Chapter 44

Garret picked up Alex early on Christmas Eve morning. He immediately announced that they would be purchasing a Christmas tree. Bundled in thick jackets, Garret guided Alex through the Christmas tree lot. The thick fragrance of pine hung in the air and echoes of Christmas carols drifted from a nearby transistor radio. Most of the good trees were gone but they managed to find an acceptable one. Standing in the outdoor check-out line, the small tree in tow, Alex came face to face with her brother-in-law.

“Jimmy!” Alex exclaimed, startled. The strangeness of the encounter was not lost on her. Coming face to face with your brother-in-law while purchasing an item as personal and sentimental as a Christmas tree with another man was unsettling.

“Alex!” Jimmy immediately planted a kiss on Alex’s cheek and then noticed the tall man scowling at her side. Is this what jealousy looks like? he wondered.

“Jimmy, I’d like you to meet Garret Coulson.” Alex looked tentatively from her brother-in-law to Garret. Hesitantly they shook hands. “Jimmy is one of my oldest friends. He’s also my brother-in-law.”

Jimmy carefully observed Garret Coulson. As near as he could figure, Coulson had been dating Alex less than three weeks. What man became that possessive after such a short time? Jimmy could never recall Ryan ever looking at Alex in that fashion nor at men who looked at her. And plenty of men looked. Even when Alex gained weight over the years, her voluptuous full figure attracted as many admiring glances as this thinner version.

“Have you heard from Adam?” Jimmy asked. He stood in line behind Alex, holding several packages of Christmas tree lights.

“He called this morning. Having a great time.”

Garret stood quietly behind Alex.

“Kimmy didn’t go with him, did she?” Jimmy asked.

“Heavens no. I wouldn’t have let him go if girls were going, even though they are chaperoned. Anyway, this trip was planned before Adam and Kimmy started dating.”

“That’s sorta what I thought. So, where are you spending Christmas?” Jimmy’s eyes flickered from his sister-in-law to Garret. Alex didn’t answer immediately.

“At Garret’s cabin. Up at Clement Falls.”

Garret wrapped his arm around Alex as she answered the question.

“Oh…” Jimmy smiled slightly. “I understand Kate’s dating Russell. Are they joining you?”

“Kate’s doing her volunteer thing. She convinced Russell to join her. We might see them later,” Alex explained, her nervousness subsiding.

After Garret paid for the tree, Alex turned to say a final goodbye to Jimmy.

“Merry Christmas, Alex.” Jimmy gave her a hug, then whispered, “I love you.” He then nodded to Garret. “Merry Christmas, Garret. Nice to meet you. Drive carefully with our Alex.”

“Our Alex,” Garret grumbled after he shoved the tree into the back of the Jeep.

“Be careful with that!” Alex scolded. Climbing into the Jeep, she closed the door and turned to face Garret. “Garret Coulson, I do believe you have an incurable jealous streak.”

“I heard what he said,” Garret snapped.

“He’s not only my brother-in-law; he’s one of my oldest friends. You need to stop being so jealous. I’m not used to it. It’s unsettling,”

“Why, didn’t Ryan ever get jealous?” he snapped, then turned on the engine and began backing up.

“No, never,” Alex answered.

“Then he was a fool, wasn’t he?”

The harshness of his words silenced Alexandra. What does he think, that I can’t be trusted?

The entire drive to Clement Falls was spent in unbearable silence. Alexandra and Garret had never had arguments before. She and Ryan had never had arguments. She wanted to cry. She wanted to go home. By the time she reached the cabin, the last thing she wanted to do was decorate a Christmas tree.

After Garret parked the Jeep in the garage and turned the engine off, he turned in his seat to face Alex.

“Alex, I’m sorry. I was out of line back there. Totally.”

“Garret, what do you think?” Her eyes began to fill with tears. “Once unfaithful, always unfaithful?”

“Hell, Alex.” Garret pulled her into his arms; her gentle sobbing dampened his shoulders. “No, I don’t think that. I’m just so damn insecure where you’re concerned. I love you Alex. I’ve loved you for so long, and I want you to belong to me. Me. No one else. I don’t want to share you with anyone. Never again.”

