Pace Laps (Racing on the Edge Book 10) (14 page)

Choke Linkage – On a carbureted engine, the assembly of parts that controls a valve that limits incoming cold air until the engine reaches operating temperature and is able to vaporize fuel more efficiently.

After Sway’s surgery, the end of the season fast approached and before I knew it, Christmas had arrived. She still showed people her tits, but thankfully, it didn’t happen daily anymore. After a few complications with her overdoing it, she healed nicely and you wouldn’t even know she had breast cancer. She still went back monthly after the surgery for checkups but she’d just been cleared to come back every six months now. Things were beginning to look up for us.

We renewed our vows a few weeks back, but I wanted something more for her. Something she’d always wanted. A white Christmas in the mountains with around thirty people in hopes to all get along and have a nice holiday.

It was a stupid fucking idea.

But I would also never admit it because it was, in fact,
my
fucking stupid idea to do this. Nope. Never happening.

Truth was, I wanted to give Sway everything she deserved and more. After everything she went through over the summer with the cancer and surgery, she needed to know we were all there for her and with her. Every year she talked about wanting a big family Christmas. What better way to give her that than in the one place she loved to get away to in the winter. Vail Colorado. At least that was my plan.

Turning to Sway, I wanted to brighten my mood. We were flying commercial because apparently, I was full of fucking stupid ideas and thought Sway would enjoy all of us traveling together to Vail. My bright idea only further succeeded to put me in a grumpy mood, but I wanted something to take my mind off the insanity of this idea. What better way to do that than with my wife.

I started out by asking if she wanted to go to the bathroom with me for a little align boring. She shot me down immediately.

“You know you want to.” I gave my most convincing voice.

“No, actually I don’t.” She wouldn’t even look at me.

I could be very convincing when I needed to be, so I upped my game by whispering in her ear. “Yes, yes you do.”

She pushed me back by placing her palm on my face. “Jameson, I do not want to have sex on an airplane again.” Then she gave me the look. “You do remember the last time, right?”

I didn’t answer because unfortunately, I did though I tried to block that memory out of us on the plane to Rio and that shithead kid beating on the door.

“
Casten
!” Arie screamed at her brother two rows back from us. “You motherfucker!”

Sway sighed, breaking her gaze from mine. “Don’t let them get us kicked off this plane.”

“And how the hell am I going to do that? It took some convincing just to get them to allow Arie on a plane.

“That’s her own fault. She shouldn’t have stabbed Casten with a spork.”

Sitting back in my seat and facing forward, I reached for my drink. No way was she letting me in which sucked for me because I wasn’t thrilled about the whole family Christmas, regardless of it being my idea. “He probably deserved it.”

While I was trying to think of a new angle to get her in the bathroom, I could faintly hear Arie and Casten arguing. I was sure everyone else could too.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea that we all go to the cabin. Together?”

“It’s an eighty-five hundred square foot house. I’d hardly classify that as a cabin.”

Sway had some apprehension when I’d suggested it. As did I. I’d seen
Christmas Vacation
probably a thousand times in my life, and I was sure the Griswold’s had nothing on this family. It would be nothing short of a disaster. That was a given.

“But still,”—Sway shifted in her seat to face me, searching my eyes for hesitation—“we have thirty people coming. I’m not so sure this is going to work out.”

“You wanted a big family Christmas.” I raised my drink in front of me to my lips and smiled. “That’s what you’re getting.”

“A concert, a wedding and a big Christmas.” Her eyebrows rose. “What have you done with my husband?”

Finally an angle I could work with. “Come to the bathroom and I’ll show you.”

“
No
.”

It was going to take some convincing, or wooing on my part because she wasn’t budging.

When I thought about a big family Christmas, never in my wildest dreams did I think of a private house in Vail Colorado with our entire family. But that was exactly what Jameson delivered.

I heard screaming from outside not long after the boys had left to go out there. “What the hell are they doing?” I asked, peeking out the window through the snow. It was really starting to come down.

Alley squinted. “Looks to me like it’s a snowball fight. Again.”

Over the years, Jameson had ensured that I have seen some of the most beautiful parts of this world. Vail Colorado at Christmas was certainly no exception. It had always been my favorite time of year and to see it like this was breathtaking, everything from the log cabin house to the thick fluffy blankets of fresh snow.

