Texas #4_Texas Christmas (19 page)

Beth smiled. “No one messes with a Campbell. Anyway, without Riley in my life I may never have ended up realizing I loved Steve, and you would have been a lonely middle-aged guy.”

Jack huffed and poked his sister in her side. The baby squirmed in her arms. “Less of the middle-aged, I’m only halfway through my thirties.”

“It’s all about family, Jack, at the end of the day. You and Riley were meant to be, Hayley and Max, both meant to be, and the twins, you wouldn’t have them if you didn’t have Riley. What happened yesterday was a shock, but you’re all okay and you should count your blessings like I do every day.”

Abruptly it hit Jack what was wrong with him. Where this stupid idiotic funk was coming from. Not from yesterday as such, more from everything that had taken him on this journey to today.

“What if I had none of it?” he said gruff and emotional. “What if Dad and Gerald had never fought, what if he hadn’t set that stupid thing in his will? We’d never have met and now we have…and the children. What if someone takes it from me, or I lose it, the kids, the ranch, Riley?”

Beth reached out her free hand and gripped his firmly. “What bought this on, big brother?”

Jack shook his head to try and free some of the more useless of feelings.

“There were times when I was pregnant I wondered if I was doing the right thing. What if something happened to me? Steve and I have already been given the gift of living for ourselves, and Emily is such a good baby, why would I chance to change things horribly?” She paused and glanced down at Cam. “Then I see him and I know it was all worth it somehow.”

“I love you,” Jack said gently. “You’re my favorite sister,” he added with a teasing smile.

“And I love you too. You will always be my second-favorite brother,” she teased back, and Jack’s black mood lifted slowly under the brilliance of her smile.

“You coming to trim the tree? There’s alcohol-free eggnog.”

“Eww,” Beth said with an exaggerated purse of her lips. “I’ll be in as soon as this little one is done.”

Jack pressed a kiss to his sister’s forehead and one to Cam’s, then left the sun room to join the others. He found Riley waiting for him in the hall. Riley looked concerned and Jack cursed his stupidity.

“Is Beth okay?” Riley asked immediately.

“She’s good. I was just telling her that I couldn’t imagine life without the kids and you and the family.”

Riley stepped into his space and cradled his face. His breath smelt vaguely
eggnoggy
, and his skin held a day’s worth of stubble. He looked tired, but he was smiling softly. “After yesterday I get that. But don’t waste time on imagining not having us.”

“I’m tired, is all,” Jack admitted. “But don’t you ever think? What if your dad hadn’t set that stupid clause in the contract about you marrying? We may never have met.”

Riley tilted his head as he appeared to consider, then his expression softened. “
Nuh
-uh,” he dismissed. “Somehow we would have always found our way to each other.”

“You think?”

Riley kissed him and deepened the kiss while pressing Jack back to the wall. Evidently this was Riley’s answer.

Jack kind of liked it. A lot.

When Jack at last made it to tree trimming, it was to find Liam sat on the floor with Hayley, helping her string paper chains, and Marcus struggling with the base for the tree.

Jack took over and Marcus backed away thankfully.

“Why do they make things so difficult?” Marcus griped.

Jack twisted the final screw and the whole thing popped up and in seconds he had it in place ready for the tree. “Because nothing beautiful is ever easy to make,” Jack said profoundly. There was silence. Then Riley sniggered, followed closely by Josh and Marcus until everyone was laughing uncontrollably.

“You’re a poet, bro,” Josh said between wiping away tears of laughter.

“Ass. Hole,” Jack said. Then in a smooth move he had his brother pinned to the floor with Hayley, Logan, and Lea joining in.

“Uncle! Uncle!” Josh shouted.

“Never letting you go, Uncle Josh,” Hayley said with a grin.

Max joined them, standing in front of Jack with a frown.
Damn it, they were scaring him.
Jack made to move, then realized Max had a cushion in his hand. Carefully Max laid it on Josh’s face. Evidently that was his comment on the situation.

Jack smiled at Max. He didn’t get a smile back. But it didn’t matter. He felt in his heart the smile that would have been on Max’s face.

The tree lights leant a soft glow to the early morning, and Liam cuddled closer to Marcus.

“Merry Christmas,” Marcus said gently.

Thinking back to this time last year, the last time Hank had hurt him, it didn’t seem real that he’d found friends and a home. And Marcus. He inhaled the scent of his lover, the citrus of the shower gel they’d used in the shower as Christmas Eve passed to Christmas Day. They’d exchanged gifts the night before, a new cell phone for him from Marcus, a frame for Marcus with a photo inside that Eli had given them a few weeks back. He and Marcus sat on the metal steps up to the apartment, staring into each other’s eyes and looking so damn intent on whatever they were discussing.

Liam could recall in detail what they had been discussing. Something that, while not making them argue, made Liam uncomfortable. Marcus wanted him to talk to someone about Hank, sure the authorities would believe him after what had happened with Yuri.

“I’m going to call someone on the case tomorrow. About what happened in Laredo,” Liam whispered against Marcus’s warm skin. He tensed when Marcus didn’t immediately reply. “I might have to go down there.” Still nothing. “Marcus?”

“Tell me when,” Marcus finally said. “I’ll come with you.”

“I can handle it on my own,” Liam said defiantly. Well, as defiant as he could be while cradled in his lover’s arms.

