You Had Me At Christmas: A Holiday Anthology(20)

“Okay, but I’ll own you for the next two days for promo.”

“We’ll negotiate.”

Dimity wouldn’t push. His Rage family had seen his devastation when Kayla left the tour, and understood his first priority was to make things right with his family.

Palms and forehead pressed to the glass, Rocco was at the patio doors watching birds eat pizza remnants in the yard when Jared walked into the living room. Other than the smeared windows, the house was spotless. Damn, she’d already done the clean-up. Picking up his son, he carried him into the kitchen, where he found his wife unpacking groceries.

“Good timing,” she greeted him. “There’s coffee freshly made,” she said. “And a bagel—”

She broke off as he backed her into the counter, seized the celery she was holding, and gave it to Rocco.

“You still owe me a morning kiss.”

Her lips curved. “Do I, now?”

“With tongue,” he said solemnly.

“In front of our baby?”

Rocco was chewing the leafy head of the celery.

“Okay, I’ll take a rain check on the tongue.” He pressed his lips to her smiling mouth.

“Someone’s feeling better.”

“I’m a Grammy nominee. Ever done it with a Grammy nominee before?”

“No.” She widened her eyes. “Is it different?”

“You’ll find—” Jared laughed as celery brushed his neck. “Son, you’re spoiling the mood.”

“And that celery isn’t washed yet.” Kayla reclaimed it, and their baby screeched.

“Have some of Daddy’s bagel instead,” Jared told him. Next to the coffee-maker, the bagel sat on a plate, oozing cream cheese and jam. “Where’s our daughter?”

“Getting dressed for Christmas tree shopping. Apparently that requires another outfit.” Kayla opened the fridge and put the celery in the crisper. “She’s been hanging out waiting for you to wake up.”

“Then I’ll eat fast.” Putting Rocco in his high chair, he gave him a piece of the bagel, wolfed the rest, and poured two coffees into travel mugs. “Want me to help?”

“Nearly done. Go see what’s keeping Maddie. Oh, and I need my wedding ring back.”

“Sure.” He fetched it out of his jacket pocket on the way to his daughter’s bedroom, where he found her preening in her dragon dress. “Maddie, you’ll need to change into something warmer. Your coat won’t fit over the dragon wings.”

“I won’t be cold.”

“You will when we get outside.” He went to help her undress and she spun away from him. “No, I wanna wear this.”

Overtired. “We can’t get the tree until you change clothes.”

Her lower lip jutted. “You’re not the boss of me, Mommy is.”

It wasn’t the first time she’d said that since he came home. She was punishing him for his late start. At this point, he normally conceded the field. But his relationship with his wife wasn’t the only one that needed recalibrating. “Kayla,” he called. “Can you come in here a moment?”

She stuck her head round the door. “What’s up?”

“I need you to tag me.”

Confusion came into Maddie’s hostile eyes. “What’s that?”

“You know when we watch wrestling, how the guys tag each other when they’re tired and want someone else to take over?”

“Uh-huh.”

Attention on his daughter, he held up his palm. “Tag me, Mommy, and make me the boss. I need our daughter to put on warm clothes.”

“No, Mommy, tag me. I want to be the boss.”

“Sorry, little one, it only works between parents.” Kayla slapped palms with Jared. As their daughter opened her mouth to complain, he shuddered dramatically and rolled his eyes.

Maddie was transfixed. “What you doing, Daddy?”

“It’s the magic. Quick. Get dressed before it wears off.”

Watching him carefully, Maddie hauled off her dress. “Is it still there?”

“Yeah, but we have to work fast.” He found jeans and a sweater and bundled her into them, stopping when one arm was still loose. “You’ll have to do the last bit. I’ve run out of power.”

Giggling, she finished dressing herself. “Silly Daddy.”

“Silly Daddy,” Kayla agreed.

As they left the bedroom, his wife caught his face and kissed him. There was tongue. He returned her wedding ring, then went outside, whistling, and attached roof racks to Kayla’s car. It was easier than moving the kids’ seats to his.

They all sang ‘Jingle Bells’ while she drove them to the Christmas tree lot, kids in the back, Jared in the passenger seat. He was reaching back to hand Maddie a book when he glimpsed a copy of Musique magazine wedged between the kids’ seats. His face on the cover.

“Where’d this come from?”

Kayla glanced at it and refocused on the road. “Dimity gave it to me yesterday. I meant to pass it on but when I got home, saw the party…I guess I forgot all about it.”

Except she’d buckled the kids in their car seats, not ten minutes earlier. The same thought must have struck Kayla, because a blush swept up her cheek.