"Now can we open our presents, Uncle Austin?" Baxley squirmed in his seat, his deep dimples flashing as he gave his most winsome smile.

"Yeah, Uncle Austin." Sandy jutted his chin out stubbornly, staring me down so hard that I had a difficult time keeping a straight face—damned but if the little shit didn’t look exactly like my brother Beau in that moment.

"You guys know Uncle Austin's rules: first we eat brunch, then we clean up, annnd… then we get to open our presents." Annie sat in her seat like a prim little lady as she wagged a finger at the boys.

Brenda and Bradford were chuckling as they watched the children. When she caught me watching, Brenda smiled. "It's so wonderful to spend a holiday with children again."

"We were just happy you could join us," I responded, surprised to find that I meant it.

"While I personally think that presents are more important than cleaning, I'll respect the house rules," Houston said, sighing dramatically to let me know just how badly I was putting him out by making him wait.

"I like that Austin's carried on Mom's tradition," Beau said, stretching to rest his arms over the backs of Lukas’ and Gideon’s chairs. "I miss Mom and Dad even more this time of year. It's almost like having a piece of them here with us, the way you do it."

"Definitely." Dallas nodded. He smiled fondly as he gazed off into the distance. "Mom was so strict about making us wait until after brunch was finished and the dishes had been cleaned, but then she spent the rest of the day focused completely on us. I think playing games with Mom and Dad was my favorite part of Christmas."

"I wish I'd thought of that when my son was young." Brenda sounded wistful as she spoke. "By the time I'd finished with cooking and cleaning up, Joshua had already grown bored with half of his toys."

Bradford patted his wife's hand. "I have a feeling that Mrs. Logan had different problems, what with four young boys underfoot."

"We know all about that." Lukas waved a hand toward their three older children. "And now we have another one just starting out."

"Brenda, I just remembered that you guys mentioned that one of you were Jewish. Do you normally celebrate Christmas, or do you celebrate Hanukkah?" I felt a little bad as the thought occurred to me, because I'd also served ham today. If they were kosher, I'd likely offended them. I was still searching my brain to remember if I'd seen either of them eating the ham when Brenda shook her head.

"Bradford comes from a Jewish background, but we aren't practicing, no. We celebrate Christmas, not that you could call it celebrating in the years since Joshua grew up." She lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "It's a little different when you're older and it's just the two of you."

"I bet." Kyle nodded. "If it was just me and Dallas, I don't know if I'd even have the energy to decorate some years."

Houston rolled his eyes. "You, not decorate? I'm surprised you're not wearing a Santa suit. We all know that you're Mr. Christmas over there."

Kyle rolled his head on his shoulders, moving it from side to side as if to stretch his neck. "That's true, but then again, you have to remember that my catering business has exploded over the past few years. I spend my life in the kitchen from mid-November all the way up until Christmas Eve. Holiday parties are the lifeblood of my business. If it weren't for Sage and Sammy, I’m honestly not even sure if I would've made the effort this year."

Dallas leaned over to kiss Kyle on the cheek. "That's where I come in. And if I recall, I'm pretty sure that I was the one who did all the decorating this year anyway."

"Decorating, yes, but who did all the cooking, hmm?" Kyle lifted a brow, waiting expectantly for Dallas' response.

"Well, it definitely wasn't my brother." Houston snagged another cinnamon roll from the platter in the center of the table. "And we are all extremely grateful for that, by the way. So, kudos and all that."

I noticed the kids were getting antsy and decided to have pity on them. "If I can have some assistants to help me clear this table, we can start getting the dishwasher loaded so we can open presents. Is there anybody who'd like to help their uncle?"

Five hands shot up, each of them bouncing in their seats like they were waiting to be called on. "Me, me! Pick me! I'll help, Uncle Austin." Annie was so excited that her high-pitched voice almost made me flinch.

"How about we all help your uncle." Cody stood and started stacking dishes. "Many hands make light work, or so they say."

When Owen started to rise, I shook my head. "You sit and rest; we've got this." Before he could argue, Jay's indignant cries could be heard over the baby monitor. I grinned as I nodded toward the ceiling. "It sounds like you have other things to do anyway."

By the time the kitchen and dining room were cleaned and all the food had been put away, Owen had returned with Jay and gotten everyone who wasn't working settled in the living room. Kyle brought the big platter of Christmas cookies with us and set it on the coffee table as we all took our seats in the living room.

The kids all made a beeline for the tree, but were all well-trained enough to know better than to do anything more than sit politely in a circle around it while Houston played Santa. Brenda sat cuddling Jay in her arms while Owen came to join me on the couch.

