Page 75 of Love It or List It
Austin had decided to close his shop from December 24 to January 1 excepting emergencies.He’d even made a sign for the door that suggested customers call and leave a message if they felt they couldn’t wait until the New Year.
“You don’t think people will take advantage?”Joe asked skeptically.He himself had closed his own business doors with the promise to only call his employees in the event of storm cleanup.
“Nah, business is usually slow that week.Most people don’t want to leave their houses.Might as well just officially take it off this year instead of unofficially.”
“Except for being on call,” Joe pointed out.
Austin shrugged.“If it’s not a real emergency I can book them in for January, but if it is… I wouldn’t want to strand a senior citizen or single parent without a car over the holidays.”He said it like it was no big deal, like it didn’t prove what a massive sweethearted softie he was.
Fortunately, dinner prep went smoothly.It helped that they opened a bottle of wine—white; Joe wasn’t stupid—to keep them merry as they worked, Joe micromanaging everything in a way that would’ve made him hate himself at work but which he couldn’t help in the kitchen.
“What’s in the Crock-Pot?”Austin asked at around four thirty.Guests would be showing up at any minute.
Oh God, Austin could not find out about the turkey until someone else got here to act as a buffer.If Joe had to look at his big brown eyes filled with some kind of Christmas-adjacent emotion inspired by Joe, Joe would… well, he probably wouldn’t be answering the door for any guests.“It’s a secret.”
By some stroke of luck, Starling arrived a few minutes later, carrying a jug of her homemade Irish cream and a gallon of apple cider.“I brought refreshments.”She set them on the dining table and kissed Joe’s cheek, then swept Austin into a hug.“Merry Christmas.Eggnog’s still in the car.”
“I’ll get it,” Austin volunteered.
“Meow,” agreed Walker, and Joe decided it was time for the animals to be sequestered in the breezeway lest they (A) escape or (B) stick their faces in one of the various dishes Joe was setting out.They’d put a tablecloth on top of the piano and were using it to host trays of appetizers; the sideboard in the dining room was doing double duty as a bar.Soon enough the entire kitchen counter would be covered in food too.
Joe left Starling and Austin in charge of setting up the drink station so he could finish the gravy.He left it on the burner to warm, checked in on the lasagna, taste-tested the dressing, and grabbed the charcuterie from the fridge.
By the time he returned to the dining room, Linda, Gavin, Alex, and Will had arrived.Starling was pouring Linda a glass of her Irish cream, while Gavin and Will poked at the presents under the tree, looking for theirs like they were eight instead of eighteen.
“No presents until after dinner,” Joe called.
Alex turned and smiled at him.“Merry Christmas, Joe.”
He smacked a kiss on the top of their head as he set down the tray.“Merry Christmas.Your parents still coming?”
“They’re just getting the presents.”
Rebecca and Trevor came in carrying bags of gifts, clearly having brought enough for not only the kids but also the adults.
Rebecca hadn’t made a great first impression on Joe, but in the past three years she’d gotten sober, found a steady job, and met and married Trevor.Joe didn’t really know him, but he seemed to genuinely enjoy doting on his wife and stepchild.
“Rebecca, how good to see you.”
She smiled at Joe’s greeting and pulled him into a hug.“Joe.How have you been?”
“I’ve been great.Kept busy, but good.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”Rebecca was one of the first supporters of his landscaping business, sharing his contact details with everyone she knew and providing references.
“Alex tells us this old house is keeping you busy,” Trevor said.
Joe laughed.“And Alex too.Come.Get a tour.”
They stopped at the tree where Alex, Gavin, and Will were fooling around, taking sneak peeks at presents and trying to guess their contents.
“No touching.”Alex smacked Gavin with the back of their hand, and Gavin turned puppy-dog eyes on them.Alex stayed firm.“You agreed to those rules.”
“But Alex, ba—”
Alex placed a hand on his face and pushed.“Put that face away, you cheater.”
Joe was just finishing up the tour and thinking he should check on Austin in the kitchen when his mom arrived.
