“We’ve got the rest of our lives, Mrs. Simon. I’m good with that.”
Chapter Fourteen
Christmas morning…
Betty woke up, slightly nauseous, more than a little exhausted, but so in love with her husband, that for a moment she wanted nothing more than to snuggle with her man and go back to sleep.
It wasn’t an option this morning and glancing outside, she noticed sun peeking through the gloom. The digital clock on the table beside the bed said seven o’clock.
Time to get up.
With a grimace she planted a kiss on Beau’s mouth, a soft whisper of a thing, and slid from bed. She took a moment to gaze down at the sexiest man alive. She wasn’t joking. People Magazine had given him that crown the year before.
Who was she to argue?
His blond hair was a delightful mess, his once clean-shaven face was now morning rough—just the way she liked it—and the little boy expression on his face when he slept made her heart melt.
Betty’s hands slipped to her stomach and a wave of emotion rolled through her at the thought that maybe she was growing a mini version of Beau.
“Shit,” she muttered. What if there was more than one?
Okay, Betty. Don’t freak yourself out just yet.
She spied her overnight bag tucked into the corner of the bedroom and after a quick shower, dressed in a comfy pair of sweat pants, one of Beau’s oversized sweatshirts and her Uggs.
Her sister had already sent a text, and if she wasn’t outside in the next five minutes they’d be late.
Bobbi pulled up in a large Suburban and Betty slid into the back seat beside Gramps. Billie was up front and the four of them rode to the outskirts of town in silence. The paparazzi had left and being Christmas morning, the streets were virtually empty.
The easiness of the morning was gone and by the time they reached the facility where their father was living, Betty’s nerves were just about shot. She glanced up at her sisters and knew they felt the same.
“It will be all right,” Gramps said slowly. “Trent’s been told we’re coming for breakfast.”
Betty didn’t say a word, but she knew that her father’s situation had deteriorated from the last time she’d seen him.
The three girls helped their grandfather into his wheelchair. He wanted to walk in with his cane, but the snow and ice prevented that, so the girls listened to him mumble and curse these ‘damn Michigan winters’ as they pushed him inside.
The place was dressed in festive gear, with families, just like hers, here to spend Christmas morning with their loved ones. Their faces looked just like Betty’s she supposed, sad and anxious.
She got it. Her dad’s disease was heartbreaking.
Nurse Janet greeted the girls with a smile and a hug for Herschel.
“How is he?” Gramps asked.
Nurse Janet was quiet for a few seconds and kept her hands busy fussing with Gramps scarf. “He’s a wee bit agitated. I told him that his family was coming for breakfast, and we’ve got him settled in the main room if you’d like to follow me.” She glanced up at Betty, a warm smile on her face. “Congratulations on your wedding. It’s been the talk of the town.”
“Thank you,” Betty replied, wheeling her grandfather in behind her sisters. They headed toward the main room, three dark haired women who drew the eyes of everyone there. They were used to it, of course, the attention was something they’d had their entire lives. Wasn’t often you’d see three identical women all at once. But right now, as she spied her father sitting at a table in the corner, Betty wanted nothing more than for the five of them to be alone, without prying eyes.
She cleared away the lump in her throat and pasted a smile on her face as she stopped in front of their father.
“Mr. Barker,” Nurse Janet said softly. “Your father and your girls are here.”
Trent Barker glanced up at the sound of her voice, his eyes moving over each of them. Throat tight, Betty waited, just as she knew Gramps and her sisters did, for Trent’s eyes to light up. For some sort of recognition.
But there was nothing. He didn’t speak. He didn’t move. He just looked at them blankly. The girls sat down beside him while Herschel attempted to cajole his son into conversation.
After a while, they gave up. Nurse Janet brought them bacon and eggs and homefries. Betty helped her father eat, while Bobbi and Billie kept his blanket around him.
The same scene played out around them, families connecting or at the very least, trying to connect on a day when family meant everything.
When it was time for Nurse Janet to take Trent back to his room, each of the girls kissed their father goodbye. Betty watched, a huge lump in her throat, as Herschel shook his son’s hand and patted Trent on the shoulder.
