Selena Kitt - A Baumgartner Christmas

Carrie kissed his sweaty neck as he collapsed onto her, smiling dreamily up at the ceiling. Beside her, Wilson and Daphne were whispering and giggling and the sound was more sweet music to her ears.

“We are so going to have to wash these sheets,” Doc said, laughing.

“Shh.” Carrie nudged him, looking over at the couple beside them, cuddled together in an almost visible afterglow. “Look.”

Doc did and grinned. “I guess this solves the problem of where he’s going to sleep tonight.”

“I think it solves a lot of problems,” Carrie agreed, kissing her husband quiet.

* * * *

Nan stood on a kitchen chair, tacking up the mistletoe in the doorway, while her husband, Chuck, poured himself another egg nog.

“You’re sure it’s okay, having all these people here?” Carrie held the chair for her mother-in-law and glanced into the living room where Wilson and Daphne were talking on the couch. Doc winked and tipped back his beer from a chair across the room, dropping her a wink.

“Don’t be silly.” Nan waved her concern away. “I told you before, when you asked me if your friend could come. The more the merrier!”

“That’s very nice,” Carrie complimented her mother-in-law’s placement of the mistletoe.

“It’s not Christmas without mistletoe.” Nan climbed down from her perch.

“Chuck, you’d better offer our guest some of that egg nog before it’s all gone!” Nan scolded, putting the chair back at the kitchen table.

Her father-in-law sighed, poking his head around the corner.“You kids want some egg nog?”

“I’m good,” Doc said, tipping his beer in his father’s direction as he came into the kitchen. He saw his wife standing by the egg nog and went to her, slipping an arm around her waist and kissing her cheek. “But I bet our two lovebirds wouldn’t turn down some nog.”

Daphne and Wilson appeared in the doorway, arms wrapped around each other. Carrie couldn’t help smiling at the sight.

“Oh! Oh! Look up!” Nan grinned, pointing at the mistletoe she’d just hung in the doorway.

“Oh darn, we’re caught.” Daphne laughed, putting her arms around Wilson’s neck. “I guess we have to kiss.”

Wilson actually blushed, but their lips met under the mistletoe and they all applauded.

Carrie smiled as Doc turned her to him, capturing her mouth and kissing her deeply. It was a very un-public kiss, a very not-in-front-of-your-parents-and-our-friends kiss, making her toes curl and her knees threaten to buckle.

“We’re not under the mistletoe,” she gasped when they parted, laughing.

Doc smiled. “I don’t need an excuse to kiss my wife.”

“Merry Christmas, Doc.” She put her arms around his neck, and everything else-Daphne and Wilson giggling under the mistletoe, Nan setting out a plate of cheese and crackers, Chuck pouring himself yet another egg nog while Nan wasn’t looking-melted away at the look in her husband’s eyes. He looked at her as if she was the most beautiful woman in the world-the only woman in his world who mattered.

“I love you.” Doc kissed her again, this time quickly, lightly, a casual kiss, one that told her that he expected to kiss her again, soon and often. “Merry Christmas, baby.”