“It’s your face. You get this happy, content smile.”
“Sorry. I can’t turn it off even if I wanted to.” The curse of a writer’s head. It never stopped and always made us look at things just a little differently than the average person. I imagined it was something like Blakes’s head, but I saw the beauty where he saw the flaws.
“Don’t be sorry. It’s kind of sexy.”
“Oh, yeah?” I beamed up at him.
“Don’t look at me like that.” He leaned down and quickly kissed my lips. “After this morning, I can barely keep my hands off of you.”
“What about this one?” G broke up our dirty play, and I hurried over to see what he had chosen.
“Seriously?”
“What?”
“This makes Charlie Brown’s tree look positively bushy.”
“Bushy?” He quirked an eye at my comment.
“I was hoping maybe we could pick one that would actually hold up an ornament. Not one that could possibly burst into flames the moment we put a light on it.”
“Fine.” He pronounced the word slowly. “What about that one?” He pointed to another sick- looking tree.
“That alley-cat looking tree?”
“Every year, Spence, every year we go around and around until you spot your perfect tree. And every year, I bet money that it will be one of the very first trees you saw when we came in.”
“It’s not my fault. I want the perfect tree.”
“Good luck.” G smacked Blake on the shoulder as I scowled at both of them.
I opened my mouth to make a scathing retort as my phone caught my attention. I held it up and removed myself momentarily from our annual bickering. I really enjoyed all the fun and games over the tree selection with Uncle G. Of course, I knew he was right. I usually spotted the one I wanted almost right away, but where was the fun in that? I dragged the whole experience out because it was so much fun stressing out my uncle over it, especially because I knew he truly enjoyed it, too.
“Hey, Jaci.” I giggled into the phone. “What’s up?”
“First, I wanted to know why you didn’t return my call last night.”
“Sorry, but Blake came home early, and, well, I came shortly after that.” I laughed so hard I hiccupped into the phone.
“Nice,” she drawled sarcastically. “Also, I hate your love life.”
“Mm, I know.”
“Whatever, I’ll just live vicariously through your books.”
“Atta girl.” I shot Blake a dirty smile.
“Second, I’m officially inviting myself to Christmas Eve dinner.”
“Great.” I rolled my eyes. My best friend was a trip.
“I switched my shifts. Now I’m working New Year’s but have both Christmas Eve and Day off. Theboyfriendwas supposed to do the same, but somehow, he managed to be working the opposite shifts, and I will not be left alone like a sad, pathetic loser, so I’m coming to party with you.”
“Well, when you say it like that, sure.” My phone buzzed, and I saw it was Aunt Lisa calling. “Jaci, can you hold on for a moment?”
“Yup.”
“Hey, Lisa. Will you be joining us soon?”
