Page 37 of A Dye Hard Holiday

“Ready to go home? It’s past your bedtime,” Jon remarked.

“Since when?” Emory asked. “Rudolphjust started.”

“We can watch it at home.” Jon pressed his lips against Emory’s ear and said something else. Em’s blush told me that it was a rather dirty suggestion.

“Iamfeeling tired,” Emory said, but looked longingly at his hot, boozy drink.

“I can pour it in a to-go cup for you,” Josh offered.

“Perfect!” Jon exclaimed.

The warm booze helped me to relax and enjoy the show with our extended family. Destiny and Dylan fell asleep long before Rudolph reached the island of misfit toys. Our parents took the kids up to bed and retired early themselves. Josh climbed onto my vacated lap and snuggled against my chest. Meredith had assumed the same position in the recliner with Harley while Kyle and Chaz shared the love seat. Sally Ann cuddled into Adrian’s side as he held a sleeping Avery against his chest. Mark and Daniel sat on the floor in front of John and Deanna, holding hands and whispering to each other, while the rest of the Dorchester kids and Adrianna lay on their stomachs watching Rudolph’s adventures unfold.

It was Norman Rockwell 2.0 with traditions that involved the modern family. It was everything I dreamed it would be and more. We might just need to buy more furniture to accommodate our expanding families.

“Chet’s nuts roasting on an open fire,” Savage crooned from his perch.

“Who’s Chet?” Harley asked.

“Don’t know,” Mere replied sleepily, “but I feel bad for him.”

Josh turned his head and looked at me over his shoulder. “Did you teach him that?”

“No,” I scoffed, but damn if that bird didn’t give me a good idea.

I didn’t get a chance to put my plan into motion until after our guests left and Josh went up to bed. I told him I was double-checking to make sure all the doors were locked, but I wanted to have a little one-on-one time with my boy, Savage. Like always, my feathered friend caught on fast. The only unpredictable part was when he’d say it on his own.

“Gabe!” Josh called from the stairs. “I know that you’re up to no good. If you’re going to be bad, do it naked with me.”

“Coming, dear.”

“Do you want pancakes or French toast?” Josh asked me the next morning. I looked around the kitchen and saw that we were all alone because the grandparents took the grandbabies on an excursion. I had much better things on my mind than food. “Eat up, Gabriel. You’re going to need your energy because I have some last-minute shopping at the mall to do before your tattoo appointment.”

I groaned as my appetite disappeared over the most dreadful words in the English language. “I don’t want to go shopping at the mall.” Yeah, I whined like a three-year-old kid. “Why can’t we drive separately and meet at Dream Ink?”

“Our children are having their pictures taken with Santa in just a little bit. You know damn well that you don’t want to miss it. While I’m there, I might as well pick up the few things left on my list.” Josh pointed his spatula at me and added, “I let you sleep in late to rest up for the big day. Now behave.”

“I don’t want to behave.”

“I’ll reward you handsomely later.”

“Yeah? What are you going to do to me?”Hey, people have used sex to get their way since the beginning of time. Why the fuck should I be any different?

“Trent’s nuts roasting on an open fire,” Savage sang from his solarium.Fuck!

“I’m going to kill you, Gabe. Then I’m going to get advice from Pinterest on how to cover up my crime.”

“Now, Sunshine,” I said pleadingly.

“Up those stairs and get dressed, Gabriel!”Uh oh.“It appears that we have extra time to get more shopping in since I won’t be riding your cock reverse cowboy style before we go.” Josh pointed toward the staircase, indicating that I was supposed to march up those steps and do what he said, but he used two of my favorite words in the English dictionary: reverse cowboy.

I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it to the floor in answer to his demands.

“We’re not having sex in the kitchen, Gabriel.” Oh, I loved that bossy fucking tone of voice.

My response was to remove my sweats and underwear. “How much do you want to bet?” I asked, stroking my erection. “Just think of how much better I’ll behave if you bring that hot ass over here and fuck me into behaving.”

“I’m not rewarding your bad behavior with sex.”