Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

�śYOU hate me, don’t you?”

Stunned, Derek looked up from his study of his morning coffee

and turned his attention to his lover. Sky was up to his elbow in the

largest turkey that Derek had ever seen. His brown hair was a mess

and his brown eyes were snapping. Derek was fairly certain that no

one should look that hot stuffing a turkey. �śSorry, babe, what did you

say?”

�śYou hate me, don’t you?”

�śNo, I love you. Why would you think that?”

�śDo you want your family to stop liking me?”

�śNo.”

�śThen why the fuck am I cooking Christmas dinner for your

family and mine? I mean, seriously, why would you want to put your

nice, normal family through the horror of spending the holiday with

mine?” There was a slightly plaintive note to Sky’s voice. He pulled his

arm out of the turkey with a faint slurping sound and grabbed more

stuffing out of the pan by his elbow.

�śI happen to like your family, babe. Your mother is really nice.”

Derek smiled at his coffee. �śShe makes me cookies.”

Sky snorted. �śMy mother is a hippie who named me Skylark and

she’s bringing her new girlfriend to dinner. At least she didn’t make

you �Śspecial’ brownies.”

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

�śYour mother has a new girlfriend?” Derek’s eyes widened as the

second half of Sky’s comment sank in. �śWait, special brownies? When

did your mother make you special brownies?”

�śI was in the third grade. She didn’t do it on purpose. She gave

me the wrong pan to take to school.”

�śThat must have been an interesting time. Now, tell me all about

the woman your mother is bringing to Christmas dinner.”

�śWell, she’s�Ś” Sky trailed off. �śNot the point, Derek!”

�śWhat does she look like? What’s her name?”

�śMy God, Derek, you are so lucky I have my hand up a turkey’s

ass.”

�śThere are better things you could be doing with your hands.”

Derek leered at his lover’s back. His eyes traveled down the T-shirt

clad back to rest on the round and perky ass encased in pajama pants.

�śThe only reason I’m not throwing this thing at you is because it

weighs twenty-six pounds and then we would have nothing to eat.”

Sky shot him a dirty look over his shoulder and went back to stuffing

the turkey.

Smothering a grin, Derek pushed away from the table and

walked over to his agitated lover. He wrapped his arms around a trim

waist, rested his chin on the thin shoulder, tucked a strand of brown

hair behind a ridiculously cute ear and pressed a soft kiss to Sky’s

cheek. �śCalm down, pretty boy. Everything will be fine.”

�śYou’re just saying that to make me feel better.” Sky sounded

disgruntled, but he was starting to relax in Derek’s arms.

�śNo, I believe it.” Derek gave Sky’s neck a nip. �śPlus, I don’t want

you to ruin the food.” He danced away from Sky before his lover could

swat him.

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

�śHow did I let you talk me into cooking Christmas dinner for

fifteen people?” Sky glanced away from stuffing the turkey long

enough to give Derek a half-hearted glare. �śNot only that, but

Christmas dinner in our brand new house that we’ve only had for six

months.”

�śI asked you during sex. You say yes to anything I ask you during

sex.”

�śI get in a lot of trouble that way.”

Derek grinned at Sky as he headed over to the fridge. Passing the

counter, he noticed what he thought were stuffing ingredients. �śHey

babe?”

�śYeah?”

�śWhat are you putting in the turkey?”

�śStuffing.”

�śDid you forget this stuff over here?”

�śNo. That’s for the other stuffing.”

Other stuffing? Okay, that’s a little odd. �śYou’re making more than

one stuffing?”

�śKatie refuses to eat anything that once had a face, and that

includes food that has been inside something that once had a face. So,

she gets her own stuffing.”

�śIsn’t Katie nine?”

�śYep.”

�śAnd she’s decided to not eat meat?”

�śYep.”

�śAnd your sister is okay with that?”

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

�śKestrel is her own person.”

�śAnd that means what?”

�śThat my sister is insane.” Sky removed his hand from the turkey

and turned to face Derek. �śI mean, come on, she married a guy named

Kendrin and then gave all of her children �ŚK’ names. She’s a freak.”

Derek shook his head in amusement. �śSo, I guess I got the normal

one in the family.” He abandoned his fridge approach and stepped into

his lover’s arms, pressing a hand against Sky’s cheek and marveling

once again at the contrast of his mocha skin against Sky’s pale

complexion. He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips,

pulling away when he felt Sky relax. �śI definitely got the better kisser.”

�śAss kisser.”

�śYou know it.” Derek placed one more kiss on his lover’s lips

then finally made it to the fridge to get the milk for his cereal. He froze

when he opened the door. �śUm, babe?”

