Free A Barker Family Christmas by Juliana Stone Page A

entire conversation had been exasperating.
    “Good morning, Mr. Holbrook.”
    Taking off his hat, he glanced over to his assistant surprised. “I thought you were off today, Mrs. Hodges.” Goodness. Had he forgotten to tell her to take the day for herself and her family?
    “Oh I was,” the woman said with a chuckle. “But I thought you’d need me for at least a few hours.”
    “Oh? Why is that?”
    “Well, I’ve been on the phone with the Sheriff’s office trying to rustle up some more officers for traffic duty. The overtime will be steep, but heavens, Pastor Vickers was nearly rear-ended this morning.”
    “I see,” Mayor Holbrook replied, rubbing his temples.
    “Even with the extra security hired by Betty Jo and the Simon family, things are getting a little out of hand.” The woman frowned. “I’ve heard rumors that the wedding’s been moved from the church out to White Haven. Do you know anything about that?”
    Of course he did, but Mayor Holbrook wasn’t about to share that information with anyone.
    “Not to my knowledge,” he replied, glancing away quickly. He might be somewhat of a politician, but the Mayor was a crappy liar.
    The phone rang just then and Mrs. Hodges paused before answering. “I guess it’s just a rumor then. But it’s exciting all the same.” The woman was practically trembling. “Just imagine, Beau Simon and his brothers in town for Christmas. Oh and that rascal Cooper Simon, I wonder if he’ll be here? And that Betty Jo. She always does something scandalous. I can’t wait to see her dress. It’s going to be a Christmas Eve this town will never forget.”
    Mayor Holbrook tweaked his mustache and sighed. “Mrs. Hodges, you have no idea.”
    It was a Barker affair. What else was new?

    By the time Billie reached White Haven, she’d gone from mild concern to growing unease. Traffic through town had been brutal. There was a large number of residents milling about the streets, and a number of faces that Billie didn’t recognize.
    Some of them pointed at her vehicle as she drove by. Some of them even started running after her (until they realized she was the wrong triplet), and some had just snapped away as if they had every right to take her picture.
    She may or may not have flipped her middle finger. She may or may not have done it more than once. Seriously. She’d almost run over one of them.
    Billie pulled up to the gate leading to Shane’s estate, maneuvering past several groups of photographers lining the road. Guess they’d figured out the wedding was going to take place at Shane’s. A tall man she didn’t recognize approached her vehicle and she rolled down the window, grimacing at the blast of cold air.
    “Security Pass, please.”
    Okay. What?
    Billie stared at the guy and shrugged. “Um, I don’t have one.”
    “Then I’m afraid I can’t open the gate.”
    “You’re kidding, right?”
    “No, Miss. I’m not.”
    Billie thumped her fingers along the top of the steering wheel and tried her best to sound as if she wasn’t pissed the hell off.
    “Do you know who I am?” Okay. She winced at that because A) it sounded lame and B) more than a little desperate.
    “No,” he replied. “I don’t. If you had a security pass we wouldn’t have a problem.”
    “Well that’s not working for me and I’m not going anywhere so you may as well let me in.”
    “I’m sorry. I can’t deviate from my orders and my orders are not to allow anyone in without a pass.”
    “Unreal,” she muttered, spying Matt Hawkins in the distance. She honked her horn, which drew a heavy frown from the security guy.
    “I’m going to have to ask you to turn your vehicle around so that the service trucks can make their way inside.”
    Okay. Take a minute.
Billie had a temper and at the moment it was taking everything she had to keep a level head.
    “Look, Mr. Security Dude. That house belongs to my sister. The girl who’s getting married here later? She’s my sister too. I