harlan said.

  “Yeah, but not a Dolce & Gabbana handmade one,” Logan said. “Let me do this for you, Harlan.”

  Harlan walked over the rack that Marco’s assistant stood next to and glanced at the different suits hanging there. Logan hadn’t known what his friends would want to wear so he’d told them to bring everything they could.

  He’d done a series of print ads for D&G last year, which had been the start to a nice relationship with the fashion house. He’d never realized how big the difference in wearing an off-the-rack suit and one that had been tailor-made one was.

  “Hey, Harlan, when did you get here?” Eli asked, coming in.

  Eli had spent the night in one of the guest bungalows on his property and had spent the morning waiting for his truck to be delivered.

  “A few minutes ago,” Harlan said.

  “How’s your new truck?” Logan asked.

  “Great. I’ve been eyeing the Ford F150 for a while now,” Eli said.

  “What are you wearing?” asked Harlan.

  “A tux. Logan made it seem like it would be my best option,” Eli said. “What about you?”

  “Hell, this isn’t my scene,” Harlan said.

  “What do you mean? You drive a Ferrari, man.”

  “So? That doesn’t mean I like shit like this party,” Harlan said.

  Logan came over to his friends and nodded to the stylists who discreetly left the room. “It’s not anyone’s scene. This is just something that makes me feel better when I’m back here. When I go to town in jeans and a pair of sneakers I feel like the Logan who was denied custody of his brothers and left town with a huge-ass chip on my shoulder.

  “I hate that feeling,” Logan admitted, but wouldn’t have told anyone other than these two. “Wearing a designer tux to the gala tonight just reminds me that I’m not the kid who left. I’m the man who has come back and it is kind of like armor between me and the old biddies who are probably pissed as hell I’ve become successful.

  “Harlan, you took Dallas by storm and are one of the top builders now. That’s something no one predicted. You’ve come back to town in a position of power. Why not wear a tuxedo that shows everyone how far you’ve come.”

  Harlan shook his head and laughed. “Fair enough. I guess I’ll wear a tux too.”

  “You know what I think of all you’ve accomplished, Eli. Going from that almost-arrest to the man you are today. And I know that you want to continue to working for kids who are in the same situation we were. This might seem over the top but small towns sometimes are filled with small minds and the only thing they can understand is something big and flashy.”

  “Well this is certainly not subtle,” Eli said.

  “No, it’s not. I asked Wyatt Kelly to send over someone from Kelly Boots to fit us for dress boots for tonight—or you can wear the Italian leather loafers that the D&G guys brought with them.”

  “D&G—hell every time I hear you talking like that it just sounds odd,” Harlan said. “I don’t know any other guy who knows a designer.”

  “Well I did that ad for them,” Logan said. “And wait until you try the tux on. You’re going to look so good that women are going to drop at your feet.”

  “Drop at my feet?” Harlan asked.

  “That’s expecting a lot from a tux,” Eli said. “Especially if Harlan is wearing it.”

  Harlan gave Eli the finger and then turned back to the rack. They continued trading insults as they were fitted and the stylists worked to adjust the inseams and the width of the shoulders on their jackets. When they were done the three of them stood shoulder-to-shoulder looking into the mirror.

  “Damn, the bad boys from the Barrels…we clean up good,” Logan said.

  “We’ve come a long way,” Harlan said.

  “Yeah, we have. And the Barrels Winery will help us give other kids a chance to do the same thing,” Eli said.

  “Marco, can you take a picture of us?” Logan asked.

  They posed, looking like badasses, then took one with their arms around each other’s shoulders and that was the one that Logan blasted out on social media. He hash tagged it #badboysofthebarrels.

  They changed back into their regular clothes and they all went their separate ways. Logan looked out from his bedroom windows toward the little guesthouse that was just visible from his vantage point. He didn’t know if Avery was in there or not, but he looked at the house and couldn’t wait to see her again. Tonight he was going to shake away the pain of Whiskey River and make some good memories with Avery.

  *

  Avery glanced up at the house. The powerful growl of a Ferrari’s engine had drawn her attention from where she’d been wrapping lights around the post on her front porch. Harlan Sullivan, she suspected, was behind the wheel. Logan’s friends were all up at the main house having a fitting with Dolce & Gabbana. She had thought it was funny when he’d asked her to arrange it but now that she’d had dinner with him and had gott
en to know him a bit better it sort of made sense. She had decided to skip getting her hair done in town and was doing it herself. It wasn’t like putting her hair in a chignon was something that she needed to pay someone to do.