�śYeah?”

�śThere are seven pies in here.”

�śSounds about right.”

�śAnd one of them is yellow.”

�śThat would be the lemon meringue pie for Kristy.”

Derek cast his mind back over his memories of his mother

making a lemon meringue pie. �śI thought meringue was white?”

�śKristy will only eat food that is yellow.”

Derek nodded to himself. That explained the two bottles of

yellow food coloring on the counter that he had been too chickenshit

to ask about. �śHow are you going to make the turkey yellow?”

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

�śI haven’t figured that out yet.”

�śSo what’s with the other pies?”

�śI have two apple, one pumpkin, one cherry, one pecan, and one

blueberry. I figured that would cover what everyone would like. I also

have ice cream and fresh fruit. Oh, and I think I’ve got stuff for

chocolate fondue in the cupboards, plus the chocolate chip cookie

dough in the freezer from when we had the Indiana Jones marathon.”

Ooo, Indiana Jones cookies. Those were good. �śBabe, what time did

you get up this morning?”

�śI don’t know, like four, but I got a lot of prep work done

yesterday.” With that said, Sky turned back to his food preparations.

Derek dug around behind the numerous pies and managed to pull out

the milk. He placed it on the small amount of counter space that was

clear of Christmas dinner ingredients, got a bowl from the cupboard

and poured himself some Lucky Charms. Sky’s lips twitched in a small

grin. �śAll the food sitting around here and you’re eating Lucky

Charms?”

�śHey. I figured if I tried to touch any of the other food you’d kill

me, so I’m sticking to cereal. Plus, I like Lucky Charms.”

�śI know. It’s one of the many odd things that I love about you.”

Sky walked over and stole a kiss. Derek opened to his lover’s questing

tongue and threaded his fingers through the silky brown hair. He gave

the strands a tug as Sky pulled away. Sky licked his lips. �śYou taste like

candy.”

�śIt’s ’cause I’m sweet.”

�śNo, I think it’s the cereal.” Sky gave him one last peck before

heading back to his cooking endeavors. Derek settled himself back

against his chair, cradling his bowl to his chest. Christmas was shaping

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

up to be an amazing day.



* * *

SKY mentally went over his dinner plan as he scanned his nearly

spotless kitchen. Everything seemed to be prepared and cooking on

schedule to be ready by the time he planned to serve dinner. He just

needed the guests to arrive on time, which tended to be a problem

with his family. The very thought of the guests arriving late made all

the nerves that had finally fled from his body start to creep back. Just

as he felt himself beginning to tense to the point of discomfort, strong

arms wrapped around his waist.

�śYou panicking yet?” Soft lips pressed against his neck.

�śMaybe a bit.” Sky relaxed back into the body holding him close.

�śThen it’s time to calm down. Come on. I’ve got a present for

you.”

That perked Sky right up. �śI like presents.” He turned around still

within the circle of Derek’s arms. He looped his arms around the older

man’s neck. �śIs it a naked present?” His question got him a laugh and a

kiss on the nose.

�śNo, it’s not a naked present. We don’t have time for a naked

present. Come on. Your present is by the tree.” Derek gave him one

more quick peck, pulled out of the embrace, grabbed his hand and

started tugging him out of the kitchen.

Sky glanced behind him as he was pulled out of the room. His

eyes scanned the kitchen for anything out of place. He just wanted

everything to be perfect. After bouncing off the doorframe leading to

the hallway while looking back at the kitchen, Sky turned around just

in time to walk into his non-moving lover. �śOw.” He reached up with

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

his free hand and rubbed his nose, which he had banged on Derek’s

shoulder. �śWhy did you stop?”

�śMistletoe.” Derek pointed up at the doorframe that led into the

living room. Following the motion, while still rubbing his sore nose,

Sky looked up to find the little green plant happily attached.

�śWhere did that come from?”

�śI put it there.”

�śWhen?”

�śYou were busy in the kitchen. Now, give me my kiss,” Derek

instructed. Sky smiled at him and leaned in for a kiss.

Derek’s lips pressed softly against his. Sky sighed into the

sensation and melted against his lover’s strong chest. He parted his

lips and eagerly accepted the tongue that came seeking its mate. He

loved the way Derek kissed him. Just a simple touch could set him on

fire. Sky ran his hands over Derek’s closely cropped hair and cradled

his skull, tilting his head slightly so he could deepen the kiss. He

moaned as he felt one of Derek’s hands fist in his hair. Sky whimpered

when Derek pulled away from him.