Houston put on the heirloom family Santa hat that my dad had always worn and planted his hands on his hips as he looked around the room. "Okay, who's first?"

Beau rolled his eyes. "Just grab the first gift and give it to whoever it belongs to, please? There are too many of us for you to drag it out, brat. Rosie will probably be awake soon, and I'd really like to see the kids’ faces when they open their gifts."

Lukas and Gideon were both curled up on either side of Beau, their heads almost touching as they leaned against his chest. They shared a smile before Lukas explained that Beau had drawn the short straw today for baby detail.

While the kids predictably tore into their gifts, the adults were a little more sedate—but not by much, especially in Houston's case. When he got to the back of the tree, he turned and looked at Owen curiously. "Are these what I think they are? And if so, do you want everybody opening them at the same time so that your surprise isn't ruined?"

Owen jumped to his feet and walked over to the tree. "That sounds like the best way of going about it. Here, let me give you a hand." The two of them passed the flat, rectangular packages with beautifully made, ornate hand-tied bows around the room. Beau and the guys got one to share, Dallas and Kyle got one, and Houston handed one to Cody while Owen handed one to Brenda and Bradford before carrying the last one over and setting it in front of me. Once they’d each taken a seat, everyone started untying the bows.

"Is this what I think it is?" I asked as I set the ribbon aside before I ran my finger along the seam of the paper, neatly unwrapping Owen's gift.

"I don't know what you think it is, because I'm not a mind reader." Owen smiled shyly, motioning for me to hurry up. "Why don't you open it and find out for yourself?"

My mouth fell open as I unwrapped the framed piece of art he'd given me. It was the self-portrait he'd done, beautifully mounted and framed. It showed him nude from the waist up. One hand rested on the swell of his belly, while the other held a piece of charcoal to an easel where a smaller version of the main one had been painstakingly drawn in miniature. The way he’d drawn his eyes somehow managed to convey all the emotions he'd been feeling at the time—fear and wonder, grief and sadness, hope and longing… they were all visible in the self-portrait.

I looked over to see Owen watching nervously as he waited for my reaction. "This is amazing, Owen. And I like the touch of the sketch within the sketch."

"Owen, how did you manage to make him so lifelike?" I looked over to see Brenda dabbing at her eyes, but this time her tears were happy ones as she admired the watercolor painting that Bradford was holding up for her to see. He turned it so we could all see a lifelike depiction of a handsome young man who must have been Josh. He was lounging on a couch, a TV remote in one hand, hugging a pillow to his chest as he looked out at the viewer. In the background was a plant that could only be Miss Ferngully.

"I used an old picture I had for the model. I thought maybe you'd like to have a bit of Josh for Christmas." Owen practically mumbled his words, squirming uncomfortably under the weight of everyone's attention.

"Well, can I just say that I adore the family portrait you did for us? Seriously, honey. I figured you had to be talented, but this is just outrageous." Houston had Cody hold up their painting that showed a true-to-life depiction of Cody and Houston laughing over Thanksgiving dinner while Ramona sat on Houston's lap and Baxley sat on Cody's knee. I could only assume it had either been made from memory or else another picture from his phone.

"I think ours is the best." Gideon lightly clapped his hands, bouncing happily as Lukas showed us the family portrait that had been made for them. Again, the family was accurately depicted. My brothers-in-law were curled up on either side of Beau in the painting. Gideon was holding Rosie, while Lukas and Beau looked at the two of them with affectionate smiles. Annie and the twins were shown sitting at their feet, looking like a trio of angels as they quietly worked on a jigsaw puzzle.

"You only think it's the best because he took artistic license." Houston pointed at the children in the foreground. "You couldn't pay those kids to sit quietly like that and work on a puzzle. I'd be willing to bet the three of them have never sat quietly like that. A more accurate depiction would have been of the twins wrestling on the floor while Annie lectured them."

Owen threw his head back with a laugh before nodding in agreement. "I definitely took a few artistic liberties with that one."

Dallas and Kyle were equally enamored with theirs, which was a perfect representation of their family. Sammy was shown sitting on Dallas’ lap with her arms around his neck as she kissed his cheek, while Kyle sat beside him, leaning against Dallas’ shoulder with a beatific smile while Sage slept on his lap.

Brenda and Bradford left halfway through the afternoon since they had a bit of a drive to get home. Everyone found different areas to settle down in to play games, visit, or just hang out.

Owen took Jay upstairs to put him down for a nap at one point. When he returned he was carrying the Kid Coyote game. Tipping his chin toward the old Nintendo on my entertainment system, he held up the game. "I've already beaten the creator more times than he probably wants me to share. Who wants to try and beat my score?"

