I shake my head. “Yeah, well, my aunt converted when she met her husband. She had one of those crazy mothers-in-law who taught her to cook and traditions. It has equated to my aunt acting batshit crazy on holidays that involve food, alcohol, and games. That basically describes every Jewish holiday on the calendar. News flash, there are a lot of holidays. Then it was discovered when someone in the family did one of those genealogy test things that apparently our grandmother’s second cousin of another cousin, I lost track who, is Jewish on our side of the family, and imagine how that upped my aunt’s crazy.”
Lainey shrugs. “I get it. Gracie has a similar background. Her mom is Jewish and dad not. But just order a menorah online. It will probably get here by tomorrow. The big store off the highway is sold out. They were next to the Hanukkah gift bags that were squeezed between Kwanzaa and the snowmen-themed decorations. I had to look for school, we needed a few supplies.”
My fingers comb through my hair. “And a fucking tree?What should I do about that? I will get the third degree if it isn’t a real tree. My parents are all about aesthetic and visuals since that’s their career.”
She squares my shoulders to her. “No biggie. You are off now, and they arrive, what? Tomorrow night?” I nod. “You have plenty of time to get a tree. I know where.”
“Then what?” My voice rises an octave.
“You need to decorate,” she deadpans and looks at me as if I’m a moron.
My response is to sigh heavily. The smile painted on her lips is a tad comforting.
“I have to pick up Enzo, but we can go with you. It might go faster because I have a strange feeling that you don’t know what you are looking for.” Her face screws up.
“No shit.”
Her smile wobbles because she wants to laugh again, I know she does. “You can do this.” Excitement begins to spread all over her face. “It’s been fun.” She points between us. “But I’ve gotta run. I fucked like crazy last night and now I need to help the guy find a tree. What a random hookup experience.”
All I manage is a few scratchy sounds that escape from my throat when she winks at me before skipping away, giving me zero chance to tell her to stop and let us have sex to cure my distraught state.
CHAPTER 12
TYLER
My head tilts in different angles as I stare skeptically at the tree that Enzo shows me at Olive Owl, a winery a few towns over owned by the Blisswood family.
I review the tree under the afternoon daylight. “I mean, it has bones.” Which equates to missing a lot of branches.
Lainey elbows my arm as she stands by my side. “Fewer pine needles on the floor,” she points out positively.
“It’s a little colorful,” I add. That equates to brown.
“It’ll match your light choices.”
“What would that be?” I’m clueless.
She playfully swats my shoulder. “White, silly. It’s classic.”
“It’s the right height.” One thing that’s true. It’s taller than me.
“How are we going to get this tree home?” Enzo continues to look at his tree choice, and I don’t have the heart to tell him that he needs to improve on this skill.
“Luckily, I have a state-of-the-art car and a roof that is suitable to drive this baby home.”
Enzo snickers. “If you say so. It’s cold. Can we get hot apple cider while we’re here?”
Lainey leans down and rewraps the scarf around his neck. “Depends if Scrooge here will allow us a break. He has a long list of things to do, so he’s working us to the bone.”
“Boney like the tree,” I quip to myself. Lainey spears me with her gaze. She wants me to be a little more positive today. Smile a little more too. “Yeah, of course, cider is on me.”
“And the cookies shaped like trees?” Enzo adds to his list.
“Yes.”
His toothy grin causes a crack of a smile on my face. “I’ll pay for the tree and have someone help me with my car. Will you get me an eggnog?”
Lainey’s eyes grow to saucers because she’s surprised by my choice of a holiday-themed drink.
