One
Isaac
“Guys, we need toget this done,” Jack said as he shoved a box of ornaments at Tig, who looked at me like he’d been handed a crying baby. His dark brown eyes widened before he took the box and held it. Thanksgiving was done and dusted, and now we were getting ready for Christmas. Jack was running around the store worried about every little thing while Hudson grinned at him from the counter.
“We said we’d help, not redo the whole store. Tell me again why we need to move every display tonight?” I asked, because fucking Hudson wouldn’t say shit to Jack, and Tig was—well Tig. He didn’t like to cause trouble.
“Tomorrow is Black Friday, our first Black Friday, and I want to kick ass and show this town they don’t need to go all the way to Hartsville to decorate their fucking house,” Jack said, hands firmly planted on his hips and attitude to spare, like every other freaking day.
“So, what are we getting out of this?” I asked, still not convinced and clearly still working through the turkey coma I’d been in before Jack forced us both to help him.
“Respect? My respect. I mean fuck, Isaac, you know how important this is to me, I mean to us.” He shot a quick look at Hudson who continued to grin back at him.
“I’ll put on some coffee, and I may have stocked up on some pastries from the bakery,” Hudson finally said, and walked into the backroom. Tig gave him a damn look of longing like he was envious of the fact Hudson found a way out of dealing with Jack.
“What are you looking at?” I asked him as I looked between him and the backroom.
“An escape route?” he said before coughing and walking over to where Jack had told him to go.
“What the fuck did he say?” Jack whispered.
“What do you want me to do?” I asked because I was trying to support my friend, but I was also ready to be home and in bed with my boyfriend.
“Go pack up the Christmas lights, I want to put a big display at the front of the store by the tree. They’re going on sale so we can hopefully get rid of them all,” Jack said just as Hudson walked over to us carrying two cups of coffee.
“Here you go, now stop giving them such a hard time and help,” he said to Jack with a kiss. “I’m going to go get the pastries and bring them out here.”
“Need some help?” Tig asked and once again his eyes held far more hope than just escaping a little work. He was up to something. Something secret, and now it was officially my job to find out what the fuck that was.
“Sure, Tig,” Hudson said and Tig hurried to follow him.
“What are you getting Hudson for Christmas?” I asked as soon as Tig was out of sight.
Jack grinned; he was so good at the gift game while I was still trying to figure it out. “I got him a new recliner that is going to be delivered on Christmas Eve. Do not say a word,” he whispered and looked toward the backroom. “The one we have is shit and he likes to fall asleep in it.”
“Is that the only thing he does in the recliner?” I asked because I fucking knew Jack as well as he knew himself and knew for a fact he was more than happy to fuck on any piece of furniture that was handy.
“I might have broken the leg rest last week,” Jack said and cringed before smiling. “You know how it goes.”
“Oh, I know exactly how it goes with you, rough rider,” I whispered with my hand cupping my mouth, making him chortle.
“Shut the fuck up,” he said, and tried to sound serious but failed spectacularly. “What are you getting Tig?”
“I have no clue. He doesn’t need anything, and you know I pretty much suck at gifts.”
“You do not. You’re a great gift giver,” Jack lied.
“What have I given you that you loved?” I asked and folded my arms because I was starting to understand why Hudson did it so often. Frustration.
“Well. I know there’s something. Let me think.” He tapped his lip and looked at every fucking surface within his field of vision rather than meet my eyes.
“See? I suck. That’s why I don’t ever give my family gifts,” I said, and he knew it was true.
“Well how about if we change all that,” Tig said as he walked over and put his arm around me.
“I wasn’t—” My face warmed and I knew I was blushing, something I hadn’t done since I was a kid.
“It’s okay. We’ll pick out gifts for them together,” he said. I glanced at Jack who gave me the same look as that little blonde-haired girl on memes that was a mix between ew and what the fuck.
