Chapter 24
Ash
My heart was full, and my sexual appetite was satiated by the time we arrived at the massive cabin-style home where we were to spend our Christmas holiday.
The train experience was unbelievable, and now, we were spoiled beyond words in the luxury of this home with the most magnificent views of the Swiss Alps.
“Well? What do you think so far?” Avery asked, peeking from around the other side of Jim.
I leaned into Jake, who had his arm lovingly around my waist, and smiled as if I was on my honeymoon.
Jake and Jim—although I knew the brothers were ready to battle it out somehow after the Maldives incident—both seemed to lay their weapons down for the moment and indulge themselves in the serenity of the atmosphere surrounding the majestic home nestled perfectly in the hillside.
“I’m honestly at a loss for words at this point,” I chuckled. “I mean, after being in the Maldives and now whisked away to Santa’s dreamland, I don’t think I could ask for a more charming, old-world start to Christmas.”
Jake’s arm squeezed me gently, allowing me to glance up at his handsome face to see a smile of adoration.
“Well, we haven’t kicked off Christmas just yet, angel,” he said, glancing over to Jim and then back to me. “Trust me, your holiday spirit is about to turn into something that the Hallmark Channel would be jealous of.”
“Well,” I said, smiling but feeling nagged about missing my kids and wishing they were experiencing all this.
“Well, what?” Avery asked.
“I don’t know. I didn’t want to say anything because I appreciate all this time alone with Jake and all of you. But—”
“You miss the children?” Jim spoke with a hint of humor.
“I just can’t help it.”
Jake chuckled. “You’re a perfect wife, and the best mother our kids could ask for, baby,” he said as we walked through the atrium, then turned me to face him. “And this is where your first Christmas wish comes true.”
As if this part was rehearsed, our kids, my dad, and stepmom appeared from a side door.
The rest of our friends who had followed us were filtering in around us, their kids bouncing down the stairs, but all that faded when I saw John and Kaley with my dad and Carmen.
“Merry Christmas, babe,” Avery said, holding onto her youngest daughter, Izzy, while their oldest daughter, Addy, gave Jim the biggest bear hug a daughter could offer her father. Jim had adopted Addy when she was five, and the amount of love and affection between them went as deep as their bond.
It was an enchanting, picture-perfect moment, and tears filled my eyes as I hugged my excited son and watched as Kaley leaped into her dad’s arms.
“You flew our family out for this?” I finally asked Avery as Carmen and Dad showered us with hugs.
“We did. Merry Christmas, everyone!” Jim announced as if he’d just saved Christmas for everyone across the world.
“Merry Christmas, indeed,” Jake said, clasping his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “This is amazing, man. I’ll give you that.”
Jim turned while all the kids joined up and ran off through a side door as if they owned the place. “So? All is forgiven, then?” he said, rocking back on his heels and sliding his hands into his trouser pockets.
Jake chuckled, and in true-to-form fashion, his daring expression reappeared.
“The best part,” Jake started while the group of friends gathered around, “is that you will never know, big brother, but I promise you this: you will find out.”
“Jake,” Nat interrupted, and she and Spencer joined us, “I think everyone should lay their differences aside and enjoy spending Christmas together in the most beautiful place—”
“Listen to you, Nat,” Collin said, joining where the group was forming to find out whether Collin and Jake were going to relax and enjoy Christmas or screw with all the people who had a hand in their previous discomfort.
“You never talk like this. One might believe you were prompted by your husband to encourage Jake and me to lay down our swords so all of you can sleep well every night we share this home.”
I eyed Laney, rolling her eyes at her husband’s taunts. If there were two people who knew our husbands would not let it end well, it was us.
“Ah,” Jake said, seeing the group of CEOs eye each other with concern, “no one thought about that, did they? Sharing the home with me and Collin after you screwed with us in a practically inhumane way?”
“Jakey, Jakey,” Alex said as his wife, Bree, chuckled at the men’s exchange, practically setting themselves up to go to war right here and now.
“Let’s all just relax and enjoy the holidays.
Bree and I are only here for the night. In the morning, we’re heading to Austria to meet with an architect, and then we’re going back home to the kids. ”
“Why are you two bailing out on this festive occasion? Austria is just a hop, skip, and a jump away?” Jake asked, a little bummed since all these guys were as close as brothers.
