A Barker Family Christmas (The Barker Triplets 3.50)

“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.”