joyous jumble of laughter and teasing. While opening boxes and prepping for the decorating, they’d compared various versions of childhood memories. The only thing they seemed to agree on was the belief that Abe and Sera made Christmas special.
“My first Christmas here was the best,” Romeo claimed. “Sera and Abe waited until everyone else had gone to their rooms to tell me that the courts had officially appointed them my foster parents and legal guardians. Realizing that I didn’t have to go back to my shitty ass parents was the best present I could have asked for.”
“I remember that,” Vin said with a nod. “You were a scrawny ass thing that always wanted to fight someone.”
“Do you remember his rat tail?” Drannon said with a howl of laughter. “He thought he was the shit because he had a six-inch long braid at the base of his skull.”
“Hey! That was cool back then,” Romeo protested.
“No it wasn’t,” Franki argued with a snort of laughter. “Rat tails were never cool. I sure wish there was a picture of that.”
“There is somewhere,” Vin said. “Sera took holiday photos. They were a tradition. Every Christmas, Easter, Fourth of July, and Halloween. Everyone in the family for the holiday had to stand on the front porch for a photo.”
Drannon nodded. “Yep, they’re all still filed neatly away in the photo albums upstairs. We should get them out sometime soon.”
“Yes, we should!” Lacy agreed. “I need to know what my kid is going to look like as a disgruntled teenager.”
Laughter rippled through the room, and Jeanette sipped a glass of wine as she and Marilyn worked to untangle a strand of Christmas lights.
“How are those lights coming?” Lauren asked them, “We have to get the lights on before we can hang the ornaments.”
Marilyn and Jeanette exchanged a look before Marilyn responded, “You’re welcome to take a string of these and help us out.”
“Oh, um...” Lauren wrinkled her nose, “I’m not actually very good at untangling knots.”
“Drannon is,” Lacy called out, her voice muffled because she was bent over with her head in a box, searching for something.
A heavy pause filled the air as everyone turned to look at Drannon who was staring at his wife’s backside like she’d lost her mind. The double meaning was clear, and it caused the entire group to bust up into riotous laughter.
“Big D, I didn’t know you had such talents,” Vin said, slapping his brother on the back. “Maybe you should give us a demonstration.”
“Shut up. What my wife meant is that I have a lot of practice untying knots in rope.” His eyes widened, and he shook his head. “I mean, roping cattle takes a lot of rope tying, and knots, lots of knots. Fucking hell.”
“Watch your language,” Lacy scolded. She rose up from where she’d been sorting decorations and kissed him. “We have babies in the house now, and for the record, that’s exactly what I was referring to. What other kind of knots could I have meant?”
Jeanette noted the false innocence on Lacy’s face, but no one commented on it. Instead, they all went back to what they’d been doing, still chuckling at their brother’s expense. She loved how open and accepting this group was of their diversity. She couldn’t imagine any of the other brothers wanting to dabble in bondage, but Drannon had an air of dominance about him that made it feel right. It made sense that he’d be the one into ropes. Romeo on the other hand, was the type of man who would bring laughter into the bedroom, but also a deep sense of passion and devotion. The way he looked at Franki made Jeanette’s heart ache with longing sometimes. They might have had a rocky road together, but it sure seemed they’d come out stronger for all their hardships.
“While I have you all here, I wanted to make an announcement,” Marilyn said, drawing everyone’s attention away from the discomfited Drannon. “I’m getting old.” Hawke
“My first Christmas here was the best,” Romeo claimed. “Sera and Abe waited until everyone else had gone to their rooms to tell me that the courts had officially appointed them my foster parents and legal guardians. Realizing that I didn’t have to go back to my shitty ass parents was the best present I could have asked for.”
“I remember that,” Vin said with a nod. “You were a scrawny ass thing that always wanted to fight someone.”
“Do you remember his rat tail?” Drannon said with a howl of laughter. “He thought he was the shit because he had a six-inch long braid at the base of his skull.”
“Hey! That was cool back then,” Romeo protested.
“No it wasn’t,” Franki argued with a snort of laughter. “Rat tails were never cool. I sure wish there was a picture of that.”
“There is somewhere,” Vin said. “Sera took holiday photos. They were a tradition. Every Christmas, Easter, Fourth of July, and Halloween. Everyone in the family for the holiday had to stand on the front porch for a photo.”
Drannon nodded. “Yep, they’re all still filed neatly away in the photo albums upstairs. We should get them out sometime soon.”
“Yes, we should!” Lacy agreed. “I need to know what my kid is going to look like as a disgruntled teenager.”
Laughter rippled through the room, and Jeanette sipped a glass of wine as she and Marilyn worked to untangle a strand of Christmas lights.
“How are those lights coming?” Lauren asked them, “We have to get the lights on before we can hang the ornaments.”
Marilyn and Jeanette exchanged a look before Marilyn responded, “You’re welcome to take a string of these and help us out.”
“Oh, um...” Lauren wrinkled her nose, “I’m not actually very good at untangling knots.”
“Drannon is,” Lacy called out, her voice muffled because she was bent over with her head in a box, searching for something.
A heavy pause filled the air as everyone turned to look at Drannon who was staring at his wife’s backside like she’d lost her mind. The double meaning was clear, and it caused the entire group to bust up into riotous laughter.
“Big D, I didn’t know you had such talents,” Vin said, slapping his brother on the back. “Maybe you should give us a demonstration.”
“Shut up. What my wife meant is that I have a lot of practice untying knots in rope.” His eyes widened, and he shook his head. “I mean, roping cattle takes a lot of rope tying, and knots, lots of knots. Fucking hell.”
“Watch your language,” Lacy scolded. She rose up from where she’d been sorting decorations and kissed him. “We have babies in the house now, and for the record, that’s exactly what I was referring to. What other kind of knots could I have meant?”
Jeanette noted the false innocence on Lacy’s face, but no one commented on it. Instead, they all went back to what they’d been doing, still chuckling at their brother’s expense. She loved how open and accepting this group was of their diversity. She couldn’t imagine any of the other brothers wanting to dabble in bondage, but Drannon had an air of dominance about him that made it feel right. It made sense that he’d be the one into ropes. Romeo on the other hand, was the type of man who would bring laughter into the bedroom, but also a deep sense of passion and devotion. The way he looked at Franki made Jeanette’s heart ache with longing sometimes. They might have had a rocky road together, but it sure seemed they’d come out stronger for all their hardships.
“While I have you all here, I wanted to make an announcement,” Marilyn said, drawing everyone’s attention away from the discomfited Drannon. “I’m getting old.” Hawke
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