“I’ll make it quick.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“After the party?” Sully asked.
“It’s a date.”
With a grin, Sully turned the flatscreen from the news to a holiday music channel. He grabbed her hand, and they walked out of the den into the wide hallway. Every room in the house was decorated with professional touches made by the classy florist at his side.
Outdoors, Sully had strung lights across the porch for the first time and hung Fraser fir wreaths with red bows, which Charley had made in her shop, at the windows facing the main road. Two more huge Fraser fir wreaths, also decorated with red velvet bows, adorned the oversized front doors. In the foyer, mistletoe dangled from a chandelier. Charley pulled Sully under the mistletoe and kissed him just before the doorbell rang. Sully opened the door to his dad and a lady holding a huge white poinsettia from Charley’s shop.
“Dad and Henri, we’re so glad you could make it,” Sully said.
“Yes, please come in,” Charley said and hugged Owen, then Henri.
Right behind them came the Brevards, with their three children proudly carrying their gifts to be exchanged with their siblings or cousins. Derek had two more gifts in hand as Chloe held a covered dish. Arriving next, Chase and Jade had in tow not only Colton and Courtney but also Coop and Tammy. More covered dishes were carted into the house and placed in the dining room, while brightly wrapped gifts were stowed under theliving room Christmas tree. Coats were placed on the king-size bed in the master suite.
“We’re here,” said little Carly, carrying her Rudolph reindeer and a gift, as she made her way into the living room ahead of Cash and Tracy. “We brought Dalton.”
The adults laughed, and Charley said, “I can’t believe Dalton is a month old already.”
“Neither can I,” Tracy said, coming to a stop beside her grandmother and Charley.
“May I hold him?” Charley asked politely. “Or does Tammy get to go first?”
“I had a turn earlier today,” Tammy said with a smile. “It’s your turn, Charley.”
Cash took Carly and their covered dish to the dining room. Tracy handed the baby, with a headful of dark brown hair like Cash’s, to Charley. Sully helped Tracy off with her coat and after hanging it up, his eyes lit on Charley. In her ivory sweater, amid the glow of the Christmas lights, she looked angelically radiant as she cuddled the baby boy. Sully walked to her and wrapped an arm around her. His heart brimmed with happiness as he smiled down at the love of his life and pictured her holding the baby he wanted to have with her. Charley smiled up at him and gently placed the baby boy in his arms.
“How right that looks,” Charley said, taking the baby’s tiny hand in hers.
“A couple of ’em,” Sully said as the baby cooed.
Coop announced he was hungry, and Owen chimed in that he was too. The two older men, with their ladies beside them, were the first four in line at the dining room table, laden with prime rib and roasted asparagus, a spiral ham and scalloped potatoes, as well as sliced turkey and homemade gravy. Sides of mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole, green beans, buttery corn, and stuffing were overflowing. Covering a buffet sideboard along thedining room wall were desserts of cherry pie, apple pie, pumpkin pie, and a German chocolate cake. In line with Cooper tradition, no one would go home hungry or empty-handed.
Gifts followed dinner and dessert. The children squealed in delight as presents of video games, building blocks, dolls, boardgames, books, and clothes exchanged hands. Then the adults surprised one another by presenting gifts to the person whose name they had secretly drawn. Even Henrietta Culpepper received a gift from Charley and Sully in exchange for the beautiful poinsettia they had known she was bringing.
Charley, with help from Chloe and Jade, divvied up the leftovers and placed them into beautiful holiday to-go containers. By the time the kids started yawning, the dishes were washed, and the dining room was back to the way it had been before the Christmas Eve festivities. Gift bags holding food and presents were gathered up, and good nights were shared with heartfelt hugs and handshakes. The children from all three of the Cooper households had already talked about waking up early the next morning to see what Santa had left for them underneath the tree. Thus, the cars started pulling out of the driveway, and from the front porch, Sully and Charley waved good night. Before heading out, Owen shared a kiss with Henri under the mistletoe. Promising to touch base with his dad the next day, Sully closed and locked the front door.
“I think our first house party went well,” Sully said. “What do you think?”
“Perfect, and I think we have a private party waiting for us in the bedroom.”
“I’ll race you there.”
Charley took a step, but Sully caught her arm and pulled her behind him. She giggled his name as he jogged down the hallway ahead of her. Catching the back of his shirt, she slid her hand to his belt and curled her fingers over it. When she tried to slowhim down, Sully turned to her. He tossed her over his shoulder and gave her sexy fanny a pat. Laughing wildly, Charley smacked his butt with both hands. Sully chuckled and carried her straight to bed.
Leon droppedinto the pit of the dank cave. Exploration and practice in the tunnels were crucial. Most crawled with a cobweb of confusing turns and dead ends. The voices were still furious over the incident at the flower shop the previous month. How dare that cowboy throw him out of Charley’s life. And she’d gone right along with it! He’d stormed back to Old Colorado City in a rage and searched for the streetwalker who’d escaped him. It took so long to spot the noxious hooker that he’d almost decided she’d left town. But no, she had surfaced, and he’d made her pay for the sickening kick to his groin. Charley had delivered a mental kick just as crucifying. He’d dragged the corpse inside a cave and inched his way home through the maze of rats and mud. He was done wooing Charley. She would pay for her repeated rejections. He’d be waiting and watching. For as long as it took. Like the other whores, Charley would show up eventually.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
“Merry Christmas,” Charley whispered quietly so as not to disturb him.
She had awakened on Christmas morning, warm, naked, and cozy in Sully’s arms. Her head was next to his on the pillow and her leg lay between his. She smiled at his handsome sleeping profile and eased out of bed. Plucking his long-sleeved, soft, flannel shirt off a chair, she put it on as she padded barefoot to the door. She heard the bed covers rustle and looking over her shoulder saw Sully roll onto his stomach. Charley sighed at the sexy picture this man made in the middle of the king-size bed. Wanting him and second-guessing her decision to turn on the Christmas tree lights and make breakfast, momentarily halted her in the doorway. But Wyatt hopped out of his doggy bed and trotted to her, so with a smile she continued to the living room. After lighting the tree, she let Wyatt outside, and when the puppy was back indoors, they went into the kitchen. She fed Wyatt and had just placed crisp bacon and French toast onto plates when muscular arms wrapped around her waist and a broad chest molded to her back.
“Merry Christmas morning,” Sully said, moving her long braid to one side and nibbling her neck.
“It certainly is,” Charley replied, turning in Sully’s embrace, and wrapping her arms around his naked torso. Standing between his bare feet, she flattened her hands to the skin along his spine and kissed his lips.
