Josh shrugged his shoulders, obviously not following the gist of the conversation. After pouring himself a cup of coffee, he sat down at the counter. “I’m not looking forward to the plane ride, but it’ll be nice to get back home and be on a regular schedule again. What do you think, Becca?” Standing with her back to him, she didn’t respond.
“Rebecca Sue?”
“I’m going to miss everyone,” she cried, turning around. “I know we talked about doing this again next year, but everyone always makes promises like that, and then they never follow through.”
“Sweetie,” Josh said with an amused expression on his face. “Max, Peter, and I already put a deposit down on this house for the exact same time next year. We even checked to see if John would be here.”
“Really? What did he say?”
“Not only will he be here, but his girlfriend will definitely be joining him.”
“Who are you talking about?” Max asked, entering the kitchen holding a gift-wrapped package in each hand.
“I just gave our girls the good news about next year,” Josh boasted.
“Sorry, Chrissy, I was going to tell you once we boarded the plane,” Max apologized, raising an eyebrow in Josh’s direction.
“I’m sure there wasn’t much time for conversation this morning,” Lizzy blurted out.
“Again?” Chrissy warned.
“Okay, okay, I’ll stop. But I think we should flip a coin for the master bedroom next year instead of playing Candyland.” Lizzy’s head angled as she crossed her arms.
“What’s with the gifts, Max?” Becca inquired, attempting to change the subject.
“Breakfast first and then presents,” he answered, setting the beautifully wrapped boxes down on the gray speckled granite counter.
Peter walked into the kitchen with an exasperated look on his face. “Jesus, Lizzy, you had your clothes all over the place. We’re going to have to work on your neatness when we get home, missy.”
Looking to her friends for support, she stretched out her hands dramatically. “Why am I always the one in trouble?”
“Everything is ready,” Chrissy interrupted, dishing out scrambled eggs and preparing a large platter of bacon. “I thought we’d do this family style, so everyone grab a plate and take a seat at the table.”
“Someone sure is bossy this morning,” Max said with a wink and a playful smack on her hind end.
As the group all sat around the table, they began recalling their favorite moments from the last couple of weeks. “Josh, do you remember when we thought Chrissy was lost at the beach? All I could think about was about how we were going to explain it to Max.”
“Alright, we don’t really need to rehash that story,” Chrissy said with an eye roll, lifting a crisp slice of bacon. “My favorite was the charade you guys pulled with John’s policeman friend.”
Lizzy and Becca shook their heads vehemently.
“Aren’t there happier memories we could reminisce about?” Josh asked, lifting a forkful of scrambled eggs.
“Okay, I was going to wait until after breakfast, but how about if I create a brand new memory right now?” Walking over to the counter, Max picked up the two gift-wrapped packages. “I have a little presentation,” he said, returning to the table. “We arrived here a couple of weeks ago, not really knowing each other. And though I’m sure everyone was excited, we probably could all admit to being a bit apprehensive. Naturally, there were a couple of objectives, first and foremost to hopefully create a relationship with people who are like-minded in many ways.”
Everyone smiled, looking at each other briefly in agreement.
“Of course there was also a goal of co-authoring a book, and my prediction is that our finished product will be something unique we all can be proud of. So, I thought it might be appropriate to acknowledge my co-authors in a special way.”
Wearing broad smiles, Lizzy and Becca thanked Max as he presented each of them with a small box wrapped tightly in gold paper that was embellished by a matching organza ribbon.
“Chrissy and I hope you will wear it with pride. Of course, she picked them out…”
Becca and Lizzy immediately began tearing into the wrapping paper like a couple of ten-year-olds. Nestled in each box was a sturdy, gleaming silver bracelet with a dangling charm inscribed The Vacation.
“It’s beautiful,” they both said, beaming.
“Cheers to our two weeks together and the title of our first co-authored book. And here’s to many more,” Max toasted with glass of orange juice.
* * *
Six adults crowded at the end of the driveway, packing up the cars with heavy bags of luggage. “For the last time, does everyone have everything?” Max asked.
“I did a final sweep of the house, and it was all clear,” Peter reported.
“Well, I guess that’s it,” Josh said, making eye contact with each person in the group. “We’ll see everyone back here—same time next year!”
“Now that we’ve exchanged personal e-mail addresses, I expect to hear from both of you regularly.” Chrissy’s arms were outstretched as Lizzy and Becca came in for a group hug.
