Holly took a deep breath. Why the hell is this my life?
“All right, you two. Time to get this movin’.” As Holly jumped off the bed Waffles and Twitch eagerly followed behind her.
When they made it back into the living room Ben smiled at her. “That sounded eventful.”
Holly glared at her dramatic dog. “You have no idea.”
Ben roared out a laugh as Henry walked out of the side bathroom, grumbling.
“Oh, Dad, you’re adorable!”
“Can it, Pumpkin. I’m only doin’ this ‘cause Ben promised me he’d make me two more batches of his buffalo chicken.”
“Yeah, yeah, you can have whatever you want as long as I get my picture. I don’t care.” Holly glanced around the room and realized that everyone was dressed up and ready. Her heart melted. They all looked positively festive and she loved every second of it. She clasped her hands together in glee as she watched Waffles strut through the room like he was some weird badass in his elf outfit. She had to hold back her laugh.
If he only knew…
“Can we just get this over with?” Henry tugged at the collar of his outfit.
Dad’s not gonna like it when I tell him I’ll make the buffalo chicken instead of Ben. She scowled at him. Serves him right.
“Wow,” John announced. “Don’t you all look jolly?” He smirked, holding up the camera. “Who is ready for this beauty?”
“Shut your face, or I’ll shut it for you.”
John swung his attention to Henry. “You’re not a very nice elf.”
“Is it nice if I stick my boot up your butt?”
“You mean your pointy shoe with a bell on it?” John corrected, causing Henry to snarl.
“Come on people, let’s get this picture,” Holly announced.
Let’s not add murder to the holiday memories.
Quickly, Holly arranged everyone in order before placing Waffles, Ripley, and Twitch in front of them. “We’re ready.”
“Say cheese.”
“We all look stupid. Especially Waffles.” Henry pulled at the collar of his outfit staring down at Waffles as he did.
That was the exact moment when all hell broke loose.
Waffles let out a bark as he ran around in circles trying to escape the outfit, he thought he looked intimidating in.
Jimmy was following behind him trying to get him to stop.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” As Waffles ran past her legs Holly tried to snatch him into her arms but missed. Giving up, she snapped her eyes to John. “Please tell me you got the photo before all this happened?” She turned back to her father glaring daggers at him.
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Yes, you did,” she spat before turning back to John. “Did you get it?”
“Oh yeah, I got it.” John bit his lip to stop from laughing as he shoved the display in Holly’s face. “See?”
As soon as she saw it, Holly threw her hands in the air. “Oh, for the love of all things. Are you kidding me?”
There in front of her was a picture all right. A picture that had her dad tugging his collar away from his neck. Waffles was staring at her father like he was going to kill him. Jimmy’s face held a shock on it that she couldn’t even describe as he jumped toward their Corgi. Then there was Ben, Peanut, Twitch, and Ripley all gazing happily at the camera.
And last but not least, there of course was Holly.
Her freaking eyes were closed and her elf hat was falling off her head. She wanted to scream. “We have to do it again.”
“No can do, Grace.” Ben walked behind her examining the picture.
“We are.”
“Waffles says otherwise.”
Holly snapped her attention to the dog, who now had the outfit halfway off his body as he continued to run around the living room. While Ripley and Twitch ran after him in some weird game.
Holly’s hand jumped to her forehead trying to rub away the migraine. “We cannot use this. We have to redo it.”
Ben pointed at the dogs again. “Waffles is chewing on it. Ripley just helped him get it off.”
Holly’s fist clenched at her sides as she glared at her father. “Did you really have to say that?”
“I was only speakin’ the truth.”
Holly threw her hands in the air. “You know what, I give up. We’re using this photo. Screw it.”
“That’s the spirit.” Ben smirked.
“Says the only human looking at the camera.”
“Peanut’s looking too.” Ben held the baby up giving her a wink.
Holly couldn’t help it as she glared at her husband as her eye began twitching. “I’m never gonna forget this.”
“That’s the point, Grace.” Ben’s smile ran from ear-to-ear. “Memories.”
Chapter Eight
It’d been a week since the picture incident. And yes, that was exactly what Ben was calling it now.
The incident.
It took thirty minutes of Holly trying to convince Waffles he was in fact, an evil scary dog for him to settle down. And even then, it was touch and go.
Oh, and Ben couldn't forget how Holly yelled at everyone saying she’d be cooking all the food from now on. That had gone over really well.
Ben had to reassure everyone multiple times that he would never let that happen. Although, Henry was still a little worried about the buffalo chicken he’d been promised.
Maybe that was because Holly told her dad that he’d never know for sure if it was her or Ben who prepared it.
The panic on Henry’s face would be something Ben would never forget. Especially when Holly warned her dad he needed to watch his back.
Ben was still laughing about it.
Besides, if you asked him, he’d say the night turned out incredible. And that photo, damn, that photo was something else and summed them up perfectly. He even planned on blowing it up and giving it to Holly as one of her Christmas gifts.
Ben smirked as his mind went to Christmas gifts. He turned on his work computer before opening the internet. Off and on, he’d been browsing a couple of lingerie shops in his spare time and he finally found a few items he wanted to buy for Holly as gifts.
Of course, with every set he liked, he added two to his cart.
A wicked smile spread across his face.
Ben knew damn well he’d be ripping them to shreds off Holly’s body. When his mouse rolled over a see-through green baby doll nightie, he groaned. “I’m buying three of that one.”
As Ben scanned through the online store browsing through the clothes, he found a few tops Holly would probably like as well.
Another chuckle escaped him as he thought back to their recent car ride to look at the Christmas lights around town.
They’d traveled up and down the streets singing Christmas carols as they oohed and aahed at the decorations. At one point, they’d even stopped at the local coffee shop and gotten everyone a hot chocolate.
It only took two more songs and one more street before Holly ended up spilling the contents of her drink down the front of her sweater.
Ben grinned as he clicked ‘add to cart’ on a top he thought she would like to hopefully replace that one.
Jimmy hadn’t let her live it down. Although, he couldn’t blame Jimmy because Ben was still bringing it up, too. How could he not? Holly was still annoyed she’d ruined her holiday Corgi sweater.