Page 1 of A Very Fumbling Merry Christmas

Chapter 1

FAITH

I’ve always loved Thanksgiving.What’s not to love about a day filled with family, food, and football? This year I’m taking over the mantle for the Fairchild Family Thanksgiving meal. My dad is thawing a little toward Hunter and me as a couple, so I jumped at the opportunity to have the entire family to our new home. My grandparents arrived last night, and my Grams has been shamelessly flirting with Hunter since she stepped through the door.

Papa parked himself in an armchair in front of the television and fell asleep listening to the news a few hours ago. My mom and dad are driving up tonight with my brother, Ben, and his wife. It’s going to be interesting, to say the least. Ben wasn’t exactly my biggest fan when my relationship with Hunter sort of overshadowed his wedding a few months back.

I’m hoping this holiday season will be a good chance to get back to some kind of normalcy with my folks. It’s a little daunting to be hosting my first family holiday a month after getting married, but I’m jumping in with both feet.

My stomach is churning with nerves, so I busy myself with food preparation for tomorrow and pour myself a generous glass of Prosecco. Hunter spies me out of the corner of his eye, chugging my drink like it’s Gatorade. Excusing himself from my Grams’ clutches, he saunters over to me, leaning against the kitchen island with the easy grace I adore. If only I were blessed with a modicum of his elegance.

“Slow down there, slugger. You’ll be slurring your words before Coop and Zee get here if you keep slinging it back.” He eyes me warily, reading my mind.

“This all seemed like a great idea last week. Now I’m thinking it’s going to be a disaster.” He reaches out, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me close to his chest.

“You’re probably right. It’s going to be a shitshow.” My shoulders sag as his deep chuckle vibrates through me.

“Why did you let me do this?”

“When have I ever let you do anything? You’re a one-woman wrecking ball… and I love you. You’re stubborn as hell. I’m not telling you to do or not do something.” His hands rub up and down my back, calming me as I sink into his embrace.

“Promise you’ll still love me after the holidays, no matter how crazy it gets?”

“Love, you already know the answer to that. You can’t get rid of me that easily. A bad family dinner is no big deal in the scheme of things. This is our first Thanksgiving. That already makes it amazing.”

“Smooth talker.”

“You know it.” I take a moment to breathe him in, steeling myself for tomorrow. I lean in for a kiss, losing myself for a few precious seconds of quiet in what I know will be a storm.

“Y’all are so cute. Back in the day, your grandfather used to ravage me anywhere and everywhere. Still gives me butterflies after all these years.” She looks over to my grandpa, snoring in the chair in front of the television.

“Aw, Grams, I love that. I hope we’re like that when we’re old.”

“Faith Fairchild, are you calling me old?” She feigns offense and winks at me while Hunter isn’t looking.

“If it’s any consolation, Mrs. Fairchild, she calls me old on a daily basis. And she’s Faith Vaughn now. I claimed her. Filled out the marriage license and everything!” I love that he’s being playful with her.

“You’re still a fetus, Hunter. Trust me… I’m old!”

“Well, I appreciate that, ma’am.”

“None of that ma’am business. You call me Constance. Now, don’t let me interrupt you young lovebirds any longer. I’m going to go and have a little nap while your grandfather snores out here. Honestly, it’s like sleeping next to a freight train.”

I go to Grams’ side, all conspiratorial as we tiptoe past Grandpa. She and I have always been kindred spirits. We have the same little rebellious streak. As we make our way to her room, she holds me a little tighter.

“You’ve got yourself a good man there, Faithy. He looks at you the same way your grandpa looked at me all those years ago.”

“Really?” I don’t know why I need her validation. I guess it’s nice that one member of the Fairchild family doesn’t think Hunter is too old for me. I didn’t wake up one day and think, I’m going to go and fall in love with an older man. I didn’t plan to fall in love at all this year. Hunter was supposed to be an introduction to sex. It already feels inconceivable that I believed I could sleep with him and then walk away without any emotional ties.

Grams takes a seat on the edge of the bed and pats the mattress for me to sit with her.

“When I first met your grandpa, he was the most handsome man I’d ever met. I couldn’t stop thinking about him.” The warmth of her smile as she reminisces is so adorable. “Do you know, the day we met, he told his best friend that he was going to marry me?”

“That’s true love.”

“I didn’t know he was ‘the one’ for a good while after we started dating. In fact, I was planning on him being a fling, but… oh my word… the things that man could do to me in bed.”

“Grams!” I stop her before she says anything else. No one needs to hear their grandmother talk sex.

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