A Port Ranch Christmas (A Christmas Novella)

Chapter 15

BRITT

One hand was cold and the other warm as I made my way into the living room and set two drinks down on the wooden coffee table before sitting down and covering myself with a soft throw. The only sound was the crackling of the fire although if I listened real carefully I could probably hear my husband cursing the name of a certain twenty-year-old.

“Granger?” He grunted in return. It wasn’t a full answer, but after all the years of knowing Granger, I was pretty much fluent in all his grunts, groans, and growls. “We have the house to ourselves, I’d really love to spend the evening in your arms. It is kind of lonely over here.”

“Do you think he asked her yet?” He hadn’t left the front window in about twenty minutes. After an evening with my family celebrated Christmas, we returned to our place and Granger got a fire started for me. After two days that felt like non-stop chaos, I was ready for just a quiet evening by the fire with my husband. Yet he couldn’t relax if you bribed him with money. He was way too involved in what was going on about a mile and a half down the road in one of the cabins.

“Based on when they left the house, I’m guessing he already did. I don’t know what his plan was. Stef and Cat did most of the prep work down there.”

“You know she’s going to say yes, right?”

I giggled and took a sip of my hot cider, “Yes, Granger. She’s going to say yes because she loves him and wants to be with him. Can you please stop thinking about our daughter and give your wife some attention?”

He grunts again, but this time listens to my request and makes long strides over to the living room, and takes a seat next to me. I lean forward to grab the whiskey glass I poured for him. He throws the whole thing down in one swallow and then puts his arm around me while I curl into his broad chest. Even after the gray started to overtake the red, he still has the body of a rancher. His six-pack may not be near as defined anymore, but it still makes my engine rev.

“What was I thinking giving him my permission?”

“He’s good for her, Granger. You don’t want to admit it to yourself, but you know it is true. Dustin is the real deal and he’s going to love our Ella in a way that nobody else could.”

“Yeah,” he scoffs, “that is what I’m worried about. What kind of love is going on right now?”

“Maybe you should try not to think about that so you don’t have a heart attack on me.”

“Not funny, Britt.”

I roll my eyes and shake my head, he’s always hated that phrase, not that I blame him. Max was his best friend and his death tore us both. Between losing Max and dealing with Jace’s heart issues, we’ve just had way too many damn issues. The concern is always there though, especially as the next generation grows and we knew it has a huge genetic component. All of our grandbabies and Mitch and Brielle’s grandbabies have been tested, but it will always be a lingering monster for our family. While most people wouldn’t think twice about the phrase of having a heart attack, it always made Granger uneasy.

“All I’m saying is that if they weren’t at that cabin they’d be under this roof doing their celebration of love and we both know you couldn’t handle that.”

“Can we change the subject now?”

I linked my fingers in his and put my head back down on his chest, “Yeah, I guess we could do that.”

“Did you have a good Christmas, darlin’?”

“It was perfect like every year. Can you believe how much they’ve changed over the years?”

“I still remember Ella’s first Christmas like it was yesterday.”

“You just can’t stop thinking about her, can you?”

“She’s my baby girl, Britt, what do you think?”

“I promise I won’t let anybody know that she makes you sentimental.”

“I appreciate that,” he says with a chuckle. “I don’t need anybody knowing about that side of me. It’ll ruin my cred with the guys and the ranchers.”

“Sentimental Granger is all mine, I don’t need anybody else knowing about that.”

“Good, keep it that way. I couldn’t help thinking about that Christmas though, it was the year that the boys bought me the cowboy hat.”

“You wore that thing until the holes couldn’t be repaired anymore.”

“Meant so much to me that I didn’t want to get rid of it. I technically didn’t get rid of it though, it is in the attic.”

“Oh, I know. Remember I know Sentimental Granger. Why are we taking this walk down memory lane?”

“Because our little girl got engaged tonight.”

“Mmhmm and that means she’s going to be a wife one day.”

“I don’t like that,” he scoffs.

“That’s not true. We both know if you didn’t actually like Dustin you wouldn’t have been near the asshole that you were. If you don’t like people you just ignore them. Maybe you were a bit harsh on the kid, but I know you like him and you know he’s going to treat her the way she should be treated.”

“I hate that you’re right.”

“You should be used to it by now.”

“Woman, don’t test me.”

“Or what?”

“I might be old, but I can still put you over my knee and give you a spanking.”

“Oh yeah? You haven’t done that in a while.”

“What are you saying, Britt?”

“I’m saying that maybe for Christmas we can go back in time a bit. Sentimental Granger is great, but so is dirty bedroom Granger.”

That low growl rumbles deep within his chest and I don’t miss the growing erection beneath his denim-clad lap, “I’m giving you a five-minute head start while I lock everything up.”

“If it takes longer than five minutes I’m going to start without out.”

“You better the fuck not!”

His abrasive voice echoed through the house, but I knew there was no real threat behind it. Not only would Granger never threaten me in any way, but he has never had a problem with me giving him a little show before we have our sexy time. I’m pretty lucky that the two of us still have a healthy and active sex life after all these years. I know a lot of women my age don’t feel near as sexy. Granger has never made me feel that way. Every new change to my body is something he’s accepted and loved, just the same as when we were first in love. 

Tonight I have a bit of a surprise in store for him, a cute little cherry red ensemble that will for sure leave us both with happy memories of our Christmas. Did I pick it out to keep his mind off what his daughter and future son-in-law may be up to? Possibly. Do I regret it? Not at all.