Free A Barker Family Christmas by Juliana Stone

everyone’s going to know exactly what we were doing in here, right?”
    She giggled. “Do you care?”
    “Not one bit.”
    She kissed him once more as she slid the dress up over her hips. “Just don’t forget the beans.”
    “Got them.” Logan grabbed a jar off the shelf and followed his wife back out into the main room. Of course, everyone knew exactly what they’d done. How could they not? Logan Forest was sporting the kind of grin that any guy would recognize, and Billie, well, she looked as if she’d had a big heaping spoonful of sugar.
    He followed her back to the bar where he set down the jar and grabbed his coat from the stool they’d vacated earlier. Billie slipped her feet back into her heels and grabbed his hand.
    They shouted goodbye and Merry Christmas to all the guys on their hockey team, and Logan glanced at his watch just before they left. It was twenty past twelve. Officially Christmas Eve.
    And he had his wife all to himself at least until breakfast.
    “Let’s go,” he said, stepping up the pace a bit.
    “What’s the rush?”
    “I don’t think you got enough sugar.”
    So Logan made it his business to give his wife all the sugar she could handle.
    Which was a lot.

 
    Chapter Ten

    Christmas Eve…
     
    Morning came slowly to New Waterford, as it tended to do this time of the year, with shorter days and longer nights. Heavy snow clouds filled the sky doing their best to blot out the sun, but to no avail. Bright rays reflected off the snow like diamonds, and even though the air was sharp and the wind biting, it did nothing to dampen the spirits of the townsfolk.
    The Michigan residents were used to the cold and snow, and at this time of the year it did nothing but add a little bit extra
something
that made the Christmas holidays special. Music was piped along the sidewalks, the stores were festive, and more importantly, everyone had an abundance of Christmas spirit.
    As the Mayor of New Waterford made his way downtown to his office, he shook off the cold, satisfied with the year that was almost behind him.
    The economy was picking up, new families were moving to the area, and the waterfront development had brought much needed tax dollars pouring into the town’s coffers. All in all a great year.
    Mayor Holbrook paused in front of one of several boutiques in the downtown core and perused the items displayed. He made a mental note to stop in before it closed at noon to pick up a little extra something for his wife.
    He inhaled a crisp shot of winter air and hummed
Little Drummer Boy
, a smile planted firmly on his face. Always a favorite, the song made him feel like a kid again. Even though the cold penetrated to the bone, and the wind had picked up something fierce, there was a buzz in the air. An excitement that had been building for days.
    He knew more than anyone that Betty Jo Barker and her fiancé Beau Simon were the reason. Their not-so-secret wedding was the talk of the town, and if the influx of visitors to New Waterford was any indication, it was going to get more than a little crazy.
    He shook his head. In his mind there were a lot more important things to do than to try and catch a glimpse of a celebrity. The whole thing was silly. Beau Simon and the rest of his clan were no different than normal folks. Other than real estate of course—no one he knew owned million dollar mansions. Oh, and the Hollywood thing. But still. He didn’t understand the fanaticism of some of the townsfolk. Even old Mrs. Jensen, the tailor, couldn’t stop talking about Beau when he’d picked up his suit the day before.
    “Oh my goodness, that Beau Simon is just so blessed handsome.”
    “Yes, I suppose he is.”
    “Do you think he’s as handsome in person?”
    “I don’t rightly know.”
    “Well didn’t you meet him when he was here for the charity ball game?”
    “I guess I did.”
    “Well?
    “Well what?”
    “Honestly, you men are infuriating. Never paying attention to detail.”
    The