Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree: A Red Velvet Christmas Novel Read online

  K E Osborn

  Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree

  A Red Velvet Christmas Novel

  By K E Osborn

  Copyright 2015 K E Osborn

  This book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this eBook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this eBook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree

  The original recording is sung by Brenda Lee, written by Jonny Marks.

  Recorded in 1958 on Decca 9-30776.

  Portions of this book discuss PTSD, please click here for more information.

  ISBN: 978-0994312730

  Book design by Swish Design & Editing

  Editing by Swish Design & Editing

  Cover design by Swish Design & Editing

  Cover image Copyright 2015

  Amber Montgomery’s had a pretty rough three years. Her mother died on Christmas day. The love of her life left her for another woman, and she found herself knocked up after a drunken one-night stand.

  Now a single mother trying to keep her head above the waves crashing around her, Amber and her band, Red Velvet are shining in the limelight. But her ex is causing dramas. Well, his fans are.

  Aston, the love of her life is in the well-known band Staked. Amber’s relationship with Aston, though serious on her behalf, was just a stepping stone for Aston to return to his real love, Annie. The fans wanted Annie and Aston together and Amber, unfortunately, is the catalyst for the Staked fans turning on her. Now she fights for her sanity in a world that hates her. Can she struggle to stay afloat?

  When fans attack, you need protection. So Amber’s brother hires a bodyguard for Amber’s safety. In walks the tough and handsome Alex Braxton, he’s everything Amber is not ready for. He sets her heart back into motion, but Amber is hurt by her past love. Will she be able to find true love again?

  Along with her fear of Christmas—being the day that her mother died—can Brax bring Amber out of her shell enough to see that there’s a light at the end of the dark and torturous tunnel? Will she see that family and Christmas can be a joyous occasion filled with happiness, delight, and maybe even…love?

  To Carol Duggan, Katrina Stubbs and Kristy Iogha.

  You ladies made me feel very special at a recent author event, and it’s an honour and a privilege to call you, not only my loyal readers, but also my friends.

  This book is for you. xoxo

  As always my first thank you goes to my editor, my confidant, my rock, my mother and my friend – Kaylene Osborn. Without your support and guidance, I wouldn’t be able to have the career I love and adore. So thank you for making my dreams come true, and helping me not only achieve them but support me in them as well. All daughters deserve a mother like you!

  To all of my amazing BETA readers – I’ve had some new ladies join me for this book, along with the usual old faithfuls. Thank you so much to all of you. Without you ladies, this book wouldn’t have reached its full potential. Your help and guidance is key, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

  To my family – For your continuous love, friendship and humour. Without you guys, my life would be very dull and boring. So thank you for supporting me without question and for always being there.

  To my beautiful, playful and utterly adorable pup, Bella – Your energy and happiness fills this house with love and enthusiasm, and without your love and cuddles I would find some days very hard indeed. You are the light of my life, and I know it’s sappy to say but the world is a better place with you in it. I love your face!

  To Nicole – My PA, thank you for everything you have done since your arrival. I know things have been stressful, but you have kept your chin up and I’m so proud of you for staying strong! Be brave honey. You are stronger than you know. xo

  Last of all, I want to thank YOU, the reader. Your continued support with my writing career is both humbling and heart-warming. I love the readers so much and honestly couldn’t keep going without the love and support you all show me each day. Thank you for believing in me, and I hope I can keep you entertained for many, many, years to come.

  Stay tuned because Heart of Steel: A Satan’s Savages MC Novel #1 is on its way.

  Thank you,

  Much love,

  K E Osborn

  xoxo

  This book has been written using UK English and contains euphemisms and slang words that form part of the UK spoken word, which is the basis of this book’s writing style.

  Please remember that the words are not misspelled, they are slang terms and form part of the every day English speaking lifestyle. Some euphemisms or slang terms have been provided below for your information. This book has been written using UK English.

  If you would like further explanation, or to discuss the translation or meaning of a particular word, please do not hesitate to contact the author – contact details have been provided, for your convenience, at the end of this book.

  Bird – A girl or a woman.

  Bloody – Commonly used expletive to describe something, a mild swear word.

  Calm-your-farm – Telling someone to chill out or relax when stress gets out of hand.

  Crushing – To be very attracted to someone, to have a crush on them.

  Damndest – To describe an action taken or emotion (used for emphasis) especially to express anger or frustration.

  Dickhead – An inept, foolish, stupid or contemptible person.

  Digs – House.

  Fuckwit – Moron, dimwit, idiot, stupid, unintelligent person.

  Git – Silly, incompetent, stupid, silly.

  Going bananas – To become wildly irrational, to freak out.

  Hanky panky – Anything between a couple including sex and/or flirting.

