“Young man, I can do whatever I damn well please. I didn’t get this old not to have that right.”
John pleadingly looked to Holly who shrugged. “This is her being a mild Mildred. I’d just deal with it before she gets a crazy idea in her whack-a-doo brain.”
Mildred bolted to her feet. “I got it!” She pulled out her trusted notepad and started scribbling.
“We’re all screwed.”
Ben chuckled at Holly’s annoyed expression. “Maybe she’ll forget.” He shrugged.
“I doubt it.” Holly let out a sigh. “At least for once it’s not us. Maybe Emma and John can be Mildred’s new subjects at her knitting club.”
“That’s something you should’ve asked Santa for.” Ben winked, giving Holly a quick peck on the lips.
“Maybe I did,” Holly replied with a lopsided grin of her own.
“It’s time!” Henry clapped his hands together. “Everyone stop your yappin’. We got us a New Year to ring in!”
Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One!
“Happy New Year!”
Ben pulled Holly into his arms as he kissed her like his life depended on it. “Here’s to another great year,” he whispered, pulling away from her lips for a second, before kissing her again.
Holly’s entire face brightened as she lovingly gazed at her husband before going in for another kiss, herself. However, just as her lips were about to meet Ben’s, she saw Emma had John pinned to the wall as they shared a kiss in the corner of the room.
“Whoa.” Holly pointed at the two.
“Wonder how that’s gonna turn out?” Ben remarked, with a chuckle.
A devious grin appeared on Holly’s face. “Only one way to find out.”
Before she could say anything more, Ben pulled her back into his embrace planting another kiss on her lips. “Best holiday season ever, Grace.”
“It really was. Even if there were some stumbles along the way.” Holly’s smile went from ear-to-ear. “And, here is to many more holidays with you.” Holly sealed her lips to Ben’s once more.
Might as well start the New Year off right.
John and Emma’s story is up next in the Stumbling Through Life series. In the meantime, did the cat named Dog and his hunky firefighter owner intrigue you? If so, check out Teased by Fire. Or, was it the fashionista cat named Rupert? If so, check out Rupert, his owner Abbie and her archnemesis Hunter in Nothing But a Dare.
There is a sneak peek of Chapter one of Nothing But a Dare on the next page.
Nothing But a Dare Sneak Peek
Chapter One
“I dare you.”
Hunter James raised his brow at ten-year-old Abbie Collins as she braced herself on the highest tree branch in their neighboring backyards. She quickly moved her eyes from him to reassess her surroundings. From where Abbie balanced, things weren’t looking too good. How in the world had she gotten herself into this mess?
And again…
Her eyes moved back to the boy taunting her.
Oh yeah, how could she forget?
Hunter freaking James.
He’s the reason she was now in a tree.
Since Hunter moved in next door with his dad and stepmom, he was constantly causing trouble. And somehow, Abbie was always involved.
She closed her eyes as she held onto the tree trunk tightly.
The day Hunter and his family moved in, Abbie and her mother, Kathleen, brought them over fresh baked cookies. That was the nice thing to do, after all. The neighborly thing.
Plus, Abbie had been particularly proud of this batch since she spent hours decorating each one with the word ‘welcome’.
Abbie, along with her mother, had considered herself the welcoming committee of the neighborhood.
Ehh, what could she say? She got her nurturing side from her mom. Plus, Abbie absolutely adored making new friends. You could never have too many if you asked her.
The more, the merrier.
Maybe it was because Abbie didn’t have any brothers or sisters, or maybe it was her need for everyone to feel like they belonged.
After her father abandoned her and her mom right after Abbie was born there was always something lacking. That could’ve been the reason why her mother always made it a point to welcome anyone that moved in with wide open arms and a plate full of cookies. She needed them to feel wanted since they’d never felt that.
Well, that plate full of cookies was two years ago and every day since meeting Hunter James, Abbie regretted every freaking second of it.
“Are you gonna do it or what?” Hunter taunted from below. “You better hurry, I don’t know if that branch will hold you much longer?”
Jerk. Abbie’s eyes narrowed at him as she held onto the tree trunk a little tighter. If she could go back in time, she would have added salt to the cookies, or better yet, maybe some arsenic.
“Stop being a baby, Collins.”
“I’m not being a baby!” Abbie felt the branch bend under her weight.
Quickly, she closed her eyes as her heart started to pound against her chest. Okay, so she knew she was only about six feet off the ground, and the likelihood of her causing severe damage was slim to none; however, the more she looked at the annoying boy below her, the farther away he seemed.
Abbie took a deep breath before she opened her eyes and looked back at Hunter.
That’s when she noticed it.
Hunter was staring at her with that stupid smug smirk on his face. The same one he always got when he thought he’d won.
A growl erupted from deep inside her. Not today!
If Abbie were on the ground and not a million feet in the air, she’d march right up to him and smack that dang smirk right off his stupid face.
Stupid Hunter.
Stupid tree.
Stupid dare!
For two years now, Hunter James had made her life a living hell.
If he wasn’t constantly picking on her, he was daring her to do something she didn’t want to do.
And that was the exact reason she was up in a tree right now.
“You’re too scared, Abbie.” Hunter laughed as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“Am not. I just think it’s dumb to jump out of a tree unless there is a logical reason to do so.”
“Why do you always do that?” He glared at her.
“Do what?”
“Say shit to make you sound all smart and stuff.”
“I am smart, unlike you dumb-dumb.”
Hunter’s eyes narrowed before his lips formed into that smirk. “I dare you.”
A Collins never surrendered.
A Collins never backed down.
A Collins never turned down a dare.
At least that’s what her mother would say. Okay, not so much the dare part, but the never backing down part. Collins’ were strong, and no matter what was thrown at them, they always ended up on top.
No one will ever knock us down.
Not her deadbeat father, and certainly not Hunter James.
And that left Abbie here.
About to jump to her death.
She rolled her eyes at herself. Maybe death was a little dramatic. She took another deep breath before looking at the ground. Her breath caught in her throat as Hunter suddenly seemed very far away. Actually, death could be a possibility.