My niece jerks her head away from the crew adding finishing touches to the set—or what used to be Hearthstone Lodge’s main lobby. After yesterday'sDay in the Lifefocus at our new home, today is an homage to the family legacy which brought Lauren and I together, complete with a giant Christmas tree and a blazing fireplace decked with garland and stockings.
“Sure… I think Lauren is still upstairs getting ready, too.” Sara Beth takes my seat in front of the twins to continue feeding them their lunch.
Technically, she’s here to provide extra baby monitoring while Lauren and I talk with the Q Magazine journalist, but a behind-the-scenes look into what goes into a major magazine spread captured her attention from day one.
And Lauren and I haven’t wanted to quell that curiosity by forcing her to do more with the kids.
Now, though, it’s necessary.
Glancing at my watch, I calculate how much time we have before the lunch break is over. “We’ve got about twenty more minutes before things pick up again. Lauren and I will be back by then.”
“No worries. I’ve got this,” Sara Beth says with a grin, airplaning a tiny spoon into Ryan’s open mouth.
Satisfied that my children are in good hands, I hurry to the bank of elevators and head to the executive suite.
Voices sound from the living area the moment I step inside. Lauren is curled on an overstuffed chair in front of a view of the mountains, a terrycloth robe wrapped around her generous curves.
“It reminded me of that Hallmark movie you liked so much. The one with the musician in Vienna with Calder Mayfield as the lead.”
I recognize my sister, Kennedy’s, voice bursting through the speakerphone.
My brother-in-law, Wyatt, surprised her with an anniversary trip to Vienna to explore their holiday market, and it’s clear by her excitement that she’s loving every second of their vacation.
“It’s too bad you’re not there while they’re filming a movie. How cool would it be to actually meet one of the stars?” Lauren titters. “I’d totally fawn over Thatcher North.”
I frown at the admiration in her tone. My wife should only have eyes for me, not some Hollywood actor. Leaning over the back of the chair, my palm tips her chin up for a swift kiss.
“Forget North,” I grumble, “Your husband requires all your attention.”
Kennedy laughs in the background as Lauren smirks. “Jealous much?”
“Always when it comes to you.”
Lauren shakes her head at my Neanderthal ways, something that only seemed to emerge once I met her. “You’re ridiculous. You know you’re the only man for me.”
“Besides, just because we’re married, that doesn’t mean we can’t look. We’re not dead,” Kennedy pipes up.
Wyatt’s answering growl is immediately cut short as the video call ends. Guess my brother-in-law agrees with me when it comes to our women and their famous crushes.
“You're ridiculous,” Lauren says with a half-grin before sighing, her features dimming a bit.
“What's wrong? I'm only joking about North.”
“It's not that.” She waves a hand and moves towards the dress hanging on the back of the bathroom door.
“What is it then?” I ask.
“Just thinking about everything I have to do before Christmas. I'm glad we only have a few hours left with the Q Magazine people. Then, I can focus.”
“Babe, you don't need to stress about Christmas.”
“Of course, I do,” she says. “It's our first holiday in the new house and your entire family will be here. Heidi and Griffen are traveling from Montana. Wyatt and Kennedy will be back from Europe. It'll be a full house, and I want everything to be perfect.”
“When has anything in our family ever been perfect? You know we can be a messy bunch.”
Lauren shrugs.
I know my wife well enough to know she doesn't believe me.
