A Dye Hard Holiday (Curl Up and Dye Mysteries, #5)

by Aimee Nicole Walker

  “Our children are having their pictures taken with Santa in just a little bit. You know damn well that you don’t want to miss it. While I’m there, I might as well pick up the few things left on my list.” Josh pointed his spatula at me and added, “I let you sleep in late to rest up for the big day. Now behave.”

  “I don’t want to behave.”

  “I’ll reward you handsomely later.”

  “Yeah? What are you going to do to me?” Hey, people have used sex to get their way since the beginning of time. Why the fuck should I be any different?

  “Trent’s nuts roasting on an open fire,” Savage sang from his solarium. Fuck!

  “I’m going to kill you, Gabe. Then I’m going to get advice from Pinterest on how to cover up my crime.”

  “Now, Sunshine,” I said pleadingly.

  “Up those stairs and get dressed, Gabriel!” Uh oh. “It appears that we have extra time to get more shopping in since I won’t be riding your cock reverse cowboy style before we go.” Josh pointed toward the staircase, indicating that I was supposed to march up those steps and do what he said, but he used two of my favorite words in the English dictionary: reverse cowboy.

  I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it to the floor in answer to his demands.

  “We’re not having sex in the kitchen, Gabriel.” Oh, I loved that bossy fucking tone of voice.

  My response was to remove my sweats and underwear. “How much do you want to bet?” I asked, stroking my erection. “Just think of how much better I’ll behave if you bring that hot ass over here and fuck me into behaving.”

  “I’m not rewarding your bad behavior with sex.”

  “Since when?”

  “Right now,” Josh said adamantly, but his smoldering eyes said something different.

  I reached between my legs with my free hand and cupped my balls while working my swollen knob with the other. “Come over here.”

  “I’m not in the mood.” His stubbornness was adorable, but his erection tenting his pj pants called him a liar. “Oh, fuck it!” Josh threw his spatula on the counter then jumped me.

  I might’ve been joking before about him fucking me into behaving, but he wrung me out so much that I didn’t have the energy to put up a fight at the mall. We made it in time to see our kids scream the building down when the grandmas tried to set them on Santa’s lap. Maybe it was sick of me, but I suspected that would be my favorite moment of the season.

  IT SEEMED THAT THINGS were finally going to settle down a bit the week before Christmas, which was the opposite of what you’d expect. Most people start getting frantic when the days until Christmas reached the single digits, but not me. Hey, I had every right to be hysterical while juggling a busy schedule at the salon, the ’rents staying at our house, and Gabe’s nightly countdown to the perfect Christmas activities. It sounded like a huge cluster-fuck, but it was the most magical time of my life.

  With that said, I decided to put my size nine Converse down that night and insist we have quiet evenings at home leading up to my annual Ugly Christmas Sweater party. Besides, what the hell else was there left to do? I knew that Gabe would balk, but I planned to distract him with a grown-up version of a Christmas advent calendar. I got the idea from the countdown advent calendar I received from my secret Santa at the salon. It had Christmas giftboxes wrapped in festive, shiny green paper that stacked to form the shape of a tree. Each box was numbered from twenty-five down to one and was just big enough to hold a few pieces of candy or a little trinket.

  My favorite gift so far was a tiny picture frame attached to a keychain. The picture frame was nearly an exact replica of the gilded glamorous ones I had at my station. The picture inside wasn’t the typical family photo though. It was two dads having to sit on the mall Santa’s lap before their babies would trust the stranger with bright red clothes and that fake-as-fuck, white beard. Gabe and I were laughing, the babies were screaming, and Santa looked ready to hit the bottle. I loved it so much that I would’ve used it for the photo on our Christmas card if I’d had it in time.

  Up until I opened that gift, I thought Meredith drew my name from the Santa hat, but that gift had Gabriel Roman-Wyatt stamped all over it. It didn’t surprise me that he joined in on the salon festivities because he was a Christmas freak and half-owner of Curl Up and Dye. I started to suspect that him having my name was more than simple luck of the draw. It was too late to swap names to get his, so I decided to spring a surprise on him at home that would accomplish two things: have fun and wear us both out. An exhausted Gabe was one who didn’t drag me around to every outdoor manger in a thirty-mile radius. Oh, holy night, I needed a break.

