1
TRAVIS
“Okay, put this down.” I’m already rolling my eyes before I even feel Oakley’s big hands removing my laptop from my lap.
“I can’t. I have to get this done.” And I do. I have a lot of work to do this morning. Mostly just setting up a couple of jobs. It’s winter, so it’s slow but not totally dead at work. “Mrs. Sawyer is having a large New Year’s party this year. She needs us to make sure her driveway will be totally clear for the party and wants us to clean the dead flowers from the bed in front of her house.Can’t have dead flowers, son. That just won’t do. What would my guests think?” I say in my best Mrs. Sawyer impression. I’m gripping my laptop hard between my fingers, not letting it go. Listen, I love the hell out of my husband. Didn’t see that coming when we were just two guys growing up in Kensley together, but I do love him. And he’s a hardworking man, that’s for sure.
But the business side of landscaping—not really his thing.
“Guess I’m on call for New Years Eve.” He’s not complaining though. He has a big smile on his face right now. Oakley likes to be hands-on, but it takes a lot more to run our company than that. And that part, I’m in charge of.
“What are the odds it actually snows,” I wonder, and he chuckles and then tries to pull the laptop again, but I hold on for dear life.
“It’s Christmas,” he pouts—and goddammit, I hate how adorable he looks when he pouts. My big, muscle-y, gorgeous husband is way too adorable with his bottom lip pushed out like that and his big eyes begging me.
“It’s Christmas Eve.” He huffs and tugs at the laptop, this time successfully removing it from between my fingers when I hear how ridiculous I’m being. “The party is tonight.”
“It is. And I have a lot to do for that too.” He places the laptop onto the table next to me, and then his body blankets mine. I’m still in my pajama pants, my hair all mussed up, and I haven’t even had a chance to brush my teeth yet. But Oakley is fully dressed, his hair brushed but still sticking up in places because I’m guessing he had his stocking cap on at one point this morning, and his breath is minty fresh.
“You were outside already, weren’t you?” I ask with a smile as his lips brush my jaw. When he nods his head, I feel the curve of his lips as he smiles.
“I was getting the firepit ready for tonight.”
I shake my head at him, but I can’t remove the goofy smile he always puts on my face. Truthfully, I don’t really try all that hard not to smile. Oakley makes me happy. It’s just a fact. I’m ridiculously in love with my husband.
I smooth my hands down his back over the soft T-shirt he’s wearing and feel the coolness of it. “It’s cold outside today, isn’t it? Are you sure we should make everyone go outside?”
He pushes up on his arms and looks down at me, his face reflecting the horror he so obviously feels that I’d even question it, which makes me chuckle. “Wehaveto go outside. Cider and cocoa around the firepit.”
“You’re ridiculous, you know that?” I shake my head fondly. He loves Christmas, and he loves throwing a big party for all our employees. I do too. Without them, we wouldn’t make it. They are what keeps our business thriving, and we owe it to them to do special things when we can.
“I do. Come on.” He jumps up and then reaches for my hand. “Grab your coat.”
I let him pull me up from the bed, but I grumble a little because I was cozy, and now I have to go outside in the winter hell. Not my favorite. “Don’t tell me there’s a meteor shower,” I mumble when he hands me my coat.
“I wish,” he declares emphatically as I tug my coat on over my bare skin and zip it up. Oakley isn’t satisfied though. He reaches into my pockets and pulls my gloves out, handing them to me while he grabs two stocking caps from his pocket, pulling one on over my head and another over his.
I tug my gloves on, and he grabs his coat before pulling me through the house and then out to the backyard.
I smile when I see he’s decorated a few of our trees with lights and has all the chairs perfectly situated around the firepit. There’s no snow on the ground, but it’s cold as hell, and I tug my hat down a little more as I follow him out to the picnic table near the firepit. He’s draped a tablecloth with Santa on it on the table and has already set out several cups and cocoa packets, along with lots of toppings and peppermint spoons. He’s thought of everything. “Hot cocoa bar. I saw it on Pinterest,” he says, and I wrap my arms around his neck.
“You’re a good boss.”
“Yeah?” He looks proud of himself. “So are you.” He kisses my cold nose. “Did you get the cash out, by the way?”
I chuckle, my arms still wrapped around his neck. “Yes. And the holiday-themed cash envelopes.” He’s adamant that we give the bonuses in cash every year. “Though it would have been ahell of a lot easier to just direct deposit the money into their accounts.” I have to tease him, but of course his head is already shaking like crazy.
“No. No. No. My guys are cash guys. It feels good to hold it in your hand and know how much you earned.”
I grin, fucking with him some more because I can. “They told me they like it in their bank accounts. They’re card swipers.”
He grasps his heart with his hand in mock shock. “You lie.”
I laugh. “I do.”
“So everything’s ready for the party then?” He nuzzles my neck and then wraps his big arms around my waist, pulling me into him, and I know exactly what he’s thinking.
I shake my head in argument. “Not even close. I have to clean the house and call the barbecue place to make sure our order is correct.” He slowly moves his lips over my neck, kissing softly and making me whimper ever so slightly. He hits that spot that drives me totally insane, the asshole. My head tips back against my will, giving him better access. “And I need to make sure to wrap Amber’s presents. I can’t leave the wrapping to you. Sorry. I love you, but your wrapping skills need some work...”