�śSorry, babe, but if we keep that up, we’re going to get in

trouble.” Derek’s lips looked delightfully kiss-swollen.

�śHow can anything we do together be trouble?”

�śOur parents are coming over. No messing around when there is

the chance that they’ll walk in on us.”

�śYour family would at least knock first.”

�śYes, and your mother uses her key like she lives here. Come on,”

Derek said. He tugged on Sky’s arm and led him to the couch. After

pushing him onto the cushions, he rummaged around under the tree.

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

Sky watched with a smile on his face. Clothed or unclothed, Derek had

a great ass. Sky settled back in the ridiculously comfortable couch that

his mother had helped pick out and looked around the room.

Derek had really outdone himself with the decorations. The

room looked amazing. Garland, lights and bows were strung around

the room and the tree was a work of art. It looked like a magazine

picture of what a living room should look like at Christmas. There was

even a fire in the fireplace. Hearing a triumphant shout, Sky turned his

attention back to his lover. Derek had found whatever it was that he

was looking for under the tree and was moving back to the couch. Sky

smiled as Derek settled next to him.

�śHave I told you how amazing this room looks?” He reached out

and ran a finger down Derek’s nose. Sky let his finger pause across

Derek’s lips and got a soft kiss. He pulled his finger away with a smile.

�śNo, but I’m glad that you like it. I wanted our first Christmas in

our new home to be special.”

Sky reached out and linked his fingers with Derek’s again. �śWell,

you’ve done it.” He lifted their linked hands and pressed a kiss to the

back of Derek’s hand. �śThis is turning into a wonderful Christmas.”

�śHere, open this,” Derek said. He handed Sky a small box

wrapped in shiny green paper with a red bow.

Sky smiled at Derek as he took the small package. He and Derek

had exchanged gifts the night before, and while he had one other small

thing for Derek to exchange with the family there, he hadn’t expected

anything else from his lover. He pulled off the bow and tore off the

paper. When the black jeweler’s box was sitting naked in his hand, his

heart started to pound. Sky looked up into the chocolate eyes he had

loved for years. Derek smiled softly and nodded at the gift. With

shaking hands, Sky opened the small box.

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

Sitting inside on a black velvet backing was a ring. The small

piece of jewelry was made of white and yellow gold set in platinum.

The two colors of gold were designed as vines and wove around each

other. The platinum made a border for the vines. �śDerek?”

�śSky, you mean the world to me. Until I met you, I didn’t believe

that there was someone in the world who I was meant to be with.

Marry me. Marry me and let me spend the rest of our lives showing

you just how much you mean to me.”

Tears of joy clogging his throat, Sky was unable to do anything

but nod and throw himself into Derek’s arms, which clamped around

him and held him close. Getting himself under a semblance of control,

Sky pulled back and wiped his eyes. �śYes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

�śI love you.”

�śAnd I love you, too. So much.” Sky, still gripping the box in one

hand, pressed a kiss to Derek’s lips. He pulled away from the kiss and

wiped his eyes on Derek’s shoulder. Sky couldn’t remember the last

time he had been so happy.

�śHere, let me put it on you.” Derek pulled the box from his hand

and lifted the ring from the velvet inside. Sky held out his shaking left

hand and watched as Derek slid the ring onto his ring finger. If fit

perfectly. Derek leaned down and kissed the ring. �śIt looks good

there.”

�śIt’s perfect. You’re perfect. God, Derek, I love you so much.” Sky

threw himself back into his lover’s arms, putting every bit of love he

had into a voracious kiss. By the time they pulled back for air, Sky was

aching for some alone time. �śYou’re making this the best Christmas

ever.”

�śNow all we have to do is survive dinner with our families.”

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

�śI can survive anything with you at my side,” Sky replied. He

smiled and leaned in for one last kiss.

Best Christmas ever.



* * *

DEREK finished straightening his clothes and looked in the full-length

mirror on the bedroom closet door. He wanted to make sure that

everything was in place.

Black dress pants, clean, ironed and looking good?

Check.

Collar of white dress shirt not sticking up?

Check.

Hideous Christmas sweater that his mother had given him?

Check.

Derek sighed as he studied the dancing reindeer on his chest. He

really didn’t want to wear the sweater. In fact, he thought he looked

like an idiot, but his mother had given it to him. She bought one for

everyone in the family every year. They were getting worse. Most of

the time he wished it was a tie. A tie wouldn’t have been as bad.

�śSo, what’s the verdict?” Sky asked from the attached bathroom

where he was getting ready.

�śI look like a circus freak.”

�śBut a festive one.”

