“You haven’t decorated your tree yet?” Val pointed to the evergreen leaning in the corner, its branches still tied up with twine. “You do know Christmas is only three days away?”
Not only had I never bothered with any holiday for the most part, I certainly hadn’t decorated my apartment for Christmas. Why go to the trouble, when I’d had no one aside from Presley to buy presents for and certainly little to celebrate? Growing up in my house, Christmas was a time my parents would make halfhearted and ultimately futile attempts to pretend they cared about each other and me, with the end result usually being both of them drinking too much, then fighting, with plates smashed and ugly names flung. I’d retreat to my room and wish I could be anywhere else. When I was old enough to know better, I’d invite myself over to Presley’s house and spend the holidays with them.
The season of joy held anything but that for me.
This year was different.
This year I had a reason to celebrate. I finally had someone who taught me what love and giving meant, even if I did want to kill him for cutting my fun afternoon short. Punishment would be its own sweet reward.
“Considering the ridiculous number of packages that have been arriving here for the past month, I got the hint. But I’d rather cut my—”
Torre clamped a hand over my mouth. “There’s a child here,” he hissed in my ear.
I licked his palm. “What?” I stood wide-eyed and smiling. “I was going to say arm.”
“The hell you were,” Torre groused, and I poked him.
“Watch your mouth,bello. There’s an impressionable little girl here.”
He narrowed his eyes, but I gave him a sunny smile.
“Well, I’d better get going so we aren’t late.” She bent down to kiss Tina, who waited, wide-eyed and clutching a doll at her side. “Be a good girl for your uncles.”
“I will.” She plopped herself on the couch and swung her legs, and visions of sticky fingers and spilled juice all over my beautiful furniture made my stomach queasy. God, I needed a drink.
Val hugged me. “I know this isn’t your thing, so thank you. We had no choice, with Mike’s mom fighting a cold.”
“Don’t be silly. I’m not going to do anything but sit around and drink Negronis.”
“You’re impossible. But it’s why I love you.”
“I love you too,cicci.But Torre’s in charge of children’s play.” I kissed her cheek. “I handle the adult kind.”
She laughed in my face. “Yeah, right. This from the man who spent an hour in Mom’s kitchen teaching a six-year-old how to roll the perfect meatball.”
“A required skill of any truly great chef.” I had to admit it was sweet to have the little girl next to me on a step stool, attempting to imitate what I did. “At least someone listens and appreciates my skills and talent.”
“Somehow, I think Torre appreciates your talents. Hidden and otherwise.” Val winked at me, kissed Torre’s cheek, and blew out of the apartment, leaving us with a little human who stared at us with the same big brown eyes as her father and uncle.
Torre slipped his arm through mine. “We were going to decorate the tree tomorrow, but maybe Tina can help us, and we can do it now. It’ll make a fun afternoon project.”
“Ohhh yes, Uncle Torre, can we? Please?” Tina slid off the couch and jumped up and down.
Torre’s eyes twinkled at me. “It’s up to your Uncle Frisco, but I happen to know he’s a champion decorator.” He winked at me, and I had a flashback of the night I used his naked body as a canvas for my pastries and ate them off him, one by one.
“You are so going to owe me for this,” I murmured.
“Looking forward to it,” he responded and swung Tina into his arms. “Sure. We can even bake Christmas cookies. I know Uncle Frisco would love to do that too, right?”
“Oh, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m dying to bake cookies. Been on my bucket list for years. All the cookies.”
Tina giggled. “Uncle Frisco’s so funny.”
“Isn’t he sooo funny? He makes me laugh all the time.” Torre set her on the floor and helped her with her jacket.
I gave him a pained smile. He wouldn’t be laughing tonight when I got through with him. “How about we first take off your boots, so we don’t ruin Uncle Frisco’s incredibly expensive floors?”
Torre unzipped Tina’s boots and put them off to the side. “Would you like to see all the decorations we bought?”
