Page 60 of Second Chance Christmas

“Somehow I saw this all going a bit differently. According to my planner, that is.”

“What can I say?” His lip curled up in a sideways grin. “Sometimes the good things don’t happen by planning. We small-town folks like to live wild like that.” He winked and it was like he had a direct line to her core. Her pulse skipped a beat and she swallowed tightly.

She could feel her skin prickling under his heated gaze.

“How did you manage to get back into my heart, Aspen Kennedy.”

“Fun fact, Ivy Sunday, I never left.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Wild indeed. TheGriswoldshad better watch their backs. Aspen knew how to wield a hammer and a string of lights like no other man. Hot damn. She needed to change her panties already. In two hours’ time they had the entire place ready to roll with lights. Every column, railing, and bush would sparkle come nightfall. Which would be any time now and they still had a few things left to take care of.

Their little helpers, on the other hand, were another story. She smiled as the youngest pelted his older brother with a well-aimed snowball to the back of the head and suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia for her siblings.

In between hanging twinkle lights, the Howard kids took breaks to roll around in the snow and instigate more than one snowball fight. Her fingers were frozen, her nose beyond cold but she wouldn’t change it for anything.

Aspen’s words came back to her. He wanted babies. From the way his face lit up, he wanted multiple at that. He wanted to have a family with her and the idea caused a rise of emotions she didn’t know how to label. Watching him stuff every single drop of cum that slipped out of her this morning back in was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen. Getting pregnant hadn’t crossed her mind, but the idea of being round with his child didn’t exactly bother her. In fact, it warmed her heart. Having a family of her own had always been on the to-do list.

Snow fell as the early afternoon slipped into evening and darkness came fast in Dixen this far into the winter season. Gray skies darkened as the first signs of evening crested the horizon. Spirits were high as the women instructed the men on how straight, or rather crooked, the lights were as they perched on ladders. Whiskey, eggnog and apple cider came in no short supply from a hidden compartment in the refrigerator it seemed her gran forgot to mention. Thank goodness Mrs. Murphy knew exactly where to find the good stuff.

Ivy wondered what she must have put out into the universe to receive such blessings today.

Despite the cold everyone worked together, smiling and enjoying the time together.

To her surprise, even the indifferent teenagers set aside their phones and joined in helping the younger kids spread the star-shaped lights back over the bushes.

“Are you ready?” Aspen held up the business end of a bright orange cord that would feed power to the entire fenced-in area she liked to call Rocco -proofed. Or she hoped from now on anyway. This time she made sure to lock the gate and keep an eye out for her newly minted reindeer friend.

Maybe Jon had been right. Maybe the holidays did deserve another chance. Giving Lewis control over a holiday she grew up loving needed to end.

“Countdown please!” Ivy called out.

In chorus, they all started. “FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE.”

A kaleidoscope of white lights mingled with colorful rays of red, blues, greens and yellows illuminated the intimate spot and glittered across the snow. She looked on for a few seconds more and welcomed the warm pair of arms that slipped around her. She leaned back into a broad chest and let all her troubles slide away, if only briefly.

“It’s beautiful, Aspen.” His smell was intoxicating and every damn minute she drew breath the more she needed him. He pulled away and stood beside her looking down as she turned to him.

“Not as beautiful as you, baby,” he whispered for her ears only.

She shivered. Not from the cold but the slow kisses he teased her neck with. Mrs. Howard and her husband stood off to the side in each other's arms. The Murphys and Wilbers the same. To have a love that lasted so long, that was truly something of a wonder. To know someone always had your back—would always be there for you.

Ivy’s lids slipped closed and for one second she wanted to believe in Christmas wishes. Her mind drifted to the ever powerfulwhat-ifquestions that seemed to riddle her mind since stepping back into Dixen.

What if she’d never left, would he have left? Would she be happily married to Aspen? Would his brother still be alive? The questions went on and on like a mental Rolodex.

From beneath the curtain of her hair, she studied him as he studied the handiwork of his lights. Handsome, rugged most would say. Fighting fires wasn't always easy on the body. A few patches on his right hand proved that. She’d also noticed the calluses on his palms, from his year as a hotshot no doubt. They felt great against the body, but she was sure the work that put them there was intense. It had to have been a hard life. Exciting at times and adventurous, but hard nonetheless.

She pulled away and Aspen’s arm slipped from around her. All the dangerous questions and trail of thoughts wouldn’t do either of them any good. She wanted to ask questions she had no right to think, ask, or much less make a Christmas wish of.

“Aspen, I can’t do this.” She took a step back, hating the look of disappointment in his eyes as she shifted to face him. Crunching snow was the only sound between them for a few seconds. She saw the questions he wanted to ask in his expression without him needing to voice them.

“You feel it too, don’t you?” Rough and tight. She used to love the way his voice changed when they were alone. Now it reminded her of what she could have had if she’d stayed and married him instead of running off out of fear like an idiot. She thought wearing his ring would have tied her down. But she’d been young and ambitious with a plan and a scholarship.

“I know you feel what I feel. No more running, Ivy Sunday,” he growled, taking a step closer like he wanted to throw her over his shoulder if she dared try to run.

The look in his eye told her not to push him.

---