Page 88 of The Hardest Hit
“Good morning, Theo! Is everyone here?”
“No, sir, I believe that you are the first to arrive.”
“What about Grandma?” he asked taking his bag toward the study.
“Early meeting with the DNC,” said Theo, following him and trying to remove his jacket.
Evan opened the door and looked in disappointment at the room.
“Where’s the tree?”
“Sorry, sir, Mrs. Deveraux had me take the tree down,” said Theo.
“But it’s only the twenty-seventh,” said Evan. His grandmother had never, in his recollection, removed the Christmas décor before the first of the year.
“Yes, sir,” said Theo, looking awkward. “There may be a small tree left up in the upstairs window. I’ll bring that down.”
Evan set his bag down with a frown. He was trying not to take this personally, but the lack of a tree felt targeted.
Theo returned with a two-foot-tall tree that he placed on the bar and whisked Evan’s coat away. With careful fingers, Evan put his grandmother’s present under the tiny tree. Then he flopped down on the couch and waited for his cousins to arrive. He kicked off his shoes and put his feet on the couch. His grandmother would yell at him if she caught him, but if she could take his tree then he could damn well besmirch her couch.
He was just starting to be nervous that his entire family had stood him up when he heard the front door slam open.
“We’re here, we’re here,” called Dominique, hurrying into the room.
“What took you so long?” he demanded. “I was about to start eating your mochi balls.”
“Oh, I asked Aiden to give me a ride,” said Dominique tossing off her scarf and jacket at Theo. “But then his car wouldn’t start.”
“I haven’t driven it in a month,” said Aiden coming in after her. “Because of Evan’s damn Nazis.”
“They’re not my Nazis,” objected Evan.
“And then they had to call me for a ride,” said Jackson bringing up the rear.
Jackson did not look especially pleased to see him, and Evan felt a twinge of guilt. Possibly if Jackson had known Olivia was going with him, he might have recommended different security arrangements. Evan hadn’t even thought about it. He’d just assumed he’d be safe in Tokyo.
“Well, hurry up and sit down,” said Evan. “Theo’s got cocoa going and I want to give out my presents.”
“Irish cocoa?” asked Aiden hopefully.
“As Irish as you like, Mr. Aiden,” said Theo.
“Aren’t we waiting for Grandma?” asked Dominique, sitting down.
“No, I’m afraid not,” said Theo. “Early meeting at the DNC.”
“Oh,” said Aiden, looking affronted. “Well, all right. I guess it’s four cocoas and bring on the presents.”
Evan waited until they were settled and then began to pass out his presents.
Dominique ooh’d over the gloves that he’d picked out and promptly by-passed them in favor of the mochi balls in their own cooler. Aiden laughed at his box of giant pocky. And Jackson looked surprised that he had a present at all.
“I didn’t ask for anything,” he said, taking the box from Evan.
“Amazing thought,” said Evan, “but it occurred to me that you might want something anyway.”
Jackson opened the box and laughed. “You’re right,” he said, taking the short samurai sword out of the box. “I do want this.”
