Christmas Kiss (Evergreen Family Tree Farm #2)

Chapter Six

Charlie

“False alarm pains happen all the time. It’s not a big deal.” I wrap my arm around her, but she pulls away. We haven’t talked much since we got back from a full night in the makeshift emergency room of the fire department. This is a small-town, so we do small-town things, and fire department emergency rooms is one of them.

“It’s a huge deal! I thought my baby was going to be months early!” Her cheeks are red again, and I know she doesn’t want to talk about any of this. Despite our lack of sleep, we’ve changed into our wedding clothes, charged up with donuts, and now, like it or not, we have to go to this wedding.

“I think that’s a compliment to me,” I say with a grin. “I had you so excited that your body thought it was time to have the baby. Don’t forget, the doctor said we were right to come to the hospital.”

“Sure.” She pulls down the visor in the truck and checks her hair for the fifth time since we got in. I’m guessing it’s a nervous tick and I wish I could help somehow. “Well, it’s still humiliating.”

“Doesn’t have to be.” I land my hand on her thigh and glance toward her as I pull up into the lodge where the wedding is being held and park the truck. I’d guess there are already a hundred cars parked between the gravel lot and the lawn.

“God, I don’t want to do this. Maybe we could go back to the cabin and fuck some more. It was the best thing to happen to me in a while. That is unless you’re completely repulsed by me now.”

“I’m not repulsed by you, and you don’t have to ask me twice. You know I’m there, but I think you’d regret missing this.”

Her brows narrow toward me as the mid-morning sun filters in through the windshield and onto her face. “You really don’t know me yet, do you? I keep forgetting that.”

“I know you want to be a good mom. I know you’re trying like hell to save money. I know you try so fuckin’ hard when most people would give up. And I know you’d rather show up today and deal with a few hours of shit, rather than beat yourself up for months because you didn’t come.”

She drags in a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “You’re too good at this. I don’t believe you’ve been single this long.”

I laugh and squeeze her thigh gently. “You’re just not used to people telling you the truth.”

A hard knock hits the side window, and we glance to the side to see Mira staring at us with a downturned expression. Her hair is twisted up in some kind of fancy knot, and the dark red dress she’s wearing matches Mariah’s perfectly. Though, if you’re asking me, Mariah looks much better in it. That, and I’m already feeling protective of my girl. I don’t want her dealing with any shit today.

My girl. I probably shouldn’t think like that yet. She’s not my girl. She’s my employee.

I glance toward Mariah. “You want to talk to her or do you want me to lock the doors?”

She grins. “I should probably see what she wants, but can we circle back on the locked door thing? I might change my mind.”

“In a heartbeat,” I say with a laugh, desperate to pull her against my chest and hold her safe from whatever shit Mira’s about to throw.

“Mom is on a rampage because she can’t find you. My date canceled on me, and I’m about to lose it.” Mira looks like she’s going to rip out her hair.

“Okay. Tell Mom I’m on my way.”

Mira opens the passenger door and grabs Mariah’s arm as though she’s going to yank her from the truck. Now I realize this is probably the way these two have interacted their whole lives, and I understand that my intervening is probably not necessary, but something inside of me pulls my body outside of the truck and toward Mariah like a bull that’s unable to be stopped.

“Get your hands off her,” I groan. “Go inside and wait a moment. We’ll be in soon.”

Mira glances up at me. At first, I think there’s a lecture coming. Clearly she’s not having a good morning, and I’ve just been more demanding than I think I’ve ever been with her, work included. Instead, she laughs.

“Okay, big boy. I get it.” She backs away slowly, glaring at Mariah. “I like this one. That’s hot.”

Mariah rolls her eyes and reaches for my hand. “You done?”

“Not yet,” I say, helping her down out of the truck. “I think we have a mom to manage first.”

