Chapter 12
TYLER
My head tilts in different angles as I stare skeptically at the tree that Enzo shows me at Olive Owl, a winery a few towns over owned by the Blisswood family.
I review the tree under the afternoon daylight. “I mean, it has bones.” Which equates to missing a lot of branches.
Lainey elbows my arm as she stands by my side. “Fewer pine needles on the floor,” she points out positively.
“It’s a little colorful,” I add. That equates to brown.
“It’ll match your light choices.”
“What would that be?” I’m clueless.
She playfully swats my shoulder. “White, silly. It’s classic.”
“It’s the right height.” One thing that’s true. It’s taller than me.
“How are we going to get this tree home?” Enzo continues to look at his tree choice, and I don’t have the heart to tell him that he needs to improve on this skill.
“Luckily, I have a state-of-the-art car and a roof that is suitable to drive this baby home.”
Enzo snickers. “If you say so. It’s cold. Can we get hot apple cider while we’re here?”
Lainey leans down and rewraps the scarf around his neck. “Depends if Scrooge here will allow us a break. He has a long list of things to do, so he’s working us to the bone.”
“Boney like the tree,” I quip to myself. Lainey spears me with her gaze. She wants me to be a little more positive today. Smile a little more too. “Yeah, of course, cider is on me.”
“And the cookies shaped like trees?” Enzo adds to his list.
“Yes.”
His toothy grin causes a crack of a smile on my face. “I’ll pay for the tree and have someone help me with my car. Will you get me an eggnog?”
Lainey’s eyes grow to saucers because she’s surprised by my choice of a holiday-themed drink.
“I’ve heard their recipe has rum,” I highlight mundanely.
She laughs because she catches on that I am joking then walks with Enzo toward the main farmhouse.
Fifteen minutes later, we are all set, and I join Lainey and Enzo inside. They managed to grab a table in the corner. There is something kind of cozy about a fireplace warming the room and green garland wrapped around the space. A fire hazard, but fine.
“What’s the latest on your search?” Lainey inquires as I scroll on my phone.
“No luck. If I wanted guaranteed delivery for a menorah then I shouldn’t have waited until Hanukkah is already in full swing.” I raise my finger in the air. “Oh yeah, I didn’t wait, instead my crazy family decided to spring this on me at the last minute.”
“We had to learn the Hanukkah song at school,” Enzo mentions as he digs his spoon into the whipped cream on the hot chocolate he opted for instead of cider.
“I vaguely remember learning it in school. Oh Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah.”
Lainey squeezes my arm from where she sits by my side. “Look at you. Maybe your family will request karaoke hour as well.” She smiles cheekily.
Glaring at her, I only kind of—okay, I do find her whole attitude cute. “Laugh all you want, but you don’t know my aunt. I’ll never hear the end of this.”
She seems sympathetic. “We’ll figure it out.”
I love the way she says we.
We’ve been so busy all day that I haven’t thought once about what is transpiring between us. Mostly because… every moment that we experience now is too easy and natural. Nothing inside of me seems to be freaking out about her. That honor is reserved for my family.
“Do you get extra presents? Laura at school is guaranteed eight presents,” Enzo says with his mouth full of a whipped cream.
“No. My parents celebrate Christmas. But sometimes we have eccentric relatives that decide that merging two holidays together is bigger than winning a hockey cup.” Lainey has a closed-mouth smile because maybe I need to work on my deliverance of not-so-festive cheer.
I’ll try again. “I mean, it does end up with some pretty epic dinners.”
“Tomorrow, we’re going to stop by a friend’s who I work with. She invited us for breakfast. Gracie canceled breakfast because of some family situation or something. Probably had to swap mornings that she sees her half-brother.”
That reminds me of something. “Yeah? Strange thing. She was at the rink talking to Asher.”
“Really?” She seems surprised then shrugs. “I’ll ask her next time I see her. Anyhow, we also call the family and collapse on the couch in our pajamas. Basically, the sequel to Thanksgiving,” Lainey explains then blows on the mug between her hands.
“Except there are presents,” Enzo reminds us.
“Depends. Has the magical elf been reporting to Santa every night that you are the perfect little angel?” Lainey is a great mom. She makes everything look effortless.
“Of course, and we’re going to leave out his favorite cookies this year.” This kid is so damn excited.
Lainey glances sidelong at me. “Have you heard through the grapevine what Santa’s favorite cookies are this year?” She wants me to join in on her theatrics.
“Probably those wafer things.”
“Really?” Her face squinches from my choice.
But I’m messing with her. “Nah, he’s a classic chocolate chip kind of guy. Maybe this year with those red and green chocolates in the cookies.”
“I’ve heard that too,” she agrees.
“We have to get that, Mom.”
I motion to the waitress that I’m going to pay. “Good thing we have to run to the store. We need lights.”
Because my day of decorating misery is never-ending. Except… I’m kind of enjoying this.
The tree in front of my big bay window in my living room is doable.
It does need a little help, but I guess that’s what the decorations are for.
After scavenging the store’s shelves for the last of the holiday decorations, we managed to find some things, and we came home.
Lainey and Enzo needed to call her brother, and she wanted to do a few things around the house.
When the knock on the door finally comes, I’m relieved.
Answering, Lainey is smiling brightly as she holds a craft out in front of her.
“Solved,” she says proudly.
I study it, and instantly I smile.
It’s a menorah.
Stepping aside, Lainey enters my place. “Enzo has crashed. He is just going to chill on the couch with a movie, but he made this for you.”
Accepting the gift from her hand, it’s definitely from a kid, but it’s pretty darn cool.
