Jaci Burton - Holiday Games

“Pulling himself up to stand.”

“Oh, my God. Already?”

“Yes. Mick thinks he’ll be walking soon. He said when he was a baby, he walked at ten months, so he thinks Sam will walk early, too. I’m not ready yet. I want him to stay my cuddly baby as long as possible, though he can crawl through the house like a speed demon. I have to watch him every second, or he disappears. We’ve already got the gate up across the stairs.”

“He’s adorable, Tara. And where is he?” Jenna asked.

“With your parents. When I told your mom I was meeting with the two of you this morning, she asked if she could have him for a couple of hours.”

“Figures. She’s always grabbing Sam.”

Tara leaned back on the sofa. “You know you can have him whenever you want. Or come over whenever you want.”

“Sure. In my spare time, when I’m not overseeing the bar, or working at the club.”

“Oh, cry me a river,” Liz interjected. “I never get to see him, either.”

“I never thought the two of you would be fighting over my baby. You are the two least likely women I’d ever have guessed would have motherly instincts.”

“Hey,” Jenna said. “I love your baby. Not that I want any of my own right now. Too busy. But your kids? Love them madly.”

“That’s because one is in college, and the other you can love and cuddle and spoil, but you don’t have to keep him.”

Jenna nodded. “Exactly.”

Liz laughed. “Speaking of the one in college, how is Nathan doing?”

A streak of motherly pride crossed Tara’s face. “He’s doing so well. He’s putting his studies first, which I insisted on. And of course as you know, Texas ended up winning the Big 12 Conference championship this season. I’d like to think Nathan leading the team at quarterback had a lot to do with that.”

“He’s an exceptional quarterback, like his father,” Liz said. “I watched every game. He has a natural talent, very much like Mick’s.”

“Agree,” Jenna said. “In some ways, he’s better than Mick, because of the way he runs. He confuses the hell out of the defense.”

Liz nodded. “I’m eager to get my hands on him and get him an NFL contract.”

Tara looked horrified. “Oh, God, don’t tell him that. He’ll want to come out next year, and Mick and I want him to stay in school and finish up his degree.”

Liz laughed. “My lips are sealed. And I tend to agree with you. Some of these boys leave school too soon, the lure of the big contract and big money too much to resist. The longer they stay in college, the more experience they gain. At least that’s what I always advise them.”

“Obviously, they don’t always listen.”

She shrugged. “Bottom line is the choice is theirs to make. Many of them go on to have highly successful careers, but it’s my hope they all get their degrees. Or at least stay through their junior years, then finish up their degrees later.”

Tara nodded. “We’re going to push for Nathan to stay in school as long as possible, but you’re right, it’s his career and his choice. We just hope he makes the right one.”

They went over wedding planning, then went out to lunch. Liz parted ways with Tara and Jenna, then headed home, hoping to find Gavin there. Instead, he’d left a message on her phone letting her know he was going for a tux fitting, and then lunch.

Which was fine with her. She had some work to do, anyway, so she opened her laptop and answered a few emails. When she was done, she reviewed her calendar.

It was going to be an extremely busy holiday season. Not only was Jenna getting married—with Liz taking a very active role in that, which she was very excited about—but in addition, she and Gavin would be hosting Christmas for the Riley family in their home this year. Since this was the first time they’d have the entire family over for Christmas, Liz felt the burden of doing everything just right.

Not that Gavin’s family put high expectations on Christmas or anything. His parents were the kindest people she’d ever known. Kathleen and Jimmy Riley had been family to her—more parents to her than her own—since before she and Gavin had ever gotten together. She loved them so much, and they were genuinely warm people. So there was no pressure, other than the normal pressure she put on herself, which was always high.

But still, there’d be a lot of coordinating to do. The Riley family was formidable, and now that there were wives and kids and significant others in the picture, Christmas was going to be huge this year. And Liz intended for this to be the best holiday ever.

She made a few notes about food. Catering was out, unfortunately, because the Rileys just wouldn’t go for that. Nothing but homemade at Christmas. Kathleen would help her, of course, and so would Tara, along with Kathleen’s sister-in-law, Cara. They’d all have to get together and discuss options.

This would totally work.

