Toni frowned, then laughed. “Yeah, I guess that would be bad. I wouldn’t want to freak out the children. So you two are staying for the week? I’ll need to make up the bedroom upstairs. I haven’t had any time to do much.”
“Actually, we were hoping that after super, you’d agree to come to our home for the night. It would be safer for you and for us. I don’t like staying too long in this world. There’s a greater chance of being seen or something happening. We can bring you back tomorrow morning.”
Damn, she had wanted to curl up in front of the TV. Toni sighed. “Okay, that’s fine, but I can’t stay the whole week with you two. I need to be here. So where would you like to eat? There is a great steak house in town.”
* * *
Drake stared down at his new wife. Toni was sound asleep in their bed at their parents’ house. She was going to be furious when she found out it was Christmas Day and not Christmas Eve. His father had agreed to keep her here until they could return.
Scott scooped her up into his arms and they returned to their home for now. He sat back on the bed with her in his arms as she peeked up at them and smiled. “That was quick. I didn’t expect you back till after Christmas.” She kissed his cheek and grinned at him.
“Well, about that… Ummm. It’s actually Christmas Day now. You see, in our world, time is different,” Drake tried to explain, but she shot out of bed and glared at them.
She trembled and tears slipped down her face. “You’re joking with me, right? Please tell me you’re joking, because if you’re not, there will be no forgiveness.”
“Toni, settle down. We can still have Christmas. It’s not like we missed the whole thing.” Drake ran his hand through his hair.
She shook her head. “I can’t believe you did this to me. Every, and I mean every, Christmas Eve since my family was killed, I visit my parents’ graves with Mandy. Then we stay up cooking all night and wrapping gifts. But you’ve stolen that away from me. They were killed on Christmas Eve!” she screamed and disappeared from the room.
Scott glared at his brother. They heard the car turn on and take off. “Damn it!”
* * *
Toni stood in front of her parents’ headstones, tears streaming down her face. A big fir tree stood behind the graves, which had been decorated for Christmas. “I’m sorry I’m late, Momma, Daddy. At least Mandy came and gave you your tree. It won’t happen again, I promise. They didn’t know, but they know now, and it won’t happen again. I did bring you this.” She laid the flowers on their graves.
“Daddy, you’d like Drake and Scott. In so many ways, they remind me of you. And Mom, as you used to say, they are ‘to die for.’” She laughed. “I’ll most likely get punished again, but it doesn’t matter. I made a promise eight years ago, and I’ll keep it every Christmas Eve. Remember the last Christmas Eve we were together, Mom? When you and Mandy attacked me with flour? Why couldn’t you and Daddy have stayed that night? I would still have you in my life.”
She turned when she heard footsteps and glanced up to see Drake and Scott standing there. “My mom made me and Mandy promise to always celebrate Christmas Eve with her.” She looked back at their headstones. “When they died, Mandy and I promised to come out here every Christmas Eve at sunset. We bring a fir tree all decorated and just chat until we get too cold. Then we go to either of our homes, bake cookies, and wrap all our gifts. This way she’s still with us. It was Mom’s favorite time of the year.”
Drake and Scott knelt next to her. “We’re sorry, Toni. We didn’t know.”
She shrugged. “It’s okay, but I won’t be stopped again, Drake. This is too important to both me and Mandy. It’s our tradition, a way to keep her fresh in our minds and our hearts. I’m sorry I took off, but I had no choice. This tradition is like breathing to me.” She glanced back and saw four men behind her dressed in what looked like warrior getup. She shook as Drake and Scott stood, blocking her from their view.
Drake and Scott bowed. “Elders, it’s a pleasure to see you. How can we help you?” Scott asked.
Toni shook. They weren’t going to take her away, were they?
“You know why we’re here. She was out in public by herself buying flowers.” One man stepped forward as Drake and Scott stepped aside, their heads bowed as he clenched and unclenched his fists.
“Stand, child, you’re shaking with cold.” He waited till she stood and lifted her chin to stare at him. “You know what you did was wrong?”
“I do now, sir.”
He frowned and glanced back at Drake and Scott. “You haven’t informed her of the rules?”
“No, sir, we have been on assignment, and she was just turned,” Drake announced.
