“Thanks. We’re still having Christmas dinner at my house?” Nicky asked. Had they changed their minds with Nicky being gone? Maybe they’d made other plans?
“We’ll come over Christmas Eve and spend the night,” Jude confirmed.
“Two nights.” Nicky held up two fingers. “Remember?” He relaxed as it didn’t seem the plans had changed due to his absence.
“We remember,” Liam said. “We have to set cookies and milk out for Santa too.”
“Oh! I invited Freddie to spend Christmas day with us,” Nicky told them. “With him ousting his father from the business and all the changes we made, he’s pretty much on his own. No one in his family is currently speaking to him.”
“The more the merrier,” Jude agreed. “And Angelo will be there around noon.”
“At least I didn’t screw up and forget to order the catering,” Nicky said. That was just one of the many things that he needed to double-check on.
“Hey!” Liam slammed his hand down on the table. “You didn’t screw up anything!”
Nicky winced. He hated getting down on himself. He shook his head. “You’re right. The office is closed for the next two weeks except for a few calls that might come in. I have plenty of time to decorate, buy and wrap the gifts, and make sure Christmas is perfect.” It was his first year hosting. Nicky was going to make it the best Christmas ever.
“It’ll be perfect because we’ll all be together,” Jude said. “Do not stress yourself out over this.”
Stress? Him? Yeah, he was totally going to stress but Christmas had to be perfect. They were starting a new tradition. One that Nicky hoped would continue year after year. “Us three, Law, Angelo, Josh, and now Freddie,” Nicky ticked the names off on his fingers. He wanted to make sure there would be plenty of food.
“We should invite the chef!” Liam said suddenly. “He’s new to town. What if he’s all alone?”
“And I suppose you got his number last night?” Nicky asked.
“Of course!” Liam grinned.
“Okay,” Nicky agreed. Like he would ever complain about adding another friend. And his house was big enough to hold them all and their Christmas celebration. “I better get home and finish my planning.”
Liam glanced from Nicky to Jude and back. “Yeah, you do that.”
There was something mischievous in his bestie’s eyes.
“What?” Nicky asked. He didn’t trust that look at all. Not that he really had the time to question Liam when there were a thousand things to do.
“Nothing.” Liam grinned. “Nothing at all.”
Nicky looked over at Jude. “Your boy is a pain in the ass.”
Jude snorted. “I wonder where he gets it from? He’s much better behaved when it’s just us.”
“I don’t believe that for a second,” Nicky argued. “You just let him get away with more.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” Jude allowed.
Nicky giggled. He was already feeling much better with visions of sugarplums, garland, and candy canes in his head. It was time to be the Christmas elf he was meant to be.
* * * * *
Law
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
Liam huffed as he carried his bags up the stairs. “He knows we’re here. I had to put the code in the gate, and it alerted him.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” Law said. He hefted the box to his other arm. “He might want to be alone.”
“Who wants to be alone?” Liam argued. “And he was alone. Now he’s back and we have to make sure that all his twinkling dreams come true.”
