Jaci Burton - Holiday Games

Again, she shot him one of those looks. “And your point?”

Count to ten. Count to ten. “Okay. I’ll pick up another bottle.”

He needed to get out of this house and away from Liz before one of them totally lost it. And by the looks she was giving him and his blood pressure, at this point he wasn’t sure which one of them was going to explode first.

He was certain his mom didn’t go to this much trouble when she had Christmas. Or maybe she did and he just wasn’t aware of it.

He picked up his phone and dialed. His mom answered on the second ring.

“Hi, Gavin.”

“Hi, Mom. How’s it going?”

“It’s going very well. I’m making a coconut cream pie. And how’s it going over there?”

“Elizabeth is losing her ever-loving mind.”

“Really. What’s going on?”

He filled her in on Liz’s craziness over the past few days, including his current trip to the grocery store to buy some crazy cheese and the repeat trips to buy things he’d already bought.

“Be patient with her, Gavin. This is her first time having the family over and she wants everything to be perfect.”

“I don’t remember you being stressed-out about having the family all these years.”

“Well, not after doing it for thirty-some-odd years. But the first time I had Christmas for your father and his family? I broke out in hives and threw up the night before. Your poor father had to give me whiskey on Christmas Day just to calm me down.”

He couldn’t imagine his never-ruffled mother being afraid of anything. “You did not.”

“I did. I imagine what’s bothering Liz is just nervousness. She wants to satisfy everyone’s tastes, and unfortunately, that’s impossible to do. I’m going to finish up this pie and then drop by and see if there’s anything I can do to help, providing you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all, and I think you can do a lot to ease her mind. Thanks, Mom.”

“You’re welcome.”

After he hung up, he went to the store, got the cranberries and the damned cheese he couldn’t pronounce. Then he stopped at the liquor store to buy yet another couple bottles of that wine that they’d undoubtedly have on hand until the end of time.

When he got home, Liz was bent over her laptop at the kitchen counter studying something in an online cookbook. He stored the wine and put the cheese and cranberries away. His first thought was to go hide in the basement again, but instead, he came up and kissed her on the cheek.

She lifted her face and frowned. “What’s that for?”

“For having the family over tomorrow. I know this isn’t easy for you and you’re going to a lot of trouble to do it.”

“Gavin, I love your family. They’ve been my family for even longer than you and I have been together. You know how much I’ve been wanting to do this.”

“I know. But I don’t want you to be stressed about it.”

She laughed. “Not much you can do about that. It’s a big deal to me and I want everything to be perfect.”

He was about to tell her that perfection was overrated, though she likely wouldn’t have listened to him anyway, when the doorbell rang.

Liz looked like she was about to have a panic attack. “Oh, shit. Who could possibly be here?”

“I have no idea, but relax. Whoever it is, I’ll get rid of them.”

“Thanks. I have to make this casserole.”

He went to the front door and opened it.

“Hi, sweetie.”

“Hi, Mom.” He hugged and kissed his mother, and whispered to her. “I didn’t tell Liz I called you.”

She patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry.”

He followed his mother into the kitchen. When Liz looked up, she registered a combination of shock and dread. But then she managed a smile.

“Oh. Mom. Hi.”

“Hi, Liz. I thought maybe you could use some help.”

Liz’s gaze flitted from his mother’s to his. And he read the panic there

“That sounds like a great idea, Mom,” he said. “Though I think Liz is doing a fantastic job.”

“Of course she is, but I’m always grateful for extra hands when I’m trying to do everything.”

Thank God for his mother. “If you all don’t need me, I’m going to get out of your way.”

“That’s a really good idea, son. We’ll call you if we need you.”

Liz didn’t know whether she wanted to grab onto Gavin like a lifeline or kick his ass down the basement stairs. She’d wager anything he called his mother and told her she was losing her mind.

Which she was.

“How’s it going here?”

“Oh . . . fine. I have the turkey cleaned and ready to go into the oven tomorrow morning. The side dishes are plotted out and well in hand. Some I’m prepping today, and others will be done tomorrow. I’m working on hors d’oeuvres right now.”

“Hors d’ouevres?”

“Yes. I’m doing individual shrimp cocktails, stuffed figs, an olive and cheese spread, spinach and artichoke dip.” She paused. “I know there’s something else. Let me go grab my menu.”

Mom nodded. “Uh-huh. You do realize it’s just family, and that you’re not serving Christmas dinner for the President of the United States, right?”

Liz laughed and waved her hand. “Of course. It’s just that there’re so many, and I want to make sure there’s enough. Anyway, here’s my list if you want to take a look and tell me if you think I’m missing anything.”

Liz worried her bottom lip while Gavin’s mom perused the list. When she looked up, Liz noted the look of concern on her face.

“Oh, crap. I’ve forgotten something, haven’t I?”

“Yes. You’ve forgotten we’re just the Rileys. We’re very simple. Have you ever seen me serve anything like what’s on this menu?”

“Well . . . no. But I thought I’d fancy it up a little.”

“And there’s nothing wrong with that, as long as you don’t have a complete meltdown trying to do that. You know, once the family started to expand, I decided that holidays would be more like potluck, with everyone bringing a side dish. And I also enlisted help. Cara came over and started helping out with cooking the main dishes.”

“Right. But I thought—”

“That you could manage doing it all yourself.”

