by Cara Dee
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it, Zach,” Adeline accused. “You’re a hell-raiser, aren't you? I’ve raised one or two, you know.”
“Don’t listen to the skinny man-child,” Henry said mildly.
“Hey.” I stared at him. “I’ve worked hard on my abs. Both of them.”
“I give up.” Adeline threw up her hands, and Lincoln laughed.
“Are you sure you don’t wanna ask us instead?” Mattie drawled.
Adeline was about to consider it, so I apologized and swore I’d be on my best behavior. I was here to be of use and help out. And Dominic promised to filter his language and not curse.
It was settled, and after another five minutes of instructions, Dominic and I headed upstairs with little Thea and four bags of gifts. We’d been told another guy was already up here, and if we had questions, we could ask him.
The TV room on the second floor was smaller and more intimate. The tree in the corner was minimally decorated, colors less sparkly and shiny. Three plush couches framed the low coffee table, and the sound on the TV was almost too low to hear.
There were no adult residents around, only a handful of children. The man we’d been told was already here sat on the couch with a toddler in his lap and another boy next to him.
“Coulda told me it was Casey up here,” Dominic said quietly. Entering the room with Thea on his hip, he walked over to the man—Casey—and patted him on the shoulder. The bags were set on the floor. “Hey, man.”
“Oh. Hey.” He rose from the couch and smiled. “I didn’t know you were coming today.”
“Yeah. Adrian’s downstairs.” Dominic smirked faintly and touched the toddler’s chubby cheek. “How you doin’, Theo? You speakin’ yet?”
Okay, so they were friends. One with a Thea, one with a Theo.
“He’s calling everyone Dada, basically.” Casey spotted me then. “Hi, I’m Casey.”
“Zach. Nice to meet you.” I headed over and shook his hand. “Your son?”
He nodded, and Theo played with his dad’s fingers. By playing, I meant chewing. “My husband’s downstairs with our girl. They were banned from coming up here. One is too solid, and the other doesn’t know the meaning of indoor voices.”
I chuckled quietly.
It was time for me to get to work. I excused myself and found a spot next to the tree where I sat down on the floor. All I had to do was put labels on the already wrapped gifts and write “Happy Holidays” on them. I had a kit with ribbons in case any curious children wanted to approach and help out. As per Adeline’s instructions, Henry had wrapped them at home with a color-coding system to make it easier to see if it was meant for a boy, girl, or nonspecific.
I got comfortable and crossed my legs at the ankles, scribbling a quick greeting on a box with red and gold paper. The next was dark blue and had a bunch of snowmen on it, and they went under the tree along with the ones that were already there.
A young girl, around four or five, scooted closer with the toy truck she played with. I paid her no mind and kind of adopted the mentality I would if dealing with a skittish animal. She was shy and didn’t make eye contact, though I could see she was curious about the presents.
“Hope,” a boy whispered. He left the couch and stopped a few feet away. Was he her big brother? “Get back here.”
The girl shook her head stubbornly, causing her dark locks to bounce.
I stifled my grin and added another gift to the pile.
By now, Dominic was doing the same thing I was doing, though he stayed on one of the couches, and he had Thea climbing on his back.
After a few minutes of silence, the girl spoke in a timid voice. “It’s my birthday on Christmas. Adeline said I could pick two gifts.” She held up two fingers.
“That’s cool.” I smiled softly. “How old will you be?”
She switched it to five fingers.
“Wow. Have you started kindergarten yet?”
She shook her head. “Mommy helped me count at the dinner table before she was gone. I can count to fifty.”
Jesus, Adeline could’ve fucking warned me I’d be gut-punched.
“That’s amazing,” I told her.
She smiled quickly before taking her toy truck back to her brother. Or, who I assumed was her brother. He definitely looked protective of her, and he couldn’t be more than a year or two older.
Well, I wasn’t here to be impartial and a good guy. Sue me for playing favorites and being a sucker. I had wrapped some of the gifts myself and knew where I could find a certain pajama set for a future president. Along with the holiday greeting, I added Hope’s name.
“I’m not equipped to handle that shit.”
“Me either.” I rubbed my hands together to warm them up and looked at the building in front of us.
An hour was what Dominic and I had managed before we’d left the second floor. In between shy glances and random comments from some of the children, we’d learned plenty about who’d lost their parents, who had been locked in a closet, and who had run away with Mommy because Daddy got mad lots. Now we were waiting in the parking lot, and Dominic was bringing out a cigarette from a battered pack.
