Cowboy Christmas (A Henley Christmas Novella) (Down Under Cowboy series) (5 page)

After feeding and bathing Olive, I tuck her in to bed and say goodnight.  Making my way out to the lounge room, I spot Jackson lying on the couch.  He’s wearing nothing but a pair of red satin, Christmas inspired boxer shorts.  When he spots me, he holds his arms open wide and I crawl into them.  Positioning myself along his side so it’s comfortable for my bump, I relax and cuddle him close.

He flicks the button on the remote, and my most favourite Christmas movie starts to play; “Miracle on 34
th
Street.”

“I love this movie,” I grin against his naked chest.

“I know,” I know, he says, and I hear rather than see his replying grin.

“Oh, god,”
I moan as Jackson enters me.

A pillow is supporting my lower back.  Jackson is on his knees, sitting back on his heels.  My legs are wrapped arou
nd his waist and he’s just slid inside me.

We’re on the floor in lounge
room, having just played ‘Santa’.  The glow of the Christmas tree lights sparkle around the room, and I can’t help but thinking it’s the most romantic setting to make love.

I tighten my muscles and Jackson hisses.

“Feel so fucking good, darlin’.”

“Yes,” I breathe.

Slowly, he slides in and out of me.  A fine sheen of sweat covers his naked chest and I watch mesmerized as his muscle flex and relax with each thrust.

His hands are gripping my ass, but one moves and snakes up to pinch and twist my nipple.

“Ah!” I cry out as the action sending bolts of pleasure straight to my groin.

His fingers leave my nipple and travel south. I writhe in anticipation as he moves
his hand so torturously slowly. He lightly runs his fingers over my belly, and then up and down my ribcage.  Then, across the top of my pubic bone and over my stomach again.

“Please,” I mewl.

“Patience,” Jackson grits out through clenched teeth on an inward thrust.

Finally, his fingers find my swollen nub.  He presses down and then rubs in large circles.  My pussy clenches as fire heats my blood.

“Faster, please,” I beg.  He begins rubbing my clit faster.  “No, your cock.  Need you cock, faster,” I pant out.  My nipples tighten to the point of pain and Jackson starts to pump into me with force and speed.

“Oh…Oh…Omigod…” I moan loudly as my orgasm rips through my body, tearing me wide open and putting me back together again.

Jackson’s hand leaves my clit and goes back to my ass.  His fingers dig into my cheeks as he finds his way to his own release. 

“Fuck, yeah, baby.  Such a sweet pussy. Love this pussy.  It’s all mine,” he grinds out.

I feel his cock swell inside me, and it pulses as he fills me with warm come.

“Ace,” he groans as his head falls b
etween my breasts and he tries catch his breath.

“That was fucking phenomenal!”

“Mmm, yes it was,” I agree on a sigh.

~*~

The next morning, I wake at six.  And I wait.  And I wait.

Will this child ever wake up?!

Finally, at half past seven, I hear Olive stir.  I race into our room and wake Jackson.  He springs out of bed and we both go into Olive’s room.

“Merry Christmas, baby girl.” I lift her from her cot and squish her against me.  Kissing her temple, I whisper, “Santa’s been.”

“Ho, ho, ho,” she chants.

“Merry Christmas, Daddy’s girl,” Jackson says, kissing her on the forehead.  “Let’s go see what Santa bought.”

Olive stares in shock at all the presents under the tree.

“Wow,” she says in awe.  I sit her down on the floor and she races straight over to her biggest present – a six-volt Barbie car.

“Vroom, vroom,” she giggles.

Jackson helps her open the rest of her presents, while I snap photos.  Then, after a breakfast of bacon, eggs and pancakes, we load up the car with present and drive over to Ava’s house.

“Merry Christmas!” Oscar opens the door, shouting his greeting.

“Merry Christmas, buddy,” Jackson and I both say to him.  I
give him a hug and then we hand him his present.  Immediately, he sits it on the ground and rips the paper open.

