“Greetings,” Novis called from the doorway. He was dragging a red sack behind him that looked stuffed with presents. His black hair was more disheveled than usual, probably from carrying one of the kids and them messing it up.
Sunny wandered around the table and began filling a plate.
“That’s quite a bounty,” I remarked, greeting Novis with a smile. He wasn’t a huggy-kissy kind of guy, and aside from that, he was my boss.
He bowed politely. “We also brought gifts for Rose. Nothing extravagant. I wouldn’t want to offend Justus. Sunny wanted to leave some of the gifts behind and open them later so it wouldn’t be so many, but I think she was just on the wrong bed when she woke up.”
“I think you mean she woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Here, I’ll put them under the tree. Make yourself a plate and sit down. There’s a pot of coffee on the buffet table, and Levi brought down a microwave in case anyone wants cocoa.”
I dragged the sack over to the tree and leaned it against the wall. No sense in pulling all the gifts out and torturing the kids since we weren’t going to open them until later.
Knox squeezed the green stocking with his name on it.
I took his hand. “Honey, you’re going to squish all your candy. Let’s save the surprises for later.”
He took off like an airplane toward the table. Zoë approached the tree and touched a shiny ornament shaped like a cheetah.
That was when my eyes dragged upward and I noticed the Grinch’s sneering face on top. I erupted with laughter. Simon must have bought that as a joke, but I doubted Justus found any humor in it. We all loved Justus and knew he had a heart made from sugar cookies, but it just happened to be buried beneath more than two hundred pounds of grouch.
After my laughter died, I noticed Adam asleep on the sofa. His shirt was wrinkled, and one foot was on the floor.
I sat down beside him and patted his leg. “Wake up, Raze.”
He peered at me with one eye. “Can’t you see I’m sleeping, woman?”
“We took the TV out of here for a reason. You’re just going to have to be social today.”
I looked at his scars, which were more pronounced with all the shadows and dancing firelight. I was glad he’d stopped trying to grow a beard to cover them up. In the Breed world, some immortals viewed scars as a sign of weakness, but I saw them as a testament to Adam’s bravery. Lives were saved because he’d ignored his own injuries in order to help others.
“You can go to Lucian’s house and wash up. Breakfast is optional, but they made a casserole and a pot of coffee. And Adam? Thanks again for the flowers.”
Adam sat up and stretched for a minute before he sleepily looked at me. “Merry Christmas, Silver.”
We shared a look only old friends know about, the kind that makes you remember a different time when you were younger. Our lives had changed so dramatically since the night he rescued me. I thought about the man who’d looked after me like a protector even though we were strangers. Adam was a good-hearted man, and despite everything he’d been through between the accident and losing his best friend, he still remained a loyal, steadfast friend.
I gave him a hug and then pinched his chin. “You need a shave.”
“So I hear. Where’s your cat?”
“Max is banished from the party. I thought about bringing him down here, but he’s liable to climb that tree and tear down the Grinch.”
Adam chuckled and glanced over his shoulder as more people trickled into the room. After grabbing his backpack, he made a quick exit.
I scooted to the edge of the couch so Logan could sit to my right. The couches quickly filled, but Justus, Page, Sunny, and Novis all took the chairs by the tree, each with a plate of food in hand. Levi sat on the rug before me, one knee bent and a wide grin on his face while he watched the kids clapping their hands and squealing with anticipation. Uncle Levi was a favorite with the youngsters, and I had a feeling he might have hidden a few gifts of his own under the tree.
Leo strode in, the eldest of the Cross brothers. He bowed in greeting to all and sat on the far right sofa. “How is everyone this morning?”
“Wiped out,” I said. “There’s plenty of food coming, so don’t fill up on breakfast.”
He smiled with his eyes and stroked his reddish beard that looked more like an overgrown five-o’clock shadow. “You needn’t worry about that. Not where the Cross brothers are concerned.”
“Amen,” Levi said. “My appetite runs twenty-four seven. Hey, Lo, you want a third helping?”
I glared at Logan. “Third?”
He looked at the empty plate on his lap. “Levi is mistaken.”
“You’re a terrible liar.” I peered over the back of the couch and did a head count. “Where’s Simon?”
