KYRA
Life has been crazy the last few months. We got home from the wedding, and Cal moved back into the guest house with me while his house is being built. It is so much fun to watch this house being built right next door.
I am back at work at the dealership, and there has not been a peep out of Michael since the last time I had seen him. It has been a relief not to look over my shoulder every time I am out and about. It’s been a year since I told him I was done, and I would say I have done a pretty damn good job at healing from everything. Every day is not perfect, and the nightmares from our kidnapping still wake me every once in a while. But I always have Cal there to cling to when they get too bad.
Christmas is tomorrow. I cannot believe that my best friend got engaged a year ago tomorrow and is already married. The three of them are living their best life. Nyx is still working at the Police Department, and I don’t see her ever giving that up, even though it stresses Graham and Demitri out. They would love to keep her barefoot and pregnant, but she's not quite ready for all that yet.
Driving up to the gate, I enter my passcode, and the gate slides open, allowing me access. As I make my way up the driveway, I see the house glowing with all of the Christmas lights. Cal even had them decorate the guest house with the big colorful lights, which feel like they have turned the house into a gingerbread house. It is everything I could have ever wanted. Closing the door to the Jeep, I grab my work stuff out of the passenger seat.
“Ky!” Nyx screams from the front door. She comes running out of the house barefoot, and just in some shorts and a t-shirt.
“Girl, you are going to freeze. Get back inside.” I try to shoo her off.
“We are baking cookies, want to come give the gingerbread men dicks with me?” She laughs.
“Let me go change out of my work stuff, and I’ll be in.”
Nyx wraps me in a quick hug while her body shakes with shivers. She scurries off back into the house, and I take the path back to the guest house. Scanning my finger on the fingerprint reader, I walk into the house. The soft glow of all the Christmas lights makes the space feel so cozy.
“Hey, Sunflower. Did you have a good day?” Cal walks out of our bedroom in a pair of low-slung grey sweats and an old t-shirt. He leans down and gives me a quick peck on the lips and pulls away to wait for my answer.
“Yes, it was pretty quiet at the dealership.” Walking into the kitchen to place my lunchbox on the counter, and then placing the rest of my work stuff in the office. “Nyx invited me to go to the house to make cookies,” I call from the office.
“Yeah, I was just waiting for you to get home. We are going to head over for some Christmas Eve festivities.” Callum says as he follows me into the bedroom so I can change. “Ahh, a free show.”
He grins like a madman while he leans on the edge of the bed to watch me strip out of my grey dress slacks and“ugly Christmas sweater”. It is a navy-and-orange Detroit Tigers holiday sweater. Standing in my bra and panties, Cal strides over to me with a smirk that could melt icebergs.
“How nice of you to open my presents for me.” His hands run down my sides, causing me to laugh and shiver from his touch.
I try to push him away, but I’m like a gnat flying around the head of a horse. Just annoying.
“Cal…I promised Nyx I would go bake cookies.” I laugh and try to snatch his hoodie off the hanger.
“Fine.” Cal pouts. “But you owe me.” He leans down to give me a quick kiss.
I finish getting into some comfy clothes, slide my Uggs on my feet, and head for the house. Callum is following behind me.
The whole Devil Dog family fills the large living room in the Meadows household. Graham didn’t change his name, but they all just agreed to go by the Meadows family after the wedding.
Nyx and her men are snuggled on one end of the large couch. I’m sitting in the middle while Callum plays Santa. Graham and Cal’s parents are in one of the large armchairs, still so adorably in love with each other. Captain Montegomery and his wife are here. Jason and David sit on dining room chairs that they dragged in. While Alyra and Molly are sitting on the couch beside me.
Though I won’t be fooled by the distance placed between the girls and them. We all know that those boys won’t give up. I think it’s a trait in all the Devil Dogs.
Callum is scurrying around the living room in matching pajamas with me. Red-and-black buffalo plaid button-uppajamas, which he looks so damn edible in. I made him put boxer briefs on under the pants before we came to the main house so everyone couldn’t meat gaze at him. He is passing out all the gifts that were under the tree.
All of us are so well-loved that we have piles of gifts surrounding us. Once everyone has their gifts, we all start to go around the room, opening one at a time. This gives us a chance to really appreciate what everyone has gotten.
Nyx got all of us girls gorgeous bracelets that say “Girl Gang” and have charms dangling from them, each with all of our favorite colors on them. As I open the last of the gifts, I feel doubt creep in; there isn’t a gift from Callum.
“I see that look, Sunflower.” Cal grabs a manila folder from the kitchen island that I noticed this morning while helping with breakfast.
“What is this?” I question.
“Just open it.” He kneels in front of me, on his one good knee.
When I open the folder, the first page is a photo printed out. It is just a brick storefront. As I flip through the photos, it’s a business.
“What’s this?” I look up at him.