John Peterman strolled out of his house, donning a navy robe and flip-flops. “I thought y’all were leaving earlier,” he hollered, walking over. “Better watch out—traffic can get a little messy this time of day with people commuting to work,” he continued matter-of-factly. “I have to tell you that my vacation has never been this exciting, and it won’t be something I’ll soon forget.”
“It’s been a pleasure getting to know you, John,” Max said, extending his hand for a hearty handshake. “I look forward to discussing our new book with you.”
“Oh, you’ll definitely hear from me,” John chuckled as he proceeded to shake hands with the men and hug the girls. “See everyone back here next year,” he called out over his shoulder, walking away.
Finally, everyone said their goodbyes with hugs, tears, and long embraces. Chrissy and Max stayed behind, watching and waving as their new friends drove away.
“Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”
“Since when do you have OCD?” she teased as he walked up the long driveway.
Max sprinted to the entrance and turned the knob. As he suspected, the door was unlocked. For the first time during their two-week stay, no one had remembered to secure the lock. After opening the heavy wooden door to take one more glance around, he turned the latch with a satisfied grin and closed the door.
The End
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More Stormy Night Books by Shelly Douglas
Safe in His Hands
Though they have known each other since high school, Libby Diamond still cannot bring herself to tell her boyfriend, firefighter James Walker, about the yearning she has long felt for guidance, structure, and discipline in her life. It comes as quite a shock for Libby when she learns that not only has James known about her needs all along, he is also more than ready to give her what she seeks. Soon she is standing in the corner like a naughty little girl before being taken over his knee for a hard, bare-bottom spanking to remind her not to keep things from him.
Cindy Lewis has been hoping for years that one day the right man would come along for her—a firm daddy who would watch over her, hold her accountable for her actions, and sometimes even make her blush while he teaches her to b
e a good little girl.
When strange and alarming things start happening in her home, Cindy calls her best friend Libby for help. With her boyfriend still at work, Libby brings their old high school friend David Clark along to Cindy’s house, and David and Cindy quickly hit it off.
It isn’t long before Cindy is being bathed, cuddled, and spanked by her new daddy, but even as their romance blossoms, mysterious, disturbing events at Cindy’s home continue to terrify her. Can David protect his little girl from whoever or whatever is lurking in the shadows?
Protected and Punished
When Mika Settler learns that there is a serial killer targeting mature women in Manhattan and starts to worry that she could be a target, she decides it might be wise to seek out Jackson McKenna, a Navy SEAL turned police detective with whom she recently became acquainted. The two hit it off, and before she knows it Mika is falling head over heels in love with the handsome cop.
Mika has always longed for a no-nonsense man who will not hesitate to take her in hand, and it quickly becomes clear that Jackson fits the bill perfectly. He is fully prepared to give her exactly what she needs, even when that means baring her bottom for a good, hard spanking as often as he feels it necessary.
Jackson’s firm-handed discipline only increases Mika’s desire for him, and he soon proves more than capable of leaving her completely satisfied and utterly spent yet somehow still longing for more. But the murderer is still on the loose, taunting Jackson personally from time to time, and Mika’s fiery, obstinate attitude isn’t going to make solving the case any easier for him. Can Jackson hunt down the killer before Mika becomes the next victim?
His Firm Hand
When his twenty-five-year-old wife, Michele, drinks two beers on an empty stomach after an especially frustrating day at work and then drives home more than a little tipsy, Paul Fazio realizes he has to step in before things get out of control. He decides it is time to bring back the rules and consequences that governed their relationship in the past, enforced by his firm hand applied to his beautiful bride’s bare bottom as often as he feels it necessary.
Paul’s stern discipline and loving dominance quickly prove to be just what Michele has been missing, but his plans for her extend well beyond a bright red, sore bottom when her behavior warrants it. What his headstrong young wife needs is not only a devoted husband, but a strict daddy as well.
Soon enough Michele is living the life of a bratty teenager each day when she gets home from work, and Paul is giving her both the hard, bare-bottom spankings and the gentle comfort and reassurance that she needs. But can she ever truly put aside her stress and relax in her daddy’s loving arms, trusting that no matter how much she acts out she will always be his little girl?
Shelly Douglas Links
You can keep up with Shelly Douglas via her blog, her Twitter and Facebook pages, and her Goodreads profile, using the following links:
http://shellydouglas.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/PossessingSasha
https://www.facebook.com/shelly.douglas.412
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7445666.Shelly_Douglas
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
More Stormy Night Books by Shelly Douglas
Shelly Douglas Links
Their Strict Daddies Page 14