“We’ve been super fortunate to work with Lyle’s Architect Firm, and I’ve been working for months on my drawings, hoping we could merge on an exciting project, which includes restoring castles and ruins. If all goes well, our firm will be known overseas,” Bree excitedly answered.
“That’s wonderful, Bree,” I said. The woman had immense talent and skill when she was left to design and allow her passion for architecture to breathe through her.
That’s what was wonderful about her and Alex getting together.
He took over the executive part of the business she carried on for her father so she could focus on what she really loved like she had before her father passed away.
Getting this opportunity was a dream come true for my sweet friend.
“Yes,” Nat said. “My fabulous bestie has finally hit it big, and it’s about damn time the rest of the world gives her the recognition she deserves.”
“Well, I’m not that big, but I love the castles, and being a part of this project would be my dream. If things go well, we may have the twins flown out to us, and we’ll stay over here for the next month or so. It depends on how it shakes out,” Bree said, smiling at her husband.
Seeing everyone happy and in love was enough for me to call it Christmas and leave it here.
It would suck having Alex and Bree leave, but I knew we’d make the most of it.
I’d have loved it if all our friends could’ve come, but I also knew how difficult it could be to pull off such trips around the holidays.
Luckily, we usually managed to pull off some miracles and get together for New Year’s Eve, which was always a highlight for me, but I wished we could’ve all been together in this magical place this Christmas.
“Looks like you found an easy way to get out of the shit you started,” Jake said, pulling me out of my dreamy thoughts.
“Last I checked, I’m a brilliant man,” Alex said, offering a cocky grin.
“So, when I was afforded an opportunity to collaborate on a perfect prank against you two, knowing I would be leaving right after I got to watch you find out about it, I didn’t hesitate to be a part of it.
The icing on the cake is that it worked out perfectly for Bree to spend time with the ladies for a bit before we rush off to Austria. ”
“And it afforded you the opportunity to wonder now how we will nail your ass after you get back from the lovely country,” Collin said.
“Indeed,” Alex said, too confidently.
“Let’s go eat. I’m starved,” Jim said. “I had the chefs prepare various dishes I’m sure everyone will enjoy.
If we stay here and continue to talk, we’ll keep the wheels turning in Jake and Collin’s heads, and I’m not in the mood to deal with fake fire alarms every night until we leave,” Jim smirked at Jake and then turned to guide us through the area where our kids had disappeared through.
The grand table was spread with a bounty of food.
Candles were lit in their candelabras down the length of the long table, with silver chargers and crystal wine goblets at each place setting.
A side table held a gingerbread village that looked like it was assembled by a team for a baking competition, alongside tiers of cookies and cakes.
Big red ribbons and giant gold ball ornaments hung from the ceiling, and lights twinkled everywhere in the room.
“It looks like Jim called the White House holiday decorators and had this place turned into some magical Christmas land,” Collin said with a laugh.
The kids were playing a board game on the floor next to a fireplace in the corner of the grand dining hall next to a decorated Christmas tree, which had to have been twenty feet tall.
Everyone remained quiet and awestruck by the opulent, festive dining hall.
We were seated at the table while the staff filled our crystal wine glasses, and a different set of staff tended to our children.
I would’ve felt bad about not spending more time with them since we arrived, but they seemed to forget we existed, so I thought it best to let them enjoy themselves for now.
Jim stood and raised his glass while the wait staff stood against the wall, waiting for any requests.
“It is my greatest honor to be able—”
“That’s enough of that. You can sit,” Jake said, standing from where we sat at the table across from Jim and Avery.
“It is indeed an honor, and that is for sure,” he said, smiling at Avery, who we all knew was responsible for the idea of spending Christmas together like this.
“And you, Mrs. James Mitchell. You have indeed outdone yourself with all of this,” he glanced around the great hall. “I’m speechless about all this—”
“This glorious and beautiful holiday décor?” Collin said to help Jake.
“Ah, yes,” Jake said, smirking at Collin. “Thanks, man.”
“It’s nothing,” Collin dramatically answered. “The ego-death has brought out a more appreciative side of me, you know?”
