The corner of Jensen’s mouth twitches. “All right, enough with the mush. Cheers to you all!”
Everyone holds up their glass and repeats, “Cheers!”
We dig into the dinner. It’s way more delicious than I would ever expect from these guys. I end up eating more than I should.
At one point, I reach for my phone because I want to snap a pic of the chargrilled turkey before it’s gone, but realize it’s not in my pocket.
“Shoot,” I murmur.
“What is it, Star?” Carson asks, looking at me with a frown.
“Oh, nothing.” I wave my hand dismissively. “I just wanted my phone, but I think I left it in the living room.”
“I’ll go get it for you.”
I give him an appreciative smile but shake my head. “You don’t have to do that, it’s really no big deal…”
He’s already standing, and grins down at me. “I’ll be right back.”
My heart flutters a bit—it always does at his thoughtfulness—and I nod. “Okay. Thanks.”
He leaves the table and disappears from sight, and I turn back to my food, thinking nothing of it.
A sudden crash shocks me so badly, I drop my fork in my potatoes, splattering gravy across my plate.
“Motherfucker!” Carson shouts.
I jump to my feet, along with everyone else, and we rush into the living room. My heart is in my throat and I let out a gasp at what I find. Everyone comes to an immediate stop around me, no doubt just as startled as I am.
“What the hell…?” Rylee whistles next to me.
The living room is a disaster. The tree has fallen over, taking the garland around the fireplace with it and knocking out all the Christmas lights strung up around it. Millie’s Elsa tree topper is on the floor, her head no longer attached to her body, and my penis ornament is lying on the thick rug in front of the leather sectional couch. It looks to be in one piece, thank God.
Carson is pinned under the tree, his face obscured by the branches.
“Carson!” I cry, hurrying to kneel next to him. “Are you okay?”
He groans, but lifts his hand and gives me a thumbs up. The other guys grab the tree and lift it off him, and I help him sit up once he’s free. Pine needles are sticking out of his thick blonde hair, and he spits even more out of his mouth.
“What happened?” Jensen asks as he and the guys lean the tree against the wall.
“It was that fucking cat!” Carson exclaims. “He’s had it out for me all day, I swear to God! I came in here to get Skyler’s phone, and Gizmo waswaitingfor me in front of the tree.”
I bite my lip to keep from laughing, though the others aren’t as successful hiding their amusement as snorts and chuckles start to fill the air.
“Are you saying the cat pushed the tree onto you?” Owen asks, struggling to maintain his composure.
“Yes!” Carson jumps to his feet and starts looking around, as if expecting Gizmo to fly out at him again. “Where’d he go? He’s been hunting me…waiting for the right moment to strike…”
Zander’s eyes suddenly go wide. “The turkey!”
We all rush back to the dining room and, sure enough, Gizmo has seated himself in the middle of the table and is happily munching on the remains of our turkey.
“This was his plan all along,” Carson murmurs.
Zander sighs. “I told you he’d go after it.”
Rylee steps forward and nudges the fuzzball off the table. He listens to her and steps away, but makes it clear he does not want to be separated from his prey by yowling loudly.