“Well, this does changes things, but I expect you to tell her about every rule today. As for you…” He turned his gaze on her. “There is no need to continue this tradition. Your parents are fine. As a matter of fact, I believe they are waiting at your home.” He smiled and released her, and she stepped back and slipped again.
Drake caught her, laughing, and glanced up at the elder, who laughed and shook his head. “You two boys have your hands full. Have a good day.” He disappeared along with the others.
Toni looked at Drake. “Please, was he joking?” She grabbed his shirt, tears streaming down her face. “Are Mom and Dad really okay?”
Scott smiled and nodded. “Why don’t we go see?”
She closed her eyes as Drake and Scott held her.
“We’re here. You can open your eyes.” Drake said.
They laughed, but she shook her head. “Too afraid they won’t be here.”
“Open your eyes, Toni, for Pete’s sake.” Her eyes popped open at the sound of her mother’s voice and she screamed, running to her mom hugging her. “How and why didn’t you tell us you were okay?” Anger like she had never known surged through her and she ripped out of her mother’s arms. “Do you know how many nights I cried for you and Dad? Granddad would hold me all night because the tears wouldn’t stop.”
“Toni Marie, you stop that right now. Don’t you think we wanted to come to you? We heard and saw everything and could do nothing. Just like your husbands, we too have rules we must follow,” her father explained behind her.
She turned and frowned at him. “I don’t understand.”
Drake wrapped his arm around her. “Why don’t we all go sit in the living room. Mandy, Mark and Clarissa will be here soon too, so maybe we should wait to hear their reasons till then.”
Drake moved everyone in the living room where his parents were waiting, and Toni noticed the presents under the tree. “But we didn’t do any shopping.”
“Yes, you did, when we went to the mall.” He slapped her ass and pulled her down onto his lap as Mandy ran into the house.
“Toni, are you okay? When you didn’t… What the hell?” she yelled and swayed when she saw Toni’s parents. Mark wrapped his arm around her to steady her.
“My thoughts too, believe me. Come in and sit down while my parents tell us their story.” Toni frowned as Mandy, Mark and Clarissa sat by the fire.
Her father stood and paced. “When we were hit, we died instantly. We woke in a small room. There were four men there. It seems Santa wanted to retire and these men asked if I wanted the job. As your husbands are the ghosts of Christmas past and future, well, your mother and I are Santa and Mrs. Claus now. We’re not allowed to let anyone know, but we can still visit this world. But now that your husbands have brought you into their world, our world, we could come here. We came as soon as we could.”
Toni frowned and sat there for a minute. “You were the ones that left me those things when I was with Hank, weren’t you? He used to get so mad, yelling at me and destroying them. He would accuse me of cheating on him, but then the next year you…”
“We hid them in your closet. We knew all about him. Believe me, if I could have gotten my hands on him…. Thank you, Drake. You did what I’ve wanted to do for the past six years,” her father snarled.
“Wait, so you’re Santa now? Okay, you guys are freaky. First my best friend marries these two, then I find out you’re Santa and Mrs. Claus. I think I need a shrink,” Mandy moaned as her daughter clapped her hands.
“Santa.”
Everyone laughed as Drake stood and picked up Toni. “If you will excuse us, we need to talk to our wife.”
“Wait. I want to talk to my mom, Drake.” She tried to get out of his arms, but he held her tight against him and flew up the stairs to their room, where Scott bound her wrists and attached her to the hook by the fireplace. Her clothes disappeared as he grabbed the paddle.
Toni shook as she glanced at it, then at him. “You can’t, Drake. Please, I didn’t know.”
“You knew enough, Toni. We could have lost you today, but the elders let you go. We’re not letting this go.” Drake spanked her butt till it burned. Her cries filled the room. Then he put the paddle away and unhooked her.
All three sat before the fire as Scott and Drake held her and wiped her tears away. “When those elders showed up, we could do nothing, Toni. Our hearts stopped beating because you are our Christmas present. There would be no Christmas if you were gone. There would be no Drake or Scott. You are our world now.” Drake kissed her lips as Scott pulled her into his arms.
“We have a house in our world. This one will be here for us, but most of our time will be spent in our world. Mandy will be able to contact you anytime, but we must stay hidden as much as possible, just like your parents.” Scott pulled out a box wrapped in Christmas paper. “Open it. It’s our gift to you.”
