A Barker Family Christmas (9 page)

Morning came slowly to New Waterford, as it tended to do this time of the year, with shorter days and longer nights. Heavy snow clouds filled the sky doing their best to blot out the sun, but to no avail. Bright rays reflected off the snow like diamonds, and even though the air was sharp and the wind biting, it did nothing to dampen the spirits of the townsfolk.

The Michigan residents were used to the cold and snow, and at this time of the year it did nothing but add a little bit extra
something
that made the Christmas holidays special. Music was piped along the sidewalks, the stores were festive, and more importantly, everyone had an abundance of Christmas spirit.

As the Mayor of New Waterford made his way downtown to his office, he shook off the cold, satisfied with the year that was almost behind him.

The economy was picking up, new families were moving to the area, and the waterfront development had brought much needed tax dollars pouring into the town’s coffers. All in all a great year.

Mayor Holbrook paused in front of one of several boutiques in the downtown core and perused the items displayed. He made a mental note to stop in before it closed at noon to pick up a little extra something for his wife.

He inhaled a crisp shot of winter air and hummed
Little Drummer Boy
, a smile planted firmly on his face. Always a favorite, the song made him feel like a kid again. Even though the cold penetrated to the bone, and the wind had picked up something fierce, there was a buzz in the air. An excitement that had been building for days.

He knew more than anyone that Betty Jo Barker and her fiancé Beau Simon were the reason. Their not-so-secret wedding was the talk of the town, and if the influx of visitors to New Waterford was any indication, it was going to get more than a little crazy.

He shook his head. In his mind there were a lot more important things to do than to try and catch a glimpse of a celebrity. The whole thing was silly. Beau Simon and the rest of his clan were no different than normal folks. Other than real estate of course—no one he knew owned million dollar mansions. Oh, and the Hollywood thing. But still. He didn’t understand the fanaticism of some of the townsfolk. Even old Mrs. Jensen, the tailor, couldn’t stop talking about Beau when he’d picked up his suit the day before.

“Oh my goodness, that Beau Simon is just so blessed handsome.”

“Yes, I suppose he is.”

“Do you think he’s as handsome in person?”

“I don’t rightly know.”

“Well didn’t you meet him when he was here for the charity ball game?”

“I guess I did.”

“Well?

“Well what?”

“Honestly, you men are infuriating. Never paying attention to detail.”

The entire conversation had been exasperating.

“Good morning, Mr. Holbrook.”

Taking off his hat, he glanced over to his assistant surprised. “I thought you were off today, Mrs. Hodges.” Goodness. Had he forgotten to tell her to take the day for herself and her family?

“Oh I was,” the woman said with a chuckle. “But I thought you’d need me for at least a few hours.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“Well, I’ve been on the phone with the Sheriff’s office trying to rustle up some more officers for traffic duty. The overtime will be steep, but heavens, Pastor Vickers was nearly rear-ended this morning.”

“I see,” Mayor Holbrook replied, rubbing his temples.

“Even with the extra security hired by Betty Jo and the Simon family, things are getting a little out of hand.” The woman frowned. “I’ve heard rumors that the wedding’s been moved from the church out to White Haven. Do you know anything about that?”

Of course he did, but Mayor Holbrook wasn’t about to share that information with anyone.

“Not to my knowledge,” he replied, glancing away quickly. He might be somewhat of a politician, but the Mayor was a crappy liar.

The phone rang just then and Mrs. Hodges paused before answering. “I guess it’s just a rumor then. But it’s exciting all the same.” The woman was practically trembling. “Just imagine, Beau Simon and his brothers in town for Christmas. Oh and that rascal Cooper Simon, I wonder if he’ll be here? And that Betty Jo. She always does something scandalous. I can’t wait to see her dress. It’s going to be a Christmas Eve this town will never forget.”

Mayor Holbrook tweaked his mustache and sighed. “Mrs. Hodges, you have no idea.”

It was a Barker affair. What else was new?

By the time Billie reached White Haven, she’d gone from mild concern to growing unease. Traffic through town had been brutal. There was a large number of residents milling about the streets, and a number of faces that Billie didn’t recognize.

Some of them pointed at her vehicle as she drove by. Some of them even started running after her (until they realized she was the wrong triplet), and some had just snapped away as if they had every right to take her picture.

She may or may not have flipped her middle finger. She may or may not have done it more than once. Seriously. She’d almost run over one of them.

Billie pulled up to the gate leading to Shane’s estate, maneuvering past several groups of photographers lining the road. Guess they’d figured out the wedding was going to take place at Shane’s. A tall man she didn’t recognize approached her vehicle and she rolled down the window, grimacing at the blast of cold air.

“Security Pass, please.”

Okay. What?

Billie stared at the guy and shrugged. “Um, I don’t have one.”

“Then I’m afraid I can’t open the gate.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“No, Miss. I’m not.”

Billie thumped her fingers along the top of the steering wheel and tried her best to sound as if she wasn’t pissed the hell off.

“Do you know who I am?” Okay. She winced at that because A) it sounded lame and B) more than a little desperate.

“No,” he replied. “I don’t. If you had a security pass we wouldn’t have a problem.”

“Well that’s not working for me and I’m not going anywhere so you may as well let me in.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t deviate from my orders and my orders are not to allow anyone in without a pass.”

