“So what’s up with this present business? All this rushing and yet there’s no rustling of papers and oohs followed by aahs,” I ask. We had little to no patience for our gifts growing up and it led to some pretty bad behavior on Lara’s part. I was the angel out of the two of us even though she looks like the sweet as pie one.
“You heard your uncle—pass out the first gifts, buddy.” Landon holds Lara in his arms as they sit on the large sofa together. I join the boys on the floor. I don’t get to see them often, so they tend to give me a little more time with them. It also gives them a little reprieve from parent duties. We’re supposed to have a snowball fight later, so I get to be the troublemaker uncle while Lara and Landon get a few minutes of alone time.
My flight leaves tomorrow, and I’m soaking up all these moments with my nephews. I spend time with Greyson and Connor, John’s boys, but these guys I see twice a year.
“Here. This is for you, Uncle.”
“What’s this?”
“I think that’s the point of Christmas. Tear up that paper,” Lara says, rolling her eyes.
I rip it open and smile while I swallow the lump in my throat. It’s the last picture with me and my mother before she died. I run my fingers over the framed image. My mother got dolled up after one of the girls in town came down with my mother’s nurse, and then we had a great dinner. They took pictures of us, but I’d been too sad to look at them. There’s another with all of us as well, but this means so much to me.
“Lara, this is perfect.” I wipe the tears that fall from my eyes. I give her a hug, then excuse myself for a minute and head back to the guest bedroom. My mother was so animated and demanded that I find the love of my life and make Reynold’s Ranch a home again. “One day, Momma. One day.”
I kiss the picture and place it on my nightstand in the room, then head back to the family. They waited for me, I guess. “I’m back. You could have continued without me.”
“Mommy had to tinkle.” Landon gives me a look that says it all.
“Oh.” She came back, and I could see that she had fresh tears.
“Enough of this, you two. The pictures are going to be total shit if you keep it up,” Landon reminds us. Lara will be pissed later if she looks a total mess in them.
A memory hits me that still embarrasses Lara. “It will be like that time you hit me in the head with your barbie house because you didn’t get the toy you wanted. I had stitches and had been crying.”
“Oh goodness. Dad spanked me good for that one. We spent the day in the ER. It was an interesting Christmas.”
“Yep. You better watch out for that little one.” I point toward Brandon, who has a twisted intent look on his face like he’s up to no good. I see him swipe another cookie off the tray on the table.
“Luckily we have plenty of bail money,” Landon says, handing his wife a present.
“Hey, I was only picked up once. And they let me go as long as I promised to be on my best behavior.”
“Oh Lord. I’m in trouble,” Landon teases, running his hand down his face. When he pulls it away, my sister’s staring up at him and I already know what’s going to happen next. A low guttural sound comes from him before he kisses her.
“Okay, boys. Let’s open the gifts before they get carried away.” We spend the next hour opening gifts, laughing, and taking pictures. It’s a great Christmas despite missing our parents with us.
****
I’m spending my last morning with my family before heading out. The boys are playing with all their toys while us adults are talking around the table. Just then, my phone’s notification goes off. It’s not a usual text message. It’s the notification of my security system which takes me by surprise. I open up the app and watch the video while Landon and Lara continue chatting.
“What the fuck?” I growl. “I think my stalker is in my bedroom.” I really need better damn security.
“I thought she moved on by now,” Lara says.
“I thought she did too, but who the hell else would be in my room?” Zooming in on the footage, I get a better look at my stalker.
She’s a petite blonde, slender but with killer curves in all the right places, and she’s walking around my bedroom with purpose that takes me by surprise. As I watch I’m unsettled by the stirring in my gut and further south. She brings in my blankets and sheets and removes the old ones, then begins making the bed. I can’t help but keep my eyes glued to my phone and this woman’s ass as she stretches across the bed to add the fitted sheet. It’s pretty hard on a California King mattress, but after two tries she gets it.