Derek turned to find his lover standing behind him. Sky was

wearing a pair of khakis and his new holiday sweater. His was blue

with snowflakes and nowhere near as horrendous as Derek’s. �śYour

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

sweater is nicer than mine.”

�śMaybe your mother likes me better than she likes you?”

�śI’ve always suspected that you were her favorite,” Derek

replied. He stepped over to Sky and lifted his left hand, pressing a kiss

to the ring. Seeing it on the pale hand gave him a thrill of joy. Sky was

going to marry him.

�śIf you keep doing that I’m going to turn into a puddle of goo and

you’ll have to finish making dinner.”

�śWell, I wouldn’t want that, but I do need a kiss.”

�śI think that can be arranged.” Sky smiled and moved into his

arms.

Refusing to release his hold on Sky’s hand, Derek threaded his

free hand into Sky’s hair and tilted his head to the desired angle. He

pressed his lips to Sky’s, starting off slowly. When Sky melted against

him, he deepened the kiss, pulling Sky closer. Sky’s arms wrapped

around him as his lover moaned into the kiss. Using the sexy moan to

his advantage, Derek thrust his tongue into Sky’s mouth.

Their tongues dueled lazily. Derek let his hand slip from Sky’s

hair to trail down his back. He took a handful of khaki-clad ass and

squeezed. Sky pulled away with a gasp. His brown eyes were wide

with desire and there was a faint flush to his cheeks. Derek thought he

was the most amazing sight he had ever seen. �śYou’re beautiful.”

Sky blushed and buried his head in Derek’s neck. �śIf you keep

saying things like that I’m not going to want to see our families.”

The sound of the bell ringing drifted up the stairs.

�śLooks like you’ve been saved by the bell.” Derek pushed Sky out

of his arms and kissed the tip of his nose. �śI’ll go and answer while you

try to get back under control.”

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

�śI wouldn’t have to get back under control if you’d stop

molesting me before we have company.”

�śWhat? Molest you more? Is that what you said?”

Sky laughed and swatted his arm. �śGo and answer the door. It’s

probably your mother.”

�śWell, that just killed the mood.” Derek grinned at the still

flushed Sky and headed out of the room. He bounded down the stairs

to the door, feeling like a little kid. It was Christmas. The house

smelled incredible. And his lover had agreed to marry him. Life

couldn’t get any better. He opened the door to find his parents

standing on the front stoop. �śMerry Christmas!” His eyes narrowed in

on the foil-wrapped pan in his mother’s hands. �śMom, did you bring

food?”

�śIt’s just a sweet potato dish. I just wanted to make sure that you

had enough food.” Betty Hudson was a petite white woman with

cosmetically blonde hair and bright green eyes. Even with her

artificial winter tan, she still looked pale against the dark skin of her

husband. The fact that his parents had an interracial relationship had

made introducing them to Sky that much easier. He hadn’t had to

worry about their reaction to Sky being white. Of course, Sky being

male took them some time to get used to.

�śThat’s not going to be a problem. Sky cooked enough to feed an

army.”

�śWell, good job. I’ll just go and put this in the kitchen with the

rest of the army food.” With that said, Betty breezed past him.

�śBabe! Mom’s in your kitchen!” Derek called. The sounds of

thundering footsteps preceded Sky down the stairs. He waved at

Derek and his father before rushing into the kitchen.

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

�śSon, that was mean. And on Christmas.” Tom Hudson had

removed his coat and was in the process of hanging it up in the closet.

There was laughter in his voice.

�śThat wasn’t mean. This sweater is mean.”

�śYou do have a point,” Tom commented. He turned and Derek got

his first good look at his father’s sweater. He had thought that his

dancing reindeer were bad. His father’s sweater had snowmen

decorating Christmas trees.

�śWhere does she get these things?”

�śIf I knew, I would stop her.” Tom looked down at his sweater

with a grimace. �śI’m starting to think that she has someone make

them.”

�śSky’s is blue with snowflakes. It actually looks nice.”

�śHow did he get so lucky?”

�śNo idea. Are we the worst?”

�śI don’t think so.”

Derek led his father to the living room. He settled on the couch

while his dad chose one of the chairs. �śWho’s worse?”

�śI think Ava might be.”

�śWhy?”

�śSon, she’s eight months pregnant, and your mother found her a

Christmas sweater.”

Derek took a moment to picture that image in his head. He

shuddered. �śGood point.”

�śOh, sweetie, you look so handsome in your sweater!” Betty

exclaimed. Not only was she minus a pan, she had shed her coat. Her

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

Christmas sweater was covered in holly and poinsettias. She pressed a

kiss to Derek’s cheek then sat on the end of the couch nearest her

husband. �śAnd you should see the amount of food Sky’s made. It looks

wonderful.”