  Hubbub – Busy, noisy situation caused by a crowd of people.

  Jelly – Jell-O.

  Lounge room – Living room.

  Lounge suite – Sofa.

  Mate – Buddy or friend.

  Mobile phone – Cell phone.

  Nut it out – To find a solution for, or to work out the finer details.

  Pash rash – Inflammation of the skin caused by passionate kissing.

  Pish posh – Opinions or thoughts are absurd, irrelevant or redundant.

  PTSD – Post-Traumatic stress disorder, click here for more information.

  Shit list – Strongly disapprove or dislike.

  Shitfaced – Drunk.

  Spaz – A person who acts insane or mentally retarded.

  Stark raving mad – Completely and wildly insane.

  Taxi – Cab.

  Vest – Wifebeater or tank top.

  Wanker – An idiot, stupid or annoying person. Also a person who masturbates.

  Amber ‘Jewel’ Montgomery – Lead singer of Red Velvet, mother of Charli. Twin Sister to Hunter. Best friends with Mason (Mase).

  Alex ‘Brax’ Braxton – Returned soldier and new bodyguard to Amber Jewel. Long-time friend to Hunter.

  Charlotte ‘Charli’ Hughes – Amber and Mason’s one-year-old daughter.

  Mason ‘Mase’ Hughes – Lead guitar and backup singer for Red Velvet. Father of Charli. Best friends with Amb
er.

  Hunter Montgomery – Manager of Red Velvet. Twin brother to Amber. Long-time friend to Brax.

  Clara Everest – Nanny to Charli. Friend and confidant to Amber.

  Cooper Ryan – Drummer for Red Velvet. Best friend to Jayce.

  Jayce Lithgow – Bassist for Red Velvet. Best friend to Cooper.

  Sandra Braxton – Brax’s mother.

  Oscar Braxton – Brax’s father.

  Evie Braxton – Brax’s sister.

  Derek Braxton – Brax’s brother.

  Blurb

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Note To The Reader

  Character Relationships

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Epilogue

  Note To The Reader - PTSD

  A Very Christopher Christmas by Kathryn Kelly

  Connect With Me Online

  About the Author – K E Osborn

  Colter Slade—the world’s most famous Rock God is turning fifty, and I’m here at his party! It’s going well and Chad, Aston’s friend and fellow bandmate, is being very entertaining as we sit at the large round table in the gazebo in the backyard of the Slade manor. Aston, my boyfriend, and the love of my life seems a little preoccupied tonight, but hopefully he’ll get into the party spirit as the evening progresses. The music is great, the food is wonderful, and it’s nice to be included in all the excitement that comes with being involved with the greatest rock stars of the modern age.

  I met Aston when my band Red Velvet went on a tour with his band Staked and another band Peripheral. Aston was best friends with Annie, Colt’s daughter, and they had a relationship for a while. That was until they slept together for the first time and Aston told her that he loved her. Normally, a girl would do anything to hear those words, but Annie freaked out. She’s adopted and felt like she didn’t deserve to be loved or some weird and twisted idea like that, and so she ended things with Aston. Which is good for me, because now he’s all mine, and I couldn’t be happier. We’ve been seeing each other for a while now. I hung around his band when they went on another tour. I was basically a stalker groupie following Aston around like a lost puppy.

  I lost my mother to breast cancer and it turned my world upside down. I was spiralling out of control. At least she died on her favourite day—Christmas. Which is now my most despised day of the year, but I digress. After she had passed away, I met Aston and I threw myself into him. I wasn’t coping with the loss. She meant everything to me. Growing up without my father, my twin brother Hunter and I relied on our mother for everything. She passed on the genes that brought us into music and taught me how to sing, without her I wouldn’t be where I am. I owe her everything.

  So instead of dealing with her loss I threw myself into Aston and he made everything better. He eased my pain and suffering and he made my world a better place to be—he made me want to live. I’m so in love with him that nothing can shake the feelings I have for him. He truly is the love of my life. He’s helped me so much and put up with my bad moods and somber demeanor while I grieve for my mother, but he’s been my rock through it all. I honestly couldn’t have gotten through it without him. He gets along with Hunter well, which is important because Hunter is the only family I have left. But I hope that Aston will one day ask me to marry him and we can start our own family.

  The only downside to our relationship is that his ex is always a constant sore point for us. Unfortunately, because they’re still in a band together she’ll always be around, and I see the way she constantly looks at him. I see the way she looks at me. I’m not stupid, I know she’s jealous, but she let him go and now he’s mine. She had her chance and she can’t have him back.

  Chad makes another funny joke and the table erupts in laughter including me and I turn to look at Aston, he grins, but his eyes are glazed over as he looks off into the distance. I take his hand under the table and entwine our fingers. He looks at me and I smile and he half smiles back.

