Claiming Xana (Wildcat Graduates Book 2) Page 18

  Once we enter El Dorado’s city limits, I turn in the opposite direction of my house, making it halfway to our destination before she notices we’re not heading where she expected.

  “Where are we going?” She sits up a little straighter and looks around at her surroundings.

  I can’t help but grin as the recognition of where I am taking her flashes across her face. There is an unusual sparkle in her eyes that I can’t place. Turning into the parking lot, I drive over to our spot and park the car. No sooner than I turned the engine off, Xana launched herself at me, and wraps her arms around my neck.

  “Our place,” she breathes into me neck, and I hug her to my chest, pressing my face into her hair. God, I love that smell.

  “Yeah,” I say before kissing her neck and leaning away to look at her. “Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas,” she replies. “Why are we here?”

  Moving her back into her seat, I say, “Here, come sit in the back with me.”

  Both of us move to the back of the Mustang, sitting on either side of a gift wrapped in blue and silver paper and ribbons. Mom did a really good job wrapping it. Picking up the present, I hand it to her and motion for her to open it.

  “It won’t bite, I promise,” I laugh, trying to make her laugh.

  “What did you do, Noel Daniels?” she looks up at me, struggling to hide her grin before continuing to open the package.

  “Don’t worry. It’s just something I’ve had for a while. It’s time you had it.” She removes the box lid and pulls back the tissue paper, and snaps her head up to mine when she sees what is inside. The lights from the street lights shine in the car enough for me to see her face. Tears are beginning to fall down her cheeks.

  “Your high school jersey.” She lifts it out of the box and holds it up to look at the back. “Wait. What do you mean you’ve had this for a while?”

  “I had it made for you before we...before I was an ass and we broke up, I was going to give it to you for your birthday.”

  “You kept it all this time? Why?”

  “Couldn’t get rid of it. It was always yours. Now, it’s where it belongs.” I tug the jersey out of her hands and lay it back in the box, then lean forward and place my lips to hers. She opens immediately and her hands grab my wrists as I hold her face. Xana returns my kiss and tightens her hold on me. We kiss for a few moments, and I pull back slightly before we get too carried away.

  “I know how much you loved wearing my sweatshirts, and I wanted you to have this for when it wasn’t cold.”

  “It’s perfect,” she whispers and her breath floats across my face. We’re quiet for what seems like a long time, just sitting there in silence.

  Xana pulls away from me, and begins to lean over into the front seat. “As much as I love looking at your ass,” I pause and grab it with both hands, “what are you doing?”

  She wiggles her bottom and slides down into the back seat and sits on my lap. In her hands, is a small present wrapped in red and white striped paper. “Here,” she says softly, and holds the gift up for me to take, so I do.

  Unwrapping it, I remove the tissue paper and pull out a silver picture frame. I lay the empty box beside me and hold the frame up enough in the light to see the picture inside. I’m left almost speechless as I stare at the picture. It’s a picture of us that Grams took while we were on Spring Break in high school, right before we broke up. We were out on one of the hiking trails behind their house with Cade and my grandparents. Xana had fallen and I was carrying her on my back over a particularly rocky place. We were hiking over to a little creek she and Grams had found on one of their walks.

  I remember that day like it was yesterday. Xana had tried to walk on her own, but Grams convinced her to just let me carry her because I was going to anyway. The look on her face as she has her arms wrapped around my neck and her chin resting on my shoulder, matched my own. Our smiles looked to be just as wide as the other’s. She looks like an angel. My angel.

  “Do you like it?” she asks hesitantly, her bottom lip held between her teeth and her fingers twisting together. I quickly place the frame back in the box and crush my mouth to hers. She tastes so damn good.

  She opens for me instantly, and returns my advances. Our tongues slide against one another and our teeth clash against each other as I pour every feeling I have for her into that kiss. Leaning back against the seat, taking her body with me, I hold her to my chest. I’m not sure how long we remain like that before I slow the kiss. Pulling away from her, I lay her head on my shoulder and press my lips to her forehead.

  “I’m taking it you liked the picture,” she giggles as she plays with the buttons on my shirt.