�śYeah, he’s been cooking all day.” Derek looked up and Sky

walked in and settled next to him. �śHe’s amazing.”

�śI’m not that amazing,” Sky responded. He tucked himself against

Derek’s side, resting his head on his shoulder. Derek wrapped an arm

around his waist and pulled him closer, pressing a kiss to the tousled

brown hair.

A knock sounded at the door, ending the small moment of peace

they were experiencing. Derek’s sister Sabrina (red sweater with

gingerbread men) and her husband Carson (blue sweater with

sledding polar bears) arrived with bags full of presents. They had only

been married for eight months and were excited about spending their

first Christmas as a married couple. They also liked to spoil family

members, which explained the presents. Although the seven thin

boxes that Carson shoved under the tree looked like Christmas

sweaters for Sky’s family.

When his brother Vince arrived with his pregnant wife Ava,

Derek felt his eyes widen. His brother’s sweater seemed to have a

Twelve Days of Christmas theme to it. Ava’s pregnant belly was

covered with an entire penguin Christmas scene, complete with tree,

presents, a penguin Santa and Christmas dinner. Derek could hardly

believe that she was wearing it.

�śAva, you look�"”

�śSay it and I will smack you.”

�śPregnant.”

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�śGood save.”

Derek chuckled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. �śGo find some

place to sit. I’m sure that Mom is dying to see you.”

�śShe just wants to fuss over her first grandbaby.”

�śShe’s like that.” Derek was about to close the door when a

slender hand wrapped around the frame. He pulled the door back

open to reveal Sky’s mother.

Bliss Waters was tiny, standing just five feet three inches. Both of

her children were taller than she was, and, having a good two inches

on Sky’s five foot eight, Derek felt like a giant standing next to her.

Bliss smiled and used one hand to pull his head down to kiss his

cheek. �śMerry Christmas, darling.”

�śMerry Christmas. I’m not sure that Sky’s going to be too happy

with you bringing that.” Derek pointed at the covered dish in her

hands. �śHe worked really hard on dinner.”

�śYou don’t need to worry. I have permission.”

�śPermission?”

�śIt’s tofurkey. For Katie.”

�śDo I even want to know what that is?”

�śI don’t think so, dear.”

�śBliss, are you going to introduce me or are you going to make

me stand out here in the cold all night?” a female voice asked. Derek

watched in amusement as Bliss blushed.

�śSorry. Candice, I want you to meet Derek, my son’s partner.”

Bliss stepped to one side to allow the other woman to enter the room.

She was taller than Bliss with dark hair and a grounded appearance.

She looked like a good fit for the sometimes flighty Bliss.

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

�śHi Candice, nice to meet you.” Derek reached out a hand and his

was taken in a firm grip. He immediately liked her.

�śSame here. I’ve heard good things about you.”

�śReally? What sort of things?”

�śSorry, they were told in confidence.”

�śHi Mom,” Sky said. Derek turned to see his lover standing

behind him.

�śHi, baby.” Bliss pushed past Derek and wrapped her free arm

around Sky’s waist. Sky placed a kiss to the top of her head then

turned and led her to the kitchen.

�śWell, it looks like we’ve been abandoned,” Candice remarked.

�śCome on, I’ll introduce you to everyone else.” He took her coat

and hung it in the closet, assuming that Sky would eventually deal

with his mother’s.

�śLead on.” Candice gave him a bright smile. Derek led her into

the other room where his family was sitting. By the time he finished

the introductions, Sky’s sister Kestrel had arrived with her husband

Kendrin and their three children; nine year old twins Katie and Kevin,

and six year old Kristy. Bliss had also made her way into the room.

Kristy had dashed straight to Ava and was talking excitedly to

her about her sweater. There was a stuffed penguin dangling from her

small hand. Pulling herself onto the couch next to Ava, Kristy tilted her

head. �śAre you having a baby?”

�śYes, I am.”

�śDo you know if it’s going to be a boy or a girl?”

�śNo, I want to be surprised.”

Kristy nodded her head. �śI think that’s a good idea, but I hope it’s

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

a girl.”

�śWhy?”

�śBoys are annoying and they smell,” she stated in a matter-of-

fact tone. Everyone in the room froze for a moment and then burst

into amused laughter. Derek turned his head as arms wrapped around

his waist. Sky was standing next to him.

�śHey, babe, how are things in the kitchen?”

�śGood. We have time to open presents first.”

