“You’re right. It does for sure. I suppose all that matters is that my dad and his father had the chance to make peace before he dies.”
“Your dad is better off for having done that. I really believe that.”
“Speaking of dads, yours is still coming this week, right?”
“Yep. They’re in Florida with Mary’s parents for Christmas and coming here for New Year’s.”
“That's good. I’m looking forward to seeing them.”
“I am, too. He won’t believe how big Chase has gotten since they were here in October.” She yawned and snuggled into his chest. “I’m so tired.”
“Pulling off Christmas for twenty-six people is exhausting.”
“I had a ton of help, and it’s going to be closer to forty. Gavin’s parents, Dani’s parents, Hannah and Ray are coming tomorrow, and so are Gray, Emma and Simone. We also invited Dude, Skeeter and Mildred to come for dinner.”
“This barn is gonna rock this Christmas.”
“It sure is. I can’t wait. The sitcom families I used to watch growing up had nothing on the Abbotts.”
“The Abbotts are better for having Cameron Murphy around, especially this Abbott. I love you so much.”
“Love you, too.”
“How soon can we go to bed?” Landon asked Amanda, his lips close to her ear so he couldn’t be overheard.
“Not until Stella does.”
“When will that be?”
She turned to look at him, seated behind her on a chaise. “What’s your hurry, cowboy?”
He pulled her back against him, pressing his erection against her back. “Any questions?”
“Ah, so it’s like that, is it?”
“Whenever you’re around.”
“I’m around a lot. That must get painful.”
He grunted out a laugh. “Sure does, especially after spending two endless nights without you.”
“You’re kind of being pathetic right now.”
“I can’t help it if I love you so much that being away from you was painful.”
“I love you, too, and I missed you just as much. Stella kept saying it was wicked quiet without you around.”
“I’m not sure if I should be complimented or insulted by that.”
“Probably a little of both.”
“Look at her,” he said of Stella, who was stretched out on the floor reading a book to Savannah, Caden and Callie. “She’s so good with them.”
“They adore her. The minute she comes into the room, the three of them are all over her.”
“We ought to get busy giving her some siblings,” he said.
“You think so?”
“Absolutely. She’ll be the best big sister ever.”
“She will.”
He pressed against her again. “How about we start now?”
Amanda giggled. “Stop it. You’re in a room full of relatives, making a scene.”
“They’re used to me making scenes, and they don’t know what we’re talking about.”
“I bet they could guess.”
“Look at Luc over there with Dani. I’ll bet the farm that he’s trying to talk her into going to bed for the same reason I want you in my bed.”
“You’re embarrassing me, Landon.”
“I can live with that, Amanda. So, bed. Now. Yes? Stella can tuck herself in this one time. She’s a big girl.”
“I’m not going to miss tucking her in on our first Christmas Eve together.”
Landon groaned dramatically. “It’s our first Christmas Eve together, too. Are you going to miss tucking me in?”
“I’ll tuck you in after I tuck her in.”
“Now you’re just being mean to me.”
She lost it laughing, which only made him want her more. He’d never pictured himself being in love with anyone the way he was with her.
When Stella finished the story she was reading to the kids, their parents scooped them up to take them up to bed.
“Thank you, Jesus,” Landon said. “Meet me in bed after you tuck in our girl.”
“Go warm it up for me.”
Landon held out his arms to hug and kiss Stella good night. They’d already read ’Twas the Night Before Christmas as a group and put out cookies for Santa that they’d had to protect from the many dogs in residence that night.
“Glad you made it home for Christmas, Landon,” Stella said with a smile.
“Me, too, sweetheart. See you in the morning.”
Amanda got up to go with Stella to get her and Matilda settled on the sofa in his dad’s home office.
Landon had worried that Stella might be scared sleeping by herself in there, but she’d told them that she’d be fine as long as Matilda was there. He was just glad they weren’t sharing a room with her so they could have some time alone. As it was, he had to wait a good ten minutes after Amanda walked away before he could get up and leave the room without embarrassing himself.
“Going to bed?” Lucas asked.
“Yep.”
“Right behind you, brother. I’m bushed.”
“Merry Christmas.”
“Same to you.”
Landon stepped over Colton and Lucy, who seemed to be inclined to sleep right there in the middle of the family room, and headed for one of the four first-floor bedrooms that’d been assigned to him and Amanda.
Getting to Christmas Eve was always a huge relief to him, having survived another wildly busy season at the tree farm. He gave himself a couple of weeks off from the place before getting back to work there in mid-January. And knowing he had two more days off before he had to be back to work at the firehouse helped to put him in a festive mood.
After stripping off his clothes, he sat on the bed to test whether it was squeaky and was relieved to discover it wasn’t. That was good news indeed.
He was lying on the bed, naked as the day he was born, when Amanda came in a few minutes later.
“Oh, for crying out loud, Landon. What if someone else had come in here by mistake?”
“They would’ve gotten one hell of a show.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re a little full of yourself.”
He curled a hand around his erection. “I don’t hear you complaining about what I’ve got going on.”
“You’re like a middle school boy.”
“Duh, you’ve known that since the day you met me. Now get over here and put me out of my middle school misery.”
She made a show out of removing her clothes as slowly and seductively as she possibly could.
Watching her reveal herself to him, he could only marvel at how lucky he was that such a beautiful, sweet, smart, special woman loved him the way she did. And then she locked the door, crawled onto the bed and straddled him, making him feel like he’d died and gone straight to heaven. “Now that’s what I’m talking about.”
“It’s what you’re always talking about.”
“That’s your fault.”
She raised a brow to call him out on his bullshit, which was one of her many special gifts. “How so?”
He reached up to cup her breasts and ran his thumbs over hard nipples. “You’re so sexy, you make me want you all the time.”