SLEIGHT IT AIN’T SO

  THE KINGS: A TREEMENDOUS CHRISTMAS

  BOOK 2

  CHARLIE COCHET

  CONTENTS

  Four Kings Security Universe

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  A Note From the Author

  Also by Charlie Cochet

  About the Author

  SLEIGH IT AIN’T SO

  Copyright © 2023 Charlie Cochet

  http://charliecochet.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of author imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  Cover Art Copyright © 2023 Reese Dante

  http://reesedante.com

  Edited by Stacy Sirkel

  FOUR KINGS SECURITY UNIVERSE

  Welcome to the Four Kings Security Universe! The current reading order for the universe is as follows:

  FOUR KINGS SECURITY UNIVERSE

  STANDALONES

  Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts - Standalone

  (Spencer and Quinn. Quinn is Ace and Lucky’s cousin.) Can be read any time before In the Cards.

  FOUR KINGS SECURITY

  Love in Spades - Book 1 (Ace and Colton)

  Ante Up - Book 1.5 (Seth and Kit)

  Free short story

  Be Still My Heart - Book 2 (Red and Laz)

  Join the Club - Book 3 (Lucky and Mason)

  Diamond in the Rough - Book 4 (King and Leo)

  In the Cards - Book 4.5 (Spencer and Quinn’s wedding.)

  FOUR KINGS SECURITY BOXED SET

  Boxed Set includes all 4 main Four Kings Security novels: Love in Spades, Be Still My Heart, Join the Club, and Diamond in the Rough.

  BLACK OPS: OPERATION ORION’S BELT

  Kept in the Dark - Book 1 (Standalone series can be read anytime)

  THE KINGS: WILD CARDS

  Stacking the Deck - Book 1 (Jack and Fitz).

  Raising the Ante - Book 2 (Frank and Joshua)

  Sleight of Hand - Book 3 (Joker and Gio)

  THE KINGS: WILD CARDS BOXED SET

  Boxed Set includes all 3 main The Kings: Wild Cards books: Stacking the Deck, Raising the Ante, Sleight of Hand, and bonus story In the Cards.

  RUNAWAY GROOMS SERIES

  Aisle Be There

  To Have and Witthold

  THE KINGS: ROYAL FLUSH

  Dealing Him In

  Calling His Bluff

  THE KINGS: A TREEMENDOUS CHRISTMAS

  Not So Silent Night

  Sleigh It Ain’t So

  Home for the Howlidays

  Rebel Without a Claus

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Incoming!”

  Fitz yelped and jumped out of the way just as Cocoa bounded by, his human quickly following in a far less adorable manner. Everyone darted out of the way as Ace slid across the kitchen’s polished wood floor, missing Cocoa’s indoor leash by a hair.

  “Someone grab him!”

  Since Red had a dish of French toast casserole in his oven-mitted hands and Laz carried multiple bowls of fruits and toppings, Fitz hurried to the other side of the counter and scooped up the two-month-old sable German Shepherd puppy.

  “Aw, are you giving your daddy a hard time?” Fitz asked, laughing at Cocoa’s little bark before he licked Fitz’s nose. Hearing Cocoa, Duchess—Fitz’s black standard poodle—came prancing into the kitchen and up to Fitz. She wagged her poufy tail and sniffed at Cocoa. “The baby’s okay,” Fitz promised as he petted his bestest girl.

  Duchess’s momma instincts had kicked in from the moment she’d met the sweet puppy. When Cocoa was loose, she followed him around to ensure he didn’t get into mischief, which he always did. He was most certainly Ace’s dog.

  The jingling bells of “All I Want for Christmas” filled the kitchen, and Fitz danced with Cocoa in his arms. Duchess barked and pranced around them, drawing Chip’s attention. He darted into the kitchen and bounced around like a giant black bunny, his impressive Belgian Malinois ears completing the look. Gio walked in, and Cookie, his Golden Retriever, joined the fun. Good thing the luxury cabin’s kitchen was huge.

