He pulls me in as close as he can, bending his head so he can kiss me. “Then let’s go and make the rest of the day magical.”
I nod, then step out into frigid air. The snow is picking up, blanketing the ground and every surface.
“Are you sure it’s okay to drive?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a four-by-four. We’re good.”
Taking my hand, Jaxon guides me to the car. He’s pulling open the door when we hear it. Yelling.
I freeze, recognising Charlotte’s voice. We both turn in the direction of the alley, our eyes wide.
“Landon, wait!” she cries.
“I don’t want to know,” Landon yells, coming into view as he stomps down the path, Charlotte chasing him and nearly losing her footing. “I need to bleach my eyes.”
“Charlotte, get back inside. It’s snowing,” Drew yells.
Landon glares over Charlotte’s head. “I don’t need to hear your voice right now either.”
That’s when I see her, really see her. Charlotte is in her thin covered gown—which is not doing much to conceal what she has on underneath—and is wearing a bow around her chest.
“Is everything okay?” Jaxon asks, his lips twitching.
“Fine,” Landon snaps.
“He walked in on me giving Drew his last Christmas present,” Charlotte admits, her shoulders dropping.
I giggle into the sleeve of my coat, unable to meet their gazes.
“I’m going,” Landon states. “Call me if you need a lift and I’ll come back.”
Once he’s gone, I turn to Charlotte. “What happened? You okay?”
She beams, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Yeah. I took a page out of Hayden’s book. Apparently, men really do like having you wrapped up in a bow on Christmas.”
“Oh no. And Landon walked in?” I guess, horrified of the prospect one of them could have done that to me this morning.
I blush as I remember Jaxon going down on me right there in the front room.
Although, the last time Maddox tried to let himself in, he left with a black eye. It was an accident. Jaxon swore it was. But no one has ever attempted it again.
She bites her lip as Drew reaches her. “Um, Katnip kind of, um, liked the bow too, and, um, attacked the loose parts. Drew was trying to get her off me, and I screamed because her claws had dug in, catching my nipple. Landon, um, I guess he thought I was in trouble.”
Drew, her hulking man, swings her up in his arms. “It’s snowing and you only have thin material on.”
She grins up at him, tucking his hair behind his ear. “We’re totally going to have sex.”
He clears his throat, jerks his chin at Jaxon and I, before turning to leave. “See you later, guys.”
“Bye,” I call out, watching the towering, tattooed guy walk away.
Charlotte’s red hair blows out with the wind, flecks of snow sticking to the red locks, and just before they move out of sight, she calls out, “See you in a little while. We won’t be long.”
“We might be late,” Drew calls out, before their voices fade into the air.
I stare up at Jaxon, happiness filling me. Charlotte deserves happiness, and seeing her with him, on Christmas, in the snow, it makes me happy. “She’s so going to be late.”
He arches an eyebrow. “Magical? Really?”
I slap his chest. “Okay, that is something we couldn’t have predicted and not something that happens normally on Christmas. Wait for it. You’ll see,” I tell him, then lean in and whisper, “It’s magical.”
He laughs and helps me climb into his truck. “Yeah, Angel, I’m sure I will.”
*** *** ***
My laughter dies off once the girls finish teasing the guys about the mishap with Landon and Charlotte this morning.
All of them look ready to take him on, and I’m sure my uncle Max reached for the step ladder more than once. Why it was there, I don’t know. Dad normally keeps it in the cupboard under the stairs.
We’re waiting for the others to arrive before exchanging gifts. Only Maddox, Amelia and the kids are yet to show up.
Charlotte didn’t end up being late. She ended up epically late, only just now arriving. Everyone understands why Maddox couldn’t be here earlier. He has a family now.
Charlotte pulls off her pea green coat, hanging it over the door to dry out, and sticks her tongue out at Hayden. “How did it go for you then?”
“Really?” Max groans, falling off the chair as he scrambles to get up.
Hayden glances away, but Clayton, catching on, begins to laugh.
“Don’t you dare,” she warns him.
He ignores her and answers Charlotte. “I’ve seen three-year-olds wrap better.”
Charlotte’s lips twist. “You didn’t bow it before and slide it on, then just tighten it?”
Hayden glares at her cousin. “No. And I was kind of in a rush since we slept in.”
“What happened?”
Hayden frowns as she sits back on the sofa. “Clay isn’t wrong. Except it looked like a baby T-Rex wrapped me. I didn’t realise bows were so hard to make.”
Jaxon leans down. “My present is way better,” he whispers.
I blush, squeezing his hand. Only Mum, Hayden and Charlotte know about those photos, and I want it to stay that way. “Shh, you’ll set Max off again.”
“I don’t think I need to.”
I turn in time to see Max fighting to get to Clayton. “Let me at the pretty boy. I don’t need ladders to get to that fucker.”
“Dad, pipe down and have a—”
The front door bursts open. “I’m telling you, Amelia, she tripped me.”
“Maddox, drop it already.”
“Aww, did Humpty Dumpty have a great fall?” Jasmine teases, then comes racing into the living room, giggling. She jumps right into Malik’s arms, and used to her flying at him, he catches her easily, setting her on his lap.
“What’s going on?” Mum asks, helping Amelia with her coat.
“This one,” Amelia states, jabbing her thumb in Maddox’s direction, “slipped. And blamed an old lady for it.”
Maddox throws his hands up. “She did. I’m telling you now, that woman is out to destroy Christmas. My Christmas. You heard her. She had to get back to cook her dinner.”
“Because she did,” Amelia argues, though she’s unable to hide her amusement.
“Yeah, then looked right at me and said, oh dearie, I hope you are okay to walk home.”
“She was being nice.”
“No, that old bat was being condescending and trying to ruin my Christmas. I lost my food because of her.”
Amelia rolls her eyes as she takes a seat in the only empty chair left. Dad’s place is big, but our family is bigger.
“No. You slipped, and instead of picking yourself, and your dignity, up off the floor, you blamed the sweet old lady who just wanted a walk in the snow.”
“Yeah, only because it might be her last,” he snorts, then chokes when Amelia pokes him in the stomach.
“Don’t be mean,” Harlow scolds, also clipping her son around the ear.
“Whatever,” he retorts, sulking as he sits down, Asher in his arms.