  Besides her mom had said she wanted to talk about their Christmas plans this morning, so Avery hadn’t wanted to be at the salon when her mom called. But it was twelve thirty and she still hadn’t heard from her.

  She finished the lights and then went inside and decided she was just going to text her mom and see if she’d forgotten. It had happened before.

  Her phone rang before she could and she saw it was her mom. Avery smiled as she answered the call.

  “Hi, Mom,” Avery said.

  “Hiya, kid. How are you doing?” her mom asked.

  “Good. My boss is in town this week so it’s been more hectic than usual,” Avery said.

  “That’s nice, dear. He’s the millionaire, right?”

  “Yeah, something like that. How’s dad?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him in a week. His research is really heating up. He texted me last night to say he thought he was getting closer to a result.”

  “That’s exciting,” Avery said.

  “It is,” her mom agreed.

  “Will he still be able to go on the trip at Christmas?” Avery asked.

  “He’s planning on it,” her mom said. “I need you to send your airport information to the travel agent. I didn’t want to give out your email, so just call her.”

  Her mom rattled off the number and Avery scrambled for a notepad to jot it down. She repeated it back to make sure she had it right.

  “Yes, that’s it. This will be so nice,” her mom said. “Dad and I are both looking forward to spending some time out of the lab with you.”

  “Me too,” Avery said. “My boss is hosting a party on the 23rd. I have to help him get ready for it so I probably won’t be able to fly until that day. Will that be okay?”

  “Of course, kid, you know we understand work priorities.”

  “You definitely do,” Avery said.

  “I’ve got to go. Your dad is ringing on the other line,” her mom said.

  She hung up and Avery put the phone on the table in front of her. She’d been unsure if it would really happen when she had first heard from her mom about this Christmas trip, but now she felt like she had as a child. Excitement for Christmas morning was stirring in her.

  She called the travel agent and provided the information she needed and then Avery texted her friends.

  Avery: I think my parents are really going to come through with this Christmas trip.

  Savannah: Good. It’s about time.

  Rachel: Agreed.

  Avery: Are you two getting ready for tonight? I’m thinking I might try to drop by the salon in town and get a pedicure.

  Savannah: I’m here getting my hair done. I’ll see if they can squeeze you in. Rachel, want me to see if they can do you too?

  Rachel: I can’t. My new staff can’t be trusted alone.

  Avery: I hope they will be okay tonight when you have to come out of the kitchen.

  Rachel: They will be. Gotta go.

  Savannah: Bye, R. A, they can do your pedicure at 1. Can you get here in time?

  Avery: Yes. On my way now.

  She grabbed her keys, locked the door and glanced up at the big house as she walked to her car. It was good that she hadn’t seen Logan today. They weren’t a couple. They weren’t going to suddenly have something just because they’d kissed one time. He’d left town after that.

  She stopped by Harwood House and dropped off Rachel’s dress and tried one more time to convince her to come with her, but Rachel wouldn’t leave. Avery arrived at the salon and went to the back for her pedicure. Savannah was chatting with her hair stylist, Avery was slightly jealous of how at ease Savannah was. But she’d grown up here in Whiskey River and she knew everyone and their stories.

  Her phone pinged and she looked down to see it was another text in the group chat with Rachel and Savannah.

  Savannah: How are you getting to the gala?

  Avery: Limo with Logan and possibly the mayor.

  Savannah: Really? It’s not like Logan is going to vote for him.

  Avery: Ha! He wants to give the impression they are friends.

  Savannah: I love the way everyone loses their shit around him.

  Avery: Me too…except when it’s me.

  Savannah: Are you losing it?

  Avery: Yes. I know I need to be cool but he is hard to resist.

  Rachel: No gossiping without me.

  Avery: I thought you were busy working.

  Savannah: That was just so she didn’t have to come to the salon.

  Rachel: Maybe. So you do like him?

  Avery: I kissed him the other night and he made a pass and I backed away and then he left town…

  Savannah: So he’s back now. It’s not like you can’t change your mind.

  Rachel: She’s right.

  Avery: Changing my mind is one thing but I can’t change me. And I’ve never been good at letting someone in.

  Savannah: You let us in. You just have to decide if you trust Logan or not.

