I laughed.
Malinda and David came over for the day. Everyone had to be in Christmas pajamas all day long. Maddie and the twins would get to unwrap the gifts from the grandparents, and Helen had dropped hers off this morning. James too, but both weren’t here for the festivities. The Christmas Eve tradition was snacks all day long. The kids had a movie marathon, all Christmas movies, and dinner was a buffet. Sometimes it was catered. Sometimes everyone pitched in and brought a dish.
The kids loved it.
Then it was gifts.
If Christmas were in Boston, there’d be a snow fight during the day. Sledding. Ice skating.
We were here, so the palm trees in the back got multi-colored lights on them.
Tomorrow was similar, except Nate and I would hit the golf course though we both sucked at it.
The girls liked to go on walks together.
We’d watch Mason’s game and then Matteo’s game because it was scheduled for the evening. After that, there’d be more food and drinks, laughs. Monday was the big day. Everyone was coming over.
I had a surprise in store for Taylor too. It’d be arriving when Mason flew in.
But because it was today and I was still hugging my sister, I clasped her to me once more. “Love you, Sam.”
“Indulge me a bit.” Her smile turned soft, and she held up a finger. “Threesome fearsome.”
I barked out a laugh, entwining my fingers around hers. “#Alwaysandneverforgetit.”
36
Christmas Day
Mason’s team lost.
Matteo’s team won.
Samantha got drunk and tried to act out her version of Cobra Kai.
37
Kade Christmas
Mason
It was hellish early in the morning when I arrived.
“We’ll walk your dogs for you, sir.” The flight attendant gave me a brief nod and smile as I started to depart. The other attendant was staying with me, but I nodded back. “I appreciate that. Just make sure to bring them back.”
She gave me a funny look, but she’d find out. Or no. I hoped she didn’t.
I didn’t correct her about the ‘my dogs’ part. They were Logan’s dogs. I was bringing them with me as a surprise for Taylor, but my brother owed me. These dogs. They were insane.
Matty wouldn’t leave the car when we got to the airport, not because he was scared but because he wanted to keep going on a car ride. The dog was a freak about car rides. And Natty insisted on licking everyone. This dog was an escape artist. He kept getting out of his collar and running around to anyone in the area to greet them. A kiss. Lick. Tail wagging, and he’d go on to the next one. I tried with a harness, and he slipped that too.
Fucking needed to set up a camera on him. Of course, that’d get millions of views, but then I resorted to a harness, a collar, and I wrapped a leash just to connect the two. But I wasn’t chancing anything. I kept a firm hold on his leash the whole time, only letting up once we were in the air, and I knew there was no way he could figure out his way to the cockpit to say hi to the pilot.
I was leaving the plane with my bag when an SUV pulled in. Matteo was at the wheel, and he parked, getting out to come over and grab some of my stuff.
“Hey, man.” He threw me a grin, putting the kids’ bags in the back.
“Hey! It’s good to see you.” We hugged each other. Matteo and I didn’t get to see each other that often. His schedule kept him busy, and the same was for me. The off-season was our only free time, and that filled up real quick too. Family events like this were always worth losing any sleep.
I’d missed the guy. “Grace is coming?”
He got quiet before shaking his head. “She got a job promotion, so she’s taking it. It’s in London.”
“Oh, man.”
“We ended it, and she’s dating someone else.”
“She’s over there already?”
“Went early to get set up. She’s staying with a friend.”
“Sam never said anything. I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “It’s… whatever. I don’t think she told anyone, just packed up and went.”
He looked away, and I was taking that as a clue that he didn’t want to talk about it anymore.
I put Sam’s items in, then stuffed my bag in at the end.
“Mr. Kade, sir.” The other attendant was coming down from the plane, all the things I needed for the dogs. I took the items, saying, “Thank you for everything.”
“Thank you, sir. Thank you for flying with Elite Lines.”
Matteo and I had worked it out before our games. We were both working on Christmas day. He had plans with his family after his game. I needed to fly in, so we decided on a good time. The plan was to show up hella fucking early, and since he was driving, he offered to pick me up.
“Dude. You're carrying dog food and a roll of poop bags.” He looked around. “There’s no dog here.”
I flicked him off. “Too early for your smart shit.” I nodded toward the attendant who was bringing Matty and Natty back with her. “That one dog is a lunatic.”
Even now, Natty was twisting around, raising his front legs and doing a body twitch. He looked like he was learning some new dance, but nope. He was trying to get out of the harness/leash combination.
Matteo burst out laughing. “You’re a brave guy. You traveled with both of them.”
I was eyeing Natty, seeing he got the collar off. It was hanging and dragging next to the harness, but Natty was doing a whole head twitch, and he was trying to flip his body around.
I swore as I went forward to grab him before he got loose. “I need a padlock on this dog.”
The attendant had no idea how to handle him either. That was obvious. She didn’t notice me approaching. Natty was on the ground, rolling around, and he had one of the harness legs off him. Her mouth was open, and she was trying to pull on the leash. “Come on. Don’t do that. Oh, dear.”
She started to reach down, but I got there first. “I got him.”
Her head jerked around, flustered. “Oh. Thank you. I mean,” she grimaced. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.”
I took both leashes, and she hurried back to the plane.
Matty saw the SUV and Matteo, both of his favorites, so I let his leash go. He took off like a bullet.
Natty had paused, back on the ground, two legs extended out and his other front two paws up and twisted. He had crazy eyes, but he was watching me, his tongue hanging off to the side of his mouth.
I knelt, putting the harness back on him. Snapping my fingers, “Up.”
He stood up, panting, and I knelt to pull the leg through his loop. He kissed me, running his tongue up my face from chin to forehead. He panted and did it again.
I grunted, “Lunatic.” I stood, holding the leash. “Should’ve been named Loony.”
He had no comment.
Matteo was shaking his head, laughing as I walked back with Natty.
The back door was open, and Matty was sitting perfectly, right behind the front passenger seat.
“His dogs are nuts.”