Authors: Rachelle Ayala
“I have?” Brittney gaped at him, then turned to the officer. “Please don’t arrest us. I almost lost Ben, er Santa, and I don’t want to lose him again.”
At that moment, Grandpa walked toward them. “That’s my Angel Face and Benny Boy. I have someone here who wants to talk to you.”
Actress Amy Suzuki waved to the crowd as she mounted the steps to the platform. Brittney gave a small gasp and leaned closer to Ben, as if needing protection.
“Thanks for coming.” Ben shook Amy’s hand.
She turned to Brittney. “I’m glad to meet you. I’m Amy.”
“I’m Brittney, pleased to meet you too.”
“Thank you for supporting my favorite charity, the Police Dog Toy Drive of Sonoma County,” Amy said. “I’m also grateful that Ben here has invited me to speak at his brother’s benefit concert against slut-shaming. I’ve thought long and hard about my reaction to having my purchases made public, and my anger at the situation was based on the slut-shaming thrown my way. I directed it toward you and your company, because I blamed you for the security hole that allowed hackers to expose my privacy. After you resigned from ScrapCloud, I followed the news on you and realize you hadn’t fared any better, that you were also being slut-shamed and degraded across the internet.”
Brittney trembled in Ben’s arm, so he held her tighter and rubbed her back. What Amy was saying had to be hard for Brittney to hear, given the lawsuit and all the bad press thrown at both of them.
Amy clasped Brittney’s hand and continued, “Because Ben came to me and explained what you were going through and all you did to expose the real hackers, I’m dropping the lawsuit against you. I’m still going on with the petition to hold companies accountable for damages caused by data breaches, but I’m going to let this one go.”
“Thank you, thank you so much.” Tears streamed down Brittney’s face. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me, and I’m truly sorry this data breach happened. I’ll support your petition. It’ll force companies to run better security audits and to be more accountable to the public with the way they handle data that should remain private.”
Amy opened her arms and hugged Brittney. “I’m so glad we got to meet.”
“Hello!!!” Big Blizzard landed on Brittney’s shoulder, breathing hard from all his flying. He shook his tail and fluffed up his crest, rolling his saucer shaped eyes like a clown. “Juicy shit happens.”
Everyone laughed and someone turned on a rapping Christmas carol. Big Blizzard flew onto the back of Santa’s throne and danced, shaking his head back and forth to the beat while bouncing wildly and whistling an out of tune “fa-la-la-la-la.”
That bird was a real ham, and at that moment, Ben couldn’t be happier. He’d helped Brittney more than anyone else. Hopefully, it had softened her up and she would be ready to accept his abject apology.
~ Ben ~
After speeches by the Mayor, Police Commissioner, and Amy Suzuki, who took the stage to accept twenty bins of toys on behalf of the children of Sonoma County, Brittney’s father blasted Christmas rock music and told his employees to clean up the barn to prepare for Nash’s Anti-Slut-Shaming Benefit Concert.
Ben scratched the remnants of glue off his face and removed bits of yak’s hair from his jaw. He still held onto Brittney’s hand, but wasn’t sure if she was truly okay. For now, everything was going great since the police commissioner had gotten the judge to drop the charges against both of them for indecent exposure and lewd conduct caused by their wardrobe malfunctions at the last event.
Ben’s eyes were full of flash explosions from having his and Brittney’s pictures taken with Amy, the Mayor, and Brittney’s parents, as news crews reported what a rousing success the toy drive had been.
“You’re free! Now I can’t tell the baby her aunt is an ex-con.” Lacy swarmed over Brittney with a baby bump A-frame hug.
“I never was guilty,” Brittney replied as she loosened the ties on the angel wings. Her halo had already fallen to the floor when Ben had swung her around, saving her from face planting on the platform. She wagged the hand she was holding. “As for Ben here, he has guilt written all over his face.”
He turned in time to see her wink. Whew. She seemed to be going with the flow. Was she truly okay with him right now? Or was she being polite in front of everyone?
Even though he’d done his good deed and gotten Amy to drop the charges, he wasn’t sure if Brittney would truly forgive him for being a jealous dumbass.
