Christmas Eve was a spectacular event at the Sable Inn. With the arrival of Derek’s mother and four sisters, in addition to other guests, the evening’s events kicked off with a bang.
In the great room, where the massive Christmas tree stood, the family was gathered together to hang the stockings. Lorna was in charge of the decorations and began the tradition.
“Daddy! Here’s your stocking,” she pulled it out of the big box in front of her.
Lloyd approached and took the large sock shaped stocking that he’d hung on this mantle for over twenty years. He kissed Lorna’s cheek and walked to the hearth.
“This year is special, because we’ve added to our family and will be adding more in the years to come,” Lloyd announced.
“You can hang Lavender’s stocking, too.” Lana told him. “She’ll be with us next year.”
Lloyd smiled. “Yes, you are right.” He returned to Lorna and got Lavender’s stocking to hang next to his.
“Your turn Lana!” Lorna announced. “One for you, one for Derek and one for our Sable baby!” She retrieved two large and one small stocking.
“Wells baby!” Derek’s sister, Dina shouted.”
“We’ll discuss that later,” Lana told them, taking the stockings. She took Derek’s hand and they made their way to the fireplace where they hung the three stockings.
“Lena!” Lorna sang. “It’s your turn.”
Lena went to Lorna and got her stocking. “Next year, I’m hanging something next to my stocking. A husband, a baby…something.”
“Not the latter without the former,” her father told her.
She laughed as she hung hers next to the little stocking. “Hey, Sable baby…” she teased the Wells sisters.
Lorna laughed. “My turn!” She stood with two stockings and walked over to Jamal. He took her hand and they had their turn. She looked up at him. “Next year, we’ll have a little stocking to hang.”
He winked at her. “I know we will.”
Returning to her box, Lorna pulled out two more stockings. “Mr. and Mrs. Langston!”
The couple made their way over and happily took theirs, then helped one another hang them.
“Willie!” Lorna called and he chuckled.
“Big Willie in the house!” He kissed Lorna’s cheek. “Thank you sweetheart.”
Lorna pulled out stockings for all the Wells women and watched as they hung them across the large mantle.
When all the stockings were hung, they all headed out doors, where the children of the town were gathered outside with their parents.
There was cheering and applause for Lloyd as he stood in front of the crowd. “Thank you for coming out tonight. As is our tradition at the Sable Inn, there will be sleigh rides across the property then hot chocolate and Christmas cookies served in the dining room.
The kids all cheered loudly and their eyes widened when the horses showed up with the sleighs. Jamal pulled Lorna into his arms to protect her from the cold. “This was always my favorite part,” he told her. “I got to sit in the sleigh with you.”
Lorna smiled. “You’d mean mug all the other boys so they wouldn’t sit with us.”
“Damn straight…this was the only time, I could be with my love out in public, without her Daddy trying to kill me.”
She cuddled closer. “I loved riding in the sleigh with you.”
“This is dope, how your family does this every year, for the kids,”
“We try to give back to the town, as much as they’ve given us. Plus, Daddy, Mr. and Mrs. Langston, and Willie love this.”
Jamal looked down at her. “I think you love it just as much.”
“I do,” she confessed.
They waited for an empty sleigh, before Jamal helped her inside. “I’m riding with you two,” Lena told them, walking up.
Jamal frowned and looked at her. “Uh, I think there might be another empty one.”
Lorna hid a smile when Lena put a hand on her hip. “Really, Jamal? You can’t share a sleigh? You’re marrying her tomorrow.”
“And I want to ride in the sleigh with her tonight. Catch a ride with Lana and Derek.”
She frowned. “He has his sisters riding with them.”
“Ride with Willie,” Jamal told her.
“You ride with Willie,” Lena told him.
Jamal looked around. “Hey Cam!” he called, and the local young urban farmer came over.
“What’s up Jamal?” The two men shook hands.
“It’s good.”
Cam peeked in the sleigh. “Hey Lorna,”
“Hi Cam, thanks for bringing fruit for the kids.”
He smiled. “No problem. This is really nice, what you’re family does.”
Jamal glanced at the frowning Lena. “Cam do you know Lorna’s sister, Lena?”
Cam turned his smile on her. “Yes, I’ve met Miss Lena Sable.”
“Hello, Cam.”
“Hello, Lena.”
