Free A Barker Family Christmas by Juliana Stone Page B

need to get inside, because in addition to all of that, my son is in that house and I haven’t seen him since last night, so I suggest that you open that gate or we’re going to have a problem.”
    Indecision crept into the man’s eyes and he glanced back at the house.
    “Oh my God!” Billie exploded.
    “I’m sorry, Miss. I was instructed not to let anyone enter without a pass.”
    “Hold on,” she retorted, reaching for her cell.
    It rang three times and she set it to speaker so the security guard wouldn’t miss anything.
    “Hey,” Bobbi said, finally answering. “I thought you’d be here by now.”
    “I would if I could get past security. Apparently you forgot to give me a pass or something.”
    “I gave them to Logan. Where’s he?”
    “He had to swing by his shop for a few hours and then he’s bringing Gramps out.”
    “Oh. Okay. Gotcha.” Billie heard someone yelling in the background. “It’s crazy town around here right now. Matt’s finally got the PA working so we’ll actually have music to dance to, and the florists are here though the damn roses are still nowhere to be found. And Duke’s been here since—“
    “I don’t care about any of that. Let me the hell in!”
    “Holy. I wasn’t expecting you to be such a grump. Not after a night of hot sex.” Her sister giggled. “I heard you and Logan went at in The Grill. Seriously, Billie? You guys? I expect that from Betty not you.”
    “Bobbi.”
    “Gotta give it to you girlie. Shane and I have had sex in a lot of weird places but never in a public bar. Did anyone see you?
    “What? Eeewww. No, of course not.”
    “Did I ever tell you about the time Shane and I had sex in the basement of the church?”
    “Bobbi, you’re on speaker.”
    “Oh, shit.”
    Billie glanced up at the security guard and offered a small smile.
    “Carson,” Bobbi said. “I’m calling your radio right now.”
    His device lit up and less than a minute later Billie was parking her vehicle. She waved to Matt and ran inside, anxious to see her son. She pushed open the door and yelled.
    “Abel! Mommy’s here!”
    She heard her son before she saw him and was just slipping out of her boots when he came out of the library, chubby legs moving as fast as they could go. Billie scooped him up into her arms and kissed him all over, loving the sound of his giggles.
    When she had her fill, she let him squirm out of her grasp, aware that she wasn’t alone any longer. A tall man with dark, closely cropped hair and equally dark eyes leaned against the doorframe, watching the two of them. Dressed casually in faded jeans, his T-shirt looked as if it had been washed many times over.
Green Day
was the insignia across his chest and Billie thought it suited him.
    The guy looked like a rebel and more than a little dangerous.
    “Hi,” she said. “I’m Billie.”
    “So,” he replied, shoving away from his perch and taking a step toward her. “There really are three.”
    She smiled. That was a line she’d been hearing her whole life.
    “It would appear so.”
    He offered his hand and Billie took it. “Nice to meet you. I’m Beau’s cousin, Maverick. But you can call me Rick.”
    Maverick.
That rang a bell. Partly because he’d written a hit song with Donovan James and they’d performed it at the CMA’s, but mostly because he was dating Elle Mason, a Hollywood wild child who was always in the tabloids.
    “You look different,” she said, studying him carefully. Geez, were all the Simon men this hot in person?
    “It’s the hair,” he said with a grin. “Lost a bet and most of it came off a few weeks ago.”
    “Oh. That sucks.” Shit, Billie. Stop talking.
    “Nah. I lost the girlfriend at about the same time and the truth is, I don’t miss either one.”
    “There you are.”
    They both turned as Betty Jo walked into the foyer, and to say that Billie was shocked was a bit of an understatement. First off, she hadn’t been expecting her sister until later in the