  Surprising Gabe kept my spirits up during the long day. In fact, I didn’t even mind when Trent showed up midday to take Dare to lunch. Wren minded a lot though. Those two guys were making me nuts, but there was nothing I could do about it except knock their heads together. The idea grew in merit each day that the tension grew between the two men. I didn’t want to accuse Dare of using Trent to make Wren jealous, but he sure as hell didn’t look at Trent the way he looked at Wren. Stay out of it. Stay out of it. Stay out of it.

  Repeating that in my head over and over helped, until Dare approached me that night with a nervous expression on his face. No one on my staff feared me for crying out loud. I was the best damn boss on the planet, yet Dare looked like he was seconds away from pissing down his leg. What could be so…

  “It’s not a good idea,” I said when I realized what he wanted to ask. The crestfallen look on Dare’s face made me feel terrible, and I thought perhaps he liked Dr. Doofus more than I had originally thought. “Okay, let me talk to Gabe.”

  “You’re the best, Josh,” Dare said, hugging me. “I’m going to start planning our ugly sweaters because there’s no way Gabe can tell you no.”

  “No fucking way,” Gabe said, shaking his head.

  I looked up from stirring the pot of stew that Martina had started earlier in the day. Gabe sat in a kitchen chair with a baby on both knees. “I haven’t even asked a question yet.”

  “I can tell by your expression that you’re going to ask something I won’t like, and I can bet what it is since we’re only a few days away from the annual Christmas party for our friends and salon family.” Do you see why I love him so much? Not salon employees. Not salon staff. Family! “The answer is no.”

  There comes a time in every man’s life where he needs to learn to choose his battles or be miserable. Now, I could’ve pointed out that Gabe’s ex-lover, one he lived with for a few years, sat at our table and ate our food week after week, and I never once complained or got jealous. I would’ve been justified in doing so, and maybe I would’ve taken up the fight if Dare had convinced me that Trent was the one for him, but I saw the smug smirk Dare gave Wren after talking to me. Therefore, I chose not to call Gabe out on his knuckle-dragging bullshit.

  “I was going to ask if you wanted to top or bottom tonight, Captain Know-It-All.” I said I pick my battles; I didn’t say anything about giving Gabe a bigger ego than he already had.

  Gabe threw his head back and laughed. “God, you’re such a bad liar.”

  “That’s a bad thing?”

  Gabe tipped his head and thought for a second. “Not at all, but I do wonder how the hell you keep beating everyone at poker.”

  “I’m a Gemini, Gabe. Multi-faceted. Chameleon. Awesome.” I put the lid back on the pot and walked over to the loves of my life. After I kissed each baby on the forehead and Gabe firmly on the lips, I said, “I need to go make a quick phone call before dinner.” I thought it was best not to have the conversation at the salon the next morning, and I wanted to give all my energy to Gabe and the babies after dinner.

  “Tell Dare that he’s playing with fire,” Gabe called out to me.

  I went to the library slash office to call Dare and was glad when he answered right away. “So, look—”

  “Hell has frozen over,” Dare said, interrupting me. “Gabe act
ually told you no.”

  “He really hates Trent, and to be honest, I’m not all that comfortable around him either. Trent has apologized for the way he treated me, and I even think he means it.”

  “But he still makes you uncomfortable,” Dare added. “Kind of like a reminder of a bad time in your life.” His voice had softened to nearly a whisper at the end. “Oh man.”

  “What?” I asked.

  “I think that’s what I am for Wren. I remind him of something or someone unpleasant.”

  “I doubt it, Dare. You’re so delightful to be around,” I told him.

  “No, it makes perfectly good sense. There have been a few occasions that he briefly dropped his guard, and I saw that he wanted me. Something holds him back.”