  Savannah was right but then her friend was really good at cutting through the BS and getting to the truth. Did she trust Logan?

  *

  Avery stepped out of her front door and Logan caught his breath. He’d seen beautiful women before but they hadn’t been Avery. She had her blonde hair pulled back into a fancy updo that brought out the ethereal qualities of her features. She’d taken her time with her eye makeup accentuating them with eyeliner to make them seem more almond-shaped and exotic-looking. Her lips were full and lush and painted a soft pink that balanced perfectly with the deep burgundy of her dress. He skimmed his gaze over her curves, which the sheath accentuated, and then down her long legs to the sparkling heels she wore.

  “Hello, gorgeous,” he said.

  “I think that’s my line,” she retorted.

  “It’s definitely mine. You look beautiful, Avery.”

  She flushed and then reached back into her house and brought out a long faux fur coat, which she donned, and then locked the door behind her. He moved closer to the stairs, held out his hand and helped her down it. It was very cold tonight and he knew he shouldn’t linger but he couldn’t help himself.

  He noticed that she wore the earrings he’d sent her last year for Christmas. They were a pair of Tiffany Victoria earrings. The diamonds were nestled in platinum that had been shaped into a four-petal flower design.

  “I’m sorry if I pushed too hard the other night,” he said. He’d had time to think and really hadn’t gotten any closer to figuring out what it was he felt for her. She was different from other women mainly because of how often she sassed him, but he also really just liked her. She was funny and when he’d kissed her everything had changed. He had felt different and that hadn’t happened ever before. He had been able to pretend to be someone different before but he’d never really been a different man until he was with her.

  And different was good. That was something he’d always been striving toward. Sully had said that they couldn’t run from their genes. That was why his middle brother had found his way into the MMA ring. Fighting—violence—these were their legacy. And while Logan had played violent characters on film, in real life he hated hitting and punching—both giving and receiving them. So he’d always shied away from it.

  Standing in front of Avery right now made him realize how desperately he wanted to be a different man. Not a Calloway. Not with the Calloway legacy but with something else. Something better.

  “It’s okay,” she said. “It was me. I’m not… I don’t let people close easily.”

  “I don’t either,” he admitted.

  “I moved around a lot as a kid,” she said as if that explained it.

  “I always wished I had,” he said.

  “And I wanted to live in one place,” she sa
id. Then he noticed she shivered as the breeze blew around them.

  Damn. Still a bastard, he thought. “Let’s get you out of the cold.”

  “Thanks. Don’t you want to get out of it too?” she asked.

  He thought about it for a moment. He was cold but no one ever seemed to care if the Calloway boys were living in a house with no heat since their father had drunk the rent and utility money.

  “Yes, I do.”

  She slipped her hand into his. Her fingers were long and cold but her grip was solid and sent a warm shiver through his body. It was sexual but at the same time not sexual. She cared. Not because he was famous…then why?

  He wasn’t going to ask. He’d learned a long time ago that asking questions like that just led to answers he didn’t want to hear. And he didn’t want to be disappointed by Avery. She was a pretty Christmas angel who was going to help him through this Whiskey River December and that was it.

  But his body didn’t agree. When he slid onto the leather seat of the limo next to her, the scent of her perfume made him remember how it had felt to hold her in his arms, how perfectly her lips had melted under his and how when their tongues had touched the taste of her had lingered. He wanted more from her.

  He could pretend that he was trying to be a gentleman and let her set the pace but a part of him wondered if he were just going slow because he didn’t want to frighten her off. He wanted her.

  He had to spend the month here because of the commitments he’d agreed to and he had time to seduce her.

  “We have to pick the mayor up,” Avery said.

  “We do? Why are we doing that?” Logan asked.

  “He wants to ride with you and arrive at the gala with you,” Avery said.

  As always Whiskey River delivered a smackdown when he felt like he was in charge. This city…it always made him feel like he was dancing to a tune that was out of his control.

  Chapter Seven

  Avery smoothed her hands down her sides, making sure her burgundy velvet sheath wasn’t bunching up anywhere and then got ready to go on stage. She’d been running around since she’d escaped the limo with Logan and the mayor. Logan was entirely more gracious than she would have been given the way the mayor had been falling all over himself to flatter Logan during the ride. He had stepped in it one time by saying that Logan hadn’t turned out as expected.