Page 50 of Real Tree / Fake Boyfriend

Julien looked at the mostly bare house he and Tyler were working on. “I think we’re going to lose.”

Tyler narrowed his eyes. “No. We still have time. Stop flirting with me and start decorating.”

Julien couldn’t argue with that. There were bragging rights on the line, after all. Tyler began to focus and pipe delicate shapes on the roof to make shingles. At the same time, he employed Julien to stick peppermints to the bottom of the board to create a pathway to the front door.

“I did this once with my mom,” Julien told him when they added the final details to the walls.

Tyler stopped and looked up at him. “Yeah?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Julien said, unsure why he even brought it up. He didn’t usually talk about Mom with anyone. Julien liked the idea of talking about her more. He never had anyone hewanted to share bittersweet memories with. With Tyler, the desire to share came naturally.

“She took me to this place after we went to dinner. I threw up because I ate so much candy.”

“Well, try not to eat so much you throw up now,” Tyler said with a smile. “What was she like?” he asked softly. “I mean, if you want to talk about her. You don’t have to.”

Julien considered the question. There was a lot to say about his mother, the warm way she smiled, how she would do anything for him, how hard it had been watching her die.

“She was…great,” he said in the end because it surmised everything. “She would have loved you.”

Tyler reached out and squeezed Julien’s hand. “I bet I would have liked her too if she was anything like you,” he told him softly.

“She was a lot better.”

“Are you all done?” Connie asked. “I think it is time for thejudging.”

In the end, Jim and Kelsey won with their princess fairy tale house, which used edible sparkles and actually somehow resembled a castle.

Owen and Cece came in second, if only because it was an unspoken rule to let the children win. Their house looked very traditional, with Christmas trees and peppermints stuck over the roof.

The real winner, of course, had to be Hailey and Wally with their intricate log cabin.

However, Julien was partial to his house with Tyler. It was a little haphazard, with candy clearly thrown on in the last few minutes. Julien didn’t have an eye for decoration and had done his best to distract Tyler the whole time.

But Tyler had told Julien he liked him, and it seemed so sincere and honest that Julien was pretty sure it was the go-ahead he needed.

Whatever fake boyfriend scheme they had going on, maybe he could put it behind them and make an actual move.

He wrapped his arm around Tyler while Connie gave little gifts to Kelsey and Owen for a well-done job. Jim got up tofind wine for the occasion, and Hailey pulled Wally into the kitchen to help her make dinner.

Julien’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and he frowned when he saw Lou Rossi’s name on the screen. “Ugh, I have to take this, Ty. I’ll be right back.”

Tyler’s eyebrows raised, but he shrugged. “Sure, yeah.”

Julien headed out to the garage and pulled the phone to his ear. “What’s up, Lou?” He glanced over his shoulder to make sure the door was closed.

“So, you are alive. I was getting worried. I thought you had my money,”Lou said.

Julien pinched the bridge of his nose. “I do. I have it. But I have this family thing in Connecticut. I’m not back yet. I told Tony, though. I’ll be back the day after Christmas.”

“The sooner, the better, Julien. It’s been a long time coming. I’d hate for you to fuck me over after I’ve been so nice to you,” Lou told him.

Julien licked his lips and tried to keep himself from growing angry. It would be a bad idea to piss Rossi off now. He was so close that he could taste his freedom.

He’d been so distracted by Tyler and the whole cluster of family bonding that he’d let himself forget that he was here for one reason. Or hehadbeen here for one reason. Now, he was here because Tyler had a chokehold on him, more than Rossi ever had.

“Trust me, I don’t want to do that. You know I appreciate everything you’ve done for me,” Julien lied. The Rossi family had done nothing but drag him into illegal shit, threaten him, and keep him under their thumb for years. He wanted out. “I just can’t get away yet, but I’ll see you when I’m home. I promise.”

“I hope so, Jules. I really hope so.”

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