  “Yeah, I suppose I did,” I laugh in return. “I can’t believe you still had that,” I say, looking toward the windshield.

  “I just couldn’t get rid of them. None of them.”

  “Yeah,” I pause and run my fingertips along her chin. “I know.”

  After a silent minutes passes, I say, “Okay. It’s almost eight o’clock. If we’re not home in ten minutes they’ll start blowing up my phone. Let’s go, Sweetness.”

  Xana slides from my lap and gathers up the gifts as I get out of the car and turn to help her out. She gently places the gifts together on the backseat before taking my hand and exiting the car. After walking her back to her side, I take my seat and take us out of the ball field lot.

  As soon as we enter my house, Grams meets us at the door before we can take our jackets off fully. “There you two are. We’ve been waiting,” Grams sings, tackling Xana in a bear hug with a smile matching Xana’s. Not only does she have her entire family protecting her, she has my whole family wrapped around every one of her fingers. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  “Sorry,” Xana apologizes, “My family likes to talk a lot. I hope we aren’t terribly late?” She looks up at my grandmother apprehensively, much to Grams’ shock.

  “Oh, no! You are just fine, dear.” She grips Xan’s shoulders and looks right at her. “Now, let’s get things finished so you two can get something to eat. Noel, dear, go and help your mother get the drinks on the table.” She wraps herself around my girl and walks her into the living room where everyone else is, and I head to the kitchen, laughing to myself.

  “How was dinner with her family?” Mom asks as I walk into the room to help her.

  Thinking about her family makes me laugh as I say, “It was...enlightening to say the least.” I begin putting ice in the glasses so Mom can put the last bit of cheese dip in the warmer.

  “What does that mean?” She casts me a sideways glance and I laugh a little more.

  “Let’s just say the men in her family are very protective of her and let me know, and not just in words, just how serious they were.” I begin filling the glasses with tea and water, already knowing who will want what to drink.

  “Oh, my stars, Noel! They didn’t really do that, did they?” Mom smiles at me, placing the dip and a bowl of chips on the dining table, but there isn’t much room left for anything else. Mom and Grams made enough for an army. Did she make this much last year?

  “Yeah, her grandpa talked to me, and then her two cousins tried the intimidation card on me as we were leaving. It was really funny.” Finished with the drinks, I snag a sausage ball from the plate and pop it into my mouth, causing Mom to slap my hand.

  “You stay out of those,” she warns and wipes down the counter. “They weren’t too hard on you, were they? Although, I’m sure you deserved some of it.”

  “Maybe. But I don’t care if they were warning me. I’m not giving her up. Not this time,” I reply, looking at Mom, who recognizes the seriousness of my words and smiles at me.

  Mom and I walk back to the living area and tell everyone the snacks are ready if they want to fix their plates. Cade, his sister, and parents arrived while I was busy in the kitchen, and are currently absorbed in various conversations.

  Gramps, Dad, and Mr. Matthews are the first ones
up and headed for the dining room while the rest of us hang back and let them have first crack at the food. Xana and I are in no hurry to eat anything more, but when she sees Dad walking by with three brownies on his plate, her eyes follow him all the way to his seat in the recliner. I can almost see her begin to drool as she licks her lips, eyes still locked on Dad’s plate.

  “What’s wrong?” I whisper into her ear, unable to contain the amusement coloring my words.

  Still staring at Dad’s plate, she whispers back, “Your grandmother is an evil, evil woman.”

  Laughing, I grab her hand and say, “Don’t blame it all on her. Mom’s just as bad. Come look.” I pull on her arm, dragging her away from drooling over Dad’s plate, and lead her to the buffet they have set up.

  She groans as she peruses the food on display, “Oh, nooo. They really are trying to kill me.” She buries her face in my shoulder and clutches my shirt in her hands.

  Pulling my arm around her waist to draw her to my side, I tease, “What’s wrong? You don’t want death by dessert?” She growls into my shirt again and shakes her head back and forth before hitting my stomach.

  “Shut up. It’s not that funny. They know my food weaknesses.”