“I do know,” Jake answered. “I feel it so deeply. All of this,” he looked back at Jim, silently studying his brother’s next move. “If it weren’t for my big brother, helping me to see life through a different—”
“Lense?” Collin finished Jake’s sentence while we remained silent, wanting to know where this would go.
“Lense, yes. It’s like my outlook on everything is entirely different now. I feel connected to the earth and, dear God.” He raised his hand, gesturing at the windows that spanned the walls behind where we sat. “Look at all of that. Majestic, inspiring, and so much more than I deserve.”
“Here! Here!” Collin added.
What the hell are they planning? I thought, knowing this wasn’t genuine. This was Jake getting ready to pull some crazy shit, and Collin knew what it was.
“All of that leads me to feel the Christmas spirit in a way I haven’t since I was a young boy.”
“The inner-boy thing?” Collin questioned Jake as if he didn’t know where my husband was going with this.
“Yes. It took a shit-ton of shit leaving my system to find that inner boy of mine,” Jake looked back at Jim.
“Well, get to it, then,” Jim challenged. “What does your inner boy want to say, Jacob?”
“That we must celebrate this holiday the right way,” Jake said.
“How the hell is this not the right way?” Spencer said while Nat continued to eye Jake skeptically.
“Simple. You know, while I was shitting in a hole I dug out in the woods,” Jake looked at every man who had a hand in pranking him, “I learned that life is so much simpler and much more enjoyable when you create the memories yourself. When you work to make Christmas, miracles happen.”
“I felt that, too,” Collin said. “I think it happened when I was hand-digging my shit hole,” he added so everyone would understand where he and Jake were coming from with this nonsense.
“All that said,” Jake turned back to the wait staff, “we appreciate you and all the work that went into this amazing spread. However, we won’t require your services any longer.
You are all free to leave, paid in full for the time you have been scheduled to work.
” He looked at Jim’s somber expression, “A Christmas present from the big man himself.”
“What are you doing?” Jim asked, bored with Jake’s gesture.
“I’m dismissing all the staff here to create a perfect Christmas for us men, who have been neglecting our beautiful wives and kids all year, to do everything ourselves.”
“You’re going to cook for everyone?” Jim said with an annoyed expression.
“No, my good brother,” he eyed every man sitting at the table, “We are going to cook and bake and cut down our own Christmas tree, then watch the children so the women can indulge in shopping for Christmas goodies,” he said in a silly tone and an excited shiver.
“All the stuff we’d naturally hire out, we’re doing ourselves. ”
“This is ridiculous,” Jim said.
“This is a fantastic idea,” Nat was the first lady to agree with Jake’s plans.
“There she is,” Collin cheered Nat, who was no longer on the side of the CEOs and was joining forces with Jake and Collin instead.
“It is a fantastic idea,” Avery added. “Jim’s an amazing cook, and he and Addy love baking together.”
“And I think it would be an awesome memory for John to have, cutting down a Christmas tree with you.” I smiled up at Jake, relieved that this was how he had chosen to get back at his brother and the rest of the men.
This could be fun.
“That’s fair,” Jim said. “Fine. We’ll dismiss the staff and entertain our wives and children just like Jakey suggests,” he agreed, but I could see the wheels spinning in Jim’s head.
“Then, it’s settled. Tomorrow, our spoiled asses will do everything ourselves until after Christmas day.”
“And this is your cute little way of retaliation?” Alex chuckled.
“I’m not retaliating,” Jake said. “I’m sharing a gentler, more peaceful way of viewing the holidays this year.
When you live three to four days in deep meditation, learning how to ground yourself, you learn that a life lived simply and without all the spoils and riches of material possessions is a life well lived. ”
“And you’ll find the sex much more remarkable, too,” Collin said. “Because in everything we’re about to do to share our holiday cheer, I’m confident Jim and Spencer will find their ego death. That, my friends, is where the amazing sex comes in,” he finished with a smirk to Jake.
“It’s a shame your handsome ass won’t be here to enjoy it,” Jake said, looking at Alex. “But once you see the better side of these bastards, you’ll be begging us to teach you what we learned on the meditation retreat you all signed us up for.”
“To the merriest Christmas of all,” Jim said, not the least bit intimidated by Jake’s unexpected announcement and takeover of the holidays.
“One that will make memories to last a lifetime,” Jake answered.