�śNice. It looks like Mom got sweaters for your entire side of the

family.”

�śYou don’t think she’ll get matching sweaters for everyone for

the wedding, do you?”

�śI think we should be safe as long as we don’t get married near a

major holiday.” Derek twined his arm around his waist and pulled Sky

into a kiss. When he drew away from the tempting lips, Sky’s eyes

looked glazed. �śYou’re under the mistletoe again.”

�śYou’re standing here on purpose, aren’t you?”

�śThat is a distinct possibility, pretty boy.” Derek swooped in for

one more quick kiss. �śCome on, time for gifts.” Moving his arm away

from Sky’s waist, Derek grasped his hand and pulled him further into

the room. The kids made room for them on the couch. �śSo, who’s

ready for presents?”

Derek laughed as a loud cheer echoed around the room.

The kids weren’t the only ones cheering.

The seven boxes turned out to contain Christmas sweaters, just

like Derek had suspected. Bliss got a pretty white sweater that had a

Christmas tree on it. Candice’s sweater was dark blue and covered in

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

stars. Kestrel and Kendrin ended up in matching gingerbread

sweaters. Kestrel’s had a pink background while Kendrin’s was mint

green. It would have seemed odd that the sweaters were the same,

except Derek knew for a fact that Kendrin and Kestrel occasionally

wore matching clothes.

Watching the kids open the sweaters was interesting. Kevin tore

the paper off without any regard for what was on it, other than the tag

saying it was his. His sweater had nutcrackers on it and he pulled it on

with an excited yelp.

Katie loosened all of the tape on the corners of her gift before she

pulled the box out from the inside. Her pink sweater had sugarplum

fairies and candy on it. She looked over every inch of the sweater

before she pulled it on. Once she had it on, she tugged on the collar of

the other shirt she was wearing until it was settled over the neck of

the sweater.

Kristy opened her gift slowly, without ripping it. Once the paper

was removed, she folded it and placed it to one side. When she opened

the box, she let out an excited squeal. Her sweater was a smaller

version of Ava’s. Kristy jumped to her feet and ran straight to Betty,

giving her a hug and asking for her assistance in putting the sweater

on over the clothes she was wearing.

Watching the two families interact, Derek felt a warm flood of

affection. Their families were easily meshing together into one large

family. Turning his head to one side, Derek pressed a kiss to the top of

Sky’s head. He felt an answering kiss against his neck. In his opinion,

Christmas couldn’t get any better.



* * *

SKY was starting to put the food in serving dishes when he felt a

19

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

presence at his elbow. He looked to his left and saw his mother

standing there. �śHey Mom.”

�śHello, my dear, do you need any help?”

�śYou can help me put this stuff in the serving dishes. They’re on

the table.” Sky smiled at his mother as she grabbed one of his many

dishes of food and took it to the table. He turned his attention back to

the turkey. �śShould I carve it here or should I carry this incredibly

heavy cooked, dead bird to the table?”

�śCarve it in here. Is the bowl with the daisies on it the one for the

vegetarian stuffing?”

�śYes. That stuffing is in the pot on the stove.” Sky moved away

from the turkey and grabbed a spoon and a serving dish. He then

started to remove the stuffing from the turkey.

�śYou’ve done an amazing job, Skylark. The food looks

wonderful.”

�śThanks, Mom.” Sky felt a swell of pride. His mother was the one

who had taught him to cook. Having her compliment his food was a

great feeling.

�śHave you heard from your brother?”

The question startled Sky so much he nearly got the spoon stuck

inside the turkey. �śMom, you know that I haven’t heard from Falcon

since he left home.”

�śI just hoped, what with it being Christmas and all�"”

�śWhat? That he’d get over twenty years of anger and call? And of

all people, why would he call me? He blamed me for dad leaving.”

�śHow can you think that? Nothing that happened with your

father was your fault.”

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Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

�śHe didn’t believe me!” Sky snapped. He could feel twenty years

worth of repressed emotions bubbling up inside of him. This was not a

conversation he wanted to have with his mother before Christmas

dinner.

�śWhat?” Bliss’s voice had gone very soft. She was still putting

food in serving dishes, but Sky could see that her hands were shaking.

�śI don’t want to talk about this now.”

�śSkylark�"”

�śHey, it smells great in here,” Derek announced. He stepped into

the kitchen with a big smile on his face. �śWhat can I do to help?”

�śYou can help me carve the turkey while Mom takes those dishes

to the table,” Sky instructed. Bliss gave him a look, but she picked up

the dishes and left the kitchen. Sky slumped when strong arms

wrapped around his waist.