  “Yeah, they do. Suck it up, and fix a plate. You know they expect you to take a lot of it home, right?”

  Her head shoots up from my shoulder to look me in the eyes. “Are they mad,” she exclaims in the quietest voice she can manage.

  “No, they’re quite sane, I assure you. Enjoy it while it lasts.”

  Having our choice of everything from cheese dip to party pizzas, to miniature pigs in a blanket and pinwheels, to brownies and cookies, we each make a small plate of snack food and join the others seated casually in the living room. Xana and I find a seat next to Cade and Michelle by the fireplace, and get ourselves settled in. Before we begin the annual viewing of A Christmas Story, Dad says a few words.

  “We’re so grateful to have all of our family with us this year,” he pauses to look directly at Xana, “and hopefully every year in the future.” He raises his glass of iced tea and continues, “May we all remain happy and healthy and together.” All of us raise our glasses, agreeing with ‘amen’ and ‘God bless us’ all mixed together.

  “Amen. Now, let’s dig in and start the movie,” Gramps chimes in, causing Grams to scold him with instructions to behave.

  “What are we watching?” Xana asks while Dad gets the movie started in the DVD player.

  “Christmas Story,” Cade, Michelle, and I all say in unison, and we break out in laughter at how silly we sound.

  “Really?” she asks, eyes wide and a grin taking over her whole face.

  “Uh, oh,” Michelle says looking at her, “not you, too.” She looks at me in dismay and I shrug, grinning wider than Xana.

  “It’s my second favorite Christmas movie. Is that bad?” Xana looks back at her and Cade.

  Cade shakes his head and laughs, “No. He just makes us watch it every Christmas Eve, and occasionally on Christmas Day, too.”

  “Well, it is one of the best Christmas movies ever!”

  “Yes it is,” Gramps yells from across the room. “I knew you were my favorite.” He smiles at her and tells everyone to hush so he can watch his show, making her giggle a little loudly. Not wanting to get Gramps riled up, we all settle down to enjoy the movie, Xana laughing nearly as much as she did when we watched Christmas Vacation earlier.

  It’s after ten o’clock when Xana begins to yawn. The movie ended about thirty minutes ago, and Cade’s family has already gone home for the night.

  “Up you go,” I push Xana upward to stand so I can get up off the floor. “Time to get you home, sleepy head.”

  “Uhh,” she moans, slightly slurred. “It’s all their fault. Too many brownies and fudge and spinach dip. I ate enough to hibernate on.”

  “They’ll love to hear that. You’re exhausted,” I tell her, walking her out of the room. We say goodbye to everyone and Grams and Mom hand her a gift and three cookie tins with her favorite baked goods.

  “So you’ll have them when you want them, deal?” Grams says, giving Xana a wink before she and Mom turn in for the night, letting us leave the house.

  The drive to her house was uneventful, with Xana leaning against me and yawning the entire way. Helping her out of the car, I steal a few more kisses before escorting her to her door, the lights decorating the exterior more than providing enough light for this time of night.

  “Merry Christmas,” I say as I tug on the loops of her jeans.

  “Merry Christmas,” she says, releasing a nervous breath. “Thank you for spending Christmas Eve with my family. I know you had other things you could have done.”

  “Sssh. I was right where I wanted to be.” I lean down and press my lips to hers, kissing her thoroughly and slowly.

  “Go on in before you get too cold.” I kiss her nose and open the door for her, ushering her inside. “Goodnight, Sweetness.” I shut the door before she can respond and make my way to the car and back home.

  Once I get I home I help put up some of the leftovers, which we will snack on tomorrow, while Dad takes out the trash. Fortunately, since there are no young children here, no one has to get up terribly early in the morning. The Matthews’ were coming over around noon, and we were having a late lunch together. Most of their family lives in Louisiana, so they usually comeover to celebrate with us instead since Mom loves a full house.

  It’s almost midnight by the time I’m showered and ready for bed. I’ve had a very long and hectic day, but there isn’t one thing I didn’t enjoy. Just as I crawled into bed and connected my phone to its charger, it chimes with a message notification. Clicking on my bedside lamp, I pick it up and read the text.