“Thomas!” He yells excitedly when he spots the wooden Thomas train set we bought him.

We walk into Jeremy and Ava and share Merry Christmas wishes and exchange presents.  Ava and Jeremy bought Jackson and I a weekend away at a retreat not far from here.

“We’re happy to have Olive for the weekend.  We thought it would be a good chance for you guys to spend some time together before the baby arrives,” Ava tells us.

I grin at her knowingly, as she opens the present we purchased for her and Jeremy.  Once she spots it, she bursts into laughter.

“Smart minds think alike,” we both say at the same time.

“At least it’s a different retreat,” Jackson laughs.

“Oscar can stay with us the weekend you guys go away,” I smile.

The boys take the kids outside to play on Oscar’s trampoline that Santa bought him, while Ava and I get all the food ready for the family lunch. 

Soon after, Jackson and Jeremy’s parents arrive, along with Skip, Rhonda and Dory.  After greeting everyone and exchanging presents, I give Jules a quick a call.  This is the first Christmas in as long as I can remember, that we haven’t spent together.

She answers on the third ring.  “Hey, girlfriend.  Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas back at you!  How was your morning?”

“Good.  Busy.  Hectic.  But, good.  Mum and I are just getting lunch sorted.”

“That’s good.  I miss you not being here.”

“I know, I miss you guys as well.  How’s my little Olly?”

“She’s good.  She’s loving all these presents.”

“Awesome.  Well, I better go.  I’ll see you when I get back in a couple of weeks.”

“Okay. Love you.  Have fun.”

“We will.  Love you, too.  Say hi to everyone from us.”

“I will.  ‘Bye.”

I press end and go back out to help Ava and the other ladies serve the salads.  Just as I enter the kitchen, the boys come inside to carve the ham, chicken and turkey.

Once the kids are settled at the table with their lunch,
we pile our plates full of the delicious food and sit around for hours eating, laughing and enjoying each other’s company.  It’s a perfect afternoon.

~*~

“Do you wanna be a cowboy, baby?”  I laugh as I watch Skip and Rhonda’s daughter, Kazza, dancing on the table.  It’s Christmas night, the kids are in bed and the adults are celebrating.  We’re all sitting out under Ava and Jeremy’s patio.  Along with Kazza, who drove up from Darwin this afternoon, there’s also Dory, Rhonda, Skip, myself and Jackson, Ava, Jeremy and their parents and Ava’s sister, Kennedy.  The only person not drunk is me, but I’m having just as much fun watching everyone else.  About an hour ago, Kazza jumped in the pool in only her underwear, then when she got out, she started dancing on the tables.  She swings her hips to the beat and sings at the top of her lungs, while everyone claps and cheers her on – well, everyone except Skip.  He’s sitting off in a corner, sucking on a VB stubby, shaking his head at his daughter’s performance.

It’s Christmas, cowboy style
, I think to myself.

“Hey, Skip,” I say, pulling up a chair next to him.

“G’day Edie, love.”

“Are y
ou having a good time?”

“Yep, sure am.”

“That’s good then.  It’s been a great day.”

“Sure has,” He agrees.  “Makes me happy seeing you and Jack together, building a life and a family.  You worked hard to get what you got.  I think of you as a daughter, Edie.  And I’m damn proud of the both of you.”

Tears spring to my eyes.

“Skip,” I whisper.

“Don’t ‘Skip’ me, Edie girl.  From the moment I saw you at the pub, I knew you were something special.  I’m grateful to be a part of your life, and a part of your family.”

“We’
re glad to have you,” I sniffle.  “You know my parents passed away, and since then, the only parents I’ve had is Jules’.  I miss my parents, Skip, but I know for a fact they’d be so happy if they knew that I found someone like you to be there for me like a parent would.”

“Awe, damn Edie girl,” he wipes his eyes.  “Got something stuck in my fucking eye.  Must be bugs around.”

I grin.  He’s so full of shit.

