Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 22407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
“Yeah, I know, I’ve already checked all those places. Along with your vanity area. Your desk area. Your reading chair. And your dress-up trunk.”
“Character wardrobe.”
Not rolling my eyes is a Frosty come to life miracle.
“Have you checked their bathroom?” Wy suggests from his leaning position.
Excitement has me throwing my hands up in victory over the idea, spinning on my heels, and heading for the shared joint space. Once I’m there, I meet his gaze again. “Can you try to compromise with me?” Entering the area has the light automatically turning on. “Can Brie and Kellan bring their family to the states for Christmas?”
“No.”
“Wow,” leaves me on a sarcastic nod, “could you at least pretend to consider it?”
“They were here last year, remember?” He folds his arms firmly across his chest. “They try to come for Christmas every other year.”
“Right.” My attention moves into the wide pink and white space the girls share. “Can we go to Doctenn for New Years?”
“They’ve got some…Royal Family Ball…thing.”
“I can probably get us invited to that!” I call out while aimlessly searching the towel closet for the missing article of clothing. “Brie loves me-”
“And me!” Nae reminds. “And I’m always available to party with royalty. At Christmas or otherwise.”
Snickers shake my shoulders as I lower myself to a squat to move the investigation to the lower cabinets.
“You and Uncle J.T. would come to Doctenn with us for Christmas?!” my son excitedly inquires.
“Absolutely,” Nae retorts in tandem with me moving around bubble bath. “My brother and his fam are out of state for Christmas this year, plus the boys love the Doctenn mansion because it’s got a heated, indoor pool.”
“It’s not a mansion.” I pop my face back into the frame. “It’s a cottage.”
“Only in comparison to this place,” she sasses back.
“Sick!” He shouts back. “So, we can go!”
“Slow your carve, Fins…” Resuming my visual scouring occurs the instant I’m back to a standing position. “Dad is still unwilling to go, especially with the new reports about a potential snowstorm heading for that area.”
The fact he knows that’s a possibility is actually a good thing.
It means he’s seriously considered making his son’s Christmas wish come true.
Which is progress.
Major progress.
I just wish the weathermen would keep all the fear inducing language to themselves.
Like what if children are checking those reports?!
Do they really need to see Santa might get stuck in a fucking blizzard?
“Aha!” I shout out in triumphant upon spotting the bright red tights neatly folded in the pushed in, plush chair. “Found ‘em!” Snatching the object out of their hidey hole is followed by me lifting them high into the air. “I found them!”
“They weren’t lost,” Brae unexpectedly states from the doorway that leads to her bedroom, confusion completely caking her complexion.
“What do you mean they weren’t lost?” My head tilts to one side, straightened hair lightly swaying. “Did you know where they were this whole time?!”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah?!” Additional frustration soars up my spine. “What do you mean yeah?!”
“Yeah.” Her innocent shrug causes my eye to twitch. “Somehow they fell onto the floor, and Board decided he needed to guard them by laying on them, and so then I found them, and took them to Cass to get cleaned because Blake can’t wear tights covered in doghair when she’s the star of the show.”
“Aw…” her sister lovingly swoons from the other room.
“And you didn’t think to maybe…mention that sooner?”
“You didn’t ask.”
I lower my mouth to snap once more yet can’t.
Because unfortunately…she has a valid point.
I didn’t think to ask her.
And I really should’ve.
They always seem to have each other’s back like a superhero and a sidekick, although they definitely take turns on which one is which.
I love that they’re so supportive.
So united.
“But I did ask,” Wy grouses, pulling my focus in the opposite direction, back to where he’s seething in his sister’s room. “I asked to go to Doctenn for Christmas. I asked everyone in our immediate family would they be willing to go. I asked Park could we make security work. I asked you to convince Dad that we could go.” He shakes his head prior to glaring. “What’s the point in asking when it’s clear you really don’t wanna help, anyway?”
Rather than wait for a reply, he stomps off, leaving me with dismay and defeat resting comfortably on my shoulders.
Welp.
Ba-hum-fuck.
Chapter 6
Brynley
Fine.
I’ll confess this, but only for the captain’s log.
Do I enjoy having almost our entire estate look magazine decorated ready from the day after Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day?
Yeah.
Do I enjoy the fact that I myself have to put up and take down none of those decorations?
Fuck yeah.
Do I love that Wes has a holiday tradition started by his own father – and godfather – of saving one space in our home for kid-led decorating only?
More than anything else at this time of year.
It’s one of the rare cases where “Mr. Always My Way” offers his gold shirt to our children.