Christmas With the Cunninghams: A Mavericks Novella Read online

  Christmas with the Cunninghams

  A Mavericks Novella

  Julianna Marley

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Coming Soon…

  Also by Julianna Marley

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2016 by Julianna Marley

  All Rights Reserved.

  This book, Christmas with the Cunninghams: A Mavericks Novella, is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, incidents and/or events are a product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or not living, is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise; except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976.

  Cover Design: Shannoff Formats

  For my own large and delightfully rambunctious family.

  Thank you for making every holiday more memorable than the last.

  “It’s not what’s under the tree that matters,

  it’s who’s gathered around it.”

  1

  “Are you sure you’re ready for this again?”

  Looking up at her fiancé, Whitney Scott smiled. Although she was still getting used to that term.

  Fiancé.

  It had been approximately nineteen hours since Shay Cunningham had made all her dreams come true with just a handful of words.

  “Will you let me cuss around you for the rest of my life, Sunshine?”

  Her arms still breaking out into chills at just the thought of last night, and also maybe a little from the resiliently crisp West Virginia air, she slid her fingers through his as he held her baby girl, Quinn covered head to toe in winter gear. “Absolutely.”

  She’d had the pleasure of falling in love with Shay’s family over Thanksgiving when he had insisted her and Quinn come home with him because they hadn’t had any place to spend the holiday. And well, everything that had happened thereafter had been nothing short of a fairytale. But just like every other love story, it hadn’t been without its own challenges, yet she couldn’t think of any other place she would rather spend her favorite holiday than with Shay, her baby girl and his incredible family. Opening the large, green door to the overwhelmingly large home that Shay had built for his parents so that they could be surrounded by all eighteen of his family members still took her breath away. The home was absolutely magnificent, just like the gesture itself.

  Charming holiday décor both old and new littered the foyer while red candles smelling of apples and pine wreaths filled her nose. White lights joined with green garland and red holly berries decorated the spiral banister of the staircase and she smiled. She sort of felt as if she was having déjà vu walking through the same door that she’d had only a few weeks ago.

  But, oh, how so much had changed.

  Screams and thumps and bangs that she hadn’t realized she missed so much bounced off the ceiling as the voices of people talking loudly over one another welcomed them. Walking down the long hallway, the voices grew louder as a few children rushed past them with swords, nearly knocking them off their feet. Well, perhaps, not that much had changed.

  Turning into the kitchen that flowed easily into the living room, the size of the massive windows running from floor to ceiling took her off guard once again. The giant spruce trees that ran for miles behind the home that had been painted in orange and red only a few weeks ago at Thanksgiving were now covered with snow. The soft white glow lighting up the sky despite it being close to dinner time, she admired the snow continuing to fall gently for miles and miles. The Christmas magic was in the air. It was silent, but she felt it. Knew it. Believed in it.

  “How long do you think it will take before they notice we’re here?” Shay whispered against her ear.

  Not long.

  If Quinn wouldn’t announce their arrival with a squeal of excitement or a cry for food than she imagined that his mama, Fiona, would stop long enough to notice. Being that she had called them every thirty minutes while on the road from Charleston. Wrapping his arm around her waist tighter, she watched Shay’s mama wedge large serving spoons into casseroles that covered the entire kitchen table and even an additional table for extra room. Holly, Shay’s sister-in-law stumbled with the cutlery in the dining room and she smiled at the memory of teaching her how to set the perfect table setting at Thanksgiving. Picking baby Maeve up in one scoop, Shay’s older brother Finn curled her up to his nose smelling her diaper before making a face. Erin, Shay’s other sister-in-law looked even bigger than she remembered. Her long dark hair pushed on top of her head in a messy bun, her big belly peeked out beneath her sweater as she filled the ice bucket with cubes. Yelling at more kids over her shoulder with less authority than she remembered, Erin looked wrung out. Cian, Shay’s oldest brother stomped through the kitchen with two kids on each leg and one on his back, screaming that he was a snow monster. Siobhan, Shay’s future sister-in-law sat on a kitchen chair picking at the food, before scrunching her nose while Shay’s brother Rory placed extra chairs in the dining room around the table.

  This was her new family.

  Smiling up at Shay, he was taking in the same scene and her heart burst a little. He was the most exceptional man she had ever met and she was still having a hard time believing that he was hers. Theirs. Her and Quinn’s.

  Smirking, she felt him stand straighter before yelling. “We’re engaged!”

  2

  Her heart dropping into her stomach, Whitney blinked up at Shay, a huge smile spreading across his face. The room completely stopped as each and every person looked at the three of them just standing there. And she made a note that this was undoubtedly the longest she had ever seen this family go without making a sound. Her eyes widening, she looked back at them as light Christmas music drifted across the silent room. Why in the world would he just announce it like that? A large metal spoon dropping from Fiona’s hand the noise echoed inside the kitchen before she let out a huge scream, a shriek much larger than the woman herself before everyone else joined her. Rushing towards them, arms and hands and kisses from every direction surrounded them and she couldn’t help but laugh.

