A Lucky Christmas Read online

  Lucky, Texas 4

  A Lucky Christmas

  All Julian wanted is a family for Christmas. With his best friend and business partner, Micah, out of the country for the holidays, he finds himself in Lucky, Texas with Rowdy Ferguson, the sheriff. He understood his friends didn’t want him to be alone for the holidays and used a business venture as a way to get keep him around his friends, but what he didn’t expect was to find a woman that needed him, just as much as he needed her.

  Luna and Danny had a tough year after the third person in their relationship died in an unexpected construction accident. With a child to raise, and a missing income, they struggled financially and emotionally with the loss. As Christmas approaches, they both wanted it to be over with as soon as possible. But Julian comes into the picture and changes everything.

  When romance blossoms between them, they start to wonder if Julian is the very person they need to help them. Could he be the Christmas miracle they've been hoping for?

  Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre

  Length: 31,428 words

  A LUCKY CHRISTMAS

  Lucky, Texas 4

  Lexie Davis

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  A LUCKY CHRISTMAS

  Copyright © 2017 by Lexie Davis

  ISBN: 978-1-64010-741-0

  First Publication: November 2017

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2017 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book or print book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at

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  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Lexie's love for writing began when she wrote her first play in fourth grade. With a big imagination and love for creating worlds, she wrote several more scripts that have placed first in contests. She loves to read but didn't pick up a romance novel until high school and fell in love with the genre. Now she writes steamy stories with heartfelt characters, letting her imagination take her wherever it may go.

  For all titles by Lexie Davis, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/lexie-davis

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Landmarks

  Cover

  A LUCKY CHRISTMAS

  Lucky, Texas 4

  LEXIE DAVIS

  Copyright © 2017

  Chapter One

  Julian stepped out of the SUV wondering where the hell his business partner had sent him. As a real estate developer, he’d seen his fair share of prizes in the rough, but Lucky, Texas, was different. A woman, who walked hand in hand with two men, leaned in to kiss both quite affectionately on the side of the street. He glanced around. Nobody seemed to mind or even notice. Watching, he determined the woman was in a relationship with both. Odd. He slammed the door and didn’t even startle them. Walking around the SUV, he focused on the little building that had “Sheriff” scrolled across the window.

  He stepped inside the dank room and glanced around.

  “Can I help you?” a woman asked him.

  “Is Rowdy here?”

  “He’s in his office.” She pointed to the only door.

  Julian nodded and walked across the room. He paused at the door before rapping his knuckles against it.

  “Come in.”

  He pushed the door open and took in the small room his friend called his office. A filing cabinet sat to the right while the desk took up a large portion of the room. His friend glanced up from the computer screen, and a slow smile crept across his face.

  “Well, look what the cat drug in.”

  “All the way from Austin.”

  He took the only spare seat in the room and studied his friend. He looked happy. Relaxed even, and that was unusual for the burly man. Rowdy always had a scowl on his face, ready to pounce anyone that looked at him the wrong way.

  “So, how have you been?” Rowdy asked.

  Rowdy Ferguson had been a brother from another mother since the time they lived in a group home together in Dallas. Hell, there were only two men on the face of the earth that he considered family, and Rowdy was one. He hadn’t seen him since they parted ways in Austin. But they kept in contact occasionally by phone and email.

  “Good. Work is good. I guess you’ve talked to Micah?”

  They all grew up as part of the system. They were shipped off to the first people that would take them and usually came back to the group home because nobody wanted to keep them. He’d had a few families that moved around, and he went with them. When they were done, they tossed him like garbage to the nearest group home available. He bounced like a ping-pong ball more often than not, and fortunately for him, he finally got out of that bullshit at eighteen. Not only did he go on to do well for himself, but he was one half owner of a fairly profitable business he created with his best friend, Micah, the only other person he considered family.

  “I have. He called me a week or two ago. Wanted to have dinner in Austin, but I told him I didn’t live there anymore.” Rowdy leaned back in his chair. “We talked about his trip to China, so I’m assuming that’s why he sent you?”

  Julian snorted. “Give me a little credit. I wanted to see what your ugly ass was up to.”

  His friend grinned. “Life’s great, really.”

  Before Julian could comment, the door to his office opened, and a woman came in without preamble.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I need your house key.” She held out her hand to him.

  Rowdy arched an eyebrow at her. “Locked yourself out again, didn’t you?”

  “Don’t. It’s been a bad day.” She rubbed her wrist. “Easton said that the aloe cream would help, but it still hurts.”

  Rowdy handed her his key before gripping her arm so he could inspect her wrist. “What happened?”