The thing with Nash would always grate, but not having Brittney in his life was unbearable. The pain and suffering he’d endured apart from her was worse than losing his mother and baby sister.
Yes, he felt guilty over the comparison, but somehow, he figured his mother and Colleen would be okay with it. After all, they’d want him to have the perfect angel they picked out for him that night at the Christmas cottage.
“Where are you two having dinner before the big concert?” Lacy asked, her eyes darting from Brittney to Ben.
“Uh, I wanted to—” A movement attracted his attention and his jaw fell to the ground. Nash had the entire Powers clan with him, except for his eldest brother, Braden.
Ben blinked hard and swallowed, clearing his dry as bone throat. Once again, Nash came off as the good one, and Ben would be blamed for not telling anyone about Grandpa’s two heart attacks.
“Hey, Bro, glad you got off scot free,” Nash said. “That was a surprise with Amy Suzuki. Didn’t know you had it in you.”
As usual, Nash’s remarks carried a double-edged dig. His stepsisters beamed at Nash as if he were the second coming of country rock stars, and of course, his stepmother clapped a hand on Nash’s shoulder and gave him a loving pat.
“Why didn’t you call me back?” Susanna said, rushing forward for a hug. She was the eldest of the Brant bunch, the one who’d texted him when he and Brittney were waiting in the parking garage.
“Son, it’s good to see you.” Ben’s father stepped forward and clapped him on the shoulder. “Why’d you keep it secret? Why didn’t you tell us about the heart attacks?”
“I, uh, well, was going to call once he was all better. I didn’t want you to worry.” Ben scrambled for a semi-reasonable explanation. His father had to have known that Grandpa wasn’t up to speaking to him, even after all these years.
“Ben, we missed you,” his stepmother, Jolene, said from behind his father. “We’re so glad to see Grandpa up and around. We were so worried when Nash told us.”
“He’s doing fine with his recovery,” Ben said. He dutifully gave her a hug. She’d been a fairly decent stepmother, certainly nothing evil about her, and while she was obviously closer to her own brood, she’d taken in three teenage boys without too much drama.
“Thank the Lord,” his father said. “We came too close to losing him. This year, we’re putting all our differences aside. All I want is for us to be a family together. We figure, if you two can’t come up to Wyoming for an honest to goodness white Christmas, we’d head down here for a foggy, Californian one.”
“That’s what I want too,” Ben managed to stammer. “Does Grandpa know you’re here?”
Grandpa had gone back to the house after the toy drive to rest so that he could come back later for the benefit concert.
“Not yet, we just got here and missed your toy drive,” Dad replied.
“That’s because we had to stop at the toy store and fill up the RV,” one of the twins, Macy, chimed in.
“I’m sure they’ll be glad to take the extra toys,” Ben said. He could feel his sisters’ eyes on Brittney, wondering who she was. Women were always so perceptive.
“I’m Susanna,” his eldest sister introduced herself to Brittney. “And these are my sisters, Macy and Riley.”
“Uh, hi …” Brittney gave a half wave at the same time Ben said, “This is my girlfriend, Brittney Reed.”
He cringed when he felt her stiffen. She gave him the look, the one that meant she wasn’t through with him, but pasted on a smile. “It’s nice to meet all of you. I didn’t know—”
“Lacy Reed Cole,” Lacy said, presenting her hand to his family. Whatever Brittney was about to say was cut off by her super-perceptive sister.
“Oh, how rude of me,” Ben’s stepmother said, stepping forward. “I’m Jolene Powers. It’s so wonderful to meet all of you, especially Ben’s girlfriend.”
“I’m Wes Powers,” Ben’s father tipped his ten-gallon hat at the Reed sisters.
“Enchanted,” Lacy grinned, all her marketing skills at work. “You and Ben look like twins.”
His father blushed visibly at her compliment. “They say that about all my sons. Where’s Damon?”
He scanned the barn looking for him.
“He’s with Grandpa,” Riley hollered, pointing at Damon who walked over with Grandpa and Treat.