Jamal smiled. “You two should catch that empty sleigh.”
Lena glared at him.
“Uh, actually, I have my nieces here with me, but if Lena doesn’t mind sitting with some eight-year-olds, she’s more than welcome.” Cam offered.
“Lena loves kids,” Jamal said, with a smile at her.
The sleigh driver announced that he needed to take off, so Jamal hopped up next to Lorna. “You kids have fun,” he told them as the sleigh pulled off.
Lorna laughed. “She’s going to kill you.”
“I know, but I was riding in this sleigh with my Beauty, before I die.” Jamal put his arm around her and gathered her close and they moved under the night sky.
Lorna pulled the blanket up over them before he kissed her.
“Tomorrow, you’ll be all mine,” he whispered against her chilled lips.
“I’ve always been yours.”
Jamal kissed her again. “My sexy, beautiful, hot chocolate.” He touched her underneath the blanket.
“This is why Daddy didn’t let the teenagers have blankets,” Lorna whispered against his mouth. “I never understood why he did that.”
“You would’ve been punching the hell out of me,”
Lorna laughed. “You are right.” She laid her head on his shoulder and looked up at their stars.
“We should’ve stayed at the cabin tonight,” she whispered.
“If we stayed at the cabin, we’d miss our own wedding.”
“Daddy gave us that cabin as our wedding gift,” she told him.
Jamal looked down at her. “Wow, for real?”
She nodded. “I told him how special it was to us and he said it’s ours, but we’ll still let everybody have access to it.”
“That’s dope,” Jamal told her. “We can take our kids there and lay under the stars.”
“Not in the winter, though,” Lorna said burying her face in his coat.
“There’s hot chocolate when we get back.” Jamal said, rubbing her arms.
“And Christmas cookies,”
He smiled. “My two favorites.”
“Your father is staying at the Inn tonight?” Lorna asked.
“Yeah, he’s in town keeping an eye on things while everybody is out here. He’ll be here later tonight,” Jamal explained. “He always had to work on the holidays.”
Lorna glanced up at him. “But, he’ll be here tomorrow for the wedding?”
“He said he wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“You’re staying at the Inn tonight, too?”
He nodded. “My last night as a single dude. Willie might bring in some strippers or something.”
She frowned. “What?”
He laughed. “Girl, you know damn well Lloyd Sable is not having strippers in the Sable Inn.”
“Willie might though,” Lorna suggested.
“I don’t put anything past Willie,” Jamal agreed. “But I’m chilling at the Inn, because your father is having everyone associated with the wedding, stay in close proximity. He wants his daughter’s day to go off without a hitch, and he wants to make sure that my ass doesn’t get lost on the way.”
He nuzzled her face. “Which that wouldn’t happen anyway, because I can’t wait to be your husband.”
“Daddy is not playing,”
“He loves his daughters,” Jamal said quietly. “And you’re his baby…”
He kissed her thoroughly then they sat back and enjoyed the rest of the ride until they returned to the Inn. Jamal helped her down as Lena’s sleigh also pulled up. They watched Cam help the girls out of the sleigh, then reach for Lena’s hand.
“I don’t think she’s mad at me,” Jamal whispered to Lorna.
When Lena’s feet hit the ground, she headed straight for Jamal.
“Oh shit,” he said.
Lorna stepped in front of him before her sister reached them. “Hey Lena! Let’s go serve the hot chocolate.”
Lena nodded. “Okay Jamal…I owe you.”
“You’re welcome Lena.”
She lifted a brow underneath her furry hat.
“Lena! Are you coming?” a little voice called and Lena turned back with a smile.
“I’ll be right there!” she called back in a sweet voice, and Lorna looked confused.
When she turned back, her frown was back in place. “I’m having hot chocolate with my two new little friends, so you two selfish sleigh riders, can kick rocks.”
Lorna and Jamal watched her walk away, then two little girls each took one of her hands, while she led them inside the Inn with a smile, and Cam following close behind.
“Who was that woman?” Jamal asked.
“I was about to ask you the same thing,” Lorna said, shaking her head.
Jamal took her hand. “Come on, let’s get some hot chocolate, since it’s the only kind I’m getting tonight.”