Lukas laughed as he cocked his thumb toward Gid. "I'm the one who could probably take you down, but my babe would be sad if he didn't get first dibs. He's been in love with Kid Coyote since day one."

"It's a good game," Owen said with a shrug.

Lukas leaned forward, a mischievous gleam in his eye as he glanced at Houston. "No, I meant the actual Kid Coyote."

Houston giggled and waved a hand. "Ignore him, honey. He's trying to make me share my secret, but since you’re family, I'll tell you anyway. I was the model for Kid Coyote. All that merchandising crap my brother has on his little wall over there? That's my face. If you squint real hard, you might recognize me."

Owen's mouth rounded into a wide O as he stared at Houston for a long moment. "That's why you looked so familiar when we met. Damn, I don't think there were many kids who didn't have a crush on the Kid Coyote model. You were a little hottie."

"Excuse you? Rude! Were? As in past tense?" Houston was working himself into a dramatic snit fit while Lukas laughed harder.

"Leave Owen alone, Houston. You know he didn't mean it like that; quit fucking with him like a little bitch." Lukas flipped Houston the bird then turned back to Owen with a smirk. "You might have been one of the millions of kids who had a crush on Kid Coyote, but tell me this—did you ever stoop to kissing Houston's bratty little face on a poster in a store window?"

Gideon buried his face in Beau's chest while Owen won my heart when he scrunched his face up as if he'd smelled something gross. "Hell, no. That's just nasty. Who knows what kind of germs would be on the glass?"

Lukas was practically cackling. "That's why my babe wins the award for biggest fanboy."

"Noooo," Owen breathed the word out slowly with a horrified look on his face. "Gideon, please tell me he's joking. You didn't really, did you?"

Gid peeked out from the safety of Beau's pecs and nodded, his face flushed so red that I was almost tempted to make a Rudolph joke. Almost. The guy was too sweet to do that to him.

Owen chuckled. "Sorry, Gid. You win. I can't compete with that level of fandom."

*****

After my twin brothers and their families left at the end of the evening with Baxley along for a sleepover at Uncle Beau’s house, Houston went up to put Ramona to sleep in the same crib with Jay while Cody helped me clean up. When Owen started to help, I shook my head. "Actually, if you'll notice, I haven't given you a gift yet today."

Owen looked confused for a moment as he thought back over all the gifts he’d received, then shrugged as though it were no big deal. "That's okay, I'm pretty sure you’ve done enough for me this year without feeling the need to give me a Christmas gift too."

“Have you never met me?” I rolled my eyes and pointed toward the stairs. "My gift begins with the pair of babysitters that are still hanging around. You see, I have plans for us this evening. I wanted to make your first Christmas as a Logan extra special, so I made reservations for a special surprise. But you'll want to go change into something warmer."

When he hesitated, Cody nodded encouragingly. "Listen to the man, Owen. You ain't gonna want to miss this one."

"All right, I'm not going to argue—it is Christmas, after all." He headed toward the stairs then looked back doubtfully. "You sure you don't need any help cleaning up?"

"I'm sure," I said with a laugh. "Go on, and don't forget to bring gloves."

Owen was back downstairs before we were done cleaning. Cody was running the vacuum while I put away the dishes when he came and found me in the kitchen. "Wow, I really beat you for once?"

I glanced over my shoulder toward the doorway, only to do a double take when I saw him. Owen was wearing a red sweater that made his alabaster skin glow. His thick, dark hair was in need of a trim and was now showing natural waves I hadn't noticed before. With the slightly longer hair framing his face, those bottomless gray eyes really popped. My eyes traveled down to take in his formfitting, faded blue skinny jeans, and the sheepskin-lined Uggs he wore on his feet. Clapping his gloved hands together, Owen looked at me curiously. "You look like you're lost in space; are we still going?"

Taking a look around the kitchen, I hesitated then decided screw it. Christmas comes but once a year, but these dishes would be here when I got back. "Give me one second to wash my hands, and we're out the door."

"Well fuck me sideways and right side up again. Now I know that hell has truly gone and frozen over, if you're willing to leave this house without having everything perfectly clean and put away." Houston walked in at the tail end of our conversation. He came over and bumped his hip against mine. "Hurry up and get done with your hands. I've got a kitchen to clean."

I grabbed a fresh paper towel to dry my hands while I stared at Houston quizzically. "I'm sorry, am I hallucinating, or did you actually offer to clean something?"

"Bitch, please. You know I'm gonna have Cody's sweet ass in here helping me the minute you walk out the door. Now hurry up, before I change my mind." Houston impulsively grabbed my sleeve, pulling me down for a hug so he could whisper in my ear. "Enjoy your first date with your husband, tin man."