Grandpa approached slowly, and a hush fell upon everyone in the barn. Ben eyed his father and grandfather as knots formed in his stomach. Would the two men truly bury the hatchet, or was this a showdown worthy of an old western ghost town?
“Son,” Grandpa said to Dad. “Welcome home. We each said some harsh words, and I hope this is all behind us now. When I had that second heart attack and worried I wouldn’t make it, I realized that no matter what our differences, there’s power in family. Forgive me for being unaccepting of this wonderful brood of yours—both Brant and Powers.”
“Yes, sir,” Dad said. “There’s always power in family.”
The two men hugged as Ben swallowed a lump in his throat. How many years had Grandpa resented Dad for marrying Jolene? How many years had he uselessly pushed Jolene away, believing he’d betray his mother if he accepted her love?
“Jolene, I’m sorry, too,” Ben found himself saying as he stepped toward her. “May I call you Mom?”
“You are always welcome to call me Mom,” she latched onto him. “I love you, Ben Powers, as if you were one of my own.”
You are hers and you’ll always be mine, too.
Ben looked up at the rafters of the barn and at the sound of wings fluttering, but it was only Big Blizzard sitting on the loft flapping his wings, or was it?
Thank you, Mom.
Ben bowed his head and hugged Jolene tighter, unable to keep a teardrop from rolling down his cheek.
~ Brittney ~
Ben’s large family tugs us every which way, all wanting me to share a nugget about how Ben and I met at the pet rescue event. Sure, they’d read the news and seen the bad press we both got, but now that I’m standing in front of them, they wanted to hear from me. They’re especially curious about what it is that I like about their Ben.
His twin sisters are cute and bubbly, one blonde and one redhead, whereas his eldest sister, Susanna, is a brunette and a perceptive one—just like Lacy. While everyone else accepts on face value that I’m Ben’s girlfriend, as he said, Susanna stands back and observes us with a skeptical look creasing her eyebrows.
I try to keep up the happy act, but I don’t like the way he railroaded me into posing as his girlfriend so he can save face with his family. Yes, we were both exonerated from the bogus lewd misconduct charges, and golly gee, I’m more than ecstatic at meeting Amy Suzuki and having her drop her lawsuit, but still …
“You shouldn’t have surprised me the way you did,” I tell Ben when Lacy manages to bend Susanna’s ear, whispering some family secret, no doubt. “I’ll let it go tonight because of the concert, but tomorrow, we have to talk.”
“Looking forward to it.” His eyes twinkle as he takes my hand and squeezes it. “Will you be my date to Nash’s concert tonight?”
Being so close to him while his family chats with mine is turning my brain to mush and making me wish we didn’t have this major disagreement about his brother.
“I need to go on stage and appear with Nash,” I remind him. “He’s doing the concert for my benefit.”
“I know he is. But while you’re off the stage, I want to claim every dance. Hope you like line dancing. You got a good pair of boots? Because if you’re with me, you’re going to have to do a lot of two-stepping.”
Since when did Ben turn so charming? I almost pinch myself because he’s drawling a little like Nash.
“I’m sure I can scare up the right clothes.”
“Great.” He gives me a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll pick you up at eight.”
Dropping my hand, he grabs a black felt cowboy hat from Damon’s head and places it on his own before swaggering from the barn—a Santa in a Stetson.
“What just happened?” Lacy, ever observant with a nose for drama, takes my arm as we watch Ben amble off. “He didn’t ask you to have dinner with him?”
“Guess not. He wants me to be his date to Nash’s benefit concert. I didn’t think he wanted to go, much less be seen with me.”
“Yes! It’s working.” Lacy snaps her finger and grins as if she has something up her sleeve, which no doubt she does.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing … Let’s get you ready for your hot date tonight.” She pushes me from the barn, waving to Ben’s assorted family.
“What did you do?” I demand once we’re back at my parents’ farmhouse. “You look like a cat after swallowing a canary.”
“Will you relax? Ben is a good man, you’ll see.” She winks and drags me to her closet. “You’re going to be sexiest cowgirl elf this side of the Rockies.”
“Oh, no!” I groan, but deep inside, I’m tingling and bubbling with hope tinged with worry.