  “You’re like the Pied Piper of puppies,” Ace said, brushing himself off.

  Fitz handed Cocoa to his daddy and turned to dance with Duchess, who jumped onto her hind legs and gave him her front paws. She bounced happily with him as he sang along, his heart filled with joy.

  During Fitz’s time in the fashion industry, the holidays had been about fancy parties, drinking too much, and showing off expensive gifts. It wasn’t until he’d become part of this amazing family that he’d understood the holidays were about celebrating with the people he loved who loved him in return just as he was. People who accepted all his sashaying, hair-flipping, and lip-gloss-wearing fabulousness.

  There was just one thing missing.

  As if conjured by his thoughts, Jack stepped through the kitchen doorway, and Fitz’s heart did a happy dance. His boyfriend’s black hair was tousled from sleep, his jaw sporting a short beard since he hadn’t shaved in a couple of days. Dressed simply in black jeans and a charcoal gray Henley, he was the sexiest thing Fitz had ever seen. Speaking of eyes…Jack’s smile reached those gorgeous gray eyes, and they were filled with so much love for Fitz.

  Duchess darted over to her other daddy, jumping excitedly as if she hadn’t seen Jack in years and not just this morning when they’d left Jack in bed sleeping. Jack gave Duchess lots of love and pets, and Fitz danced his way over, shimmying his shoulders and drawing that sexy, throaty laugh from him.

  “Good morning, handsome.” Fitz reached for Jack, laughing when Jack took his hand and spun him. He danced with Fitz, ignoring the catcalls from his brothers. The dogs lost their furry minds, running around and barking. When the song ended, Jack dipped Fitz and kissed him. It was sweet and amazing, and Fitz would have jumped his bones if they hadn’t had an audience.

  “Good morning, sweetheart. I missed waking up to you this morning.” Jack lifted Fitz back onto his feet, and Fitz slipped his arms around Jack’s waist.

  “You looked so warm and cozy; I didn’t want to wake you.” He’d been very tempted to stay and snuggle, especially since Jack had gotten in late last night after a long day of trying to fix the shambled mess that was the Ice Castle’s electrics. “Hold on. I’ll make you your latte.”

  “Thanks, baby.”

  Fitz made Jack his latte like he did every morning. He’d gotten into the routine of making their morning coffees when Jack had moved in with him. Before they’d gotten together, Jack had touched Fitz’s toaster, and it caught fire. Fitz decided not to take any chances with his precious espresso machine.

  “What’s on the agenda for today?” Red asked as he started serving up breakfast.

  “Ooh!” Joker threw his arms up excitedly. “Decorating!”

  Gio eyed his boyfriend suspiciously before turning to his best friend. “Colton. Why is he excited about decorating?”

  Colton chuckled. “Because today is the day he gets to operate the knuckle boom.”

  Well, that sounded dirty. Fitz looked to Jack. “What’s a knuckle boom, and should we cover Cocoa’s ears?”

  Jack laughed and walked over to kiss Fitz’s cheek. “It’s a boom lift. Like what they use to fix power lines.”

  “Oh.” Fitz glanced at Joker, who was far too excited for his own good. “And you think letting your best friend operate said heavy machinery is a good idea?”

  Joker snorted. “Better me than Ace.”

  Everyone nodded and murmured their agreement.

  “Thanks,” Ace grumbled, popping a blueberry in his mouth. “Assholes.” He plucked another from the bowl and handed it to Cocoa, who excitedly munched it.

  Joker bounced a blueberry off Ace’s head. “Keep saying that word around him, and he’s gonna think that’s someone’s name.”

  Ace snickered. “It is. Yours.”

  “I’m helping you train your puppy for free, and that’s the thanks I get?” Joker said something in German, and Chip darted over to Ace. He lifted his leg, and Ace yelped, making everyone laugh.