  “I burned my wrist on a metal pourer.” She shook her head. “London is gone, and I can’t get these orders right. I locked myself out of the barn. I realized that my work keys are at home, and I accidentally left my car keys in the barn. I drove the ATV to town. Plus, I haven’t gone to the bathroom since I left the house this morning. I’m ready to crawl in a hole and cry.”

  He let her wrist go. “I’ll call you in a few minutes. Do you have your phone?”

  “Yes.” She left the room as quickly as she came.

  Julian sat there watching them interact. The last thing he expected was Rowdy to be in a permanent relationship. It was obvious that he cared about the woman, whoever she was.

  Rowdy shook his head. “Sorry. That’s Misty. I’ll properly introduce you to her later.”

 
“You have a girlfriend?”

  “Wife.” Rowdy lifted his hand. A silver band circled his finger.

  Rowdy had settled down? Julian knew he didn’t hide his shock. Rowdy fucked and fought his way through life. Actually committing to a woman was something rare.

  “Wow.” Julian scratched his chin. “I’m happy for you. Micah didn’t tell me that.”

  Rowdy smiled. “We’ve been together two years now. She’s the love of my life. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

  “Congrats.”

  “Thanks.” He stared at the ring a moment before glancing back at Julian. “Misty said I should have invited you despite your hatred for weddings. I told her you’d stop being my friend if I did.”

  Julian agreed. He hated weddings. They were for other people, not him.

  Rowdy smiled. “So what’s new with you?”

  “Just work. We have our hands in some developments all over Texas. We branched out to Oklahoma and New Mexico, too. Just been busy, but I like it that way.”

  “No woman?”

  “No.” Julian smiled. “I’m not the marrying type.”

  Rowdy leaned back in his chair. “Micah said that he was interested in the developmental project we have going on downtown. A few years ago, the strip mall burned down. It’s got ample prospects for business opportunities. Our little town is up and coming anyway. I think our population has increased by fifty in the last two years. I know Crawford Construction stays busy with building houses for the newcomers.”

  “How many people actually live in this town?”

  “I think we’re at a couple thousand now.”

  That didn’t sound too appealing. If he was investing in a business venture, he wanted high-traffic zones with plenty of opportunity to make a profit. Julian tried not to look displeased. He was fairly sure that Micah had felt sorry for Rowdy, so he agreed to consider the place. It pissed Julian off that he got to be the bad guy though. He didn’t like it any more than his friend.

  “We can go see the property.” Rowdy pushed his chair back and stood. “I sent some photos to Micah, and he seemed to like the potential.”

  Julian didn’t say anything as he followed Rowdy out of the office. On the side of the street, a woman kissed a man boldly in front of the grocery store. Hell, from his perspective, they were a few seconds away from needing a private room.

  “Are people always so open with displays of affection around here?”

  Rowdy snorted. “I guess. It depends on the relationship.”

  Julian followed him down the sidewalk to a building that had obviously been burned. There was very little left of it, though a construction company had started to clear away the mess.

  “This is it.”

  Julian frowned. “I can’t invest in this. It’s only big enough for three businesses. The traffic in this town is nonexistent, and it would take years to get my money back.”

  Simply looking at it was a waste of his time. There was nothing classy about the small Texas town. He had lived in many parts of the state, and Lucky was by far one of the most remote.

  “Micah said I’d have a hard time selling it to you.”

  “Sorry.” Julian shoved his hands in his suit pants. “I don’t see the potential. Are there any businesses lined up to fill the empty building when it is built? That would be a better selling point.”

  “My wife works for a candle company that would take the end spot.”

  “A candle company?” Julian shook his head. “I can only imagine how profitable that company is in a town like this.”

  “From what I understand, it’s actually doing really well in e-commerce.” Rowdy glanced over at him. “What are you doing for the holiday?”

  Holiday? Hell, he’d forgotten that it was December, much less Christmas. Julian rubbed a hand over his face, trying to remember the last time he celebrated anything like that. He didn’t have family. If he had a girlfriend, he went to her family’s gathering, but he was single at the moment. Micah was out of town, so that left him out and Rowdy clearly lived in a different world.

  “I don’t really have any plans.”

  “Good. You can stay with us. Get a feel for the town and the people before you make your decision. It doesn’t have to be right away. We’ve got an extra room for you to stay in. I’ll just tell Pat that I’m taking off early and everyone can reach me at home. I’ll be right back.”

  Julian watched as his friend walked away from him. More people kissed on the sidewalk. The woman that had been affectionate with the man in front of the grocery store now shared more affection with another man in front of the auto shop. Julian watched as one of the mechanics came out of the shop and pulled her away from the man to kiss her, too.