�śWhat was that about?”

�śShe asked if I’d heard from Falcon.”

�śWhy would your brother call now when none of you have heard

from him in years?”

�śBecause it’s Christmas and my mother seems to think that

means that family should call.” Sky smiled slightly as Derek kissed his

cheek.

�śThat’s right, it is Christmas. It’s Christmas and our hungry, yet

loving, families are in the other room waiting for us. And you agreed

to marry me.”

�śI did, didn’t I?” Feeling his good humor rapidly returning, Sky

turned in his lover’s arms and looped his arms behind Derek’s neck.

�śBest decision I’ve ever made.” He smiled at him. �śI love you.”

21

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

�śI love you too,” Derek replied. He pulled him closer and Sky

willingly surrendered to the embrace. He tilted his head and was

rewarded with a loving kiss. When they pulled away, Derek ran a

finger down his nose. �śSo, you said you needed help with the turkey?”

�śI could use your superior carving skills.”

�śWell, let me at the turkey.”

�śGood, you do that, and I’ll get Kristy’s bowls ready.”

�śBowls?”

�śShe doesn’t like her food to touch. We found that little bowls

were easier than plates.”

�śI thought that she only eats food that is yellow?”

�śShe does, but it still can’t touch.”

�śYour sister’s kids are weird.”

�śYes. My sister is raising a bunch of little freaks.” Sky flinched as

he was suddenly whapped on the back of the head. �śOuch.”

�śDon’t talk about my grandchildren like that. They’re little

darlings.” Bliss gave him a dirty look and grabbed the other serving

dishes that Sky had filled.

�śFreaky little darlings,” Sky muttered. He grabbed the stack of

little bowls with one hand, the food coloring with the other and

started getting Kristy’s dinner ready. He had no idea how Kestrel put

up with her daughter’s weird food habits. By the time he finished with

the bowls, Derek had the turkey carved and a selection of white and

dark meat was arranged artfully on a platter. Sky was fairly certain

that his mother was responsible for the placement of the turkey.

Gathering up the remainder of the food, Sky followed Bliss and

Derek into the dining room. The entire group was seated around the

22

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

table. Sky had to smother a laugh. When they had first moved in, he

had questioned why they needed such a large table in their dining

room. He finally had his answer. The table looked perfect surrounded

by family.

Sky took his place at one end of the table, while Derek sat in the

other and his mother sat in the empty seat next to Candice. After a

quick round of thanks, they dug into the food. Katie was thrilled with

her tofurkey and her special stuffing. Kristy, who had decided that Ava

was her new best friend, was chatting excitedly while studying her

bowls for non-yellow touching food. Thankfully, she didn’t find any.

Ava had a rather impressive portion of food on her plate. It surpassed

even the amount her husband had taken.

�śSo, Sky, would you like to tell us about that ring I noticed on

your hand?” Betty asked. Sky nearly choked on the piece of turkey in

his mouth. He looked up to find the entire table, including the

normally easily distracted kids, staring at him.

Sky swallowed his turkey. �śI’m sorry?”

�śShe was asking about the ring on your finger, little brother. And

I have to say, I’m kind of interested as well.” Elbows on the table,

Kestrel rested her chin on her crossed hands and grinned down the

table at her brother.

�śElbows off the table, Mom,” Kevin said. He had given up taunting

his sister with turkey and was watching the interaction of the adults.

Kestrel blushed and removed her elbows from the table.

Sky glanced at Derek. His lover gave him a slight nod. Taking a

deep breath, Sky addressed the assemble guests. �śDerek and I are

getting married.”

There was a moment of silence before the table erupted with

sound. Everyone was attempting to congratulate the happy couple at

23

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

once. Amidst all the chatter, Sky glanced at his lover. When he saw the

smile on Derek’s face, he knew that everything would work out fine.

In fact, everything would be wonderful.



* * *

DEREK pulled the last dish out of the sink and listened.

Silence. The house was silent. Their families had finally gone

home.

Since Sky had cooked the meal, Derek had volunteered to clean

the dishes. He had been helped briefly by Bliss and his mother, but he

had left the rest of the dishes until after they left. The after dinner

events had mainly consisted of repeated congratulations and several

board games with the children. By the time every family member had

said what they wanted about the impending marriage, Sky had been

so happy he had been glowing. It was a look that Derek quite liked on

the other man.

Tossing the dish cloth onto the counter, Derek left the kitchen in

search of his future husband. He found him sitting on the couch in

front of the lit fireplace, wrapped in a blanket and looking out the

window. Following his lover’s line of sight, Derek spotted snow falling

outside. He took a moment to just study his lover. Sky had turned off

all of the lights, so he was illuminated by the light from the fire, the

window, and the still lit Christmas tree. To Derek’s eyes, he looked like

something out of a storybook.