  “I’m sorry!” Ace sighed with relief when Joker called Chip off. He narrowed his eyes at his friend. “You will not teach my precious furry boy to pee on someone on command.” He seemed to think about it. “Never mind. I retract that request. Might come in handy.”

  “On that note,” Jack said, taking a travel mug from Fitz. “I’m off.”

  Fitz handed Jack the insulated food bag he’d put together. “Breakfast and snacks.”

  Everyone aw’d, and Jack flipped them off. He kissed Fitz’s cheek. “I love you.”

  “I love you too. Make sure you eat. I’ll come by at lunch and bring you food.”

  Jack waved goodbye to everyone, and Fitz sighed. There went one sexy Italian.

  Li
ke every other instance when they were all together, the kitchen was filled with talk and laughter. When they finished breakfast, Lucky and Mason headed to the Ice Castle. Now that the roof supplies and the techy electrical stuff Jack needed had arrived, the guys were working hard to get the building up and running. Without it, Winterhaven was in danger of canceling their holiday festivities.

  When Colton had surprised their family with a luxury cabin in the picturesque town of Winterhaven—the perfect Christmas destination—he’d known about the town hall being out of commission due to a terrible snowstorm. He’d had no idea the town hall was the same building as the Ice Castle, where all the town’s festivities were held.

  “I know I’ve said it before, Colton,” Fitz said, motioning for Duchess to jump into the SUV before him. She looked fabulous in her hooded pink winter coat and matching winter booties. “But what you’re doing is amazing.”

  Next to Gio, Colton was one of the most selfless, generous men Fitz had ever known. Colton might not be a philanthropist like Gio, but like his best friend, Colton didn’t hoard his wealth. He loved helping people and, in this instance, was determined to help Winterhaven pull off another successful holiday season, starting with getting all the supplies the town needed shipped in.

  “Just doing what I can to help,” Colton replied. “We’re meeting Clara and the rest of the helpers in the town square. We will start there while the lights go up down the main street. Then we’ll all move on to the main street and hopefully the Ice Castle.”

  They parked off the town square across the street from the Ice Castle. It made unpacking all the fur baby stuff easier. Each dog had a bag with everything from treats and food to water bowls and blankets.

  All of the festivities were held in the Ice Castle, while the townspeople sold their holiday goodies from the market square stalls, all of which had yet to be set up or decorated because who were they going to sell to? All the guests had canceled when told the Ice Castle was out of commission.

  “What’s the plan?” Fitz asked as they started walking.

  “Joker, Gio, Laz, and King will work on the main streetlights. Noel and some of the other townspeople will be there to help. Ace and I will drop off Cocoa with Amara and Dotty, who are puppy-sitting for us, and then we’ll join Leo, Fitz, Merry, Clara, and some of the other townspeople in decorating the town square and market stalls.”

  “How will we know what goes where?” Leo asked worriedly, the giant pom-pom on his red knitted hat making Fitz snicker. It was almost the size of his head. Leo was too freaking adorable.

  “All the decor has been sorted and separated into labeled containers. Clara will have folders for everyone with photos of each stall from the previous year and a list of decor for each stall. Each one will be labeled with the corresponding containers’ numbers, making decorating quick and easy.”

  When they reached the snow-covered cobblestone square—which was actually round—it was lined with rows and rows of containers, all clearly and neatly labeled. Clara greeted them and handed out folders.

  “That stall over there has been set up with drinks and snacks for everyone,” she said. “There are also heaters to warm yourselves and your pups.” She looked at Fitz, who laughed.

  “Thank you.”

  Considering he wore sweaters in Florida because he ran cold, this weather was a whole other level of frosty for him, despite wearing a thick cashmere sweater, faux fur coat, gloves, a scarf, hat, and earmuffs. There was only so much winter chill he could take. He was already looking forward to decorating inside the Ice Castle once the heating was fixed.

  “We’ll break for lunch at noon,” Clara said.