“Don’t tell Adrian,” he muttered.
I chuckled. “Like he won’t notice.”
That made him hesitate with the lighter, but in the end, he lit it up. “I’ve had this pack for six months. He’ll live.”
Thea had bounced over to Adrian when we’d come downstairs, and it probably wouldn’t be long before they all left. Adeline’s staff was preparing dinner for the residents. And one by one, our families trickled out. Lincoln and Casey first, the former lighting up a smoke, too.
“I’m shit with names, but you’re Zach, right?” Lincoln asked me.
I nodded.
“Can I have a word with you?”
Oh God, he knew I’d left an extra gift for Hope. “Sure.”
He took me aside, and the twenty or so feet that separated me from the others felt like a fucking ocean.
He took a drag from his cigarette and eyed me, brow furrowed. “If I told you my eldest son was a social worker in LA, what would you say? I think you’ve heard of him—Jesse.”
Thank fuck, he didn’t know about Hope. Not that this topic was better.
“I’d say your social worker son is an excellent guitar player,” I answered honestly. For some reason, Jesse—like Mattie—neglected to tell his closest family about his music, with the difference that Jesse was approximately ten years older than my little brother. I had no idea why it was a secret, especially with Lincoln being a former guitar player in a huge rock band too. I mean, this guy was next-level famous, much like Sophie Pierce.
“That’s what I feared.” Lincoln nodded with a dip of his chin and stubbed out his smoke. “Thanks for letting me know.” He turned to head back inside, and I could only hope he worked things out with his son.
Mattie was lucky he wasn’t standing next to me right now. I would’ve smacked him upside the head in sympathy for Lincoln and Adeline.
Shortly after, everyone was done inside, and Henry and Adeline were the last to join us in the parking lot. Casey introduced us to Ellis too.
“I just wanted to thank you again for coming,” Adeline said with a smile. “Oh, and one thing. By a show of hands, who snuck extra gifts to the kids?”
I widened my eyes.
“Shit. Maybe?” Dominic winced.
Relief smashed into me when I noticed most of the others had played favorites too.
“In my defense, I met a future president.” I folded my arms over my chest.
“One kid taught me how to say ‘Where’s the library?’ in Spanish,” Ty said. “He deserved a thank-you gift if you ask me.”
Mattie frowned at him. “Remind me to not get lost in Tijuana with you.”
“No one’s going to Tijuana,” Henry said firmly. He read my mind.
Adeline pressed forward and made us write the names of the kids we’d given spe
cial treatment to, and she aced the motherly guilt. I felt properly chastened as I jotted down Hope’s name. Or half properly, because I still took the time to scan the list and find satisfaction in seeing Hope’s brother’s name. Dominic had exchanged a few words with him, I remembered.
“Thanks, guys.” Adeline checked the list briefly, then pocketed it.
“What will happen to the children?” Casey asked. “Hard labor is illegal, you know. It’s not their fault we gave them extra stuff.”
Adeline stared at him. “What’s wrong with you?”
I kinda dug Casey.
Adeline waved him off. “Not my first rodeo. Everyone has a favorite. I’ll just even the scores when William and Kelly come for breakfast tomorrow.”
“William is the new counselor?” Henry guessed.
She nodded, pleased. “Adrian recommended him. He works at Thea’s school, and thanks to you, I could hire him part-time. He’s amazing with the children with PTSD.”
“I’m glad. I look forward to meeting him.” Henry put on his gloves, and it was time to wrap things up. It was cold as fuck, and the snow was coming down harder.
Before we parted ways, we wished everyone a merry Christmas and made plans to meet up after the holidays.
Epilogue
Happy Holidays, Ho, Ho, Ho
“Two snuggles in two days? I’m speechless.” I took a sip of my hot chocolate as Eagle planted himself firmly on my lap. “Back to dieting as soon as the holidays are over.”
He yawned hugely before licking his paw.
“Yeah, you prefer the nights, don’t you?” I murmured. No people around, no noise. The house was quiet and dark, the tree being the only exception. When Mattie and Ty were home, the dogs slept outside their doors, to boot. Leaving Eagle even more privacy.
He jumped off the couch—and me—eventually, and I reached for the box of Ho-Hos I’d hidden in the car earlier. I bit into one and thought about checking my social media, but I couldn’t be assed. Everything was great as it was.
I scooted down a bit and leaned back, finished with my snack and hot chocolate. A yawn slipped out, and I gazed at the tree Henry had decorated. His eye for detail made me smile.
