“Yeah, you might be right,” he said and pulled me in for a kiss.
“Oh, I know I’m right,” I said while messing with the water in the shower. “But I’m also the luckiest guy in Foggy Basin to know you.” I turned to him then and held out my hand. Without hesitation he took it, because neither one of us had any doubt left about who we were always going to end up with.
Nine
Isaac
It was finally here,tomorrow was Christmas Eve and after weeks of stressing out about what gift to get Tig I finally gave up and got him a few and hoped one would be his favorite. “Did you say you and Tig were donating some hot food for the dinner at the firehouse tomorrow?” Jack asked as I dropped off the bag of food items we’d bought to donate.
“Yes, we’re making a big batch of chili. Tig said he remembered when they lived here, they always had chili during the holidays. It’s easy enough so that’s all I really care about. I still have a few presents to wrap and tonight we’re going to drop off gifts for my family,” I said and tried not to worry about how grownup that sounded. I was an adult, but I wasn’t sure I was grownup yet, or that I ever would be.
“We’re staying home tonight, then we’ll go drop off presents to Jonah and Addie. I think they mentioned tamales or something. Then Christmas Eve we like to spend with just the two of us,” Jack said, and got that far off look in his eyes that he always got when he was talking about Hudson. Where before it annoyed me, now . . . I got it.
“Well, I’d better get going so I can get everything ready to take to Mom and Dad later.” I hadn’t given them gifts since I was a little kid, and those were all homemade and added to the pile they had from my siblings. But this year I had a great job, and I was in love. So, we bought them both gifts. A new fishing pole for Dad and a gift card for a spa day for Mom because if anyone needed to be pampered all day, it was her. And of course, some sweaters for the chickens because Tig had found them online.
“Wasn’t Tig’s sister coming for Christmas?” Jack asked.
“Yeah, but apparently, she met someone and is spending the holiday with him in Mexico. I didn’t ask for details, but Tig wasn’t shocked.”
“I wish I could spend Christmas in Mexico,” Jack said.
“What’s stopping you? I’m sure Hudson would love it.” Last year the two of them had gone to Australia and Jack talked about it for at least three months afterward. He was so excited to see everything new and different, and if I was being honest, it made me want to travel too. But not yet. I had a few things to work out in Foggy Basin before I had time for that.
After getting the details from Jack for the Christmas party I walked out of the store. Mr. Atkins was in his usual chair and waved to me as he slowly rocked. “What are you doing for Christmas?” I asked.
“Well first I’m going to the community dinner at the firehall and both helping and eating. Then Christmas Day I’ve had a few offers, but I haven’t decided where I’ll go yet,” he said with a chuckle.
“Damn, you’re popular. I was worried you’d be sitting home all alone,” I admitted.
“Nope, plenty to do and not enough time to do it I’m afraid,” he said and went back to rocking. He’d wormed his way into all of our lives to the point I couldn’t find it in me to annoyed with him anymore, and truth be told he’d forced me to talk to Tig when it was the last fucking thing I’d wanted to do. I guess I did owe him for that.
I opened an app on my phone and placed another gift order just as I was walking up to my house. “Isaac?” Tig yelled from inside.
“Yeah,” I shouted back, and dug in my pocket for my key when I found the door locked.
“Don’t come in yet,” he yelled. I put my ear to the door and could hear paper crinkling and something being dragged along the floor and a door being slammed. “Okay, sorry, baby.” He leaned out the door and pulled me in by my shirt.
“Were you busy?” I asked because hell yes, he was busy doing secret shit. He was also sweating like he was afraid of being caught doing something naughty.
“Yeah,” he said with a stress induced cough. “I was just in the bathroom.”
“Okay. Well, I have a few gifts I need to wrap. I told Mom we’d be there around four,” I said and forced myself not to look around too much. “Are you done wrapping?”
“That sounds good. I have most of it done,” he said and looked everywhere but at me.
“Okay, we’ll I’m going to shower and then finish wrapping,” I said and hurried into the bathroom. I’d just showered a few hours ago, but Tig obviously needed some time to get his shit together. So hopefully this helped.Look at me being nice instead of an asshole.Mom always said Tig was good for me, and I guess she was right.
I washed myself three times and hoped I’d killed enough time he’d be finished when I walked out. After turning off the water, I made as much noise as was humanly possible, so he’d know I was done. I stood in the closet for a full five minutes deciding which pair of jeans I should wear then I wanted to slap myself for being so ridiculous.
“Babe, you can come out now,” Tig yelled confirming what I knew, that he was well aware of my efforts.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I said as I walked out and ignored it when he rolled his eyes. “I’m going to wrap the gifts for my parents and if you want, we can go early.”
“Would they mind?” he asked.
“Not at all. Just be warned, it’s going to be a madhouse there with all the kids home.”
“Oh, I fully expect chaos,” he said, but he wasn’t worried, he was excited.
