Chapter 6
After wrapping all the gifts for Jamie's family and almost driving Alex crazy, they loaded the Lexus and headed over to her family's house. Mark got in the front next to Alex, but only after making sure it was okay with Jamie about ten times.
She laughed at him and got in the backseat, enjoying the feeling of instant family when she was around him. The silly little evergreen tree hat he wore was decorated with lights and little bulb ornaments. Alex thought it was ridiculous, but Jamie loved it.
"Stop being so jealous." Mark popped Alex in the chest as he pulled out of the driveway. "You can have the damn tree hat, okay?"
Alex chuckled sardonically. "I don’t want the damn hat! It makes you look more like the oaf that you are more than you can even imagine." He eyed the hat out of the corner of his eye. “Plus it doesn’t match my tie.”
“Or suit,” Mark added laughing. "You’re just jealous. Right, Jamie?" He turned around and wagged his eyebrows.
Jamie raised her hands. “You’re not dragging me into this. Alex dressed up as Santa yesterday and handed gifts out to the sick kids at Scott Thompson Hospital. He’s got one up on you.”
“You donated the gifts as well?”
Alex nodded.
“Jamie’s idea?” Mark tilted his head slightly, reminding Jamie that the two of them were definitely brothers.
"Totally.”
She swatted Alex playfully on the back of his neck. “Not at all; it was all him.” She nudged Mark. “You'll have to get Alex to tell you what happened to our Christmas tree." She pressed her fingers to her lips as Alex pulled the rearview mirror down and gave her a look.
"Really? You’re going to go down that road?" Alex smiled, but had a warning look on his handsome face.
"Yes, really. What happened?" Mark turned his attention on Alex. "Come on. Spill."
"Jamie wanted a really big tree, so I got it, but I told her a million damn times that the damn thing wasn't going to fit into the house. You know how women are, though... just think they know everything," Alex chuckled, unable to get any more of the tall tale out.
"Lies!" Jamie yelled from the backseat and moved up, reaching around Alex and tickling his sides. "It's all lies."
Mark chuckled. "So Alex wanted a huge tree and it didn't fit, right?"
"Exactly." Jamie glanced over at Mark.
"He did that as a kid once, too. Depth perception and measuring issues." Mark shrugged as Alex pinned him with the warning stare. "What? Shit, it’s true."
"Whatever." Alex shrugged. "Tell him what we did with the tree, my beautiful gal. Redeem me a little here."
"We took it to the hospital for the kids, and that’s where Alex played Santa." Jamie beamed, unable to help herself.
Mark pulled the hat from his head and extended it to Alex. "For being such a good guy, I guess I'll give up my hat so that you'll have some kind of tree in your house. Jeez. First Christmas and you don't even give your girl a tree."
Alex popped his brother in the chest and rolled down the window, throwing the hat out as Jamie and Mark yelled at him playfully.
"That was ten dollars at the airport! Jeez." Mark sank back into his seat as if upset.
"I'll get you another one." Jamie turned to let her eyes move across the sad display of Christmas lights her father had on their house as they pulled up. He wasn't much for decorating, but he'd tried from what she could tell.
"I need to redo these lights for your dad, Jamie." Alex turned and lifted his eyebrow at her. “Someone’s going to trip over the wires. Or they’ll fall if the wind blows.”
"I'll help. Sounds fun." Mark got out of the car and walked to the front.
Jamie moved ahead of them and rang the doorbell. "Come say hi to everyone first, and then you guys can disappear out here and do it for him. I'm sure he’d love that. It's always just been us girls. We're little to no help." She wondered if Stephen and Christine would be here. She assumed yes, but she still preferred to avoid Stephen whenever possible. She didn’t like him, and still couldn’t believe she’d actually dated the guy, and now had to act all happy that he was married to her sister.
"Why’re you ringing the doorbell?" Mark moved up beside her and lifted on his toes, plucking the key from on top of the door frame.
She took it from him and put it back. "Because the last time I pulled that trick, I got to witness my parents having nasty make-up sex on the couch."