  Her family.

  Leaning back, Fiona’s tiny hands cupped her face, her eyes damp. Eyes that she shared with Shay. “Our Whitney.”

  Moving to Shay, she brought him down close to her before smoothing his face and kissing his cheek, lingering as tears streamed down her small face.

  Squeezing her tightly, Erin’s big belly bumped against her as heavy tears formed inside her eyes, which she assumed were the hormones. “I’m so happy,” she whispered, wiping her eyes quickly. Grabbing Shay, Erin squeezed him just as hard.

  Jumping up and down, Holly squealed and she couldn’t help but laugh. Gosh, she loved this family. Grabbing her hand, Holly looked at her ring as Cian cut in giving her another hug nearly lifting her feet off the floor. “Thank God.”

  “About time,” Finn smiled brightly giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Welcome to the family, Whitney.”

  Each man slapping hands with Shay, they all smacked his back hard and she could see the pride on Shay’s face. And seeing that, was worth everything to her.

  “Oh my gosh!” Siobhan sang, bouncing up and down before giving her a hug as Whitney fought back her own tear
s. She had been helping Siobhan plan her wedding to Rory for weeks now, trying her best to deliver a traditional wedding to counteract Siobhan’s peculiar taste while orchestrating some modern day miracles. But that’s what wedding coordinators did. They made magic happen. And working for the best wedding and special events company in all of South Carolina, it’s what she did every day. And for Shay’s family, she did it proudly.

  Moving slowly towards her, his limp restricting him a bit, she watched Rory. Gosh, he and Shay looked so much alike. Leaning in, he gave her a strong hug. One filled with a lot of strength. Pulling back a fraction, Rory whispered against her ear. “You take good care of him, Country. Alright?”

  Biting her lip, she shook her head and her heart just about burst right there in the middle of Fiona’s kitchen. Just a few weeks ago things between Shay and Rory had been volatile. Years of repressed guilt and anger collided, resulting in a fist fight and screaming match.

  And it was something she never wanted to see again.

  Ever.

  After urging, or perhaps, nagging, Shay to talk to his brother candidly and truthfully, things between them seemed to be on the mend. So much so that she watched a strong handshake and a genuine smile bounce between them before Rory grabbed the back of Shay’s neck, an unspoken exchange between them. One that could only come from brothers.

  “Let’s celebrate,” Uncle Tommy yelled behind her before lifting her off her feet and giving her a big kiss on the cheek, his black leather jacket smelling of cigarette smoke. The man that once scared the stuffin’ out of her, she was coming to adore as she squeezed him back tighter. He was a terrific uncle. And she had learned that he had been there to help Shay’s parents take care of all four boys while growing up. He didn’t look like the rest of the clan, well, except for a small resemblance to Shay’s father, Patrick. He looked more like a founding member of a motorcycle gang. The long, deep, aged scar across his cheek was intimidating and she’d bet there was a story there somewhere. He was such a good man. Everyone deserved an Uncle Tommy. Taking Quinn from Shay’s arms, Fiona yelled for everyone to eat some food before Shay’s arms wrapped around Whitney’s waist. Resting against him she watched Quinn smile brightly as the usual chaos of the Cunninghams ensued in the kitchen.

  And suddenly, she knew exactly what peace on earth really felt like.

  3

  “Cheers baby boy.”

  Grinning, Shay clinked his glass of eggnog with Finn before he did the same with the rest of his brothers. Taking a sip he bit back at the heavy taste of whiskey. True to Cunningham fashion, unless it was water, it was spiked. But damn it was good to be home again. And being home with Whitney and Quinn for Christmas made everything sweeter. Much sweeter. Getting down on one knee and proposing to that woman had been one of the scariest moments of his entire life. A very close second to almost losing her because of his bonehead fears.

  And he never got scared.

  Ever.

  Watching her now as his sister-in-laws fussed over her ring and the details of his proposal, he took another drink behind his smile. The last twenty-four hours had been interesting and that was putting it mildly. After running around town trying to find the perfect ring, which had been rough, despite his best friend Myles’s help and sitting inside his attorney’s office waiting for Whitney’s father to come through with the onset of the adoption papers for Quinn, he’d been on edge. He wanted everything to be perfect.

  For her.

  For them.

  But hearing Whitney say yes had made all the hustle worth it. However, no amount of planning had prepared him for how wicked cool it was to watch a child experience their first Christmas. Seeing Quinn this morning and opening her gifts for her, getting giggles and laughs had been incredible. And a memory he would never forget. But for as awesome as last night and this morning had been, living with two women was beginning to show. It had taken almost two hours for him to get them on the road as Whitney fussed over Quinn’s hair and outfit before doing the same to herself. That was all before her sister, Georgie had Facetimed them from Louisiana. He’d wanted to throw his hands up and tell his family that they weren’t going to make it, which he wouldn’t have minded because it would have meant that he’d have his girls all to himself, but seeing how excited Whitney was to talk to her sister, he’d laughed it off. Her sister was the only person inside Whitney’s family that she was speaking to and he would never take that away from her. Plus, it had actually been nice to meet someone from her family that wasn’t arrogant or malicious.

