No need to have the dumbasses making inappropriate comments as I picked up my tablet and stepped into our bungalow. I scanned the room to show them how stunning it was and then showed them the dining area where Brook and Chloe were eating their lunch. The girls had each put on a t-shirt to cover up.
I quickly walked back out to the pool area and unmuted them.
“Was that Chloe Larkin?” Phil blurted.
“I really hate you. Have you …” Greg started to ask.
“Later. Speaking of which, I need to get back to it,” I said, and then looked at my half brother. “Oh, and Phil, if you even breathe a word of this, I will not only kill you but also steal your girlfriend as retribution.”
“Got it,” he said with a little worry.
“I’ll make sure he knows that brothers stick together,” Greg assured me.
“How is everyone?” I asked.
“Well, you’re the cool uncle who gives pony lessons while I’m the uncool one because I gave them clothes,” Phil complained.
Angie had asked that we give her little ones practical gifts. I’d made the mistake of feeling sorry for my niece when she told me the horse she rode at Zoe’s farm was being sold. Greg and Mac had used her riding as Daddy-time for bonding. He’d suggested the pony lessons as a way for her to be able to ride on her own.
“Hang on. I’ll go into the living room and put you on the big screen,” Greg said.
“Merry Christmas, everyone,” I called out when Greg finally had his laptop hooked up to the TV.
Everyone was there. I was amused to see my little ones all looking around to try to find me. When Carol couldn’t, she began to cry. It about tore my heart out not to be there when they all started to cry in confusion about why I wasn’t where they could see me. This was why I had to seriously figure out how to be involved in their lives while I was in college.
“He’s on the TV,” Peggy said, getting smart and holding up Little David so he could see me.
“Hey, Big Guy. Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?” I asked.
When he saw me, he tried to reach for me. My heart broke all over again as he got frustrated over why I wouldn’t hold him.
“I think you need to come home since you started this mess,” Mom chirped.
“Man, I miss them,” I admitted.
“Unca David, buy me a pony,” Mac yelled to get my attention.
“Kitty, bad,” Kyle shared.
“What’s he talking about?” I asked.
“That’s something else you need to take care of when you get back. Brit has decided that almost no one is suited to get a kitten. So far, she has only given one a new home. That means they’re still in your apartment, and the golden male is quickly earning his name, Satan’s Spawn. He got Kyle when he went to pet the kitties,” Mom explained.
“I figured kittens would be the perfect Christmas gift,” I said, confused.
“Have you met Precious?” Mom asked.
She had a point. Precious was called ‘the cat from hell’ for a reason. Other than the golden one, the rest seemed to be normal.
“Who took one?” I asked.
“Wolf. He said he needed a guard cat.”
“How about we dump them at area farms?” I suggested.
“David!” almost everyone chastised me.
I noticed that my mom and dad had thoughtful looks. I would bet my kitten problem would be solved by the time I got home.
◊◊◊
After I hung up, I stepped into the bedroom, where I found Brook and Chloe talking. They seemed to be becoming good friends.
“My mom told me to tell you to call home.”
Brook rolled her eyes but got up to make her call.
“Do you need to call your parents?” I asked Chloe.
“No. My mum called me before sunup. She forgets there’s a time difference,” she said, and then looked down. “I owe you an apology.”
“Why, for warning my girlfriend off me?” I asked.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize who you were. I gave you a bollocking, thinking you were a little dodgy, being so good-looking. Then I was gobsmacked when she told me how wrong I was. When your girlfriend saw the mess I’d made, she lost the plot and had every right to do so,” she explained.
Surprisingly, I followed most of that.
“We like to start over when something like this happens. Hi, I’m David, and I have impressive tackle.”
“What a wanker,” she said and got off the bed.
I’d closed the door because I didn’t want to disturb Brook’s call.
I wanted Chloe in the worst way. Sometimes a girl just gets you going, and she had done that for me in spades. She came to me hesitantly, so I decided to let her set the pace. Chloe turned her head up to mine, and we started to kiss tentatively and slowly. Her fingernails scraped against the back of my neck in a way that made me almost whimper, it felt so good. She wrapped her hands around the back of my head as she pressed her tongue against my lips. It was an invitation to open them. When I did, I tasted a combination of rum and mint from the mojitos.
It was all I could do to keep my hands at Chloe’s waist. I desperately wanted to explore her curves. Not taking charge was hard for me. I had a suspicion she was more into girls. The last thing I wanted was to go too fast and spook her into deciding she just wanted to spend time with my girlfriend.
