Two Purple Gloves (A Pear Street Christmas #2)

CHAPTER TWELVE

“As soon as we have a minute, I’m finishing what I started.”

LISA

I think I’m still the colour of Santa’s suit when everyone else makes it downstairs. Of course, all of them comment on the flush, asking if I’m okay, which only brightens the red. Bright red and horny. What a combo. Unfortunately, we were interrupted before I’d reached the peak and therefore, I’m now strung like a Christmas garland, jumping every time someone speaks to me.

In the distance, I can hear Jake, Nel, and the boys carting handfuls of presents in from the car as I fuss with syrups and spreads, arranging them nicely on the table. Harry very unhelpfully disappears upstairs, leaving me frazzled and trying to entertain too many people. But when he comes back wearing a different pair of jeans, my cheeks just heat again. I made a mess of him . When he catches my eye, he winks with a knowing smirk and my nether regions pulse.

“Okay,” I say, overly brightly. “Breakfast is ready, everyone.”

“This looks wonderful, darling,” Mum says, kissing my cheek and taking a seat.

“Amazing, Lis,” Rhi says, wrangling Freddie into his booster seat as he tries to reach for the waffles prematurely.

“Thank you.” I smooth my dress down and feel a little calmer as Harry comes to my side and puts his arm around my waist, kissing the top of my head.

“Don’t think I’m admitting defeat,” he whispers in my ear. “As soon as we have a minute, I’m finishing what I started.” He walks away to start making up the cafetiere and tea pot to put on the table and I barely suppress the shiver that rackets my spine.

“You looking forward to seeing your folks, Jake?” Luke asks before taking a huge bite of waffle laden with strawberries and chocolate hazelnut spread and moaning. The validation I get when people enjoy my food would probably give a therapist a field day, but I’m not seeing a therapist so yay me .

“Yeah.” Jake smiles, excitement evident. “Although I’m more excited to see my sister and the kids. Nel and I didn’t get out to Australia to visit them this summer, so I haven’t seen them in over a year. She hasn’t seen us since we got together.” He turns to Nel to give her an adoring smile, which she returns.

“And your brother-in-law?” Rhi asks, because I already told her privately that Jake hates John and she loves the drama. She’s trying to suppress her smile so hard, her cheeks concave.

Jake glares back at her. “I’m looking forward to seeing all my family ,” he says pointedly.

“When are they coming by?” Auntie Hen asks.

“They got in late last night. I popped in to see Mum and Dad, but Mandy and John had the kids to settle, so I didn’t bother them. With the jet lag and everything, they’re taking the morning to rest up and they’ll meet us at the market later.

As one, everyone at the table turns to look through the patio doors behind me to see the rain that is now pelting down. I screw my face up, dreading the afternoon. “Yeah,” I sigh. “I think maybe you guys are going to want to stay in.”

“Oh, darling,” Mum says sadly. “But do you have to go?”

“I’m on the neighbourhood social committee, we organised everything, it would be bad form for me not to go.”

“Do you think all your vendors will turn up in this weather?” Jake asks with a wince .

Eurgh. “Given that ten percent didn’t show up last year when there was no apparent reason, I’m going to go with unlikely.”

“I’ll come with you, babe.” Harry frowns at me across the table, before looking worriedly out at the rain. The downpour goes from heavy to apocalyptic, bringing with it a plague of hailstones that pound on the window loud enough to make the twins panicky. Within seconds, my phone starts pinging with multiple notifications at once.

I’m slightly ashamed of how happy I am that the committee members are all in favour of cancelling the Christmas market. I shoot off a quick agreement and am grateful that someone else volunteers to contact the vendors. “Looks like I won’t be needed after all, market is cancelled.”

The crew all lift their glasses and cheer, making me laugh as I sit back down from checking my phone. “Wait,” Rhiannon says worriedly. “The Christmas party at the hall is still happening tonight, right?”

Again, everyone turns to me. “As it’s inside, yes. That will still be happening.”

Another round of cheers.

“Is Jake going to be Santa again?” Luke asks.

