Mischief and Mistletoe by Lena Matthews Read Free Book Online

listen.” Much to her amusement.
    “So how did it turn out?”
    Charlotte reached into the top of her dress and pulled her cell phone out of her bra then handed it over to her friend. “They caved in under the weight of the frosting, turning their gingerbread houses in to gingerbread teepees. In the end, Candace decided to make a gingerbread Pocahontas to go with them. If you could have seen the look on the guys’ faces when she did a war chant around the teepees, you would have died laughing. It was really quite sad.”
    Tamara shook her head and smiled as she scrolled through the photos. “My Native ancestors did not die for this.”
    “They really didn’t.” Charlotte walked over to her cabinet and pulled out two wineglasses. She s et them on the counter, then filled one with red wine and the other with sparkling grape juice before bringing the glasses to the table.
    “Thank yo u.”
    “My pleasure.” Charlotte took a seat, picked up her glass and let out a small sigh. She was feeling a little tired herself. “So anyway, you really didn’t miss much. That was the only thing we did off the list. We still have lots of Eve to celebrate.”
    “Thank God. I was really beginning to think that I totally sucked. I was supposed to be a help, not a hindrance.”
    “First of all…” Charlotte covered Tamara’s hand with her own, and stared her friend directly in the eyes. She didn’t want the other woman to miss any of the words she was about to say. “You, my friend, are many things. A headache, and a pain in my tooshie on the rare occasion, but never, ever, are you a hindrance. I didn’t want you here to help. I just wanted you here.”
    A heavy burden seemed to lift from Tamara’s shoulders at Charlotte’s words and she smiled a bit. “Well , being here is obviously all you’re getting from me because I can’t manage to stay awake to save my life. I’m so freaking tired.”
    Charlotte eyed her friend’s belly, which appeared a bit lower to her than it had earlier. “You know your body does that when it’s getting closer to the time.”
    “Well, junior better slow his roll.” Tamara crossed her hands over her belly. “He’s not due to arrive for another week.”
    A due date hadn’t meant a hill of beans to Candace. Their little angel popped out when she was good and ready , and Charlotte was willing to bet Tamara’s tiny tot was going to follow suit as well. “Babies come when they want to, plus,” she lowered her voice and leaned in closer, “I hear sex helps to induce labor.”
    “What sex?” Tamara batted her eyes and smiled all innocent -like.
    Charlotte snorted. She wasn’t buying that at all. “I’m talking about all that dirty sex you had in my guest room that put your ass right to sleep and had your husband strutting around here for an hour like a rooster.”
    Tamara tried to suppress her laughter but failed. Big time. “He. Did. Not.”
    “Oh, he so did,” Charlotte teased. “From the way he was walking around here you’d think that man invented sex.”
    “I’m not so sure he didn’t. Some of the things he does… ohhh.” Tamara raised her hand in the air like she was in church and was about to testify. “I swear before the Good Lord Jesus himself, should be a sin. Besides I’m trying to get laid as much as possible before junior gets here. Because rumor has it once you have kids your sex life disappears.”
    “I wouldn’t say disappear ,” Charlotte replied a little too disgruntled. “More like it hides from you like it owes you child support. If I’m lucky, I’ll see it on the first and the fifteen.”
    “Damn.”
    “Exactly, but hold up.” Charlotte stood and went to the counter and grabbed the bottle of wine and brought it back to the table. She refilled her glass then scooted closer to her friend. “I may not be hitting it like a piñata but you are so you need to give up some details. I want all the nitty and the gritty.”
    Tamara frowned and pulled