I’d expected Ben to keep his hand clamped to mine and stick to me like glue, and yes, ask me to dinner to apologize and maybe do a little groveling, but watching his sexy backside as he walked away from me has me hotter and more curious than ever.
What does he have planned for me tonight?
~ Brittney ~
My heart is thumping faster than the rotor blades on a helicopter as I wait for Ben to pick me up for our date. Mom and Dad are hovering around, and Lacy is in full sister mode.
“It feels like our very first date.” I fan myself, unable to stop from fidgeting.
“In many ways, it is,” Mom says, standing behind me while we examine my reflection in the dresser mirror. “Are we sure he’s a good guy? I haven’t been meddling as much since Lacy’s on maternity leave and I figure she could use the diversion, but what happened between you two at the cottage?”
“Please, Mom, can we wipe the slate clean?” I hope I’m not blushing, or if I am, they think it’s the makeup Lacy is busily brushing on me.
“Do elves really go to country-western line dances?” I primp at my fake-fur lined Christmas top which barely covers my boobs, but leaves my waist and stomach exposed. It used to belong to Lacy before she got pregnant.
Instead of a red or green skirt, I’m wearing a denim miniskirt and cowgirl boots made of white calfskin. The heels on them are reasonable, nothing like those fur-trimmed stilettos Lacy made me wear when I was the sexy elf.
“Bounce around some,” Dad says. “I want to make sure you don’t have another wardrobe malfunction.”
“Dad!” I exclaim, covering my melon balls. “I’m not going to bounce in front of you. Besides, this isn’t a tube top, so it’s not going anywhere.”
“I don’t want you to get arrested again after you just got off.”
I roll my eyes. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“Wonder if Ben will bring you flowers,” Mom says with her hands clasped over her chest. “You are my perfect little angel.”
Now it’s Lacy’s turn to roll her eyes. “And what am I, your perfect little devil?”
“Well, you girls were always opposites.” Dad chuckles. “Brittney slept through the night while—”
“Enough.” I hold out my hand to stop the familiar litany. “We’re both good and bad, but mostly we’re good, and the bad is what makes us interesting.”
“I’ll toast to that.” Lacy raises her hand for a high-five, and I slap her one. It’s days like this that I realize how blessed I am to be adopted into my family.
“Group hug, group hug,” Dad says as he and Mom surround us.
“Doorbell! Doorbell!” Big Blizzard screeches from his cage. A split second later, the doorbell sounds, and he starts barking. “Warf, warf, warf!”
I swear, this bird is like a watch dog or I should say, watch bird. I tug at my clothes, check my hair one more time, and head for the door with my family in tow.
“I take yellow roses for fifty,” Mom says.
“Red. On a hundred.” Dad places his bet.
“Forget roses, I’m betting on chocolates,” Lacy says, licking her lips.
I’m a little nervous now. What if Ben’s empty-handed? How’s that going to go over with my family?
Taking a deep breath, I pull open the door.
What is that monstrosity he has in his hands? Pieces of driftwood stick out in odd angles among a nest of pinecones, red and burgundy roses, pine boughs and stalks of deep red gladiolas, all tied with a forest green velvet ribbon.
“Hi, Brittney,” Ben says. “Mr. and Mrs. Reed, Lacy.”
“Why, that’s so beautiful,” Mom says. “A Christmas centerpiece.”
“I wanted to make one just like this.” I accept it from his hands. “Thanks so much.”
“It’s certainly unique,” Lacy says.
Mom takes it from me and marches it to the formal dining room. “It’s perfect for our Christmas dinner.”
“Yes, perfect,” Dad repeats, being the good husband he is.
“Well, you two have fun,” Lacy calls out as Ben and I head for the door.
“Aren’t you guys coming to Nash’s concert, too?” I wave at my family.
“We can’t help but be there. It’s our barn,” Dad says, chortling. “But you guys have to take the long way, so you have to leave early.”
“The long way?” I stare at my family as they smirk and grin. Lacy makes a ‘my lips are zipped’ motion so I know I’m not getting anything out of her.