  “What the hell is that thing?” Shay asked, tipping his cup towards a weird little elf doll sitting on the kitchen ledge next to his great grandmother’s Christmas village.

  “That?” Cian asked, before taking a swig of his beer. “That’s elf on the shelf.”

  “A what?”

  “An elf on the shelf,” Cian repeated.

  “It’s creepy.”

  “It’s genius,” Finn interjected, taking his daughter Maeve from Holly’s arms. “It’s kept the kids in line all month so it’s alright in my book.”

  Did its eyes just move?

  Waddling past the three of them, Erin chewed angrily on a celery stick rubbing her lower back. He had met his sister-in-law at the bold age of nineteen and he didn’t think he could remember a time when she hadn’t been pregnant. But he also didn’t remember ever seeing her this beat up before. Reaching his hand out, Cian went to rub his wife’s shoulder before she smacked it away, growling at him.

  “What the hell?” Shay drew out, looking at Cian and back at Erin falling into a chair in the living room.

  “Dude,” Cian rubbed his eyes. “You don’t understand.” His oldest brother. The one who had taught him everything he knew from throwing a spiral to tying a slipknot looked worn out and afraid. Really, really afraid. “She is absolutely miserable.”

  “Yeah, well five kids will do that to you,” Finn raised a brow.

  “Yeah, but she’s practically a pro. I mean come on,” Cian shrugged. “They should just start walking out by this point, am I right?”

  “I can hear you!” Erin yelled, causing them all to jump.

  “Uncle Shay?”

  Turning around at the sound of Nicky’s voice, Shay placed his drink down as his nephew sprinted across the kitchen floor before sliding on his knees and ramming against him. The boy’s arms wrapping around his neck, Shay smiled. He loved this kid. His godson. His nephew. His spawn. “I’m so happy you’re here,” Nicky mumbled into his neck.

  He was happy too.

  “Hey! Do you want to shoot some cans off the tailgate of Pops’ truck?”

  Messing up Nicky’s bright blonde hair, Shay couldn’t resist chuckling. Nicky asked him that question every single time he came home.

  “No!” Cian and Erin both yelled at the same time from different directions of the room.

  “Maybe we’ll sneak some shots in when everyone is in a food coma later, yeah?” Shay winked, and they fist pounded on it.

  “Did you hear the good news, Nicky?” Cian asked, tipping his bottle towards Whitney and Quinn. “You have a new cousin.”

  “Really?” Nicky asked, and Shay was happy that he seemed genuinely excited. “Does this mean I can come visit you now?”

  “Yes,” Shay grabbed him in a playful chokehold. “Of course you can.” Three more of his nephews, Kieran, Kellan and Caleb sprinted through the kitchen as Shay high fived each of them chasing his oldest niece Lena out the back door before his ma yelled for them to close it behind them.

  “Is that ma baby boy?”

  Chuckling at the sound of his pops’ screaming, Shay strolled deeper inside the living room. His pops was his hero. An Irish immigrant who had worked hard his entire life down at the railroads and who was now only two weeks out from back surgery. And if his ma’s phone calls about what a pain in the ass he had been with recovery was any indication, he knew his pops still had a long road ahead.

  They all did.

  See
ing both his legs propped up on couch pillows, a bowl of peanuts resting at his side, he laughed out loud pointing to the television above the fireplace. “Have you seen this movie?”

  Looking at the screen Shay shook his head. “It’s Elf, Pops. Everyone has seen this movie.”

  “Funniest fucking shit I’ve ever seen,” Patrick laughed, before shoveling a fistful of peanuts inside his mouth.

  “Pops, watch your language.”

  Looking at him as if he had lost his damn mind, his pops’ eyes followed him as he sat down in the chair beside him. That was another thing about Whitney. Her no cussin’ policy. Every time he cursed or shot off an obscenity as she liked to call it, he owed her a dollar. She was hell bent on fixing his mouth, although he’d let that woman do anything she wanted to his mouth.

  “How ya feeling today?” Shay asked. His pops was the strongest man he knew. The hardest working and most honest, too. But like every Irish forefather, he was stubborn and too damn proud.

  “Eh, it’s bullshit, I tell ya,” his pops spat. “They want me to do this bloody psychotherapy for me’ back.”

  Physical therapy.

  “It’s a waste of damn time, ye’ see,” he waved off. “My back is fine.”

  His back wasn’t fine and he was driving them all nuts. But he got it. Being down and out and catered to didn’t run in the Cunningham blood. They were workers by nature and dedicated themselves to their craft.

  To their family.

  “PT will be good for you, Pops,” he assured. “I’ve been through it plenty of times.” Being a professional football player he had seen more than his fair share of snapped clavicles, broken bones, sprained ankles and torn muscles and the inside walls of physical therapy. “Hang in there, alright. We’ll get you back on your feet in no time.”