  Festive music started playing from the speakers on the lampposts around the town square, and everyone got to work. Fitz set Duchess up in the stall with the heaters where she’d be nice and cozy. If she got too warm, she’d wander to where he was.

  Fitz had his folder and his assistant decorators. They had quite the task ahead of them. There were two dozen stalls, all arranged in rows around the giant Christmas tree in the center, which also had to be decorated.

  “Okay, boys, it looks like each stall gets one decorated garland along the top of the roof.” He glanced at Leo and Merry. Hmm. Adorable, but if Fitz intended to get through this with as few injuries as possible, it was best he not put either of them up on a ladder. He’d have to do it himself. “Why don’t you two hold the garland for me since it’s pretty thick and long.” Fitz gasped. “Oh no!” He scanned the area around him.

  “What are you looking for?” Merry whispered.

  Fitz opened his mouth to reply when Ace popped up from behind the stall, scaring the life out of Fitz.

  “That’s what he said!”

  Fitz closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “He is what I was looking for.” Fitz opened his eyes and glared at Ace. “Anston Sharpe, I am going to wrap this garland around your neck and strangle you with it!”

  Ace took off with a howl of laughter.

  Merry looked to Leo. “Where did he come from? Was he hiding back there waiting for someone to say that?”

  “It’s Ace. We don’t ask questions,” Leo said, shaking his head. “He defies logic and science.”

  “Now that he’s gone, we can get to work,” Fitz muttered. Thankfully, since the stalls were decorated for various holidays and festivities throughout the year, they were already equipped with hooks and clamps. Ladder set up, Fitz took hold of one end of the garland and started attaching it to the special hooks on the wood. “What are you up to?” Fitz asked Leo.

  Leo blinked up at him. He lifted the garland in his hand. “Holding garland. Also, did you know there’s a city in Texas called Garland? I wonder if it gets confusing at Christmastime.”

  Fitz glanced down at him. “Good question. However, I was referring to your recent escapades.” Over the last few days, Leo had been very cagey. It wasn’t like him.

  Leo might get lost in his head quite often, but he was never secretive. He’d even disappeared last night and hadn’t replied to their texts or answered their calls. After realizing no one in their family had heard from him for hours, they went out in search of him, only to find he’d been sound asleep at the cabin the whole time.

  “I can’t tell you.” Leo’s cheeks flushed. “I’m sorry. It’s a secret.”

  Fitz paused. Since when did Leo keep secrets? “Does it have to do with King?”

  “Yes.”

  Interesting. Considering Leo’s interest in “Santa” or rather the town mayor who looked like Santa, Fitz guessed it had something to do with King’s Christmas present. Usually, Leo asked for help. Matters of the heart either came easy, depending on the logic, or didn’t.

  Gift-giving was challenging for Leo because it was one of the few times he was conflicted. His head wanted to gift something practical, while his heart wanted something special that would make the other person happy.

  “Well, just ask for help if you need it, okay?”

  “Of course,” Leo replied, beaming brightly. “So Colton told Ace, who told Lucky, who told Mason, who told Red, who told Laz, who told Gio, who told Joker, who told me that Colton asked Jack if he ever thought of proposing.”

  “What?” Fitz turned so quickly that he lost his balance on the ladder. He yelped and flailed his arms as he fell back, but instead of hitting the snow-covered cobblestone, he stared up at a bearded face. “Noel?”

  “Careful, Fitz.” Noel placed Fitz on his feet and, with a sweet smile, handed Fitz his fallen hat and earmuffs. “Here.”

  “Thank you.” Fitz fixed his hair, then secured the earmuffs and hat back on his head. “Is everything okay? I thought you were helping with the lights on the main street.”

  “I am. I was picking up one of the boxes of lights that went astray. Would you, um….” He glanced at Merry, who stood there unmoving, eyes wide. Merry quickly turned and pretended to inspect the garland in his hands. This had to be one of the most challenging matches Fitz had ever faced. He followed Noel when he motioned to the side.