  “It probably doesn’t have anything to do with you.” I thought back to the way I battled my feelings for Gabe. Yes, our initial meeting was a disaster, but Gabe had attempted to apologize many times afterward. I wouldn’t let him because it was easier to hold him at bay when I was pissed. “I think he’s fighting himself, not you. Would you like some advice from someone who’s probably been in a similar headspace as Wren?”

  “That would be great.”

  “Don’t play games with him, Dare. If you really want a shot with Wren, you’ll have to be patient and show him that you’re worth the risk. Sometimes you have to wear them down with your patience.” I smiled as I recalled Gabe doing just that. “When he pushes you away, give him space to breathe, but don’t ever give up. Prove to him that you’re someone he can rely on and a person who will care for all of him, even the parts he doesn’t like. I’m not asking you to let him push you around by any means, because he needs to respect you and your feelings.”

  Dare blew out a shaky breath. “He has the power to destroy me, Josh.”

  He sounded so conflicted, and I wished I could give him a hug, but had to settle for verbal reassurance. “He probably thinks the same about you, cutie. You need to figure out what you want and then go after it. If your heart chooses Wren, then you drop this pretense with Trent and focus your time and energy on the man you want. While it might be cute when Wren goes all caveman over the doctor, it’s not good for him, and it’s no way to begin a relationship.”

  “Relationship,” Dare repeated reverently. There was no doubt in my mind who Dare really wanted. Did he possess the mental toughness and tenacity it took to win Wren’s trust and heart? Only time would tell. “I want what you and Gabe have.”

  I chuckled. “Then you’ll take my advice to heart, my friend. Gabe did all the things that I described, and I knew that my heart was safe with him. He showed me a life I never dreamed possible, and, Dare, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him.”

  Dare sighed sappily. “Thank you, Josh. I’m sorry that I asked if Trent could come to the party with me. It was really selfish, and I didn’t mean to disrespect Gabe.”

  “I know that, Dare. I’m glad we could have this conversation though.”

  “Me too. See you in the morning.”

  “Goodnight.”

  I just stood in the peaceful library for a few minutes after I hung up, hoping that I did the right thing by giving Dare advice. I should’ve stayed out of it, but I hated to see a beautiful opportunity wasted by miscommunication.

  “Dinner is ready,” Gabe said softly.

  I whirled around and found him leaning in the doorway. “How long have you been standing there?” His posture was casual, but the heat in his eyes was anything but, so I suspected he overheard most of what I said to Dare, if not all. Gabe straightened then crossed the room to cup my face.

  “You gave the kid good advice, Sunshine.” Oh, how I loved the deep timbre of his voice and the look of adoration in his dark brown eyes. “We’ve sure had our ups and downs, but I’d do it all over again.”

  He could still render me speechless, but that was okay, because I showed him how much his words meant to me with a kiss. Lord, that man knew how to make me melt. I eagerly waited for the moment that we could go upstairs to the privacy of our room, so he could open his naughty Santa advent calendar.

  Gabe pulled back from our kiss and ran his thumb over my wet lips. “Let’s eat dinner because I have a surprise for us.”

  I groaned. “Babe, can’t we stay home tonight. We can watch Die Hard after Destiny and Dylan go to bed. We’ll watch it naked,” I tossed out as an added incentive.

  “We can do all of the above,” Gabe assured me as he tugged my reluctant ass toward the kitchen. “My excursion won’t take long.”

  Thirty minutes later, Gabe packed us all in the Grandparent’s Express minivan. Al sat up front with Gabe because he was too tall to ride in the back. I wedged myself between the two car seats, while my parents and Martina climbed into the third row.

  “Everyone buckled up? This sleigh is pulling out,” Gabe said cheerfully.

  I rolled my eyes then glared at him in the rearview mirror. “Did you rent this bright red minivan on purpose?” I asked my parents.

  “Pure coincidence,” my mom replied. “Sure is snazzy though. Plenty of room. Your father and I are going to buy one and drive it here when we move. Well, I’ll drive the van while he drives the moving truck.”

  “Still not giving up on that idea?” I jokingly asked my mom.

  “You couldn’t be so lucky,” she teased as she ruffled my hair.

