Page 29 of Mission: Merry Christmas
“I hate the timing of this, but my sister just called. They’re on the way over.” He groaned, then dropped a kiss on her neck.
“We’d better hurry, then. Come on!” Holding hands, they raced into the living room. With the air conditioning blowing on high, and the ceiling fans spinning, the snowflakes moved from the fishing line like the real thing.
“It looks so good! I hope your air conditioning system doesn’t totally freeze up. I didn’t know you could get a house this cold.”
“Surprised me, too,” Drew said.
A golf cart pulled into the driveway.
Drew started the Christmas music from his phone, and it blasted out of the speakers around the room.
At that precise moment, Nico came through the front door wearing a suit made out of red ski-sweater pattern material with snowmen on it, and those well-known first big-band chords of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” filled the house.
Avery took pictures. Even through the small screen on her phone, she could see the excitement in Nico’s face, and Brooke’s too.
“What have y’all done!” Brooke’s eyes were as wide as Nico’s. “It’s gorgeous.”
“It’s winter in here,” Nico yelled. “Look at all the snowflakes, Dad!”
Avery loved how Brooke and her husband wore matching Christmas shirts, and Nico’s suit was the same exact red. They were Christmas card perfect. She snapped another picture.
Drew whispered to Avery. “Cover me until I get the snowblower going, then bring them out there.”
“I’m on it.” She let Nico, Brooke, and Nate check out the Christmas tree and admire all the gifts until she heard the snow machine engage. “Isn’t it crazy? We woke up and everything was like this.” With the music so loud, they hadn’t heard it start up outside. Avery corralled them toward the patio doors.
“Come here,” she said. “You have to see this.” Avery rushed them along. When she opened the back door, she stepped out of the way so they could see all snowflakes falling over the backyard and pool.
“Wow!” Nico raced outside in a fit of giggles. He threw his arms in the air, trying to catch the snow. “How?”
Avery’s heart soared. This was the best Christmas gift ever.
“It’s snowing. It’s real snow! Look!” Nico jumped up and down.
Igloo bunkers had been setup on each side of the patio. Penguin sentries wearing Drew’s baseball jersey’s, one in home colors, the other in away, stood in front of each bunker.
Drew snuck over and inserted himself back in the conversation.
Nico, in all seriousness, said, “I know how this happened.”
Drew gave Avery a look. Nico was smart. Of course, he wasn’t fooled.
“I asked Santa to bring snowflakes this year so we could all experience snow day smiles. It worked!”
Drew’s smile could have led Santa’s sleigh through the thickest fog right then, and Avery fell even harder for him. “Well, Nico, if anyone deserves all their dreams to come true, it’s you. You had to have been on the tip-top of Santa’s list.”
“I was pretty good,” Nico agreed.
“You must have been. Let’s open presents,” Drew said.
They went inside and Avery served up a healthy breakfast casserole while they oohed and ahhed over the gifts and tried to figure out how to put the toys together.
“Look, Avery. Santa brought you a present, too,” Nico said. “And a stocking!”
Avery took the box that held the jacket in it from Drew. It had really been sweet of him to make her a part of the family for the day. “Oh my gosh. Thank you. I can’t believe he found me here.”
“Santa knows everything.” Nico’s sincerity was unmistakable. “I got you something too, Avery.”
“You did?”
