Jingle all the Mitchell Way: a holiday novella(3)

“Pies.”

“You’d think someone who never gets any would have pie on their mind constantly,” he taunted.

“Screw you. I get it way more than you.”

“Yeah right. Anyway, we just woke up.” A loud screaming could be heard in the background. “Oh shit!”

“What?”

“I forgot to turn the oven on.”

“So, go turn it on.”

“No, in the middle of the night. We got up to cook the turkey. I forgot to turn the oven on when I put it in. Fuck. I’m grass, dude. My wife is going to cut off my balls and use them for stuffing filler.”

“I’m definitely not eating this meal tonight.”

“Google how to cook a turkey faster, and hurry up. I need backup.”

“You’re hopeless. How the twins are normal still boggles my mind.”

“Eat shit!” Jax said before hanging up. He was going to be in the doghouse, while I was basking in remnants of sex with Reese. At least one of us would be smiling during the day.

When I walked into the rear door located off the kitchen everything was quiet. The house didn't smell of food. The sink was still full of the same dishes as when we'd left them the previous night. With a good bit of sunshine coming in through the windows, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. Following the sound of little feet, I came into the living room to discover one of my nieces standing there staring at me without clothes on.

I looked around. "Where is Mommy and Daddy at, Liv? Where’s Aunt Reese?" I could tell it was Olivia from the tiny apple-shaped birthmark on her neck. Other than that distinct difference, the twins were identical, much like their father and I.

The almost two year old pointed toward the stairs. "Up tairs," she said with a cute smile.

We rounded the corner at the top to have a perfect view of three adults hovering in front of a small laptop screen. "I found this naked kid downstairs if anyone cares."

Amber was scribbling something down on a calendar, while Reese held Olivia's sister Lex, short for Alexis. She gave me a quick glare that implied to refrain from any smart comments, while my brother paced around the room. He may as well have had his thumb up his ass. That's how ridiculous he appeared. "Does anyone want to tell me what's going on? I am standing here with a naked kid I found downstairs, alone."

Amber spun around to speak directly to me. "I've been offered a part in a movie."

This was amazing news. Our cousin Noah had married a country singer, who'd given Amber her big break in one of her music videos. Since then she'd been modeling and doing several more projects with other artists. This, however, was uncharted waters, and a huge opportunity for her. "Congratulations. That's terrific."

"No, it's not!" my brother interjected. "She needs to be on location in a week and it will run into Christmas. We can't swing it, not with the twins."

"Jax is right," Amber agreed. "I'm not spending the holidays away from them. I’m good with one or two days here and there, but this would kill me. I like being close to them, even Jax, for the most part." The last part was added for my brother’s amusement, and I had a feeling if we didn’t keep talking they were going to pounce on each other like wild animals, which was what got them impregnated to begin with.

"Maybe you could take them with you," I suggested. “Jax can handle his kids too. Nothing is going on this time of year on the ranch, so he’s not necessarily obligated to stick around here. Noah travels with Shalan when she’s on tour.”

The three adults looked at me as if I had three heads. Reese decided to explain. "Jake, they aren't even two. They can't have them in a hotel room for a month. They have too much they'd have to haul around to keep them nourished and comfortable. Plus, they still need to Christmas shop. How will that happen with two little children? Santa needs to visit them. It's not feasible."

Amber covered her face with both hands and shook her head. "I'll have to tell my agent it's not happening. I can't swing that kind of commitment."

It was obvious she was disappointed.

I motioned for Reese to follow me out of the room, so my brother and his wife could talk amongst themselves without an audience. This was a big deal, and as much as I’d like to say we did everything together, this was their business.

Reese guided Lex, while I carried her sister to their room. We quickly found their outfits sitting on a rocking chair and dressed them to match, much like they did everyday. While Lex loved to put on clothes, her sister preferred to be naked. My mother stated it was a phase, but who could really tell. I mean, her mother was a stripper for a time. Maybe when we weren’t around they watched her dancing around for their father. Jax was into some weird shit. It was entirely possible.

Although they weren’t yelling, the conversation in the other room was becoming heated. Jax felt like Amber didn’t think he could handle the girls while she’d be filming. I could tell she was trying to explain how hard it would be for him, and after a few days he’d be out of his mind. She was thinking of them in an unselfish way, wanting to turn down her big break into a new venture for the sake and sanity of her family. If you asked me, it took a lot of sacrifice.

I turned to Reese when we made it back downstairs. “Can you handle these two if I run out for a bit? I think I have an idea, but it’s going to take me a couple hours to see if it can work.”