“Yes.”

Kathleen took a seat at the island. “And how’s that working out for you?”

Liz exhaled and leaned against the counter. “I feel like I’m about to drop. I’m so tired, Mom.”

“So why are you doing all this?”

“I don’t know. Because it’s my first time, and I want everyone to be happy.”

Her mother-in-law laughed. “Honey, no matter what you feed everyone, they’ll be happy. It’s Christmas, and we’re all delighted to spend the day together with those we love. You could serve turkey sandwiches and chips and we’d be content.”

“I don’t know about that, but maybe I have been overdoing it . . . a little.”

Kathleen perused the epic disaster that was Liz’s countertops and cocked her head to the side. “A little?”

“Okay . . . a lot. Gavin called you and said I was making him crazy, didn’t he?”

“I refuse to answer that question on the grounds you might be angry with him.”

Liz laughed. “I couldn’t possibly be angry with him, since I’m so happy you’re here.”

“I’ve been offering to help you for weeks now, and you kept saying no.”

“I know. I’m so sorry. I wanted to be the perfect daughter-in-law and do it all by myself.”

Kathleen slid off the bar stool, came around the island, and pulled Liz into her arms. “You’ve always been the perfect daughter-in-law. You love my son and he loves you. It’s all I will ever ask for.”

Liz batted back tears. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too.”

Liz took a look at her menu, then at her mother-in-law. “Okay, so help me out here and tell me how I can scale some of this back so I’m not hiding in a corner by tomorrow.”

* * *

By early evening, Gavin’s mom had left and he’d helped Liz finish up the last of the prep for tomorrow’s meal. Then he’d done all the dishes and cleaned the kitchen. After that he’d gone out and picked up a pizza, because the last thing his wife needed was to cook dinner tonight or have anything else in the kitchen to have to clean up.

They had curled up in front of the television to watch a holiday movie. Liz was lying on the couch, her head in his lap. After the movie finished, she flipped over to look up at him.

“Have I mentioned today that you’re my hero?”

“Uh, no, you haven’t. What brought this on?”

“You got me a pizza. If I never see the kitchen again, it’ll be too soon.”

He rubbed his hand along her hip. “I told you I’d help you cook everything. You know I don’t mind being in the kitchen, and I like to cook.”

“I know you do, but this is my thing, and I volunteered to do it, so I’m going to suck it up and do it by myself.”

“But you’re not by yourself anymore. You have a partner to help. So you should let me be there for you. I can toss a turkey in the oven and peel and mash potatoes and do anything else you need me to do.”

She finally nodded. “You’re right. I guess I’ve bitten off more than I can chew, and I need some help.”

“I’ll be happy to be your bitch tomorrow.”

She laughed. “I’m going to remember you said that.”

They started another movie, and Gavin continued to move his hand along Liz’s hip. She kneaded his leg, which made his dick hard. Hell, anytime she touched him, he got hard.

“Your erection is poking my head,” she said, not turning away from the TV.

“Is it bothering you?”

“Immensely.”

“I guess you could do something about that.”

“I could, couldn’t I?” She shifted, using her hand to lazily rub his shaft through his jeans.

Gavin spread his legs, in no hurry to get to the action. He enjoyed watching Liz touch him, even if it was through denim. He couldn’t concentrate on the movie, though, because her head in his lap gave him definite ideas.

“If you unzipped me, you could put your mouth on me.”

She didn’t answer. In fact, she’d stopped touching him, too.

“Okay, how about if I do you first.”

No reply.

“Liz?”

Her breaths had become deep and even, and when he leaned forward he realized she’d fallen asleep.

He smiled and shook his head. His poor, exhausted wife had finally given in and passed out.

He threaded his fingers through her hair. He’d always loved her hair. That beautiful natural red hair of hers had always been a turn on for him, even when he’d been her client and she’d been his agent. She’d been a brilliant smart-ass with great legs and he’d admired the hell out her, both for her talent and intelligence as well as her beauty.

They’d had one hell of a wild ride getting together. She’d pissed him off and challenged the hell out of him, doing everything in her power to drive him away. But he’d wanted her, and he’d been damned determined to have her.

Now he couldn’t imagine a day of his life without her by his side. She was his rock of fortitude when things got rough for him, could always be counted on to calm the raging waters of his life.

He loved her like he never thought he could love a woman.

She sighed and curled her body up tighter, like she was cold. He dragged the blanket off the back of the sofa and covered her.

And while she might project a tough exterior, there was a vulnerability to her that never failed to bring out his protective instincts. He’d do anything to give her everything she wanted, including the baby she was convinced he wanted, when he knew damn well she was the one who wanted one with every part of her body.

He looked down at her and brushed a curl behind her ear. She looked pale, and he wondered if she was still secretly fighting that flu bug. Or maybe she was just tired.

She’d been working way too hard lately. And even though it wasn’t even ten o’clock yet, there was no way in hell he was going to wake her. He settled in against the sofa and decided he’d finish watching the movie, and then he’d carry his wife up to bed.

She needed the rest, because tomorrow was going to be a long day.

Something hard poked against Liz’s butt. She blinked her eyes open, smiling as she recognized immediately what it was.

She vaguely remembered Gavin waking her up last night as he carried her to bed. She had practically sleep-walked through brushing her teeth and taking off her clothes before falling into bed and right back to sleep.