They left the facility and settled back into the Suburban, Christmas carols playing in the background as Bobbi headed back to town. The ride was silent. Somber.
Bobbi pulled up in front of the carriage house, and Betty paused, hand on the door. “He seems good,” Betty said softly. “I mean, even though he doesn’t know us, he seems good.”
She slid from the truck and watched a single snowflake drift in the air until it landed on her arm. The snowflake glistened brightly for just a moment, and then began to melt until it was nothing more than a drop of moisture.
Such is life, she thought. Everyone and everything had a beginning, a middle and an end. “It’s up to us what we do with it.”
“What was that?” Herschel asked.
Betty smiled at her gramps. “I love you.”
“Well I know that.”
She glanced up at her sisters. “I’m pregnant by the way.”
Bobbi nodded and turned to Billie. “Told you it wasn’t the flu. I’ll take that fifty bucks.”
Betty laughed. “Merry Christmas girls, I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“Don’t be too late,” Bobbi said, putting the truck into gear. “It’s your turn to carve the turkey this year.”
Betty frowned. “No it isn’t. I did it last year.”
“No,” Herschel replied. “I did.”
Billie started to giggle. “Did we even have a turkey last year? I thought it burnt, and we ended up getting take out.”
“Either way, you’re carving, Bets!”
Betty headed back upstairs, tugging at her clothes and leaving a pile of them behind her as she headed for the bedroom. Beau was still in bed, his arm flung across his face, the covers riding low, giving her a tantalizing view of what was now, officially hers.
Betty tossed her panties and bra and was about to climb into bed when a pair of blue eyes knocked her stomach silly. That this man could do that with just a look should be illegal.
“How was it?” he asked lightly, though his gaze was intense.
“About the same,” she answered, honestly.
“I’m sorry, babe.”
Betty offered a tremulous smile. “I know.”
He reached for her. “Merry Christmas.”
“Is it?” she asked, a devilish glint in her eye. “I haven’t given you your Christmas present yet.”
“I thought we weren’t…” Beau’s eyebrows shot up when she slowly moved the covers off of him.
She licked her lips and moved between his legs. “I didn’t buy you anything because we said we weren’t doing presents.” Her eyebrows shot up. “Though I still expect a nice Louis Vuitton. The red one.”
“Got it.” Beau’s voice was thick and that wasn’t the only part of him that was.
“I do want to give you something though. You know, because you’ve been such a good boy this past year.”
And she did. Betty gave him a lot of loving. She gave him her body and her soul. And with the snow falling gently just outside the window, she gave him more Christmas presents than she had time for.
Her family would understand. She was a newlywed after all and if that didn’t allow her to be a little bit selfish, she didn’t know what did. Someone else co
uld carve the damn turkey.
As it turned out, Shane did the honors and with the Simon clan in attendance, Christmas dinner was a boisterous event that got even crazier when Betty let her pregnancy slip.
After many congratulations, many hugs and kisses, Betty settled back into Beau’s arms and gazed around a room filled with the faces of every single person she loved. The ones that weren’t there—her mother and her father—well, they existed in a part of her heart and soul and would always be with her.
She thought of the baby growing inside her and placed her hand over her stomach. A little part of her parents, of Herschel and all of those who’d been here before her…they would live on in her offspring, and that was the true miracle of Christmas.
Life always finds a way and love follows. She couldn’t help but think that the Barker girls were truly blessed. Well, at least for the moment.
She smiled.
Until the next Barker dust up occurred.
Author’s note
I hope you enjoyed catching up with the Barker girls! I’ve had so many emails wondering what happened to them after their respective stories, and it was a blast to write a Christmas novella!
To all my readers, I so appreciate hearing from you and love the little notes that you send me! Please, don’t ever stop!
As an added bonus, if you haven’t read the spin off Family Simon books yet, the first one, TUCKER, is free on all platforms! Please visit the book page to get your download information, HERE.
For up to date information sign up for my newsletter and you won’t ever miss a release! MAVERICK, book 3 in the Family Simon series will be available everywhere in February 2014!
Again, thanks so much for enjoying my books, I truly love and appreciate every single one of you!
Juliana Stone
A Barker Family Christmas Page 9
