“All right,” Cheyenne said firmly. “I’ll stop playin’ around now.”
“Playin’ around, huh? Is that what you call that?” Brendon shouted.
“It is,” Cheyenne said, changing her stance and focusing on the target.
This time, when she pulled back, she threw it underhanded and nailed the target instantly.
“By the way, did I mention I played softball?” she asked when Brendon sputtered as he got to his feet in the pool of water.
Based on the look he shot Cheyenne, he hadn’t known that.
Beau laughed.
As did everyone else.
TRAVIS
NOW THAT ALL of his brothers had taken their turn in the booth—with the exception of Ethan, who had somehow managed to weasel his way out of it—Travis was ready to watch his father go down. They’d turned the tables on them when Lorrie mentioned they would all be taking turns, and since paying her back wasn’t an option—she was their mother, after all—Travis would settle for the next best thing.
Taking their father down.
Not that Travis really minded the change in events that had occurred. Granted, he wasn’t going to let everyone else know that. As it was, he continued to get sideways glances from his brothers all the damn time. He still couldn’t believe he’d really made that much of a change since he’d given in to his love for Kylie and Gage, but maybe he had.
“Your turn, ol’ man,” Travis told his father. “If you’re lucky, I’ll get you out on the first shot.”
“Let’s just hope you’ve got it in you,” Curtis replied.
Suddenly, a chant started from the ladies in the crowd. “Shirt off! Shirt off! Shirt off!”
Travis laughed, thinking about his father up there without his shirt. The guy was in his sixties, but he was still in his prime.
“Ladies,” Curtis addressed the group before stepping into the booth. “I’d gladly take my shirt off for you, but I’d really hate to make my boys look bad.”
Everyone laughed. Everyone. Including Lorrie and the girls. The old man was something else, there was no doubt about that.
When Curtis got in place, Travis went over to the table, handed his mother some more money, and took one ball. That was all he was going to need.
“You’re goin’ down, Pops,” Travis told his father.
Curtis glanced down at the water beneath him and then back up to meet Travis’s gaze.
“That’s kinda the idea.”
Travis smirked.
He noticed Kylie, Jessie, Zoey, V, and Cheyenne were all looking at him. Their gazes were darting back and forth between where he stood and the target in front of him. That was when he felt someone move up beside him.
Sawyer had joined him, smiling at him as he tossed a ball in the air.
On his other side, Kaleb stepped up.
Beside him was Ethan.
Then Zane.
Braydon and Brendon stepped up on Sawyer’s other side.
They were all tossing a ball in the air, catching it and then repeating the motion as they stared up at Curtis, who was now grinning from ear to ear.
“Ready when you are, boys,” Curtis said, his gaze locking with Travis’s briefly.
Joining his brothers, he tossed the ball into the air once and then pulled his arm back as they all did the same, still watching his father intently.
And then…
Smack!
Curtis went down into the water, everyone laughing, some people doubled over because Curtis certainly hadn’t been expecting that.
He stood up, water dripping from his face and hair, eyes wide as he looked around to see just what had happened since none of them had thrown the ball.
Travis watched as his mother walked over in front of the booth, smiling at Curtis.
“Y’all seemed to forget that I was supposed to get a turn,” Lorrie told him.
And when Curtis looked down at his wife, Travis saw the love the man had for her shining in his eyes. It was the same love Travis had seen reflected in his father’s eyes for as long as he could remember.
As Travis glanced around at his brothers, their significant others, his nephew, and now his cousins who had just walked up, he felt the love overall. Even as they stood there dripping wet after being plunged into water for a good cause, despite their grumbling, the joy of being together was still there.
And he knew, without a doubt, that the reason for it all lay in the love that those two people had for one another. His parents.
Love like that came along once in a lifetime.
He could see the same love between Kaleb and Zoey, Zane and V, Ethan and Beau. He could also sense it was there somewhere for Braydon, Sawyer, and Brendon. He looked forward to watching theirs unfold sometime in the near future.
But now, as Travis glanced over at Kylie and Gage, he smiled. He didn’t have to wait any longer for his once in a lifetime. He’d already found it. He’d just happened to find it times two.
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I hope you enjoyed the first Naughty Nice Holiday book. And I want to thank all the readers who voted. If you want to keep up with future holiday books and voting, you can find more details here.
Did you know that Nicole’s series overlap? Yep, that’s right. Not only can you read the original series, but you will also find many of Nicole’s characters in other books.
Click here to see the overlap reading order for Club Destiny and Alluring Indulgence.
Click here to see the overlap reading order for Sniper 1 Security, Devil’s Playground and Southern Boy Mafia.