He used foil to create candle sticks and popsicle sticks to create the base. Most of all, he made it for me because he likes me, and that matters.
“It’s great.” I’m being honest.
She claps her hands together. “Perfect. Now on to your tree.”
I can’t help but stay put and watch her eagerly head straight to the branches and kneel down to unpack the shopping bags.
I hate it.
That her mood is becoming infectious, and I like her a little more during the holiday season. It freaks me out that I might actually have a spot inside of me that isn’t focused on hockey.
After ogling her a little longer, I come to her aide.
“I follow you, boss,” I inform her.
She is already ripping open a box of tree lights. “First lights, then ornaments, and maybe I have some more sparkly garland in a box somewhere.”
“Let’s just stick to what is right in front of us,” I suggest.
She stalls for a moment, and our eyes lock. Probably because there are interpretations for that sentence, and it has nothing to do with decorations.
What is happening?
Her lips pinch, and she seems to reflect for a moment. “Okay, you take one side of the tree, and I’ll take the other. We need to weave the lights.”
“Sure.”
She begins on the other side of the tree near the base. “I’ll pass it to you, then you hang lights then pass back to me and so on.”
“Got it. It’s not rocket science,” I assure her and stand in my spot.
“I can’t believe this is happening. Mr. Grump has no choice but to celebrate Chrismukkah. Two great holidays rolled into one.” She’s elated as she strings the lights along, and then I take over.
“Okay, we established you have received your bonus gift of the year of my holiday demise.”
“Bonus gift?”
Now I smirk sinfully to myself. “My cock was your first gift.”
She coughs a laugh as she stays focused on her work. “I was waiting for you to say something to take us there.”
“We’ve been occupied today. Couldn’t exactly say anything inappropriate.”
“True. You know Enzo told my brother that we were all together today.”
It piques my interest. “Oh yeah? What did Seb say?”
“Not much. He was unreadable, actually. But I think he believes that I hate you so much that it was literally Enzo and me helping you in a time of dire need.”
I take a deep breath. “Do you still hate me?”
She peeks her head around a few scant branches and chortles a laugh. “The answer is kind of obvious, no? Was I not naked in your bed this morning?”
“Just checking. I would hate to get coal in my stockings, which I’m thankful as fuck that my mom texted to tell me that she is bringing stockings.”
Her deep concentration on the tree is impressive. “I’m going to wrap some presents later for Enzo. You have the box of stuff.”
“You would look kind of hot in wrapping paper only.” That fantasy is building in my mind. Add in some heels and I’m a goner.
“I’ll see if I have any left.”
Not exactly a no.
“Tyler.” She says my name as if it’s a warning.
“What?”
She pulls gently on the lights. “You totally knotted the string of lights together.”
My eyes drop down to where the level of lights end, and in truth, I wasn’t paying that much attention, but now that I see it, I realize Santa just added another lump of coal to my stocking. Because it’s a mess. Crossed strings, knots, weird patterns.
“Ooh. Sorry about that.”
Her mouth turns into an O shape. “Are you serious? I’m trying to help, and you decide to ruin the lights.” She’s annoyed now but still seems in good spirits... I think.
I laugh, but maybe I shouldn’t. “What? I’m sorry. You know this is all new territory for me.”
Lainey drops the lights in her hands. “Will you stop this holiday grumbly monster grr roar routine?”
I’m trying to say the sentence in my head to see if it makes sense, but all I get is that she is irritated.
“Are you trying to just start an argument for old times’ sake? Because you’ll meet your match,” I warn her, but I am completely bemused.
“Tyler, you grew up with parents who love the holidays, so suck it up, put in the effort, and get this damn tree decorated.”
“No need to be feisty.” It’s hot.
She gripes as she gives up on the lights and opts to pick up a box of ornaments. “Let’s just get this done. Otherwise, I’m going to demand that you do this while wearing only a towel.”
Reminds me of the kiss when she dropped off cookies. Towels tend to do things to women.
“I can arrange that.”
“Work,” she snaps back.
For the next little while, she supervises my tree skills until we both hang ornaments in random spots. Stepping back, we both seemed satisfied with our work. To be honest, the tree looks a little wonky, but the effort is there.
“Just need the star for the top,” she mentions and searches in the bag and pulls it out.
“Come here.”
I haul her to me with her back to my front and my hands squaring her hips.
Lifting her up high, she reaches for the top to connect the star to the pointed branch.
Slowly I bring her back down, her body sliding against mine.
With her feet back on the ground, I keep her still and wrap her close, kissing that place just below her earlobe.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
She twists in my arms. “We have five minutes.”
Our minds are synced, because next thing, we’re going at it like two bears.
Kissing hard, hands racing to remove clothing, stumbling together. We have to catch our balance when we nearly run into the tree.
“Shit,” Lainey hisses.
We save ourselves, and I’m too eager for her that I begin to lead us down to the floor as we kiss, and our knees lower at the same time with our mouths sealed together.
Her nails are scratching down my back, and I lead her legs to wrap around my waist. We are in such a fury of uncontrollable need that the moment I sheathe on the condom, she’s already pushing her hips up, making it easy for me to slide right into her.
We’re not going slow on this one, instead pure feral need. A reward for keeping our hands off of one another all day until now.
As I pump in and out of her, I notice something new.
Her eyes darting straight into mine are more beautiful with a glint of decorative light and a shade of a new mood when it comes to me.
But even better is that I notice this because she’s underneath me and I’m inside of her… with a strong feeling in my chest to trust what is transpiring between us.