  “Are you okay? You seem distracted?” I ask and he looks away from me over to another table where Annie’s sitting pushing her food around on her plate. Tensing up, I inhale abruptly.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” he says turning back taking a large sip of his whiskey, the cubes of ice clink in the glass making me flinch at Aston’s frosty demeanor.

  I swallow hard looking at the vein pulsing in his tense neck. Something’s up with him, he’s been weird all night and lately he’s been more distant than normal. Sure he still kisses and cuddles me and tells me he loves me, but something just seems…off.

  “Are you sure?” I ask and he smiles and wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me in close. He leans in kissing my head and I smile as he eases some of my tension.

  “I’m sure,” he says as I turn leaning in and press my lips to his, he tastes like mint and whiskey and it will forever be a favourite taste of mine.

  His lips kiss mine tenderly and the spark igniting inside of me fills me with excitement. It’s like I get giddy with butterflies every single time he kisses me. I love this feeling. Pulling back, Chad calls out for us to, “Get a room.” I chuckle and Aston smirks and looks away to the other side of the room and his jaw tenses. Following his line of sight to Annie, I want to break the moment, so I say the only thing I can think of.

  “I love you,” I whisper and he turns breaking his gaze at Annie, filling my heart with warmth that he’s looking at me rather than at her now. He smiles, but his eyes are filled with longing, and it unsettles me. “Well, don’t you love me too silly?” I ask needing some reassurance.

  He chuckles and brings his hand up to my cheek and smiles. “Of course.” He leans in and I purse my lips, but he dodges and moves up kissing my forehead. I gulp and lick my lips missing his kiss as I sit back and watch his expression harden.

  Frowning as he leans back in his seat and empties the remainder of his drink. He rubs the back of his neck and looks over to where Annie was moments before. I notice she isn’t there anymore and it’s disconcerting.

  Something is going on, I’m just not sure what?

  “Aston, talk to me,” I whisper so the others at the table won’t hear.

  He looks at me and swallows hard. “I’ve just gotta go do something,” he says and stands up abruptly. I grab his hand and he looks down as a sudden wave of panic washes over me.

  “Where are you going?” I ask and he shakes his head.

  “I just need to sort something out,” he replies.

  My blood pressure spikes and angry tears start to form in my eyes. “Are you going to Annie?” I ask.

  He looks away from me and pulls his hand from mine then inhales deeply.

  “Aston, please tell me you’re not going to go after her?” I ask with a stern but quiet voice. I don’t want to make a scene in front of his family and friends. Even though I feel like I’m falling apart right now.

  “I just need to make sure she’s okay. She seems on edge, I need to be a friend right now,” he says and I scoff.

  “Aston, you and Annie a
re not friends. And she has plenty of other people who can go after her—”

  “She’s upset because of me—”

  “She gave you up. She has no right to be upset. Aston, please let this go…for me?” I plead as my eyes well with hot angry tears. He licks his lips and runs his hand through his hair shaking his head, every shake of his head is like a knife stabbing deeper into my heart.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t,” he says and then walks off before I can say another word. It’s like a sucker punch right to the gut. All the wind is knocked from me as he chooses to look after his ex, rather than spending time with me, his girlfriend. My bottom lip trembles as I watch him walk out of the gazebo and toward her.

  I can’t believe this is happening. My whole relationship with Aston feels like I’ve been competing with Annie, and I don’t know right now if I’m going to win this war. I turn back around taking the slender glass of chilled champagne and look at it. The bubbles dance along happily like they’re having a great time at the party while I sit here drowning in the ocean of emotion engulfing me. The dancing bubbles need to go, so I drink it down quickly. I need something to take the edge off. The cool hit of the liquid tingles on my tongue as it slides effortlessly down my throat. The hit from the alcohol buzzes through my insecure mind while all I really want to do is chase after Aston and pull him back into the gazebo. I’m worried that if I do that, though, it might force him into her arms even more. My stomach is churning and I feel physically ill.

  My head is running through a million possibilities of what could be happening, and as the waiter comes around with more drinks, I couldn’t be more grateful. Taking another champagne, I drink the entire contents down as my leg agitates up and down on the spot. I’m really nervous, and I can’t help but think that my relationship might be heading for a fall. Aston has a soft spot for Annie, I believe he always will. I just have to hope that her stance on them getting back together stays solid. Because if she ever wanted him back I’m not sure what his answer would be. I know he cares about me, he’s loving and supportive, but he’s always that one step removed. And with that feeling, one tiny part of me keeps thinking that he’s not in this as much as I am, and it scares me. I’ve put everything into this. I’ve lost my heart to him, I couldn’t help it. Aston is an amazing and wonderful man and I am so lucky to be his girlfriend. I just hope I’m enough for him.