Teresa looked up at her men with appreciation in her eyes as one of them took the big black trash bag she offered and began picking up all the wrapping paper from the floor.
“Your Christmas mornings must be happy memories for you. This has been wonderful.”
Teresa nodded. “The Christmases I share with my men have eclipsed any holidays I had prior to them coming into my life. I’ve always loved Christmas but I was an only child with a humble upbringing, so Christmases were always low-key affairs. Fairly quiet. We went to Angel and Joaquin’s family Christmas last year in the valley.”
“Was that fun?”
“It was. I got to know Angel and Joaquin’s brothers, Luka and Matthias, a little better, when they were around. They have very active…social lives.”
“Is that your nice way of saying that they’re like two tomcats?”
Teresa broke into laughter. “Their phones never stopped ringing, and they have all the single women and girls in the area warring with each other, all laying claim to them. And Luka and Matthias just smile, schmooze, and charm them all. And you’re warned, if by chance you ever meet them. They’ll take one look at you and attempt to get in your pants.”
“Teresa!” Gwen gasped and covered her giggle.
Teresa grinned and said, “It’s true. I warn all my friends they’re like rutting stags year round.”
Angel squatted down in front of Teresa and she leaned forward to kiss him. “I was just warning Gwen about your wild brothers.”
Angel smirked and turned to Gwen. “I’m sorry to say, it’s true, whatever she told you, Gwen. They’re both Don Juans.”
“I’ve been warned,” Gwen replied as she noticed Julián rise from his spot on the floor as Michael mastered his remote control helicopter with a big grin on his face.
Angel looked into Teresa’s eyes, and as though she understood his unasked question, she murmured, “I feel just fine. I’ll lie down after lunch.” Angel nodded and kissed her again and then carried the bag of trash out of the room.
“I’ll go help set the table,” Gwen offered as she rose from the couch.
Teresa replied, “As much as I don’t like to put guests to work, I’m going to let you, my friend. Angel can show you where everything is.”
Gwen smiled as she watched Joaquin lift Teresa’s feet and place them on the ottoman he’d scooted over in front of the couch. Michael came to her and showed her his new toy. Joaquin glanced up at Chris as he came near, carrying Eleazar across his hip and asked, “Did you bump heads with one of the boys? You’ve got a red mark on your forehead.”
Chris snorted and glanced at Gwen as heat crept up into her cheeks and she said, “I’m the one to blame, Joaquin.”
Joaquin looked at Gwen with surprise on his face and Chris shook his head. “Actually the fault is all mine. Julián warned me to not sneak up on Gwen.”
“Oh, man, you didn’t,” Joaquin said, with a laugh. “Gwen knows—”
Chris nodded. “How to defend herself. Julián warned me but I forgot. Old habits die hard.”
Gwen covered her cheeks with her hands as the men, Teresa, and the boys listened avidly. “He snuck up behind me and tickled my waist, which is really ticklish, and I—” She hesitated because she still couldn’t believe she’d done it.
“Unleashed the beast on my ass—um, my worthless carcass.”
Eleazar’s eyes became as round as saucers and he crowed, “Chris said ass!”
Looking embarrassed, Chris grimaced and said, “Sorry, Teresa. I didn’t mean to say that. Old habits…I’m shutting up now.”
Teresa waved a hand dismissively at Chris and said, “That’s okay. They hear worse from some of the ranch hands. I want to know what happened.”
Gwen relived the awful moment as Julián supplied the rest of the story. “He snuck up behind her and blew a raspberry on her neck as he tickled her waist. I swear she turned into the Tasmanian Devil. She stomped his instep, rammed her elbow into his solar plexus, jabbed him in the face, missing his nose by a hair. She just barely stopped herself before she hammered his nuts.”
“Nuts! Julián said nuts!” Michael squealed as both boys collapsed in a fit of giggles.
Chris put his hands on his hips and tried to look perturbed. “Your hossie couldn’t have given you a ride this morning if I’d been at the emergency room getting my nose set or other…stuff…fixed.”
Michael continued laughing, giving him no sympathy or mercy. Eleazar finally contained himself and patted Chris’s knee. “It’s okay, hossie. You’ll be all right. I bump my noggin all the time.”