“Excuse me?” Jake says sternly. “I am not now, nor have I ever been Santa.”

Lucas and Oscar both roll their eyes and make scoffing noises. “We know it was you last year, Uncle Jake,” Oscar says.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jake sips from his orange juice with a sniff.

“And Auntie Nel was the elf,” Lucas says. As Nel didn’t have a beard to cover her face, she’s unable to deny it, just pointedly looking around the room, avoiding the conversation.

“The elf can’t make it this year,” I say, trying to pout sadly but my cheeks are pulling into a smirk at Nel, who glares. Last year, both my Santa and elf dropped out last minute and Jake and Nel agreed to step in. The elf costume said one size fits all, but the manufacturers hadn’t accounted for curves as voluptuous as my sister-in-law’s. Let’s just say some of the dads at last year’s Christmas party will be talking about Santa’s elf for years to come. “This year, I believe Mrs Claus is coming instead.”

“Yeah, and she’s bringing her own costume,” Nel grumbles out of the corner of her mouth.

“And Mrs Claus’ big brother is very grateful for that,” Harry says with serious gratitude as he tips his glass towards her.

Nel rolls her eyes and shakes her head but smiles affectionately back at him.

Breakfast continues in a flurry of excited chatter. Excitement for the Christmas party, for the big day tomorrow, and for everyone to meet Jake’s family. I can feel the heat of Harry’s eyes scorching my face throughout the meal. He watches me even as he talks with Luke and Jake, when he answers my dad’s questions grilling him on work, and as he tells the boys to stop squabbling over the last piece of pineapple in the fruit salad. Harry watches me like he’s going to devour me whole and I’m getting clammy. Yeah, I’m horny. Horny for my husband. I’m suddenly extremely excited to give him his Christmas present.

“Okay,” Harry announces loudly. “Boys, you’re with me, we’re tidying up.”

Oscar immediately gets up and starts bringing his plate over to the sink while Lucas grunts and groans about how unfair it is to have to do chores at Christmas.

“And yet your mother didn’t complain once when she made this delicious breakfast for you. Weird.” Harry pulls his face into confusion and waits pointedly for our eldest to get his arse in gear and help. He does, with only a slightly humbled apology and I smile at them, to which Harry winks at me again. God, those damn winks are gonna get me right in the pelvic area.

My dad and Uncle Gordan don’t offer to help tidying up. Something happened when they retired and now they fully embrace the holiday they have coming to stay here, no longer lifting a finger. Mum rolls her eyes at her husband and brother-in-law and asks Harry if he’d like some help, but he waves her off. Jake doesn’t ask, just jumps in, filling the sink with soapy water.

I grab Nel and pull her to the hallway, where we’re alone once everyone has filed into the living room. “Do you have it?”

She smiles, amused at my impatience. “Yes, Lis. It’s upstairs on your bed. I figured you wouldn’t want it under the tree to be opened in front of your entire family.”

“Good shout,” I chuckle. “Thank you, Nel.”

“No need to thank me. But hey, I did wrap it.” When my face falls, she holds up a placating hand. “I want you to think of it as a present for you just as much as Harry. Lis, you look incredible in those photos and you’re going to love them, just as he will too.”

I pull her in for a hug and she squeezes me back with love. “You’re my favourite sister-in-law.”

She laughs. “I’m your only sister-in-law.”

“Yeah, but if I had a thousand, you’d still be my favourite.”

“You’re my favourite too. Although Rhiannon told me we’re basically sisters-in-law, too, so I may have to review annually.”

“Fair.”

We pull away and smile at each other. I’m kind of wondering if I can run upstairs quickly and tease the paper open so I can peek before I give it to Harry tonight. “And before you think of cheating, there’s three layers of tissue paper as well as the wrapping,” Nel says with pursed lips.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say haughtily, turning on my heel and joining everyone on the lounge to the sound of her laughter behind me.