“Sure, Skip, you’ve got to watch those
bugs,” I tease.

“Come here,” he
throws an arm around my shoulders and kisses my head.  “Best Christmas I ever had,” he whispers against my hair.

“Damn, now I think I’ve got a bug in my eye,” I say through a sob.

Skip’s body shakes as he laughs silently.

Yep, definitely the best Christmas, ever.

3 months later

I wince as the first pain hits.

It’s time.

I push myself off the lounge and waddle into the kitchen.  Olive’s been down for her nap for only twenty minutes and I’d just sat down to relax for a bit, before I had to hang some washing out.

T
aking the two-way radio from its clip, I call Jackson up.

“Jackson, are you on channel?”

“On channel,” is his immediate reply.

“Uh, babe, I think you better come home.”

“Is everything okay?” He asks, sounding panicked.

“Yes, well, no, not really.  I think it’s time.”

“Time for what, darlin’?”

“
The baby.  I think the baby is coming.”  I hiss as another pain ripples through my stomach.

“I’m on my way.”

“Okay.”  I place the two-way back in its holder and watch the clock patiently, attempting to time my contractions.

The phone rings and, seeing Ava’s name flash on the screen, I answer straight away.

“Hey.”

“Hey, I just heard you and Jackson over the radio.  Are you okay?  How far apart are the pains?  Do you want me to come
there, or do you want to drop Olive here on your way?”  She fires the questions at me so fast, I don’t have a chance to answer her in between each one.

“I’m fine. The pains just started,
but knowing how quick Olive’s labour was, I don’t want to hesitate in getting to the hospital.  If you can come here, that would be great.  Olive just went down for her nap, so I don’t really want to wake her.”

“That’s fine.  Oscar is at work with Jeremy.  I’ll be there in ten.”  She hangs up the phone and I decide to get my bags from our bedroom and put them near the front door, for when Jackson gets in.

Ten minutes later, Jackson bursts through the front door and looks wildly around for me.  Thirty seconds later, Ava comes tearing in.

“Thank fuck, you’re still in one piece!” Jackson exclaims.

“Always such a romantic, babe,” I mock swoon.

“No time for joking, Edie.  Let’s get you out to the car.  Can you walk?  Or, do you need me to carry you?”

“I can walk, Jackson.  The pains have only just started.”

“How far apart are they?”  Ava asks just as another contraction hits.

I glance up to the clock as I grip my stomach. “Ten minutes,” I answer.

“Okay, well you guys go on ahead.  I’ll be fine here with Olive.”

“Thanks Ava,” I hug her.

“Anytime.”

~*~

Fourteen hours and an epidural later, it’s time to push. 

“You got this, Ace,” Jackson tells me.

“Okay, Eden, take a deep breath and give us a big push, now.” 

I do as the nurse instructs, and I push with everything I’ve got.  I push so hard, I’m sure I burst the blood vessels in my face.  Then I push again and again…and again.

“I can’t do it anymore,” I cry, slumping back on the bed.

“Yes, you can, darlin’.  You can do it.  Bring our baby into this world,” Jackson encourages me.

“A couple more big pushes, Edie, and your baby will be here,” the nurse tells me.  “Come on, push.  Now!  Push.  Harder.  That’s it, that’s it.  Okay, okay, pant now, Edie.  Don’t push, just breathe through it.”

“I’m trying,” I say between gritted teeth. 

I want to rip this nurse’s head off.  I want to cut off Jackson’s dick.  I’m never doing this again!

“Oh, god, it hurts,” I half screech, half moan as the burning pain of the baby’s head crowning hits me.

“Another little push, Edie.  That’s it, good girl.”

Then, I hear the most beautiful sound in the world.

My baby crying.

“Would you like to tell M
um what the baby is, Dad?”  I vaguely hear the nurse ask Jackson.

“It’s a boy!” Jack
son shouts.  “You little beauty,” he whoops with joy.  “I’ve got a son!”