Free Calendar Girl 12 - December by Audrey Carlan Page A

ten or so, I found the perfect one. It was mighty, green, and smelled of the Earth. Its branches were separated equally in a way that would allow ornaments to display beautifully. The tree had my attention and I stared, imagining it with colored bulbs, lights, and Christmas flair.
    Wes came up to me and hooked his arm around my shoulder. “This the one?”
    I grinned at my guy and nodded. “This is the one.”
    Wes leaned forward and kissed my cheek. Before he could back away, I took his head and kissed him soundly on the mouth. It was long, deep, and so very wet. His tongue danced with mine, taking as much as giving. He licked into my mouth, stirring an excitement inside me that had taken a back seat after seeing my mother. That excitement was back in full force, and all because of the love of this man.
    “I love you,” I said, our lips still touching.
    He smiled against my mouth. I could feel his teeth move when he said, “I love you more. Now let’s cut down our tree, shall we?”
    “How?” I looked at the sled.
    Wes went to the bag, unzipped it, and pulled out an axe. He took off the plastic protector on the blade’s edge and tossed that back on the bag.
    “You’re seriously going to do this.”
    He frowned. “What? You don’t think I can?”
    “Oh, I’m sure you can. Just seems like a lot of work.”
    “Mia, my love, anything worth having is worth working for.”
    And on that note, he swung the axe and slammed the blade right into the base of the tree. The tree shook, snow globs and pine needles falling with every new strike.
    While Wes chopped at our Christmas tree, I pulled out my phone and took his picture. Then I sent it to Ginelle.

    T o : Skank-a-lot-a-Puss
    From: Mia Saunders
    How much wood could a woodchuck chuck?
    Within seconds, my phone dinged.
    To: Mia Saunders
    From: Skank-a-lot-a-Puss
    If a woodchuck would chuck wood? Well, I can’t say exactly. Samoan wood, I’d gather about 8.
    To: Skank-a-lot-a-Puss
    From: Mia Saunders
    8 what?
    To: Mia Saunders
    From: Skank-a-lot-a-Puss
    Inches dumbass. Has the snow frozen your brain?
    To: Skank-a-lot-a-Puss
    From: Mia Saunders
    You’re a nasty bitch.
    To: Mia Saunders
    From: Skank-a-lot-a-Puss
    Takes one to know one. Besides, you’re the one who sent me a pic of a man chucking wood. ;-)

    I snort laughed . Flipping Ginelle. I shook my head, giggling. Such a character. It reminded me that I hadn’t yet updated her on the finding of my mom issue. She’d be rightly pissed off and have a whole host of evil things to say. Probably why I hadn’t called her yet. I would. Just, after. After what? I didn’t know. I figured I’d come to that answer along the way. She could be pissed at me later. But with Gin, even if pissed, she’d forgive me, understand, and love me anyway. That’s what best friends did. She knew all the ugly, pretty, and in-between and loved me anyway. Same way I loved her.
    “What are you laughing about?” Wes asked.
    His breathing was labored. Sweat moistened his brow and dripped down his temple. A man hard at work. For me. Trying to make my holiday memorable.
    I shook my head. “Nothing. Just Gin.”
    “She doing okay?”
    I grinned, knowing exactly what, or should I say whom, was doing Gin just fine. Made me wonder what was going to happen when Tao went back to Hawaii. Would she want to follow? Knowing Ginelle, she wouldn’t leave Malibu so soon after we’d gotten her a job and given her a place to live, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t want to. Something I’d have to talk to her about…among other things.
    “Fine, fine. She’s with Tao, remember?”
    He frowned. “Who’s Tao, again?”
    “My friend Tai’s brother. She met him in Hawaii.”
    Wes picked up the axe again, swung it hard right in the center of the big gaping wound he’d cut into the tree already. “You mean client number five.” His voice was now devoid of emotion.
    The hairs on the back of my neck prickled. “Yes. Tai Niko. My friend .” I