  SWEETNESS: Are you still awake?

  I’m always awake for her.

  ME: Of course.

  Instead of waiting for her response, I dial her number and wait for her voice to come through the phone.

  “Hey,” she answers, shyly. “I really didn’t wake you up, did I?”

  “Nope. Just got into bed. What about you? I thought for sure you’d be asleep by now.” I lay my free arm behind my neck and look at the moonlight streaming in from the gap in my curtains.

  “Oh, good. I’d hate it if I had woken you up.” She releases a long steady breath, and I can just see her chewing on her fingernails, a nervous habit she has.

  “Even if you did, I’d never be bothered by it.” Not wanting her to argue with me, I forge on with a conversation change. “How do you feel? Any other problems? And don’t think about hiding it from me to keep me from worrying,” I warn her in a voice that tells her just how serious I am.

  “Yeah, I know. I’ve felt pretty good. There have been a few pains here and there, but nothing to worry about. Okay?”

  “Okay, but you’d better not hold out on me. Anymore. Why’d you call? I thought maybe something was wrong,” I ask, not concerned at all that she called. I was debating on whether or not to call her anyway.

  “I just wanted to ask you to tell your family thanks for including me, and that I love the gift they gave me. They really shouldn’t have, Noel. It’s too much.”

  “They love you. What did they get you?”

  “You don’t know?” she asks, not quite believing I honestly don’t know.

  “Not a clue. Hell, I didn’t even know they had a gift for you. I expected the tins of cookies and brownies, though.” I laugh at my family. They really have no self-control when it comes to Xana. Not that I’m much better.

  “They already gave me things when I was in the hospital. This is just too much. They gave me a really beautiful aqua sweater and two gift cards. Noel, they have to take them back.”

  I can’t help but laugh at that idea. There’s no way they’d ever take any of it back, much less do they think it’s too much. I’d never tell them they couldn’t do something they wanted to do. It isn’t like they’d ever listen to me anyway.

  �
��You tell them that. I’m not going to. Do you like them?” I know the answer, but I want to hear her say it.

  “Of course, I do. I love them, but...” she stops short when I interrupt her.

  “But nothing. You love them. You keep them. You accept they love you and you embrace it,” I say bluntly, and maybe a little too forcefully.

  “Okay,” she says, accepting what I tell her. “I know you’re right, but I can’t help it. I don’t need any of these things from them.”

  Grinning at how unassuming she is, I tell her, “They know that. That’s just how they are. Now, are you in bed, yet?”

  “Yeah,” she giggles. “Just me and you.” She laughs a little more, but I’m not sure why.

  What? “What are you talking about?”

  “You’re in bed with me, and not because you’re on the phone talking to me.” Now I get it.

  “My jersey. You’re wearing it.” I’m beyond speechless and even more turned on as I imagine her standing before me, wearing nothing but that shirt. I roll my head toward the nightstand where the framed picture of us she just gave me sits. I will make her mine.

  “Yeah. I couldn’t help myself. It’s just…”

  “I know. I know.” We sit for a few moments before I speak again. “Goodnight. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Okay. Goodnight,” she whispers and hangs up the phone, this time ending the call before I can respond.

  One day, these nightly calls won’t be necessary any longer.

  Half of Christmas break is over, and everyone is coming over to my house tonight for New Year’s Eve. Grams and Gramps are leaving in a few days for Colorado, so they wanted to see everyone one last time before they go back home. That’s what they’re telling everyone, but I know they just want to see Xana again. Especially Grams. I think she’s already claimed her as one of her own. The way those two act with one another really makes me proud, even though I think she likes Xana a little more than me. I can live with that.

  Other than Christmas, Xana and I haven’t seen each other much since our shopping trip. She’s been visiting with her grandparents, and now that Stacy is back from Texas and Blain is home from seeing his grandparents, they’ve all been catching up. Cade and I have had a lot of workouts and practices to keep up with for ball, so I’m glad she’s had people to keep her occupied and busy. We’ve talked every night, and sometimes during the day as well. I think we’ve worked out most of our issues and are finally in a good place to move forward.