Of course, why did I think he even wanted me here? He even told me to go home or hang out with his sisters, so he can get me out of his hair. The sinking feeling in my stomach twists into a painful knot. I am such an idiot. What am I doing here?
“He told me that I’m the most beautiful and coolest girl he knows. I know that he’s just too shy to ask me out yet. I don’t know why he is wasting his time with that fat bi-”
I don’t wait to hear the rest of her words. That was exactly the same line he used on me. How could I be so stupid? Tears are already streaming down my face. You’re ugly. You’re fat. Nobody wants you here. You should leave and disappear. I wish you were never born. Words that my mom used to say to me echo in my head as I run out into the streets.
“Holly?” I hear Chris’s voice after me as I push through the front door into the cold morning air.
“Holly?” I collide into a figure draped in expensive cashmere and cologne. “There you are, I’ve been looking all over for you!” Cameron looks down at me with concern. “What? What is wrong?”
I start to blubber but no real words come out. By then, Chris has caught up with us. He grabs me by the arms and tries to pull me away from Cameron. “Tiffany? Who is Tiffany?” he asks as he manages to catch one word from my mouth.
“Hey! Who the hell are you?” Cameron yells at him. He pulls me behind him and shields me with his six-foot-five height while holding my hand like I am a little child.
Chris straightens his back, and he is eye-to-eye with my brother. “I’m her boyfriend,” he replies in a low, dangerous voice. “I can take care of her.”
“I don’t think so,” Cameron juts out his chest and tightens his hand around mine. “Holly, you’re coming back to New York with me.” He starts to lead me away and I follow. The pain in my chest is too great for me to think right now. I just want to get out of here.
“Holly, please,” Chris follows us and begs, “wait. At least, let me show you something.”
Christopher
Holly looks quizzically at me as I knock on my parents’ front door. I know that her brother is scowling at me and ready to whisk her away from me any second. I really hope that this works.
My mom opens the door with a flourish and pulls a sweater over her head before both of my parents give her a big hug. “I’m so happy you’re here. When Chris told us you guys are dating now, I have to make you a sweater.” My parents are way too enthusiastic about their children’s love life. I still cringe when I remember when they booked a wedding hall for Jen and Hunter even before he proposed.
Holly looks down at the ugly green and red thing with big yellow letters “Holly” in the middle. The signature Colton family Christmas sweater. It is handmade and even to the untrained eye, it looks like takes my mom a couple of weeks to make at least. Since we first got together last night, I can see the gears turning in Holly’s head.
“But,” she starts to ask, “how?” There are question marks all over her face. “When did Chris tell you we’re together?” she manages to squeeze out the words in her confusion.
“Oh, months and months ago. He kept telling me that he still needs to ask you and it’s not a sure thing yet, but I knew it, didn’t I? I can always tell when people are meant to be together, didn’t I?” Mom pinches me on the cheek as I laugh and back away. There is a twinkle in Holly’s eyes as I feel the heat in my cheeks. I may have jumped the gun a little by telling my mom about my crush on Holly, but never in my wildest dreams did I think it could ever happen. Of course, I told Ashley to tell Mom today, so that no one would say or do anything too awkward with all of our family here. Little did I know, my mom has been excitedly preparing for Holly’s entry into the Colton cult for the past months.
“Hi, who is this?” Dad turns to Cameron, who has been standing in awe of what is going on. In addition to my parents, a horde of aunts, uncles, and cousins start to gather on the front porch. Everyone is sporting their own version of the Colton family ugly sweater.
“This is Holly’s brother-”
Dad interrupts me right away, “Oh, great! Stay for dinner! Let’s go eat!” Dad decides with a nod of his head and pats the astonished Cameron on the back before heading back into the house. The rest of the family follows except for me. I bet Cameron has never been bossed around like this by anyone like Dad before.
“Holly.” I take her hands into mine and look into her big brown eyes. “I want you to be my girlfriend. I have wanted it for a really long time. I think you’re beautiful and amazing, and there is no one I want to be with except for you.”
She bursts into tears and wraps her arms around me as we kiss. I can still taste the salty tears on her lips. I don’t ever want to see her cry again. I am going to love her and cherish her so she will be happy everyday for the rest of her life.