“Oh, Garret, I don’t want anyone else.”

Together, they went into the cabin. After unloading the car, Garret started a fire in the fireplace and put the tree in its stand. Alexandra unpacked the groceries and began making hot cocoa, generously spiking it with peppermint schnapps.

Garret was furious at himself for making Alexandra cry. He’d almost ruined Christmas and prayed it wasn’t too late to salvage the holiday. Alexandra joined him by the undecorated tree, carrying two cups of cocoa, each topped with whipped cream.

They sat on the leather couch together and faced the orange flames dancing above the rock hearth.

“Do you forgive me?” Garret whispered, gently nuzzling her face.

“Yes,” Alex answered softly. Taking a sip of the drink, she stared at the flames.

“I want to give you your present,” Garret whispered.

“Okay.” Alex looked up to him shyly. “But then I get to give you yours.”

Like an anxious child, Garret quickly retrieved a small, gold-foil box. Jewelry. Alexandra prayed it wasn’t an engagement ring. It was too soon. What would Adam say? What would she say?

Taking a deep breath, Alex eased open the box. Inside was a delicate gold bracelet with a single gold heart encrusted in diamonds.

“It’s beautiful,” Alex whispered sincerely. Garret smiled at her expression.

“I wanted to give you something else,” Garret whispered. “But it’s too soon, isn’t it?” He looked anxiously into her face. Does he read minds? she wondered.

“Yes, Garret. It’s too soon. But this is truly beautiful.” She rewarded him with a kiss and then abruptly jumped from the couch to retrieve her gift to him.

Garret was surprised when Alex handed a gift not much larger than the one he had given her. He glanced up at her curiously.

“This is one of your gifts,” Alex explained nervously. “You, you might think it is… inappropriate. But…”

Garret frowned at Alex’s stammering and quickly opened the box. He began to laugh when he saw the contents: condoms, at least a dozen.

“You plan to keep me busy this Christmas?” Garret’s blue eyes gleamed mischievously, noting Alex’s sudden embarrassment. “And what exactly is my other gift?”

Alexandra began to point to a wrapped package on the kitchen counter, but Garret was not paying attention. Instead, he snatched the cup out of her hand and placed it with his on the coffee table. Quickly, he pulled Alex to her feet and began dragging her to the bedroom.

“Garret, the tree!” Alex protested.

“We’ll decorate it tomorrow.” He continued moving into the bedroom.

“On Christmas Day?”

“Okay, so we’ll decorate it the next day.” He gently tossed her onto the bed and slammed the door shut.

“After Christmas?” Alex began to laugh.

“I want to play with my new toys.” Garret grinned, looking down at Alex’s lovely body sprawled across the bed. He began pulling off his clothes, while Alex lay on the bed and watched. Before Garret removed his pants, he paused and leaned over to the nightstand and pulled open the top drawer. It was filled with condoms.

“I bought my own,” Garret explained mischievously.

Alexandra laughed. As she leaned her head back down onto the mattress, she felt Garret removing her shoes and socks. Not attempting to assist in the undressing, she lay still.

“You know, Garret, those things have an expiration date.”

“I guess we’ll have to use them all before the code date runs out.”

Alexandra could feel Garret’s hand on her pants’ zipper. Down it slid. She raised her hips slightly as Garret eagerly pulled down her pants. In a flash, Garret was on the bed and Alex’s blouse and bra sailed across the room.

They lay together on the bed, and Garret was slightly breathless as he pulled Alex into his arms.

“You better be careful,” Alex warned in mock concern, her hands mussing his hair. “I don’t want you to have a heart attack on me.”

“You saying I’m getting old?” he growled. Rolling on top of Alex, he looked down at her; she continued to run her fingers through his hair.

“I imagine you can still hold up your end of things,” she purred, quite aware of the steel rod pressing against her stomach.

“I imagine I can.” His mouth captured the tip of her nose and then moved downward, sliding his tongue along the edge of her lips. “Is this a commentary on my gray hair?” he growled softly.

“Noooo. I love your hair,” she murmured silkily.