She leaned back in her chair and stretched, then thought about Gavin and that wretched pregnancy test from earlier.

She pushed back and stood, heading into the kitchen to make a cup of tea. She’d be damned if she’d let her body defeat her. She poured tea into her cup and leaned against the kitchen counter.

If someone had told her two years ago that she would be married and trying to have a baby, she’d have laughed in their face. She’d been totally career driven, and there had been no man on her radar.

Except Gavin, of course. She’d always loved Gavin, but in secret. He’d been the man of her dreams, someone she’d been close to as a client only. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever thought she and Gavin would get together, let alone fall in love and end up married. That’s when her desire for a child—someone who was part of both of them—had started to take hold. She was almost in her midthirties now. If she was ever going to have children, it was time to get going on that. A now or never kind of thing, because she wasn’t getting any younger.

Which was why she wouldn’t let her dream of having a child go up in smoke.

Giving up wasn’t an option. They just needed to have more sex. Gavin was strong and virile, and she was still young enough. She worked out and ate right. There was no reason they couldn’t get pregnant. Gavin was off season right now, which meant he was more available than usual, and that meant more time for sex. Granted, she’d be a more than a little busy with the wedding and holiday planning, but if there was one thing Liz knew how to do, it was make time for sex.

She smiled against the rim of her teacup.

Operation Make A Baby was on.

Gavin smirked at his soon-to-be brother-in-law while they sat waiting in the tuxedo shop. “So, Tyler, what are your intentions toward my baby sister?”

“I plan to marry the hell out of her, if that’s okay with you.”

Gavin shrugged. “Are you sure you know what you’re getting into? She’s kind of a pain in the ass. Moody. Sometimes grouchy as hell.”

“Sounds like that’s how she treats you. She’s great to me.”

Gavin laughed. “You’re probably right.”

“I don’t know,” Mick said. “She’s always liked me.”

“Bullshit. She fought with you as much as she fought with me.”

Mick arched a brow at Gavin. “That’s not the way I remember it. She always ran to me when you were picking on her.”

“No. It was me. She hated both of you and ran to her favorite cousin.”

Gavin laughed at Cole.

“Anderson party?”

“Oooh, we’re a party,” Gavin said, nudging Ty when he stood.

“Not yet,” Ty said. “But as soon as all this tuxedo crap is over with, we’re heading to the bar.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Gavin said.

It took about an hour to pick out the tuxes, though Jenna had already made a couple suggestions, and Ty, not really caring, went with what Jenna wanted. They were all fitted, except for Ty’s two teammates and friends Victor and Eddie, who couldn’t make it. But now that the tuxes had been selected, they could stop in and get their measurements anytime. All Gavin cared about was that his part was done. They were out of there as fast as possible, so they could head to Riley’s bar.

“We’re lucky we could all be together this week,” Mick said. “Fortunately, we’re playing Cole’s team, so I’m actually in town in time for the tux fitting.”

“Yeah, it worked out well,” Ty said.

“We’re going to kick your ass.”

“In your fucking dreams, Cole” Mick said.

“We’ll see, pretty boy. You’re getting kind of old to play football. Shouldn’t you think about moving into the broadcast booth or something? Maybe play stay-at-home dad while Tara makes the big bucks?”

Gavin snorted.

“Hey,” Mick said. “You’re my brother. Shouldn’t you be on my side?”

“I’m on nobody’s side when it comes to family playing family. I’m just going to enjoy the two of you trash-talking each other.”

Cole smirked and leaned back in his chair. When Renee, their waitress came over, she high-fived them all.

“I was wondering when the Riley crew would come in. Beers?”

“I’ll definitely have one,” Tyler said.

Gavin nodded. “Me, too.”

“Soda for me,” Mick said.

“Soda here, too,” Cole said. “Though I could drink ten beers and still kick your ass come game time.”

Gavin rolled his eyes at Ty. “Here we go again.”

Ty laughed. “I wonder if we should take bets on whether they’ll come to blows or not.”

“They won’t. But it’s fun to watch them bullshit each other about whose team is better.”

Ty nodded. “I can’t wait for the game on Sunday. The bar should be packed. Are you gonna go to the game?”