Owen was quiet as we drove through the neighborhood; he was too busy looking around at all the Christmas lights. As I headed toward the downtown area, he started taking interest. "Where exactly are we going? You never said."

"That's right, I didn't, did I?" I glanced his way with my best version of a mysterious smile. "You’re not allowed to peek at your presents before you open them, are you? Why would I tell you where I'm taking you before we arrive? This is meant to be your gift, remember?"

Owen sat up a little straighter with his hands folded in his lap as he craned his neck to look ahead to see where we were going. He was so tightly strung that his body was nearly vibrating with excitement from the anticipation.

I wondered if anybody had ever gone out of their way to surprise him before. Maybe Josh? From the way Owen talked about their friendship, it seemed like something he might've done. Other than that, I couldn't think of anyone else in Owen's life who would've given him surprises or special treats. On one hand that saddened me, but on the other, it made me want to work that much harder to spoil him if I could.

After I'd found a spot and parked close to where I wanted to be, I hopped out and walked around to get his door, pleased when he waited to let me. Taking his hand, I tucked it around my arm as I escorted him around the corner to the carriage stand where, sure enough, our horse-drawn carriage awaited. Our brightly lit carriage was fit for a prince and all decked out for the holidays.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Owen's awe-filled voice made me stand a little taller, and my heart beat a little faster. He looked up at me, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "This is my gift? Really? We get to do this, you and me, right now—for real?" He let go of my arm to walk closer to the horses, jumping back with a laugh when one of them snorted at him and rolled its lips, flashing its huge teeth.

I smiled at his childlike joy. "Yes to all of the above, Owen. I'm guessing you approve?"

"Definitely." Owen pointed his fingers up and lightly clapped his hands together, the leather gloves keeping them from making a sound. "This is going to be fantastic," he enthused as he grabbed my hand and pulled me past the horses and over to the carriage itself where the driver was waiting.

The driver opened the door and stepped back while I helped Owen up before following him. The driver handed me a snowy white lap blanket and a box of chocolates before closing the door. I tucked the blanket over both of our laps, then held my breath as I casually slipped my arm around his shoulders and let my hand drop to dangle loosely beside his arm. Owen didn't seem to be aware of it, though; he was too intent on opening the box of chocolates.

The carriage gave a jolt then began moving, the horse hooves clip-clopping, and with holiday lights both on the carriage and in the surrounding area, it all combined to make the perfect atmosphere.

As we rode through the downtown area, Owen popped a chocolate into his mouth then picked another from the box and surprised me by holding it to my lips. When I opened my mouth, he carefully hand-fed me the candy then used his thumb to wipe a smear of chocolate from my lip. He brought the thumb to his own mouth and licked it clean, while I watched jealously.

Fuck, I wanted to lick his thumb. No. I wanted to be the thumb. No, I wanted… I forgot what I wanted when those luminous gray eyes settled on me and seemed to see all the way through to my soul.

We gazed into each other's eyes as we ate our candy, then Owen set the box down on his lap and rested his head against my shoulder. I tightened my arm around him a little, running my hand lightly along his arm. We passed a corner where a group of carolers dressed like they were from the Victorian era stood holding songbooks while singing O Come All Ye Faithful.

I tipped my head down to hear better when I thought I heard Owen singing softly along with them under his breath. At the moment I looked down, he happened to glance up and we stared at each other for a long moment before our lips slowly came together as if drawn by magnets.

After a moment’s hesitation, I brushed my lips against his then brought my hand up to capture his chin, holding him in place as I slowly increased pressure and finally kissed my husband.

Just like the unexpected kiss we had to perform on command at the wedding, I felt a spark the moment we touched. But this time, the kiss was unprompted and natural… and… altogether lovely. I pulled back, blinking a couple times before leaning forward and kissing him again. I wasn't sure how far to take it, but then I felt the testing touch of the tip of his tongue against the seam of my mouth. As I opened my lips a little to let him in, his velvet tongue swept inside, pressing against mine to playfully tangle as he explored my mouth.

The kiss lasted for several glorious, insanely heart-pounding minutes before we slowly pulled apart, staring at each other breathlessly as our breaths came in short pants that sent little white puffs of air out in front of us before evaporating into the night air.

Owen lifted a trembling hand and cradled my jaw in his palm, rubbing his thumb over my cheek as he spoke in a voice so soft that it was just above a whisper. "Merry Christmas, Austin."

I turned to kiss the center of his palm before looking back at him with an answering smile. "Merry Christmas, Owen."