At the low thud of feet descending the stairs, I craned my neck and looked over the back of the couch to see him. His sweat pants rode low on his hips, and he wasn’t wearing a tee.
“Hey, gorgeous.” I smiled.
His sleepy expression warmed up, and he dropped a kiss on my forehead before rounding the couch. “I was only joking about you taking the couch tonight, you know.”
I chuckled silently. “Someone has to guard the presents.”
“Ah, of course.” He sat down next to me and pulled me close to rest against his side. “What’s the real reason you can’t sleep?”
“I don’t know.” It was true. My mind was at ease, and I was happier than ever. “Maybe we went to bed too early.” We’d kinda crashed around ten, and I’d slept well enough. For an hour.
He hummed, drawing lazy circles on my chest with his fingers. I kept my gaze on the tree and just soaked up the moment. Every now and then, I’d catch a glint in the corner of my eye from his left hand on his leg. It was his ring.
It made me flex my fingers and look down at my own ring. A surge of possessiveness and love flooded me, and I had to swallow against the overwhelming sensations.
“When do you wanna get married?” I asked.
“The sooner, the better.” He pressed his lips to the top of my head, lingering. “Two reasons, one highly unromantic.”
“Oh?” I looked up at him.
The corners of his mouth twisted up, and the crease in his forehead deepened. “Easier for us to enter the foster care system if we’re married.” He jostled me slightly in order to dip down and kiss the smile off my face. “I think you left a piece of you at Adeline’s place.”
Maybe. It was too incomprehensible to understand and process. I’d only exchanged a few sentences with that little girl, yet all I could think about was this need to keep her and her brother safe.
I was ready to expand our family, and though I didn’t yet dare assume that Henry and I were the ones who would have the honor of becoming Hope and her brother’s parents, whatever reason had kept me from sleeping earlier evaporated. Perhaps I’d needed to hear his reassurance that we were on the same page. That we were going to try to pursue this together.
“Are you terribly sad they’re not twin girls?” The light in his eyes made me chuckle. ’Cause he was the type of man who laughed at his own jokes, and I loved the dork for it.
“No, it’s probably for the best,” I mused, humoring him. “We know what roles twin girls get in horror movies.”
His body trembled with the laugh. “Indeed.”
With a sigh of contentment, I faced the tree again and yawned.
“You’ll make an amazing father, Zachary.”
“So will you.” I tilted my head and kissed the inside of his wrist. As he slid his hand farther down to stroke my chest, I blinked sleepily and caught a glance at the clock above the fireplace. “Hey, it’s past midnight.” I peered up at him again. “Merry Christmas.”
He smiled and touched my cheek. “Merry Christmas, my darling.”
It wasn’t enough. I couldn’t reach him the way I wanted from this angle, so I scrambled up and hiked a leg over his lap. He seemed to approve and pulled me closer.
“Much better,” he murmured.
Combing back his hair with my fingers, I cupped the back of his neck and kissed him slowly. “I wonder how Martin would react if we put the other Viagra pill in his coffee. Did you flush it already?”
Henry groaned and nipped at my bottom lip. “We were having such a lovely moment, Zachary.”
I chuckled into the kiss. “Okay, forget what I said.” Then I deepened the kiss and coaxed his tongue out with sensual strokes. It sure as shit distracted me. Especially when his hands snuck up my back and he hugged me to him.
He went in for another passionate kiss, only to break away and breathe heavily. “I didn’t flush it. We’ll try it tomorrow morning. Imagine his face…”
“Oh my God, I love you.” I crashed my mouth to his.
More from Cara Dee
In Camassia Cove, everyone has a story to share
Lincoln & Adeline — Path of Destruction
Dominic & Adrian — Home
William & Kelly — When Forever Ended
Casey & Ellis — Uncomplicated Choices
Abel & Madigan — Power Play
Jesse
Mattie
Ty
Cara freely admits she’s addicted to revisiting the men and women who yammer in her head. If you enjoyed Out For the Holidays, you might like the following.
Noah
Power Play
Breaking Free
Northbound
Check out Cara’s entire collection at www.caradeewrites.com, and don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter so you don’t miss any new releases, updates on book signings, giveaways, and much more.
About Cara
I'm often awkwardly silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic (awkward) rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there's so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex.
There's a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly. Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve.
Additionally, I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.
Wait
…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.
I'm a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, and geeking. There's time for hockey and cupcakes, too. But mostly, I just love to write.
~Cara.
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