Ben takes my hand and his warmth makes me dizzy with delight. He’s wearing a black Stetson, so low on his face, I can barely see his dark, broody eyes. His jaw is square and rugged, and he’s wearing a soft blue chambray western shirt with the snap buttons and a darker blue yoke. His shirt sleeves are rolled up and the top three buttons on his shirt are unbuttoned just enough to show a silver charm locket tucked between his pecs.
Jeans, a belt with a silver buckle, and boots complete his Mr. Wyoming outfit. There’s not a hint of Santa on him, not a scrap of red or green. Now I feel stupid with my elf top. At least it’s forest green and not bright red or pink.
“Ready for our date, Cowgirl Elf?” Ben winks as he leads me down the porch steps.
“Why do we have to take the long way?”
“Because we have to talk,” he says as the clip-clopping of hoof beats draws my attention to my parents’ driveway. “I couldn’t bring a sleigh with reindeers or flamingos from the North Pole in time, so I hope you’re up for a horse-drawn carriage ride through the redwoods.”
His words caress the nagging worry I held inside me, that he would avoid opening his heart to me. There’ll be no one to disturb us as the driver walks the carriage through the groves of redwoods at a nearby preserve.
“I’d love a carriage ride. I never knew they had them here.”
“Shhh …” He holds a finger to his lips. “It’s a Santa secret. When the weather’s too warm, I use old-fashioned carriages and horses to make my deliveries. Can’t disappoint all the children I promised presents to.”
“You never disappoint.” I step into the carriage. The sun is setting and the shadows are long, but everything’s good when Ben slides in beside me and pulls a cozy plaid carriage blanket over us.
He speaks to the driver who snaps a picture of us with Ben’s old fashioned instamatic camera before taking off.
I cuddle close to Ben and lay my head on his shoulder, inhaling his woodsy cologne mixed with the scent of redwoods and dusk. Crickets chirp softly. The hoof beats and the creaking of the carriage make me want to enjoy and remember every detail of the ride.
He rubs my shoulder and back and tips my chin up. His gaze is warm and his face radiates love—for me. It’s starting to feel magical again, like we’re being transported back in time to the Yuletide Zone where dreams and wishes always come true and happiness and love reign all year round.
His lips are on mine, kissing me softly but urgently. All the words I wanted to say fly away like puffs of dandelion in a summer breeze.
“I love you, Brittney,” Ben breathes the words between my lips. “I accept everything about you, past, present, and future. I promise you, I’ll never let anything come between us, and that I’ll always believe what you say over anyone else.”
I continue to kiss him as my heart swells with happiness. It couldn’t have been easy for him to tuck away my past and not let it get between us again. I’ve put myself in his shoes and boy, if he’d ever slept with Lacy, I don’t know if I would be able to stop the twinges of jealousy whenever I see the two of them together.
“You have a big heart, Ben Powers.” I dot another kiss on his sexy lips. “I’m also not going to put anyone or anything between us. You will be my best friend, and Lacy will be second. I’ll still have other friends, but I will consider your feelings above theirs.”
“I don’t want you to lose any friends over me.”
“I won’t, but you’re the only one in my heart where it matters. I love you, too.”
“Does that mean we’re okay again?” Ben’s voice shakes.
“Almost.” I shudder at how I need more assurance than words. “After tonight is over, I think I’ll know for sure. I want us to be truly okay.”
The way he behaves at Nash’s concert will be the big test towards alleviating any residual doubt. I know he means well and truly wants to put it behind us, but can his emotions handle seeing me on stage with his brother?
“Me too,” he agrees. “After tonight you will know in your heart that we’re not only okay, but we’re a power to be reckoned with.”
I tap his chin and giggle. “I noticed something about you and your dad, always referring to power.”
“Hey, when you have the powers, you flaunt it.” He closes his lips over mine and ravishes me with a kiss that powers me up from head to toe. My blood surges with passion and I’m not sure I want to go to the benefit concert anymore. I’m this close to asking Ben to take the horse-drawn carriage all the way to his grandfather’s magical Christmas cottage.
~ Ben ~
Ben didn’t want to let Brittney go, but the carriage pulled up to the Reed Christmas Tree Barn, and the concert was about to begin. People milled about, sitting on the bales of hay as they waited for the doors to open.