Drake laughed as she tore into the box and gasped at the laptop. “This way you’ll be able to keep in contact with Mandy any time you want. You’ll also be able to keep up with everything going on in this world. It’s our way of helping you cope.”
Toni put the laptop down and threw her arms around him, then Scott. “Thank you so much. You know this is the best Christmas ever. The only person missing is Granddad.” She smiled and glanced at them as they turned their heads. “Okay, what?”
Scott laughed and nodded. “You might as well tell her. She’ll find out as soon as his training is done.”
Drake smiled and looked down at her. “Well, it seems your grandfather is now the new Easter Bunny.” He laughed.
Toni sat there for a minute, then burst out laughing. “Oh my God. I’m so going to tease him. This is too much. I can just picture a six-foot-four Easter Bunny built like a tank. Oh God, what a Christmas!” She glanced up at him, then at Scott. “Thank you for bringing my family back to me and making Christmas special again. I love the both of you very much.”
Drake kissed her lips and smiled. “You’d have done the same for us, Toni.” He would never again let his wife out of his sight. They had come too close to losing her. Christmas was indeed a day for miracles.
About the Author
Trinity Blacio is the #1 Amazon bestselling romance writer of paranormal erotic romance for the series Running in Fear and Masters of the Cats, as well as a number of dark fantasy, erotic romance, erotic horror and ménage titles. She is a PAN member of the Ohio chapter of Romance Writers of America, and is the bestselling author of a paranormal stepbrother romance series that made her an All Romance eBooks and Siren bestselling author.
Coming from a split family, Trinity Blacio has lived in Minnesota, California, Michigan and Florida, but eventually settled in the state where she was born—Ohio. She has an associate’s degree in psychology and social work from Lorain County Community College, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Cleveland State University.
You will find her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads. She loves to talk with all her fans.
Other Riverdale Avenue Titles by Trinity Blacio
The Running in Fear Series
Searching for the Perfect Mate: Remi’s Story
Prequel to The Running in Fear Series
Escaped: Book One of the Running in Fear Series
Abandoned: Book Two of the Running in Fear Series
Coming Home: Book Three of the Running in Fear Series
Cupid’s Venom: Book Four of the Running in Fear Series
Dragon’s Den: Book Five in the Running in Fear Series
Ghost Warriors: Book Six in The Running in Fear Series
New Beginnings Jubilee: Book Seven in the Running in Fear Series
After Hours on Bourbon Street: Book Eight in the Running in Fear Series
A Halloween to Remember: Book Nine in the Running in Fear Series
* * *
The Stepbrothers Series
Her Stepbrothers’ Demands
Her Stepbrothers are Aliens
Her Stepbrothers are Demons
Her Stepbrothers are Blood Suckers
Her Stepbrothers are Dragons
Her Stepbrothers are Saber Tooth Tigers
Book Five of The Masters of the Cats Series
Her Stepbrothers are Werewolves
* * *
The Virgin Witch and the Vampire King
The Virgin Witch and the Vampire King
Book One: Wedding Bells Times Four
The Virgin Witch and the Vampire King
Book Two: Training a Wife
* * *
Masters of the Cats: Collaring the Saber-Tooth, Book One
Masters of the Cats: Dee’s Hard Limits, Book Two
Masters of the Cats: Caging the Bengal Tiger, Book Three
A Christmas Tail: Book Four of the Masters of the Cats Series
* * *
Surrender Your Independence
Red Satin Lips: Book One of The Surrender Series
* * *
The Naughty Angel and Her Three Very Wise men
Book One in The Naughty Series
Naughty Mommy and Santa’s Helpers
Book Two of the Naughty Series
The Naughty Stepbrothers
Book Three of The Naughty Series
* * *
Jeanne-Claude and Eugene’s Magic Lamp
Books One: I Dream of Jinns
Hot for Winter: A Christmas Ménage
Hot for Xmas
Embracing the Winds
Stoned Love
Her Three Men
Possession of the Soul: Book One of The Fantasy is Alive Series
My Sugar Daddy: Book One in the Sugar Daddies Series
Secrets Unwrapped: Book Two in the Sugar Daddies Series
I Left My Heart in Sin City
The Empress’ Rapture
Three in a Bed
A Collection of Ménage Novellas by Joy Daniels, Louisa Bacio and Trinity Blacio
Ghosts of Christmas Passion Page 6
