“Either way, you’re carving, Bets!”
Betty headed back upstairs, tugging at her clothes and leaving a pile of them behind her as she headed for the bedroom. Beau was still in bed, his arm flung across his face, the covers riding low, giving her a tantalizing view of what was now, officially hers.
Betty tossed her panties and bra and was about to climb into bed when a pair of blue eyes knocked her stomach silly. That this man could do that with just a look should be illegal.
“How was it?” he asked lightly, though his gaze was intense.
“About the same,” she answered, honestly.
“I’m sorry, babe.”
Betty offered a tremulous smile. “I know.”
He reached for her. “Merry Christmas.”
“Is it?” she asked, a devilish glint in her eye. “I haven’t given you your Christmas present yet.”
“I thought we weren’t…” Beau’s eyebrows shot up when she slowly moved the covers off of him.
She licked her lips and moved between his legs. “I didn’t buy you anything because we said we weren’t doing presents.” Her eyebrows shot up. “Though I still expect a nice Louis Vuitton. The red one.”
“Got it.” Beau’s voice was thick and that wasn’t the only part of him that was.
“I do want to give you something though. You know, because you’ve been such a good boy this past year.”
And she did. Betty gave him a lot of loving. She gave him her body and her soul. And with the snow falling gently just outside the window, she gave him more Christmas presents than she had time for.
Her family would understand. She was a newlywed after all and if that didn’t allow her to be a little bit selfish, she didn’t know what did. Someone else co
uld carve the damn turkey.
As it turned out, Shane did the honors and with the Simon clan in attendance, Christmas dinner was a boisterous event that got even crazier when Betty let her pregnancy slip.
After many congratulations, many hugs and kisses, Betty settled back into Beau’s arms and gazed around a room filled with the faces of every single person she loved. The ones that weren’t there—her mother and her father—well, they existed in a part of her heart and soul and would always be with her.
She thought of the baby growing inside her and placed her hand over her stomach. A little part of her parents, of Herschel and all of those who’d been here before her…they would live on in her offspring, and that was the true miracle of Christmas.
Life always finds a way and love follows. She couldn’t help but think that the Barker girls were truly blessed. Well, at least for the moment.
She smiled.
Until the next Barker dust up occurred.