�śHey, pretty boy.”

Sky turned to him and a smile crossed his face. �śDerek. Come and

join me?”

�śAlways.” Derek crossed the room and settled under the blanket

24

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

that Sky was holding up for him. He pulled Sky into his arms and

wrapped the blanket back around them. �śSo, how do you think

Christmas went?”

�śI think it was a hit. Your mother already thinks we should have

it here again next year.”

�śReally? When did she say that?”

�śWhile you were trying to talk Ava out of beating your brother

with her Christmas present. Although, he really deserved the beating

for the remark he made about how much food she ate.”

�śMy brother is not a smart man.” Derek kissed his lover’s neck. �śI

got the smarts in the family.”

�śWhat makes you think that?”

�śI got the most amazing man in the world to agree to marry me.”

�śThat is a very good point.” Sky turned so his head was tucked

under Derek’s chin. Derek pulled him close and pressed a kiss to his

silky hair. Sky responded by kissing his throat. �śThis was by far the

best Christmas I’ve ever had.”

�śIt was a good one for me, too.”

�śYou know we’ve only got until maybe New Year’s Eve before our

mothers start asking us about wedding plans.”

Derek sighed and pulled Sky closer. �śI know. How long do you

think they’ll wait before they start telling us that we should have

kids?”

�śAt least until after the wedding.”

�śHow long do you think we can put that off?”

�śWell, I was kind of thinking we’d have a spring wedding.”

25

Christmas Perfection * Bethany Brown

�śReally? And when did you decide this?”

�śAbout two months before you asked me.”

Derek laughed. �śYou always manage to surprise me. What would

you have done if I hadn’t asked?”

�śI'd probably have just kept hoping that someday you would.”

�śYou wouldn’t ask me to marry you?”

�śYou’re the brave one in this relationship, Derek, always have

been. But I would like to think that for something this important I

would have found the strength.”

�śYou are strong,” Derek replied. His mind traveled to what Sky

had told him about his father. �śSometimes your strength amazes me.”

Sky yawned and snuggled closer. �śMerry Christmas, Derek.”

�śDo you want to go up to bed, babe?”

�śNo, I just want to sit here for a while. Is that okay with you?”

�śAny chance to hold you in my arms is okay with me.” Derek

pressed another kiss to Sky’s hair and smiled as he felt his lover drift

to sleep in his arms. Outside, the snow kept falling, covering

everything in a perfect blanket of white.

Staring out the window, Derek felt contentment fill him. The man

he was going to spend the rest of his life with was asleep in his arms.

Life was perfect.

26



Got Mistletoe Madness?

The Dreamspinner Press 2009 Advent Calendar is available at

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com.

Between hiding from the snow in the winter and the grass in the

summer, BETHANY BROWN ends up spending a rather absurd amount

of time with her trusty laptop Desmond. Yes, she has named her

laptop. She’s also named her car Blue, but that’s neither here nor

there. While she hopes to one day be able to support herself by

writing full time, she keeps herself fed with various customer service

jobs, the most recent of which is at a tuxedo rental shop. Thankfully,

spending the day fitting men with tuxedos helps to fuel the writing

side of her brain. Other writing help includes chocolate, ice cream, and

movies with cute boys. On bad days, she can usually be found sitting

on her couch with a stuffed penguin watching the Donald Strachey

movies. She is thrilled to have found a home with Dreamspinner and

plans to stick around until she runs out of ideas. Or the Earth’s sun

implodes. Whichever comes first.

Visit her blog at http://bethanybrown.livejournal.com/.



Christmas Perfection ©Copyright Bethany Brown, 2009

Published by

Dreamspinner Press

4760 Preston Road

Suite 244-149

Frisco, TX 75034

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of

the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons,

living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover Art by Paul Richmond http://www.paulrichmondstudio.com

Cover Design by Mara McKennen

This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any

means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal

prosecution and upon conviction, fines and/or imprisonment. This eBook cannot be legally

loaned or given to others. No part of this eBook can be shared or reproduced without the

express permission of the publisher. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact

Dreamspinner Press at: 4760 Preston Road, Suite 244-149, Frisco, TX 75034

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

Released in the United States of America

December 2009

eBook Edition

eBook ISBN: 978-1-61581-316-2





Document Outline


Cover

Copyright

Christmas Perfection

Got Mistletoe Madness?

About the Author

Dreamspinner Press