“But, Liam, you don’t have to.”

Liam’s throat choked with emotion. “I love you.”

“And I love you.”

* * * * *

Eli rolled over on his back and wondered how he was going to survive the next fifty years if he kept having orgasms as intense as that.

“Fuck, Robbie,” he managed to say through the feeling of melted bones and lack of brains.

Robbie chuckled and propped himself up on his elbow. “That good, eh?”

“Better.”

“Better than what.”

“Better than last time.”

“What about the time before that?”

“What time?”

“The chocolate and the cream.”

“Oh—” Eli flung an arm over his eyes and exhaled noisily. “—the time you nearly killed me through orgasm.”

“Yeah, that time.”

Eli moved his arm and tilted his head to observe his very satisfied-looking lover. He could never get enough of Robbie. Never.

“God, I love you so much.”

“Not as much as I love you.”

“Impossible.”

* * * * *

Hayley sat cross-legged on the end of the bed. Riley had Connor, and Jack held Lexie. This was their Christmas. Max was happy in his room with his new Thomas toys, and they had made sure to keep everything calm. Thankfully Hayley understood, and Riley was a bit sad that his daughter didn’t
believe
. Never mind he could be pretend-Santa to Lexie and Connor.

“Can I open Lexie’s present from you?” Hayley asked. She’d already opened Connor’s Santa sleep suit. The twins were nearly at the point of sitting, and Riley resolved to get a photo of the two of them in amongst any remaining unwrapped presents under the huge, slightly tilted tree. He could use presents to prop them up, or something. Lexie was still ahead of Connor, even now she sat up and bobbled her head, Connor was happy to lay and stare at the ceiling. Although, he was now the louder of the two and Riley was convinced he would be the first to talk.

“Go on, then,” Jack said. He helped Lexie sit, and she batted at the brightly colored present that Hayley waved in front of her.

“What is it, Lex? What is it?” Hayley teased. Then she carefully unwrapped it to reveal a sleep suit similar to Connor’s. “
Ooooh
,” she said exaggeratedly. “You gonna be a twin with Connor.”

“We need to get up for the family,” Jack said with a glance at the bedside clock.

Riley knew his husband was right, but he was warm and comfortable here and he’d just spotted someone hovering outside the door.

“Max?” he called carefully. “Look,” he added. He held up the James toy that lived on his side of the bed and waggled it. Max would come in and touch his Thomas to James. Riley was finding ways to communicate with his son.

Max hesitated, then came into the room, and with Riley’s help he clambered up on the bed and settled next to Hayley. He leaned on her arm and held out his Thomas for Riley to touch James to. Riley didn’t disappoint his son and added a smile to support the action. Apparently repetition was good.

“Hello, Max,” Jack said softly.

“Hello,” Max replied. Then he pulled at the nearest gift lying on the bed. One of Jack’s, a squishy present from his mom, probably a sweater. Carefully Max opened it but when he was halfway through, he wrinkled his nose and poked at the wrapping paper. Then he pushed the whole thing away. Riley considered the paper. It was red with silver stars, just like any paper, and Max hadn’t touched the sweater inside.

“Is the paper too crinkly?” Riley asked carefully. Then he spotted the tape that was holding everything together. Maybe it was that. He eased out the sweater and passed it Max who immediately scrunched it up and buried his face in the softness. Autism was a strange thing at times, and it was an incredible learning curve.

“Here’s one from me.” Hayley handed a parcel to Jack who turned it over in his hands. Riley knew what it would be. It had kind of become a tradition of sorts. Carefully Jack unwrapped the box and pulled out this year’s ornament. Every year was different. This year it was in the shape of a dummy and had pink glitter on one side and blue on the other. Riley peered closer. On the top was a tiny painted Thomas sitting on a capital ‘H’ for Hayley. Yep, she’d included everyone.

“It’s beautiful,” Jack said reverently. He held it by the string and it spun as he offered it to Riley.

“Beautiful,” Riley agreed. “Let’s go put it on the tree.”

Twins in arms, Hayley chatting, and Max carrying both Thomas and the small James, all six ended up in the front room in front of the tree. With ceremony Hayley hung the ornament next to the ones for the last few years. Riley felt absolute utter peace.

A knock on the door and the arrival of Donna and Neil was enough to break that peace. Josh and his family, followed closely by Sean and Eden, adding to the Christmas chaos.

Riley picked up Max and sheltered him from the noise that was happening around them. Max burrowed in and sighed against him. Jack looked over from the sofa he was perched on the edge of. Donna had Lexie, Josh had Connor, and he crossed to Riley and Max. Leaning in he whispered.

“As soon as everyone is asleep I have your present to show you in the barn.”.”

Riley laughed softly. “Is it something to do with all the wood and the hammering? Did we finally get a door?”

“Maybe,” Jack teased. “I’ll show you later.”

“I’m intrigued.”

“I love you, Het-boy.”

Riley turned his face a little so they could exchange a quick gentle kiss. “Love you too, cowboy.”

THE END

RJ Scott lives just outside London. She has been writing since age six, when she was made to stay in at lunchtime for an infraction involving cookies and was told to write a story. Two sides of A4 about a trapped princess later, a lover of writing was born. She loves reading anything from thrillers to sci-fi to horror; however, her first real love will always be the world of romance. Her goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and more than a hint of happily ever after.

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