“Unreal,” she muttered, spying Matt Hawkins in the distance. She honked her horn, which drew a heavy frown from the security guy.

“I’m going to have to ask you to turn your vehicle around so that the service trucks can make their way inside.”

Okay. Take a minute.
Billie had a temper and at the moment it was taking everything she had to keep a level head.

“Look, Mr. Security Dude. That house belongs to my sister. The girl who’s getting married here later? She’s my sister too. I need to get inside, because in addition to all of that, my son is in that house and I haven’t seen him since last night, so I suggest that you open that gate or we’re going to have a problem.”

Indecision crept into the man’s eyes and he glanced back at the house.

“Oh my God!” Billie exploded.

“I’m sorry, Miss. I was instructed not to let anyone enter without a pass.”

“Hold on,” she retorted, reaching for her cell.

It rang three times and she set it to speaker so the security guard wouldn’t miss anything.

“Hey,” Bobbi said, finally answering. “I thought you’d be here by now.”

“I would if I could get past security. Apparently you forgot to give me a pass or something.”

“I gave them to Logan. Where’s he?”

“He had to swing by his shop for a few hours and then he’s bringing Gramps out.”

“Oh. Okay. Gotcha.” Billie heard someone yelling in the background. “It’s crazy town around here right now. Matt’s finally got the PA working so we’ll actually have music to dance to, and the florists are here though the damn roses are still nowhere to be found. And Duke’s been here since—“

“I don’t care about any of that. Let me the hell in!”

“Holy. I wasn’t expecting you to be such a grump. Not after a night of hot sex.” Her sister giggled. “I heard you and Logan went at in The Grill. Seriously, Billie? You guys? I expect that from Betty not you.”

“Bobbi.”

“Gotta give it to you girlie. Shane and I have had sex in a lot of weird places but never in a public bar. Did anyone see you?

“What? Eeewww. No, of course not.”

“Did I ever tell you about the time Shane and I had sex in the basement of the church?”

“Bobbi, you’re on speaker.”

“Oh, shit.”

Billie glanced up at the security guard and offered a small smile.

“Carson,” Bobbi said. “I’m calling your radio right now.”

His device lit up and less than a minute later Billie was parking her vehicle. She waved to Matt and ran inside, anxious to see her son. She pushed open the door and yelled.

“Abel! Mommy’s here!”

She heard her son before she saw him and was just slipping out of her boots when he came out of the library, chubby legs moving as fast as they could go. Billie scooped him up into her arms and kissed him all over, loving the sound of his giggles.

When she had her fill, she let him squirm out of her grasp, aware that she wasn’t alone any longer. A tall man with dark, closely cropped hair and equally dark eyes leaned against the doorframe, watching the two of them. Dressed casually in faded jeans, his T-shirt looked as if it had been washed many times over.
Green Day
was the insignia across his chest and Billie thought it suited him.

The guy looked like a rebel and more than a little dangerous.

“Hi,” she said. “I’m Billie.”

“So,” he replied, shoving away from his perch and taking a step toward her. “There really are three.”

She smiled. That was a line she’d been hearing her whole life.

“It would appear so.”

He offered his hand and Billie took it. “Nice to meet you. I’m Beau’s cousin, Maverick. But you can call me Rick.”

Maverick.
That rang a bell. Partly because he’d written a hit song with Donovan James and they’d performed it at the CMA’s, but mostly because he was dating Elle Mason, a Hollywood wild child who was always in the tabloids.

“You look different,” she said, studying him carefully. Geez, were all the Simon men this hot in person?

“It’s the hair,” he said with a grin. “Lost a bet and most of it came off a few weeks ago.”

“Oh. That sucks.” Shit, Billie. Stop talking.

“Nah. I lost the girlfriend at about the same time and the truth is, I don’t miss either one.”

“There you are.”

They both turned as Betty Jo walked into the foyer, and to say that Billie was shocked was a bit of an understatement. First off, she hadn’t been expecting her sister until later in the afternoon. And secondly, well, there wasn’t any other way to put it.

“Jesus, Betty. You look like shit.”

“Nice to see you too,” Betty replied.

Billie frowned. “When did you guys get here? Did you sneak into town early?”

Betty Jo opened her mouth to answer and then held up her hand. “Shit,” she managed to say, before turning to the table beside her, and tossed her cookies all over the large red poinsettia.

Wow, thought Billie. Shit is right.

Beau Simon stared out at the cars that lined the driveway and filled the temporary parking lot behind the converted barn. In about an hour, he was going to make Betty Jo Barker his wife and damn, but he was going crazy with the need to see her. A smile crept over his features as he slicked his blond hair back. Who knew she’d be such a stickler and insist that they not see each other twelve hours before the big event?

“It’s snowing again,” his cousin Cooper said, joining him at the window.

Beau nodded. “I think it’s going to snow most of the night.”

“I like it,” Cooper said taking a sip from his tumbler. “Reminds me of when we were kids and we’d head up to your family’s place on the lake. Spend the entire day playing hockey and building forts in the trees.”

“We used to use Maverick for target practice,” Beau chuckled.

“Yeah,” Cooper replied softly. “Those were good times.”

The men were silent for a few seconds, both seemingly lost in thought.