“There you are, Holly.” Ashley comes to the door and wraps her arm around Holly. “I’m so glad you’re here. I need your help with the finishing decorating the tree, my sister is driving me crazy!” She pulls Holly inside with a laugh, leaving me and Cameron alone on the doorsteps.
I turn to him. “Holly won’t be going with you, because she’ll be spending Christmas here with people who love her. You’re always welcome to visit, but she won’t be going with you. I know that you care a lot about her, but I’m sorry. This is her family now.”
He stares at me for a second and assesses me silently. I am familiar with the skeptical look in his eyes. I used to look at Hunter and Hugh the same way when they first started dating my sisters. It is the look of a protective brother. Eventually, he slowly nods his head.
“I’m glad Holly has people who love her and can take care of her. It is something, sadly, I was never able to do. I’m really happy for her.” He pauses and extends a hand. I reach for it to shake it but instead he balls it into a fist. “But-” he warns, “if you ever hurt her. I am not above getting into fistfights.” He shakes his fist at me and gives me a crooked grin. Then just like that, he is gone.
“Chris?” I hear my sisters calling me from inside the house. “Can you help us with the drinks?”
I walk in to find Holly surrounded by my sisters and cousins in the kitchen, as she wrestles with bowl of frosting. She is carefully drawing happy faces on the gingerbread people. I cozy up to her from behind and rest my hands on her waist. I kiss the top of her head, inhaling the mixture of sweet buttery smell of Christmas cooking and her natural scent.
“I’m so happy that you’re here,” I whisper into her ear. “My Christmas Holly.”
Epilogue
Hi Cameron,
How are you? I hope that this email finds you well. I am doing quite well since we last talked. Chris and I have gotten engaged and we plan to have our wedding next summer. We are thinking June 8th? I really hope that you can make it. I would love for you to meet the rest of the family. Chris is going to be an uncle again! My best friend and his sister, Ashley, is expecting twins. Her husband Hugh was so surprised that you could knock him over with a feather. The man is a veteran for crying out loud! But they are very happy and excited.
After many, many rejections, Chris finally published his first book! It’s a mystery with a lot of romance in it. He says that he rewrote it after we started dating and that a lot of it is based on us, but I haven’t been able to figure out which parts. By the way, I want to ask, did you ever get into a fistfight with him? It’s a scene in the book but I don’t think it’s based on real life. Anyway, with the book royalties and my income, we plan to sell his bookstore and Chris plans to write full-time. His next book is going to be a mystery novel set in New York. I can’t wait to read it! We are also in the market to buy a house. So hopefully, you can stay with us next time you come around.
So how are things with you? Also, congrats on the launch of your online magazine! I love the special edition you did last month with plus-size models and real women. I’m glad that it celebrates women of all shapes and sizes. Chris says he loves me no matter what I look like. I
n fact, if I get bigger, there’s more of me to love! Okay, I’m blushing that I wrote that now.
We’re all really happy here in Silverbrook and I hope that you will visit us soon!
Love,
Holly
I close my email with a smile and turn to the browser that shows the latest issue of my online magazine. On our landing page is a close-up of the famous restaurateur, Juliet Real. She is a beautiful, voluptuous woman with a brilliant mind and sassy personality. I met her during the photo shoot and now I can’t stop thinking about her wavy blonde hair and her full figure. My breath quickens just at the picture of her sexy, authentic smile. With a grin on my lips, I text my assistant to schedule a coffee with her.
“Tell her I have urgent business to discuss.”
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Stay tuned for Cameron’s story, Keeping It Real
For Ashley and Hugh’s story, see the prequel: G.I. Hunk
For Jen and Hunter’s story, see the prequel: Thankfully Yours
Violet Theron’s Other Works
Don’t You Dare
Need Your Curves
Taste of You
Guarding Angel
Taken Nightly
Delicious
Roommates with Benefits
Bare with the Coach
Bare on the Beach
Bare in Heat
Barely Legal
Bare & Overdue
Taken by the Driver
Professor’s Rough Time
My Neighbor Rough Me Up
Boss's Dirty Secretary
Caught by the Master
About the Author
Violet Theron loves writing quick, steamy romance stories full of fast burn and melting heat. She specializes in possessive alphas and their curvy younger ladies, who go on to live happily ever after.
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Copyright © 2019 Violet Theron
Cover Photo Credit: Deposit Photo
Cover Design: Canva
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Merry Christopher Page 4