  “Are we there yet?” I whined to Gabe before we made it to the end of our street.

  “No cookies and hot chocolate for you tonight, Bad Daddy,” Gabe said.

  “Yet, Papa? Yet?” Destiny repeated, reminding me of Savage.

  “Yet? Bad Daddy!” Dylan said, waving his little fists in the air.

  “Gabe!” The last thing I wanted was my kids calling me Bad Daddy in public.

  “I was just teasing, Dylan. Good Daddy, not Bad Daddy.”

  “Bad Daddy!” both twins said.

  Gabe bit his lip to keep from laughing, but I wasn’t amused. Hell, I would’ve preferred Little Daddy over Bad Daddy. I was going to smash that advent calendar to bits, but only after Gabe saw what he was missing out on.

  “Good Daddy,” the grandparents all said as if they sensed the storm brewing inside me.

  “Bad Daddy!” Dylan and Destiny countered.

  No matter how many times someone called me Good Daddy, the kids kept insisting I was Bad Daddy. They giggled and squealed like happy babies do, especially when I pretended to cry. I realized they were treating it as a game. Instead of launching their sippy cups off their high chairs just so Gabe or I would pick them up, they teased me to get a dramatic reaction. So, I used reverse psychology and referred to myself as bad so that they would call me good. It worked beautifully and I figuratively patted myself on the back.

  “Where are we going exactly?” I asked.

  “Wen told me about this subdivision in a neighboring community that goes all out for the holidays. Every house is decorated with a theme, and he said that some of the displays flicker in time to music.”

  “Oh man,” I said, certain that Gabe would be taking notes for a future display.

  “We’ll blow them away next year, Gabe,” my father said, rubbing his hands together.

  “You know it, Dad.”

  We weren’t the only ones driving out to see the neighborhood light displays that night. Cars were backed up down the street for a good mile and a half and the spectators creeped along at a snail’s pace. Our babies were sound asleep before we even turned on the street, but Gabe lit up as bright as the displays. His childlike enthusiasm made me ridiculously happy, and I forgot all about punishing him.

  My dad and Gabe chatted nonstop on the trip home about all the things they wanted to do next year and how they thought they could achieve it. All that excitement came to a screeching halt when we turned down our street and noticed that our house wasn’t lit up like it had been when we left.

  “We’ve been hit by the Christmas Bandits!” Gabe said. Our moms took the babies inside while
the rest of us checked out the damage.

  Sure enough, someone had come along and cut the electrical cords where they plugged into the outlets, stole our big, beautiful wreath off the front door, and busted the glass snowmen on the porch.

  “Can you believe the balls on these guys?” Gabe snarled. “They vandalized the police captain’s house? Merry Fucking Christmas to you too, assholes. Laugh it up while you can because I’m going to find you,” he yelled into the night.

  Uh oh. Gabe was about to go John McClane on somebody!

  “THE CHRISTMAS BANDITS HIT ten more houses last night besides yours, Cap,” Wen said. “This is getting out of control.”

  “It has to be young punks with nothing better to do with their time,” Adrian commented.

  “Do you think it’s the same group of burglars and vandals?” Wen asked. “The crimes are different but their ability to move around town quietly without getting caught is the same.”

  “I guess it’s possible,” Adrian said, but he didn’t sound convinced. “Typically, people’s crimes escalate, not de-escalate.”

  “Boredom? Easy targets?” Wen asked.

  “Anything is possible,” Adrian replied.

  I pinched the bridge of my nose as I tried to figure out what I should do next. I’d already held a town hall meeting for fuck’s sake and increased patrol officer presence. These little fuckers were always a step ahead of me.

  My cell phone lit up with an incoming call from Josh, and I welcomed the interruption to my downward spiraling thoughts. “Miss me already, Sunshine?” I said into the phone.

  “I’ve been hit!” Josh said frantically.

  “What?” My heart nearly exploded in my chest as my mind raced through all the horrible possibilities. “Oh my God! Are you okay? Where are you? I’ll be right there!”

  “What do you mean? I’m at the salon. Where’d you think I was?” The anger in his voice dwindled to irritation.