Dashing Through the No (Summersweet Island 3)

Well, almost just the two of us. Tess made a small concession with the Bennetts to get them to calm down about us not being home with them tonight.

“I’m just saying, it looks weird that Tess and Bodhi match each other, and they aren’t wearing the shirts I made for all of us tonight. I told you FedEx would have gotten to West Virginia in time.”

“I am not wearing a glittery shirt all freaking night long that says Christmas is too sparkly, said no one ever!

“Shepherd, honey, tell Owen he doesn’t have to wear the shirt all night.”

“If the kid doesn’t have to wear it all night long, then neither do I. Who the hell turned up the Christmas music? That racket is giving me a headache.”

“Everyone say hello to Rex Matthews! He’s my Christmas date and will be spending the holidays with us!”

“Uh, Laura, I thought you said Steve Clements was your Christmas date. The guy who did that thing with the jingly balls from your front door wreath.”

“No, Emily, that was Fred Lumbar. Who knew wreath bells could be used as Ben Wa ba—”

“Mom! Come on, it’s Christmas Eve, and I’d like to spend one year not vomiting.”

“At least take off your pants and show me the Christmas underwear I made that FedEx did get to you in time. I got a new attachment for my Cricut that—”

I slam the laptop lid closed that’s sitting in the middle of the coffee table and cut Shepherd off. Tess lets out a long, happy sigh when the room is silent again, and it’s back to officially being just the two of us in here. The video chat Tess agreed to so everyone wouldn’t miss us so much sounded like a good idea at the time. And honestly, up until the last five minutes, it was really nice spending the evening with everyone we love. We walked the laptop around The Redinger House and showed them all the crazy Christmas decorations, we propped the laptop facing the windows for a little while so they could appreciate all the snow, and we had a good time catching up with everyone while we all “ate together.”

Best. Christmas Eve. Ever.

“You’re totally wearing the underwear Shepherd overnighted, aren’t you?”

“You’re goddamn right I’m wearing a tight pair of red underoos that say Oh what fun it is to ride over my dick.” I nod. “Speaking of beef, you sure you don’t want any more?”

Tess shakes her head when I point to the plate of foil-covered food in front of us.

“I think I’ve officially eaten enough tonight, Mr. Powell,” Tess states as she pushes back from the coffee table and pulls her legs up onto the couch, making my heart skip a beat as I set my empty plate down on the coffee table next to hers.

Not just because I fucking love hearing her call me Mr. Powell, using her last name, but because of the real reason why Tess made all my Christmas wishes come true.

“You down with BPP?” I sing, as I scoot closer to her on the couch.

I gently shove her hands away from where my eyes were glued to them resting on her stomach, so I can rest my own hand there against the wish I didn’t even know I wanted until it came true.

“We are not singing that song every time someone says your new name.” Tess laughs, the sound always like music to my ears as her stomach bounces with her laughter against my palm.

My heart skips again, wondering how I got so lucky that all my dreams are coming true. I’m finally going to have my own family to love and to cherish, and to never, ever judge for their choices, always supporting whatever they do, as long as it makes them happy. You know, as long as it isn’t like, a meth addiction or a gambling habit.

Leaning down, I put my mouth right against Tess’s stomach. “We’ll see about that. Won’t we, Tiny Tim? Sing it with Daddy! You down with BPP?”

Tess lets me sing an entire round of the song and give her belly a kiss before she slides her hand through my hair and gently tugs. Pulling my face up closer to hers, she smiles when Jack Skellington starts singing “What’s This?” from the flat screen television hanging above the fireplace. Watching The Nightmare Before Christmas is a new Christmas Eve tradition that Tess insisted upon, if I was going to make her suffer through It’s a Wonderful Life later. I was so happy she even suggestion any kind of a Christmas tradition that I would have agreed to watching A Nightmare on Elm Street every year, if that’s what she wanted.

“I love you the most-est,” I whisper.

Tess drops her hand from my hair and snuggles into my side, resting her head on my shoulder and throwing her legs over my lap, laughing softly when I refuse to remove my hand from her stomach.