******
Christmas morning all the gifts sat underneath the tree until after the big event. In the Great Room, with a huge Christmas tree as the backdrop, Lorna and Jamal became Mr. and Mrs. Winston, in front of all the people they loved and loved them in return.
With his father by his side, Jamal repeated after the Reverend vowing to love and protect the beautiful woman staring up at him with happy dark eyes. In their dark tuxedos, Jamal, Lloyd, Derek and the sheriff made a very handsome picture.
Across from them, the Sable sisters looked beautiful in red dresses next to the glowing bride in a classic, flowing white dress with a high neck and long sleeves. When she’d walked in on her father’s arm, Jamal had lost his breath at how innocent and sweet she looked.
He knew that she reserved all that fire and sexiness just for him, and he had no complaints. In fact, he had a new character for her when they got back home.
Lorna looked into the eyes of the man who was her life. She smiled as she recited her vows, promising to love and honor him for the rest of her life. When he slipped the ring on her finger, her hand trembled in his and he held on to it firmly.
Jamal kissed his wife for the first time in front of the crowd and they cheered him on until he lifted her up into his arms. Lorna held on and ducked as confetti was thrown at them and Jamal looked down at her.
“I love you, so much…” he whispered to her.
“I love you, Jamal…”
The room was cleared as everyone headed to the dining room for the reception. Lorna and Jamal took their seats at the head table and waved at all their guests, until Jamal looked over at Lorna and smiled.
“I have to fulfill a promise to you,” he told her.
“What promise?”
He got to his feet. “Stay right here.”
“Jamal? Where are you going?”
She watched as he walked to the front and grabbed a microphone, after removing his suit jacket.
“Can I have everyone’s attention?” he said over the speakers, and the room quieted. “On behalf of my wife and I, we’d like to thank you for sharing your Christmas with us, on our special day.”
He locked eyes with Lorna.
“I made Lorna a promise, that I kinda messed up, so now I have to make up for it.”
Lorna looked at him confused.
“See, I told her that when I proposed, I was going to do something that would have the town talking for years to come, but I didn’t do that,” Jamal said, nodding at someone.
Lorna looked around, then watched Derek, Russ and Willie join him on the stage/dance floor.
“So this is for my Beauty…”
The first strains of Dru Hill’s Beauty began to play through the speakers. The other guys grabbed microphones and began a slow shuffle behind Jamal as he began to sing in a deep sultry, soulful voice.
The Book Club and every woman in the room turned to Lorna, who sat listening in shock because she’d had no idea that Jamal could even sing, let along in such a sexy tone. He strolled over to where Lorna sat and sang the lyrics to her…
Walks by me every day,
Her and love are the same
The woman that’s stolen my heart
And beauty is her name
I’m hoping I can make you mine
Before another man steals your heart
And once this beauty is mine
I swear we will never be apart
Jamal helped Lorna to her feet as he continued to sing to her, then looped an arm around her waist and swayed, sensually against her. The guys on the stage, did their steps in line with their background vocals, while Lorna kept her attention on Jamal. She gasped, when he dropped to one knee and belted out…
THIS IS HER… AND BEAUTY IS HER NAME…
The guests went wild and got to their feet, clapping and cheering wildly, while he finished the song. Then, they all froze when Jamal stood, then dropped the Mic and pulled Lorna into his arms, kissing her until she thought that she’d pass out…
******
“Well damn…” Nadia said, sitting at the table with the Book Club.
“I concur,” Debra said, nodding.
Tiffany blinked. “Wow, who knew that was Jamal?”
At another table Lana looked at Lena.
“What in the world?” Lana asked, shocked at first by seeing her husband performing background, and then at Jamal singing the hell out of that song.
Lena looked impressed. “Now I understand why she was going through boxes of condoms.”
Mrs. Langston sat at her table along with her husband and Miss Jackie.
“That boy is such a rascal,” Mrs. Langston said, shaking her head.
“Well he wanted us to be talking about something, and everybody will be talking about that performance right there.” Miss Jackie added, fanning herself.
Lloyd sat at his table with the sheriff and Mr. Perkins. “That’s my son-in-law,” he said proudly.
The sheriff grinned. “And that’s my son…”
Jamal slowly lifted his head and looked down into Lorna’s face, as she opened her eyes. “How was that, Beauty?” he asked.
A sexy smile spread across her face. “I don’t think you could’ve done it any better.”