The next thing I knew, Bryce was having them hung from the ceiling in our lounge, three stories high. He’d also organised a ginormous Christmas tree to be put up, the tip of it being the perfect height for Nate and Charli to adorn it with a star from the top of the staircase. The apartment looked like a Christmas wonderland...I absolutely loved it!
“Charli, don’t touch that bauble, Missy,” I barked at her, as she gave my perfectly colour-coordinated Christmas tree decoration a tap with her finger.
“Alexis, calm down. Everything is perfect,” Bryce said, reassuringly.
“It’s no use, Bryce,” advised Nate, “No one touches Mum’s Christmas tree. She goes nuts if you do.”
I was tidying up the lounge area, making sure it was as baby-and-toddler proof as I could get it. “Listen to your brother, Charlotte, or that rather large present toward the back of the tree with your name on it will no longer have your name on it,” I said flatly, without removing my attention from what I was doing.
“When is everyone going to get here?” Charlotte groaned impatiently.
“Soon, Charli. It’s only 7:30 in the morning.”
“Urgh! I wish they’d hurry up. I want to open some presents.”
“Alexis, come and sit down and we’ll open our presents before everyone gets here,” Bryce suggested.
I raised my head and noticed him looking just as eager as the kids. He really was adorable at times. “I’ve got to go and set the table,” I argued.
He stood up and strode my way, then bent down and picked me up, throwing me over his shoulder.
“Presents! Now!”
“Bryce! Alright,” I squealed while smacking his arse.
Both the kids laughed.
“Me first, me first,” Charli squawked.
Bryce set me down next to the sofa then pulled me onto his lap, my back to his front and his arms securing me to him.
“Go on, get the big one at the back,” I said to Charli. “Nate, you can get that one over by the wall.”
Both the kids launched themselves into demolishing the wrapping paper I had so precisely applied.
“Sick! A telescope,” Nate slurred, as he stood back to admire the rather expensive telescope Bryce picked out for him.
“We can set that one up in your room, Nate,” he said with excitement on his face. I loved how they both shared this fascination with space—just the two of them.
“Awesome, thanks.” Nate got up and gave us both a hug.
Charli’s shrill voice sounded next, securing all our attentions. “Oh! My! God! My own Karaoke machine.”
“Oh Geezus! Charli, please be careful with that,” I said while cringing as she tried to lift the state of the art model Bryce insisted on getting her.
He gently squeezed my waist and dug his chin into my shoulder blade. “Stop stressing,” he whispered into my ear.
“I’m not stressing. I just know how much both those things cost.”
He wrenched me around and dipped me to the side, making me scream in surprise. “Hunny, you seem to forget that I’m made of money.”
“I don’t,” I giggled as he nuzzled my neck, tickling me. “I’ve just learned to respect it and appreciate it and—”
“I appreciate that I have a lot of it, and I also appreciate that I now get to spend it on you three,” he mumbled into my neck, unfazed by his wealth.
“I know you do, and I also know you have given generously to so many charities lately. It’s very sexy.”
“Urgh! That’s gross,” Nate grumbled.
Bryce ignored my son’s unease. “It’s what I do, Ms. Summers,” he said with a perfect smirk.
I laughed at him as the buzzer to the door rang. “Yes, it is, Mr. Clark, and you do it so well.”
Nate and Charli jumped up and made their way over to the door to open it. When they did, it was like a never-ending freight train of Blaxlos, Summers, and Clarks; Lucy, Nic, and Alexander; Rick, Claire, and RJ; Mum, Dad, Jen, Steven and the kids; and lastly, Jake and his new girlfriend, a tall attractive red head—not his normal type.
I scrambled off Bryce’s lap as they all filtered into the apartment.
“Are you two ever not all over each other?” Jen asked as she approached to give us a hug.
“No,” Bryce said as a matter of fact. I can’t really disagree with him either.
Jen passed Jack to me. “Here, Merry Christmas, he’s my gift to you. He spews, shits, cries and doesn’t sleep. Enjoy.” She kissed me on the cheek then moved over and hugged Bryce. “Merry Christmas.”
I jiggled Jack on my hip as I greeted everyone else, leaving my brother till last. As I approached him and his scarlet companion, I lifted Jack and gently pushed him into Jake’s arms. “Here, Merry Christmas, he’s my gift to you. He spews, shits, cries and doesn’t sleep. Enjoy,” I said, repeating what Jen said to me.