Read Online Christmas Surprises by Jenn Faulk - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jenn Faulk
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fitness level even though no one was listening to him anymore. "Just need to get back to it."
"You sound like Sadie," Jacob sighed, looking over to Brian. "My sister Sadie, is training for her third Ironman."
"Wow," Brian said, grinning appreciatively. "That's impressive."
"Annoying and impressive," Jacob said. "She's a real bully about working out. Likes to make jokes about how out of shape I am."
"Well, you are out of shape," Gracie noted.
"But still," Jacob added.
"You know," Brian said, "I've thought about doing one of those. Not the full thing, of course. I'm not crazy like your sister or anything."
"Amen on the crazy," Jacob nodded.
"But the half distance," he said. "Natalie and I have been talking about destination trips, loading up my bike and all my gear next fall and just making a vacation out of it."
They had. She'd even sectioned off some time from work for a few of the possibilities, thoughts of seeing different parts of the country with Brian pleasantly on her mind as she'd done so, marveling that this would be how she'd spend retirement, not sad and alone like she'd figured just a year ago.
"Vacations together?," Micah asked. "Huh."
Just that. Huh. Disapproval and irritation, so easy to discern in that voice of his.
Where had he gotten his attitude from anyway? She was so much more easygoing than that, and Chris had never been as snooty as Micah was being.
"I think it sounds wonderful," Rachel said. "Micah, if you remember correctly, you and I once planned an entire trip to Europe together, not long after we first met."
"Yeah, but we were just friends then," Micah said. Then, a pointed look at Brian. "Are you and my mother just friends?"
"I think your mother can answer that herself, Micah Emmanuel," Natalie said tightly.
"Oh, the middle name," Jacob murmured.
Micah looked at her with interest. "Then, let me ask you . Are the two of you just friends?"
My goodness. It would have to be like this, then, wouldn't it? Her answering him as rudely as he was questioning her.
So be it.
"Not that it's any of your business, but we're more than friends," she said.
"Then, is it appropriate for the two of you to be traveling all around together like that?," he asked.
Wow. Her own father hadn't been this protective when she'd been a college freshman at seventeen, in a world much too mature for her.
She was, all at the same time, impressed and irritated by his boldness. She was about to tell him that it would be just fine for her to do whatever she wanted to with Brian because she'd be his wife by then --
"You know what?," Rachel asked, her voice desperately trying to sound calm and peaceful. "Speaking of seeing places and exciting vacations, I think it's time to open up some Christmas gifts, huh?"
And this was enough to move Micah's attention from his mother and her suitor.
For a while, at least.
Madison
There were some gifts exchanged to get things started, as the evening began to get darker and as Maddie finished off the snack that Grant had insisted she eat.
She was so full. How much food could one pregnant woman whose husband wouldn't leave her alone eat anyway?
Andrew opened a gift from Zoe. Mia opened one from Lydia. The kids tore through paper, gasped with delight, and filled the house with the sounds of toys being played with, buttons pushed, and electronic beeps and buzzes. The dog would bark in her sleep occasionally from where she laid in Brian's lap, completely content.
Then, the adults exchanged some gifts. From Joy to Rachel, a set of romance novels from one of her favorite writers. "But Maddie is my most favorite," Joy had said so devotedly. To Joy from Maddie, a proof copy of the newest book, not even available yet, which Joy immediately began reading after nearly knocking Maddie
"You sound like Sadie," Jacob sighed, looking over to Brian. "My sister Sadie, is training for her third Ironman."
"Wow," Brian said, grinning appreciatively. "That's impressive."
"Annoying and impressive," Jacob said. "She's a real bully about working out. Likes to make jokes about how out of shape I am."
"Well, you are out of shape," Gracie noted.
"But still," Jacob added.
"You know," Brian said, "I've thought about doing one of those. Not the full thing, of course. I'm not crazy like your sister or anything."
"Amen on the crazy," Jacob nodded.
"But the half distance," he said. "Natalie and I have been talking about destination trips, loading up my bike and all my gear next fall and just making a vacation out of it."
They had. She'd even sectioned off some time from work for a few of the possibilities, thoughts of seeing different parts of the country with Brian pleasantly on her mind as she'd done so, marveling that this would be how she'd spend retirement, not sad and alone like she'd figured just a year ago.
"Vacations together?," Micah asked. "Huh."
Just that. Huh. Disapproval and irritation, so easy to discern in that voice of his.
Where had he gotten his attitude from anyway? She was so much more easygoing than that, and Chris had never been as snooty as Micah was being.
"I think it sounds wonderful," Rachel said. "Micah, if you remember correctly, you and I once planned an entire trip to Europe together, not long after we first met."
"Yeah, but we were just friends then," Micah said. Then, a pointed look at Brian. "Are you and my mother just friends?"
"I think your mother can answer that herself, Micah Emmanuel," Natalie said tightly.
"Oh, the middle name," Jacob murmured.
Micah looked at her with interest. "Then, let me ask you . Are the two of you just friends?"
My goodness. It would have to be like this, then, wouldn't it? Her answering him as rudely as he was questioning her.
So be it.
"Not that it's any of your business, but we're more than friends," she said.
"Then, is it appropriate for the two of you to be traveling all around together like that?," he asked.
Wow. Her own father hadn't been this protective when she'd been a college freshman at seventeen, in a world much too mature for her.
She was, all at the same time, impressed and irritated by his boldness. She was about to tell him that it would be just fine for her to do whatever she wanted to with Brian because she'd be his wife by then --
"You know what?," Rachel asked, her voice desperately trying to sound calm and peaceful. "Speaking of seeing places and exciting vacations, I think it's time to open up some Christmas gifts, huh?"
And this was enough to move Micah's attention from his mother and her suitor.
For a while, at least.
Madison
There were some gifts exchanged to get things started, as the evening began to get darker and as Maddie finished off the snack that Grant had insisted she eat.
She was so full. How much food could one pregnant woman whose husband wouldn't leave her alone eat anyway?
Andrew opened a gift from Zoe. Mia opened one from Lydia. The kids tore through paper, gasped with delight, and filled the house with the sounds of toys being played with, buttons pushed, and electronic beeps and buzzes. The dog would bark in her sleep occasionally from where she laid in Brian's lap, completely content.
Then, the adults exchanged some gifts. From Joy to Rachel, a set of romance novels from one of her favorite writers. "But Maddie is my most favorite," Joy had said so devotedly. To Joy from Maddie, a proof copy of the newest book, not even available yet, which Joy immediately began reading after nearly knocking Maddie
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