Page 7 of The More the Merrier

"All right, let's get this tree fancy!" I exclaimed, clapping my hands.

Neither of their hearts were as in it as they had been earlier, making me feel guilty for insisting we get the unpleasant stuff out of the way before we started, but we got it done, with Christmas music playing in the background just the way Noelle liked. Soon the tree was decked out in bright lights and multicolored balls, with tons of ribbon and bows and glass balls, and a few special, meaningful ornaments interspersed.

Noelle and I cleaned up while Liam put up the rest of the decorations, until every room in the house was ready for Christmas.

"What's next?" I asked when he was finished.

"Cookies!" Noelle cried. "All the cookies!"

"All the cookies, huh?" I kissed her nose. "Okay, but no fruitcake this year. It always goes to waste."

Noelle frowned. "It's a tradition, Daddy. It wouldn't go to waste if you'd help me and Liam eat it."

"But I don't like it," I countered. "And it's your tradition, not mine. My family never ate fruitcake."

"That's because your family is already full of nuts!" Noelle squealed, giggling hysterically.

"Oh is that so?" I tickled her sides. "That may be, but I still say no fruitcake this year."

"Okay, Daddy. I won't make any. No fruitcake this year." She smiled sweetly. "But only because I don't have the stuff."

Noelle

I could have pushed the fruitcake issue. And any other day I would have, just to see what would happen. A little Christmas funishment was practically a tradition by now, but Logan wasn't the Daddy I was interested in pushing.

It was Liam who needed a knock upside the head and a little pushing to remember his role. Logan was already doing his best to keep everything together, even though over-the-top Christmas spirit was usually mine and Liam's department. Unfortunately, Logan was the Daddy who was easiest to ruffle.

I headed into the kitchen, getting out all the needed supplies as I considered my options. We didn't have a lot of unnecessary rules, and most of the ones we did have that were guaranteed to get a reaction were safety related and would be impossible to break without leaving the house. Besides that, I didn't want real, big trouble. I just wanted to poke Liam hard enough to wake up the Daddy within.

I'd have to wait for inspiration to strike and see where the day took us, I decided.

Neither of them liked it when I got bossy, but Christmas cookies were my jurisdiction so I took charge.

"Daddy," I said, pointing at Liam, "you mix up the ingredients. Follow this recipe here," I pointed to a page in my Better Crocker cookbook, "and don't mess up." Looking at Logan, I instructed him to preheat the oven and get the baking sheets ready.

They didn’t look amused by my bossiness, but they both got to work on their designated tasks. My job was to mix up the frosting for the cookies. It had to be done just right and nobody but me was allowed to touch my Kitchenaid mixer.

I mixed in the powdered sugar, then butter, a dash of vanilla, and a pinch of salt before adding the food coloring. When the red was done, I made green, yellow and blue. I also left a batch white. I scooped all the colors into icing bags and then started to dig for my sprinkle collection. I was dangerously low. I hadn't picked up any at the store because I'd assumed I'd be going home for Christmas and I thought there was time. Dang it. How was I supposed to make the best Christmas sugar cookies without proper sprinkle rations? As I dug in the drawer, anger and frustration building in my chest, inspiration struck.

"Daddy Logan," I asked sweetly, "could you go in the laundry room and get my Christmas apron?"

"Sure thing, sweetie."

As soon as he left the room, I turned my attention back to the drawer of sprinkles and hid a smile. "Ugh! Dammit!" I yelled, slamming the drawer shut and stomping my feet.

Liam stopped what he was doing and cocked a brow at me, his expression stern. "Why are you throwing a tantrum, little one?"

"I don’t have the good sprinkles!" I explained stomping my foot again for good measure.

"You have a drawer full of sprinkles. I'm sure you have some that will work."

"No! They aren't the right ones! Cookie making is ruined!"

He wasn't reacting, so I looked around the kitchen for something else I could do to get him back into Daddy mode that wouldn't destroy the kitchen or ruin cookie making for real. There was a bag with less than a half cup of powdered sugar left in it, so I grabbed that and flung it around the room, sending the sweet white powder everywhere. It even floated through the air and landed in Liam's hair.

I bit back a grin. Surely that would do the trick. But it didn't. Liam just shook his head, and Logan came back holding my red and white striped Christmas apron. Stopping in the doorway, he looked from Liam to me, then back again.

"Why is everything white? And what was all the commotion?"

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