Jax is plagued with doubts
about her behavior in the hours following the annual valley Christmas party. I
hope you enjoy this holiday excerpt from “Wind River Refuge.” NOTE:
Excerpts have been edited for this post.
Over
all, the party had been a huge success. A few diehard revelers didn’t depart
until 2 a.m. Jax was busy storing perishables in containers when Maggie ordered
her to bed. Jax had worked hard to help with this shindig, and Maggie intended
to praise her contribution. Then she would demand an explanation for the rude
behavior. Morning was soon enough for that talk.
Not
a single protest flickered through Jax’s mind, let alone her lips, when Maggie
ordered her to bed. She’d been traveling up and down an emotional roller
coaster throughout the night, and the turmoil had taken a toll. Maybe she was
just too tired, but whatever the reason, she was unable to understand her
animosity towards Alicia. She’d have to conclude it was jealousy, if she were
being honest with herself. The woman was beautiful, and tall — at least five
foot ten. Flawless skin, red hair, and green eyes were all part of the package.
To top it off, her bust had to be a size D! Alicia was a knock out and probably
rich to boot, if all those diamonds were real.
Jax
thought that she really suffered by comparison. She only measured five foot
four, if she stood really straight. Her dark brown hair and hazel eyes seem
dull, and her bust filled a B cup adequately. A sophisticated demeanor was
beyond her, and she would never be a heart stopper. None of these flaws had
ever bothered her before. She avoided the mirrors, undressed, climbed into her
bed, and hugged her pillow close.
~~~~~~
Morning
was well on its way as she blinked away the fog of sleep. By the time she
showered and dressed, it was ten-thirty when she made her entrance into the
kitchen. Maggie, loading the dishwasher, glanced up long enough to assess Jax
and to offer a good morning.
“Good
morning, Maggie.” She viewed the older woman skeptically. “Why didn’t you wake
me?”
“Because,
you’ve been going nonstop since you came home, and I thought you needed the
sleep.” Maggie offered that assessment while continuing to stuff the
dishwasher. Jax placed a couple slices of cranberry nut bread on a napkin and
poured a large glass of orange juice. She took her breakfast selection to the
kitchen table.
“Is
that all you are going to eat?”
“Since
it’s close to lunchtime, I’m saving room for the great smelling soup you have
simmering on the stove.”
Maggie
poured a cup of coffee without uttering another word and sat down across from
her, and Jax knew what was coming.
“Okay!
Start talking.”
Jax
feigned innocence. “About what?”
“About
why you felt it necessary to insult Garrett’s date, and his father when they
were guests in this house?”
“I
guess it wasn’t really necessary. Alicia insulted a friend who was also a guest
in this house and had helped me pull a lot of things together for the party. So
I returned the insult.”
“Did you feel it was appropriate to call her a stunning wh---- with a deep throat?” Maggie inquired, in an exasperated voice.
“I
DID NOT! How could you ask me that?”
“Don’t
yell at me, young lady! Tell me just what you did, say.”
“I
don’t remember.” She shrugged, like it wasn’t important, and drank some more
orange juice.
“I
suppose you either didn’t do this, or don’t remember grabbing a hold of Garrett
right in front of Alicia, his father, and a room full of people, then kissing
him?”
“That,
I remember.” Jax answered with a slight twitch of her lip that wasn’t quite a
grin.
“Whatever possessed you, to do that?”
“Sid.”
“Sid?”
That was not the answer that Maggie had expected. How could she blame this on
Sid?
“Yeah.
He had mistletoe stuck up inside a bell, and Garrett was standing smack under
it!”
Happy
Holidays!