Ben’s phone had already buzzed several times in his pocket, no doubt worried messages from Nash on Brittney’s whereabouts. He ignored them all. After all, when the woman of his dreams was in his arms, nothing else mattered.
“Well, we’re here,” Brittney said, humming as she snuggled him and the warm blanket one last time.
“Your carriage arrives, Miss Cowgirl Elf,” Ben said. He kissed her softly one last time and stepped off to help her alight from the carriage.
She was so light in his arms and of course, a bombshell in her midriff-baring dark-green velvet elf top. It hadn’t been easy to keep his hands off her, and more than a few times, he’d stroked her hips and belly while kissing her, but he should win an award for keeping his mitts from her mammoth mangoes. After all, there was a carriage driver sitting in front of them and he couldn’t risk taking her right then and there under the blanket, although what a story that would be.
Ben adjusted his pants as he held out his arm to Brittney. The doors of the barn opened and people lined up to get in. Everyone was dressed for a line dance and country party, and he spotted his sisters flirting with more than a dozen men who’d probably never roped a steer before.
“There you are,” Nash said, rushing toward them. “Brittney, we’re on in five minutes.”
Before Ben could say peep, Nash had roped Brittney into his arms and led her toward the side entrance where the celebrity guests were giving interviews. Several paparazzi rushed to snap pictures of Nash and Brittney.
Brittney looked back at him, and it was the sweetest gesture ever. She’d put every emotion of adoration and reassurance onto her face and long after she was whisked into the barn, Ben’s insides were warm with the knowledge that Brittney was truly his. Had there been a twinge? Sure, of course, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle, not compared to the agony of losing her.
Once the concert started, Ben was lost in a sea of people. It was one of those stand around the stage and scream type of affairs for the people in front with dancing on the straw covered ground further back.
Brittney and Nash appeared hand in hand on the stage while Nash introduced her and urged everyone to stop slut-shaming.
“Not only is it unfair,” Nash said. “But it’s unhealthy. Why would we judge anyone for something we wish we were doing? If you want to slut-shame, it’s because you’re not getting any. So squelch the shame and get into the game.”
Ugh, that was pretty lame. Brittney smiled and waved to the crowd. “The point is, whether I’m wearing this sexy outfit, or a potato sack, it does not matter. You don’t know me and you’re judging me by what I wear. And even if you do know me, what business is it of yours to count how many times I have sex? Is your life really that dull that you’d care about mine?”
“Hear, hear!” Ben’s sisters cheered. “We love you, Brittney Reed!”
A flutter of white wings headed toward the stage and Big Blizzard landed on Brittney’s outstretched hand. He bobbed his crest up and down, rolling his head. “No slut-shaming. No sluts. No shame.”
The crowd took up the chant. “No sluts. No shame. No sluts. No shame.”
And then with a flourish, Nash raised his hand, nodded to his band and let loose a strum on his guitar. He bent down and riffed for a few moments before he sang about tattoos, bars, dogs, trucks, and women, of course.
The bird, the ultimate ham, was perched on a microphone stand bobbing and dancing like crazy. That thing could hip-hop and jam like the best, with head rolls and wing flapping to accompany his crows.
Several women asked Ben to dance, but he deferred and made his way toward the stage, his eyes never wavering from Brittney.
“You okay?” she asked as he dragged her away from the screamers to the dance floor.
“Best man here.” He kissed her. “Now, you’re going to two-step with the best.”
They circled the floor, fast, fast, slow, slow, fast, fast, slow, slow, until Brittney stopped and said, “Why is it I have to be walking backwards all the time?”
“Because you have to trust me. Do you?”
“I do.” She wrapped her arms around him right when the song slowed, and Nash’s voice took on a wistful, loving tone as he sang, “She’s Everything.”
Ben folded Brittney into his arms and swayed with her, holding her close and tight. He’d only love her more and more every day. She was truly everything he’d ever wanted and the mother of his future children. As his brother’s voice expressed his every feeling and emotion, Ben allowed himself to sink into Brittney’s love, knowing that at the end, love always won.