Page 39 of A Cowboy Home for Christmas
My heart skips a hundred beats. “I love you, too Barker.”
He kisses the back of my head. I expect another morning quickie before I creep out, but Barker just holds me. I like it. I relax into his body and enjoy the smell of sex lingering between us.
A noise downstairs springs me into a sitting position. “Someone’s awake.”
“I’ll check.” Barker climbs out of bed, but not before kissing my shoulder. He stalks across the bedroom buck naked in all his glory. And damn, the man has a rock hard gorgeous body. Shredded. Tight ass. Hulk without the green skin.
He slowly opens the door. At first, he jumps back, then leaves the door open a crack and watches. When he shuts the door, he grins at me. “Meemaw has snuck the girls downstairs to make you breakfast in bed.”
“This early?”
“It’s a surprise. Which means ...” He struts toward me, arms behind his head, confidently letting me know what his intentions are. “We have more time than we thought.”
“More time to cuddle.”
He plants his hands on the mattress, and shakes his head. “More time to brush our teeth and make this a morning to get us by however many before that next vacation.”
I never want to wake up alone again. I know it’s not possible right away. We have the girls to think about. But when Barker hauls me over his shoulder and carries me to the bathroom, I’m only thinking about him.
***
BARKER
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The twins bounce offthe walls all day. Their excitement for Christmas Day has their adrenaline running in overdrive. I swear we mashed in as many activities today than we have all week long. We well exhausted my parents before lunch and they decided to spend the day in the cabin. After supper, Savi and Alison stayed back with them. But the girls wanted to play at the arcade before the Christmas Eve story being told in the lobby. Unfortunately, their own exhaustion was showing.
“Give it to me, Clara!”
“You give it to me, Lark!”
The girls tug and yank the arcade card.
“It’s my turn!” Lark hauls off and hits her sister. Clara breaks into tears.
“Lark!” Lauren catches her little arm and draws her face-to-face. “We do not hit people. No more games for you.”
Lark glares at her mommy, without saying a word. Clara latches to Lauren’s leg, crying into her jeans. This has been ongoing with Lark. Her temper is thin. Her anger aggressive. It’s a new pattern since her daddy passed, and it seems to keep escalating.
“I got this.” I remove Lauren’s grasp from Lark and replace my hand in the little girls. Lark’s anger vibrates. Her limp hand refuses to hold mine. “We’ll catch up with you guys.”
I see the skepticism in Lauren’s face as picks up Clara. “Alright. Story time is at six in the lobby.”
“I’m not going to stupid story time with stupid animals about stupid Christmas.” Lark turns her head away from us.
“I’ll text you.” I touch Lauren’s hand. She nods, and strolls out of the arcade with a whimpering Clara.
Once her mommy’s out of sight Lark rips her hand out of mine. “You are not my daddy.”
I bend down in front of her. “I miss him, too.”
Her lower lips quivers, but she refuses to shed a tear.
I slide my finger over her cheek. “It’s okay to cry.”
“I don’t want to cry.” She jaunts out her chin, not looking at me.
“I don’t like to cry either. Even when I’m really sad. Like when my brother died. I felt like crying, but I didn’t want to.”