“There is no way in hell I’m sleeping in a room next to him.” When I turned around, I saw Arie pointing her finger in Casten’s face as he tried to bite it. She was so mean to him sometimes.

In this nearly nine thousand square foot house, there were twelve bedrooms and some couches. The boys, like Charlie, Noah, Tommy and even Rager offered to sleep on the couch. Which was nice because someone was going to have to. We managed to get the kids into one room and all the couples in their own bedrooms as well, but they were still arguing about who was next to whom.

Figures.

“Fine,” Hayden interrupted them. “We will sleep in the room next to Spencer and Alley. You guys can sleep next to Lane and Bailey.”

Arie seemed satisfied. “Fine.”

Just as I was taking a deep breath and looking through the house, Jameson and the boys came inside wet from the snow. He shook his head when he got to me. “Fucking Tommy hit me in the head.” Snow fell from his hair and into my face.

Laughing, I brushed away flakes off his nose. “Poor baby.”

“Come kiss it and make it better?”

“Sure.” Taking his hand in mine, we were on the staircase when the doorbell rang.

“Fuck, really?” Jameson twisted and stepped up one step pulling me with him. “Ignore it.”

“We can’t.”

Emma and Alley were walking past the door and stopped, wondering who it might be as well. Jameson, being Jameson, sat down on the stairs pouting.

When I opened the door, I wasn’t sure what to think. Standing there were two people who took the ugly sweater thing to extremes. No lie. The woman, shaking snow from her eighties hair and looking to be in her late forties was wearing a bright red sweater with kittens knitted on the front. Only their paws had mittens on them, and their tails had bows. Two bows were conveniently placed over her funbags. Looked ridiculous if you ask me. The man, about six inches taller than his wife, and looking like they could be brother and sister, wore a sweater that was even more disturbing. Frosty the snowman, only his carrot nose was awfully low.

“Oh. My—” I elbowed Emma before she could continue, her eyes on the man’s carrot nose.

I turned back to look at Jameson, wondering what he was going to say, barely able to control my laughter. He peeked around me to see them, rolled his eyes and leaned his head against the railing. He mumbled something, but I couldn’t be sure what. The couple at the door was rather loud.

“Merry Christmas! You’re the Riley family, right?” The woman gleamed, all smiles and big bright white teeth smudged with red lipstick. “Can you believe this weather?”

Fucking weirdos. It’s the mountains. At Christmas. Of course, it’s going to be snowing.

“It’s crazy.” I waved to the snow accumulating on the overly large front porch lined with Christmas lights and an assortment of red and white decorations.

“Did you hear about the storm coming in?” the man said, and then they laughed. “But we never mind the storms with a nice fire and hot chocolate.”

Jameson groaned behind us and stomped to the kitchen.

I kept waiting for them to introduce themselves, but they never did and wouldn’t let me get a word in to say anything. Just kept talking. They did, however, hand us a plate of cookies and homemade hot chocolate mix.

“Who were those people?” Emma snickered when they finally left. “They’re awesome!”

Naturally, Emma would find someone who talked a lot awesome.

Jameson returned with what looked to be straight whiskey in a glass with ice. “If their last name is Sloan, we’re fucking leaving.”

“Jameson.” I shoved him back lightly by placing my hand on this chest. “Stop. They’re nice people.”

“Who the fuck are those people?” Spencer asked, spraying an assortment of crackers and what not flying from his mouth.

“The neighbors,” Jameson mumbled, watching them walk away through the blinding snow.

“Fucking weirdoes. Who walks all the way over here in the snow? The house next door is like a mile away.” Then Spencer spotted the cookies. “Are those oatmeal?”

Jameson slapped his hand. “Hands off. They’re mine.”

Spencer gawked at him. “Says who?”

“Me.” Jameson ripped the plate from my hand and walked into the kitchen. Guessed he was sidetracked with the cookies and sex wasn’t happening.

Emma patted my back. “Let’s go bake cookies.”

“With what? We forgot to go the store.”

“I’ll go,” Rosa said, raising her hand as we walked into the kitchen to find Jameson sitting there with the whiskey, cookies, and Spencer.

“Get something for my headache while you’re there.”

Poor guy. He needed some loving. Reaching for his hand, I placed it on my boobs. “I’ve got some pain relief for you, champ.”

He stood immediately. “
That’s
what I’m talking about.”