Page 47 of The Holidays with Dr. Mitchell
“Excellent timing. It’s as if the Universe was working on our behalf without us even having to try,” Collin said.
“That’s because we did so well during meditation hell week,” I answered. “All right. The sun is about to rise, and I’m not about to let those dipfuckers sleep another second.”
“Rise and shine, baby,” Collin said, and then we were on our way up to wake up Spencer, Alex, and Jim.
“What the hell are you doing?”Jim grumbled, shielding his eyes from the lights I flipped on after entering his and Avery’s room.
“Sorry, Avery,” I acknowledged my sister-in-law after she almost threw something from her nightstand at me.
“Seriously, Jake?” Avery said. “Why the hell are you tormenting me while you torture your brother?”
“That’s Jim’s fault,” I stated proudly. “If he would’ve taken me seriously last night when I told him I’d see him at sunrise, he would’ve known I would be in here to wake him up if he wasn’t downstairs at 0500 hours.”
Jim slid out of bed while Avery snuggled into the bed further, enjoying that she could now stretch out and utilize the entire bed for her comfort.
“When did you start using military time?” Jim said, pulling on a pair of sweats from the dresser drawer he’d packed his clothes into.
“Since I became a doctor and had to start calling times of death?” I returned.
“Don’t be so morbid. It’s Christmas,” he said, trying to be funny.
I watched with humor as my brother, who prided himself on always being perfectly groomed, looked like a disheveled mess.
“You look like you lost a wrestling match to a silverback gorilla,” I said. “We have no time for you to fix that bedhead situation you’ve got going on.”
“Jim, just go with him,” Avery said, unable to return to sleep so long as I was in here using myoutside voice, ensuring that Jim got his ass kicked out of the room wearing his sweatpants and T-shirt.
The only thing he’d be changing into today would be some shepherd’s clothing circa 2500 b.c. for tonight’s Nativity. There was certainly a method to all this madness, and if Collin’s game were rolling as tight as mine, Spencer would be in the same position as my brother. Whomever of us was first to get their CEO’s cocky ass out of bed would claim the victorious prize of waking up Alex, which we didn’t have much time to do since we only had a few hours before he was out of here and off to Austria with his wife.
“I’m trying to find?—”
“No need for that,” I said, grabbing Jim’s arm and leading his half-awake self from the room.
“What the hell are you doing?” Jim growled.
“Jesus, your breath,” I waved my hand in front of my face, then grinned. “That’ssogoing to suck for you if we’re too busy to stop, and you don’t have time to brush your perfectly polished teeth!”
Jim smacked my hands away from where I pinched each side of his cheeks, provoking him.
“I will fucking knock you out,” Jim warned.
I feigned horror as we walked down the dimly lit hallway, “And ruin Christmas? I highly doubt you’ll do such a thing, you miserable old bear.”
“Trust me, it won’t ruin Christmas for anyone but you,” Jim answered, annoyed.
I grinned, “When the kids hear that Uncle Jim knocked out their dad like we’re a couple of teenagers, I think it will ruin Christmas for my family.”
“How long is this going to go on?” Jim asked, turning to me and trying to stand tall and firm like the big bad CEO he naturally was.
I stared into his darkened emerald irises, “You’re not nearly as uncomfortable as I was whilst shitting in a hole in the forest on thefirst nightof that stupid little psycho meditation clinic you tricked my ass into attending. So, I’m not sure how long it will take to bring you to your knees while spreading holiday cheer.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “You’re spreading something, but it isn’t fucking holiday cheer,” he said, rubbing his tired face.
“True. Now,” I grabbed his arm again, making him jerk away like I knew he would. “First things first,” I said, seeing that Collin already had Alex in his pajama bottoms and Spencer in a pair of jeans. “We need to get all these fireplaces lit, and get the house warmed up for that cozy cabin feel that the ladies boasted about so much last night.”
“Are you fucking with me right now?” Alex asked as Jim and I reached where the men all stood, fucked-up hair and all, at the bottom of the steps.
“I was about to ask you the same thing, Grayson,” I laughed, looking at the cartoon Santa Clauses printed all over his white and red fleece pants. “I see Mrs. Claus had her way with your ass last night?”
