Travis and Trace take turns dancing around the kitchen and working on cookies. I haven’t had this much fun performing since that night on the picnic table. I wish they could tour with me all the time.
I continued to sing until it was time to set the table for Christmas dinner. Beau and I pulled the table out from the wall while the others worked on the food. Beau disappeared for a moment and reappeared with a beautiful Christmas tablecloth. It was white with hand embroidered holly running along the edges.
“Hey, you kept Mom’s favorite tablecloth.” Travis grins at Beau. “She did the handwork on it,” he adds to me. “She was always sewing stuff. Did you keep her dishes too?”
“Of course.” Beau motions to me to follow him toward the back of the house. When we get to his bedroom, he closes the door and pulls me to him. “The dishes are in one of the closets, but I really just wanted you alone for half a second.” He bends and kisses me. “Jesus, you taste like sugar cookie,” he whispers when he stands back up.
“Are you sure? Maybe you should check again.” This time, he doesn’t just kiss me, he picks me up and presses me against the wall of his bedroom. I wrap my legs around his waist as he trails kisses down my jaw, to my neck, and over my shoulder.
“Hey, guys,” Travis yells from the kitchen. “We really need the table set before the food gets cold.” Beau gives me a frustrated smirk when he stands back up straight. Slowly, he eases me to my feet.
“There’s something to be said for a quiet Christmas you know,” he says with a scowl.
“You don’t mean that. You love having your brother and Trace here,” I scold back. He opens a small closet door and starts filling my arms with dishes from one of the shelves. “These are wonderful.” The plates have Christmas trees on them.
“Mom inherited them from an aunt. She always loved them. I figured I’d hang onto them for Travis.” We carry them back down the hallway to the kitchen.
After laying all of the dishes and silverware out, I return to the closet for an assortment of candlesticks and candles. The fact that I have to find them using a lantern isn’t lost on me. It’s ridiculous. But at least the table looks nice.
“Food is coming in hot. Reacher, go lay down,” Travis says, setting the first dish on the table. Beau and I move out of the way as he and Trace move everything to the table.
I’m not sure how they produced so much food without electricity. I think there is more than I’ve ever seen before. Everything from a glazed ham to sweet potato casserole cover from one end of the table to the other.
“This looks amazing,” I say as Trace adds a basket of rolls. “I can already tell I’m going to eat way too much. My moaning later will be on your head.”
“Not Beau’s?” He smirks back. My face instantly catches fire. Blushing sucks. You can’t even deny anything when your face gives you away.
“Busted,” Travis says with a laugh. I sneak a glimpse of Beau. There’s a scowl on his face, but it’s just as red as mine. Yeah, we’ve been busted. I wait for Beau to start a rampage against his brother. Instead, he shrugs and picks up a piece of ham. “Really, nothing?”
“What do you want me to say?”
“This is just so not you. And it’s your turn to say grace. Put that ham down.” Beau sets his fork on his plate and takes my hand. I would think this is a wild declaration of us as a couple except he takes Trace’s hand across from him. Apparently, it’s a hand holding family.
His prayer is short, but gets the job done without being showy. I appreciate that. My father always went on way too long. It was like he was trying to get in every event for the last year in one rambling head-bowed speech. I’m not sure I’ve ever eaten a hot Thanksgiving dinner before.
“What’s the rest of your tour look like?” Trace asks me. Wow, this is the last thing I want to think about right now. But I would never say that. There’s nothing worse than someone who bitches about the amazing opportunities she’s been given.
“Tucson is next, then there are a couple in California. I have a small break, then it’s off to Charleston. I don’t remember afterthat. My label has me ping-ponging around for a while. I won’t see my place for a long time it seems,” I answer.
“When do you get time off?” Trace asks.
“Summer maybe?” I don’t really know. I’m still small potatoes in the music world. I go where and when they tell me. Don’t get me wrong. I love what I do. I just wish it wasn’t so much sometimes. “I’ll have a couple of weeks, then it’s into the studio.”
I’m actually excited to go to work on the next album. That tune I keep humming has been forming words in my mind. I can’t wait to put it down.
“That sounds exhausting,” Travis says.
“No more than law school, I imagine.”
“At least I don’t have to live out of a suitcase.”
“It’s not so bad. There are some musicians that thrive on it. They actually finish their tours in better shape than they were in when they started.”
“Like Beau. Can you image how old and fat he would get if he left here.” Travis grins when Beau throws his hands up in consternation. “Big ole beer gut.”
“He’d still be a stunner. A real man bear,” I point out.
“See,” Beau says, pointing his knife at his brother. “I’m not worried. I’ll just become a silver fox man bear.”