When the boys join us after they’ve tidied up, Lucas and Oscar look at the huge pile of presents under the tree that everyone has added to the heap. Freddie and Margot are also looking a little too closely at all the goodies waiting to be ripped open and enjoyed. I’m just about to suggest a game to distract them when Harry swoops me up from the armchair I’m sitting on. I squeal at the sudden movement, clinging around his neck for the second time this morning. He settles back in the seat with me neatly on his lap and I look up to see everyone looking at us with various levels of amusement.

Jake leans in to whisper something in Nel’s ear and her eyes go wide, her mouth dropping open as she looks at us. Bastard. He looks back at me with a mischievous grin as I send daggers his way with my eyes. This only seems to make him laugh. Harry’s hands stroke over my legs, my hip, and come to my stomach. I flinch, unable to hide the anxiety at him feeling what I now have that wasn’t there before. He notices, of course, and splays his fingers so his hand covers my abdomen, pulling me closer to him and kissing my shoulder all too tenderly. I look over that shoulder into the deepest depths of his seafoam-green eyes and the love that swims in them.

You’re beautiful , he tells me without words.

I’m scared , I admit.

His hand comes up to cup my jaw and gently eases my face to his, taking my lips in a painfully sweet kiss. Everything that isn’t us melts away, the chatter and laughter of our friends and family fades into nothingness as Harry rests his forehead against mine.

You’re perfect .

I love you .

I adore you .

“That settles it then,” Rhiannon says brightly, catapulting me back into the present. “Lis, you want to do the honours?”

“Huh?” I say dumbly because I was not paying attention to anything anyone was saying.

Jake rolls his eyes. “You two need to get a room,” he grumbles but his amusement is plastered all over his face.

“We have one but you lot being here is preventing us from using it,” Harry says tersely .

My cheeks flame as I look at my hands in my lap but the adults in the room just laugh.

“Why can’t you use your room, Daddy?” Oscar asks, the genuine concern on his face adorable. “You slept in there last night. Did Mary keep you awake? She can sleep in with me and Lucas if you want.”

Oh, my dear boy . I look at my son with the adoration that offer deserves.

“Nah bud, we’re all good,” Harry assures. “Daddy was just joking with Uncle Jake.”

“I like everyone being here,” Oscar says.

“I know. No one’s going anywhere, don’t worry kid.”

Seemingly satisfied, Oscar nods and looks back to the gifts stacked around the tree. “Okay, so presents now?”

“What?” I say looking up. “Presents are for Christmas day.”

Oscar looks back at Rhiannon, obviously confused by that statement and my cousin just looks at me with an unimpressed hitch to her brow. “If you had been listening and not making goo-goo eyes at your dreamy husband—”

“I’m dreamy?” Harry asks behind me, the smugness in his voice so reminiscent of the twenty-year-old I met fifteen years ago. “Keeping that little tidbit to bring up again later.”

Rhiannon rolls her eyes.

“You never said you thought Harry was dreamy,” Luke says to her, a disgruntled look on his face.

“Dear lord,” Rhiannon huffs. “Anyway,” she continues, ignoring our husbands. “If you were listening, you’d know we were just saying that there are some family presents under the tree that may be better to hand out before we’re with Jake’s family as they’re not involved.” She gives me a wide-eyed, slow nod, imploring me to understand.

Oh, yes! The family portrait Nel did for us this summer over at the commons near our house. A lovely photoshoot where we got some beautiful family photographs. I had ordered framed collages, and Nel brought them with her, I can see the stack of square presents wrapped in Nel’s elegant black and white striped paper nestled together under the tree.

“Ah, I see. Yes, great idea,” I say, climbing off of Harry’s lap to start distributing them out. They’re all the same, no labels needed.

“Oh, I saw you’d left one in your room when I was passing earlier, so I brought that down for you,” Rhiannon says off-handedly.

I frown down at her as I start passing the gifts to Mum, Auntie Hen, Rhiannon, then Harry, but there’s one left. There’s too many. Looking over to Nel hoping there’s a simple explanation, she’s staring back with panic, her eyes wide, her skin paler than it had been five minutes ago. Something clambers up my insides, a slow and debilitating realisation that I can’t quite get my brain to grasp onto until I hear the first rip of paper.

“WAIT!”