Want to see some fun stuff related to your favorite Nicole Edwards’ series, you can find extras on my website. Or how about what’s coming next? I keep my website updated with the books I’m working on, including the writing progression of each series.
If you’re interested in receiving updates on all that I’m working on, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter.
Want a simple, fast way to get updates on new releases? You can also sign up for text messaging. I promise not to spam your phone. This is just my way of letting you know what’s happening because I know you’re busy, but if you’re anything like me, you always have your phone on you.
And last but certainly not least, if you want to see what’s going on with me each week, sign up for my weekly Hot Sheet! It’s a short, entertaining weekly update of things going on in my life and that of the team that supports me. We’re a little crazy at times and this is a firsthand account of our antics.
And, as always, thank you so much for reading. I hope you’ll be able to leave an honest review as this is the best way to share your thoughts about the book with others.
♥▫▫▫▫♥▫▫▫▫♥
About Nicole
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Nicole Edwards lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, their three kids, and four rambunctious dogs. When she’s not writing about sexy alpha males, Nicole can often be found with her Kindle in hand or making an attempt to keep the dogs happy. You can find her hanging out on Facebook and interacting with her readers - even when she’s supposed to be writing.
Nicole also writes contemporary/new adult romance as Timberlyn Scott.
Nicole would love to hear from you!
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Acknowledgments
I have to thank my family first, for putting up with my craziness. From my sudden outbursts when I think of something that needs to be added or when I question why one of the characters did what they did, to the strange hours that I keep and the days on end when I’m MIA because I’m under deadline or just engrossed in a story… Y’all are incredibly tolerant of me and for that, I am forever grateful. I love you with all that I am.
My street team – The Naughty & Nice Posse. Ladies, your daily pimping and support fills my heart with so much love. You are a blessing to me, each and every one of you.
My beta readers, Chancy and D
enise. Ladies, I’m not sure thanks will ever be enough. However, not only are you the ones who catch the weird things and ask the bigger questions, you’ve both become my friends and you keep me going.
My copyeditor, Amy. Punctuation and grammar… well, that’s not my strong suit. But it is yours and you are truly remarkable at what you do. You simply amaze me and I am so glad that I found you.
Nicole Nation 2.0 for the constant support and love. This group of ladies has kept me going for so long, I’m not sure I’d know what to do without them.
And, of course, YOU, the reader. Your emails, messages, posts, comments, tweets… they mean more to me than you can imagine. I thrive on hearing from you, knowing that my characters and my stories have touched you in some way keeps me going. I’ve been known to shed a tear or two when reading an email because you simply bring so much joy to my life with your support. I thank you for that.
By Nicole Edwards
The Alluring Indulgence Series
What’s hotter than a Texas cowboy? Seven Texas cowboys.
All with a heart of gold and a sexy, devious side.
Kaleb
Zane
Travis
Holidays with the Walker Brothers
Ethan
Braydon
Sawyer
Brendon
The Club Destiny Series
Come see how hot these powerful men and their lovely ladies can get.
All from the comfort of the infamous Club Destiny.
Conviction
Temptation
Addicted
Seduction
Infatuation
Captivated
Devotion
Perception
Entrusted
Adored
The Dead Heat Ranch Series
Love cowboys?
Love smokin’ hot cowboys and the sweet, sexy cowgirls they love?
Come on in and stay a while.
Boots Optional
Betting on Grace
Overnight Love
The Devil’s Bend Series
Sexy is just the beginning for these down home cowboys.
Add in a little country music, some big dreams and you’re in for a ride.
Chasing Dreams
Vanishing Dreams
The Devil’s Playground Series
Come hang out at Devil’s Playground - the hottest nightclub in Las Vegas, Dallas and New York! This is a spin-off series from Southern Boy Mafia,
featuring those who work at Max Adorite’s nightclub, Devil’s Playground.
Without Regret
The Pier 70 Series
A day on the lake... who knew it could get this hot? This is a m/m series.
Reckless
The Sniper 1 Security Series
The Kogans and the Trexlers are in the business of protecting those who need to be protected. And their motto is: Protect... by any means necessary.
Wait for Morning
Never Say Never
The Southern Boy Mafia Series
Everybody loves a bad boy!
Beautifully Brutal
Beautifully Loyal
Standalone Novels
Just to spice things up a bit!
A Million Tiny Pieces
Writing as Timberlyn Scott
Unhinged
Unraveling
Chaos
Naughty Nice Holiday Novellas
Because naughty holidays can be oh so nice
2015
Because Naughty can be oh so Nice®
Because Naughty Holidays Can Be Oh So Nice 2015 Page 23