  Was he in some kind of twilight zone? Nobody seemed to care that they were very friendly with one another. Not to mention she kissed them all, adding another man from the auto shop to her list of smooches. Julian watched as one of the men grabbed her ass and the other squeezed her breast. Who were these people?

  Rowdy’s patrol car pulled up in front of Julian. “Get in your SUV and follow me home.”

  Julian nodded and glanced over at the woman again, half wondering if he walked over there, if she’d try to kiss him, too. She was pretty. Blonde and skinny. She looked completely out of place with the grease monkeys. He didn’t know what kind of single life Lucky had, but he was interested in finding out.

  He drove behind Rowdy to a plot of land away from the city. He figured his friend took pride in where he lived, but the town was pretty strange. All the business venture that he knew wouldn’t appreciate the bold displays of affection. There was a level of decorum that secretly needed to be upheld. Not to mention the only business prospect being a fucking candle shop. What else would he put in there? A sex toy store? Boutique shops rarely made enough to cover rent, and for him to invest, rent would need to be high.

  The house Rowdy took him to was quite lovely, Julian decided. Set off the road, the large house was two stories with a wraparound front porch. The woman that had interrupted their meeting stood behind her car, searching through the truck as if she’d lost something else. He had to admit, she was a bit weird herself. Not his typical pick for Rowdy.

  “What did you lose now?” Rowdy asked, getting out of his patrol car.

  She shook her head. “I can’t find the barn keys anywhere.”

  Rowdy walked over to her. “London is back. She was at the garage.”

  Misty shook her head. “I can’t do this job anymore. She leaves me alone for two days, and I’ve burned my arm, nearly screwed up an entire batch, and locked myself out of the barn twice.”

  She glanced over at Julian. “Hello.”

  “Misty.” Rowdy slipped his arm around her. “This is a friend of mine from Austin. Julian, this is my wife, Misty.”

  He stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise.” She shook his hand and turned to Rowdy. “I didn’t know you had a friend in Austin.”

  “We were in a group home together.” He kissed the side of her head. “Go find London and get her keys. Don’t burn the barn down.”

  After she left, Rowdy led him inside. The house was bigger than Julian originally thought. The mud room led to a large kitchen and dining room. Next to it was a massive living space with a large TV on the wall opposite the sofa. Rowdy plopped down in the recliner and waited for Julian to take a seat.

  “Lucky is not a bad place to live,” Rowdy commented.

  “I didn’t say it was.”

  “I could read it on your face. You hate the idea of investing in the strip mall. It’s not what you’re used to, but potential is there. Misty wants to open up her own newspaper for the town. She’s from Houston and worked as a reporter there for a while. That was actually how we met. She covered a story about Lucky for the Houston newspaper column she wrote.”

  “What kind of story?” Julian asked.

  “Well.” Rowdy glanced to his left before
standing to get something from the built-in bookshelves on the far wall. He pulled out a few papers and carried them back to Julian.

  He read the title of the first one. “Permanent ménage? What the hell is that?”

  “In this town, a way of life.”

  Julian frowned. “A way of life?”

  “All the people have a polyamorous relationship of some kind. Most include aspects of bondage, as well.”

  Julian glanced over the writing. “Are you part of a permanent ménage?”

  “Yes.” Rowdy nodded. “Easton and Brandon share Misty with me. We all live together and love her very much.”

  Julian sat the paper on the coffee table. “And you’re okay with that?”

  “Yes.” Rowdy propped his feet up. “I don’t think I could be in a two-person relationship anymore. Once you try it, it’s difficult to give up.”

  Julian sat back taking in the information. Ménage. That was something straight out of a wicked fantasy. People really had lifestyles that way? They contributed to every aspect of a relationship, yet it was four, not two. The more he thought about it, the odder it got.

  “I’ll take your word for it,” Julian commented.

  “Once the shock wears off, you’ll see it differently.”

  Julian doubted it, but didn’t say anything. He liked his friend, but he couldn’t imagine ever sharing a woman with another man.

  Ever.

  * * * *

  “Thank you so much!” Misty hugged Luna for the fourth time. After finding Misty’s keys in the supermarket, she called her friend. Apparently, she’d been looking everywhere for them. “If you, Danny, and Zane aren’t doing anything for Christmas, come over. There is plenty of room and lots of food. I think London and the Pattons are visiting. I’ve also invited Katy, Hunter, and Luke. We’d love to have you three if you don’t have other plans.”