A Stag Family Christmas (Stag Brothers Book 4) by Lainey Davis

Author:Lainey Davis [Davis, Lainey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-11-08T18:00:00+00:00

13

TIM

I never thought I’d enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. For so many years, it was just my brothers and my grandmother and me trying to figure out some stovetop stuffing and a frozen turkey breast. Hell, most years I barely took off work.

Today, my wife has been in the kitchen since dawn with a spreadsheet, an entire rope of garlic, and a Bing Crosby marathon on the stereo. Petey and I have been vacuuming and setting out extra chairs, since Alice’s whole family is walking over in addition to my brothers and their growing families.

“Is dere juice, Daddy?” Petey looks out at me from under the dining room table.

“We have a whole case of juice boxes, kiddo,” I tell him. “Want to help me get them from the garage?” He nods and we walk to the kitchen door, which is frosted over. It’s been incredibly cold for November, even though Thanksgiving comes late this year. “Better grab a coat before we head out there, Petey,” I tell him, holding out the bright red fleece that apparently used to be mine when I was little. My grandma found a box of kid clothes squirreled away in the attic when we renovated. My mom had bought really nice stuff, intending it to last through 3 kids. I smile thinking how pleased she’d be to know that her grandson is learning to work a zipper in the same coat.

I look over at Alice, sweating in a tank top with her hair tied on top of her head. Her Stag tattoo has healed by now, standing out fierce and black on her shoulder blade against her creamy skin. I still think it looks sexy as hell. She catches me staring and smiles. I cough, adjusting my pants, remembering that our son is waiting for me to grab the juice and any minute now, our house will be filled with very loud, very opinionated relatives.

As if I conjured them, they start pouring in just as Petey and I get back inside with the juice boxes. The Petersons—Alice’s extended family—all live a few blocks away, and they showed up en masse. Amy grabs an apron and starts helping Alice make side dishes while Amy’s kids fight over who gets to baste the turkey first.

I’m about to yell at them when the front door opens and I see that it’s Emma’s friend Nicole. “Hey,” I tell her as she strides inside like she owns the place. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“I knew,” Alice yells from inside the oven, and Nicole rolls her eyes. She thrusts a bottle of wine into my hands.

“I work all the time and my family is too uptight,” she says. “Emma says I could horn in on some Stag madness without anyone getting judgmental.”

I chuckle at the thought of my family in the position to judge anyone else. “You’ll be trading a lack of judgment for everyone getting up in your business,” I tell her. “This bunch never knows how to butt out.”

Nicole laughs and pulls up a stool at the bar.

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