She grips into my arm and holds tight as we walk toward Balsam Creek Lodge where the wedding is being held. The place was built by the MC a year back, but its imprint on the mountain is like it’s been here forever. It’s a lot like the way Mariah feels standing next to me. I try not to imagine a life with her because that’s only going to hurt like fuck later, but it happens anyway. I see her carrying my babies. I see us sharing sleigh rides, and dancing in the kitchen. I see this woman in everything I do.

All of it’s trouble.

Inside the lodge, holiday instrumentals are being played by a band in the back that’s heavy on the violin, and strings of green and tiny white lights fill the space. This place only opened last year, and I haven’t been up to see it yet. I should’ve come considering they bought most of their greenery and quite a few trees from us, but time isn’t usually on my side, especially this time of year.

“This place is gorgeous!” Mariah’s eyes widen as she looks up at me. “Like insane! Look at all the detail in the woodwork!” I scan the room, noting the etched pinecones, salmon, and bears in the finer detail of the wood. Someone has put a ton of effort into making this lodge unique, and it shows.

“For sure. Did you see the door when we came in? We need a fancy barn door at the reindeer barn. Something dramatic and—”

“It’s about damn time!” Mariah’s mother stomps into the room in a silk robe, her long silver waves flowing behind her. She doesn’t seem to care that her guests are circulating and within earshot. She’s more concerned with whatever she’s about to unleash on Mariah. “You’re a mess. Look at you. It’s my wedding day, Mariah. You didn’t even do your hair. And if you were going to be bloated up like a damn balloon, I wouldn’t have asked you to come.”

And… scene. Mom wins the Oscar for Most Dramatic.

Mariah opens her mouth to speak, but I step in. Maybe I shouldn’t. I know she’s capable, but I can’t stand this woman already. That’s never happened before. Usually it takes me a bit to decide whether or not I hate someone.

“Don’t talk to her like that.”

Her mom gasps. “Who are you again? It’s my wedding day, so I’ll talk however I’d like.”

“Not to her, you won’t. Talk to her right or go find someone else to harass.”

Her mother stares at me with a slacked jaw. I’m kind of enjoying the shock on her face.

“I’m pregnant, Mom.” Mariah sets the statement into the air and steps back as though she wishes she wouldn’t have.

“How dare you come to my wedding and make this about yourself? Leave this instant!” Her mother’s tone is lower now, most likely trying to avoid anyone else hearing her hate.

Who tells their daughter to leave when they finally get the courage to tell them something so huge?

“Gladly.” Mariah spins around to go but her mother grips her arm.

“Is this old guy the father?” She drags her gaze down my sleeve of tattoos. “This piece of trash who’s still clearly too good looking for you?” She leans into her daughter. “He’s obviously using you for something. Give it six months and he’ll be sleeping with his secretary… if he isn’t already.”

Well, Mom, you’ve done it. No more charming tree farmer.

I pull Mariah closer to me and glare at her mother. “I’ve heard some things, but you’re worse than I thought. If you ever want to talk to your daughter again, or her baby, you’ll speak to me first. I’m not letting you spread your shit all over this family.”

“You can’t do that. I am her family,” her mother groans. “Who the hell are you?”

“I’m none of your business, and you’re her mother in name only until you learn to act right.” I turn away, holding Mariah to my side.

I don’t give a fuck that we were only here for ten minutes. Mariah doesn’t deserve to be talked to like that, and I’m not having it.

She glances up at me in the mid-morning sun with her hair shining and her dark brown eyes beaming. “I don’t think anyone has ever stood up to my mother like that before. Seriously, I can’t believe you just did that.”

“You can stay if you want to, but I’m not going to be able to listen to her talk to you like that.”

“No,” she leans against my shoulder as we reach the truck door, “I don’t want to stay. I want to go with you.”

If it’s possible for someone’s entire body to smile, mine is. I’m smiling from the inside out and I don’t want it to end. I want to drive her back to my cabin, make her warm, feed her, and fuck her over and over until she goes into labor and has this baby so I can put another one in her. That’s probably a sick thought, but it’s all I want.

Damn. That escalated quickly.