Alex’s mouth reached up and captured Garret’s with such urgency and need that Garret imagined he could take her now without a moment of foreplay or protection. But he wouldn’t. No, tonight was theirs. Never before had they been able to make love freely. Freely. No longer was he taking Ryan’s wife. In the morning, Garret could wake with Alexandra in his arms. Tonight was theirs. For once, he did not have to share Alex with anyone.

Garret rolled onto his back, taking Alex with him. She found herself sitting on top of him, looking down as his hands went to caress her breasts. Alex could feel his need nudging at her bottom. She scooted downward, allowing the eager fellow to spring forward. She grabbed a condom from the nightstand. Tearing open the package, she hastily removed the circle and eagerly slipped it onto Garret. He groaned, his fingers moving over Alex’s breasts, up to her shoulders and down her arms, pulling her face to his. Their mouths met in hungered passion. Garret’s hands settled on Alex’s hips, then swiftly and firmly he lifted her up and placed her onto his erection, plunging deep inside. Alexandra gasped from the abrupt entry. She found herself moving against Garret in wanton anxiousness. Riding to paradise, she thought she would surely die.

Later that night, Alexandra and Garret moved into the living room. Lying before the fireplace on a pile of warm blankets, Garret held Alex in the protection of his arms while they watched the flames dance and flicker, illuminating the darkened room.

“Alex, you told me once you went to college. But I never asked, what was your major?”

“History,” she replied, wondering why he was asking, and then added, “Actually, I have my master’s.”

“Really?” Garret looked at Alex in surprise. He wanted to know everything about her.

“It’s sort of a Chamberlain prerequisite. I think my dad was a bit disappointed I didn’t go into accounting and join his firm.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Math in general has always been easy for me and Tommy, as it was with Dad. Numbers aren’t Kate’s thing. While math was always easy for me, I had no interest in pursuing a career in the family business. I loved history.”

“So, how did a history major become a successful restaurateur?”

“I married into it.”

“But what did you want to do?” Garret pulled away from Alex again, looking into her face for an answer.

“I sorta had this fantasy about traveling when Ryan retired. I always wanted to visit the British Isles, tromp through old castles. See Rome. Do some writing using my history major. I guess that was my secret fantasy.”

“What did Ryan think about spending his retirement this way?”

At this question, Alexandra began to laugh. “I realized years ago Ryan would never, ever retire. He loved his work. I’ve thought a lot about the senselessness of his death, but you know what? He was always happy, always did everything he wanted. I don’t think he’d have any regrets. He accomplished all of his goals. Who could ask for more?”

“What about now, Alex? When are you going to chase your dreams?” He didn’t ask her how she felt about giving up her dreams for Ryan. Had Ryan lived and never retired, would she have been happy to forget her dreams forever? He wondered about this, yet never asked the question.

“I don’t know, Garret. Honestly, I haven’t had time to think about the future.”

On Christmas morning, Alexandra awoke to find Garret had decorated the tree while she slept. The sentimental gesture helped overshadow any sadness she may have experienced by her separation from Adam. Since Adam’s birth, this was her first Christmas away from her son.

During their time together, Garret spoke very little about his family, very little about his life. Even when Alexandra asked questions, he would redirect any inquiries back to her.

“Garret, why do you do that?” Alex asked abruptly. They lay together on the floor before the Christmas tree.

“Do what?”

“You never really answer my questions. I answer yours.” She sounded hurt.

It took a while for Garret to understand what she meant. Although he disliked discussing his family and many aspects of his life, he discovered that once he began talking to Alex, he actually began feeling better. Never in his entire life had he truly shared his own feelings. Oh, he talked to Karen and Russell about Alex, yet he held much back. With Alex, he held back nothing.

After he finally opened up, he told her of his wild and reckless days, living to shock his family and community, marriages born of spite not love, of his distant relationship with his parents. He told her of his older brother, Harrison the senator, who was a fool. He told her of Russell, the only decent member of the Coulson family, and when he said this, he included himself. Russell’s only major blunder had been marrying the wrong woman. Garret wondered if this was a family weakness. He told her of the last ten years in Coulson Enterprises, long hours and increased profits. He was damned good in business. This wasn’t a braggart’s boast but a simple truth. Yet, he was weary of the fast lane, weary of pretense. He wanted peace. He wanted Alex.