Page 38 of Single All the Way

“I’m first?” Knox asked.

“Must be something good since Chance can’t sit still,” West said.

“Open it.” Chance sat back down, grinning.

Knox ripped open the box and took out a placard of some kind.

“What’s it say?” Max asked from one of the chairs.

“‘Please do not annoy the writer. He may put you in a book and kill you,’” Knox read, laughing. “Hell yes. This goes on my office wall. I should get Ava one too,” he said of his writing partner and sister-in-law.

“There’s more,” Chance said.

Knox set the plaque aside and pulled out a T-shirt. Laughing, he shook his head and said, “Asshole,” again, then held it up.

The T-shirt said,Who’s your daddy?in big, bold letters.

A collective explosion of laughter broke out.

“That’s perfect,” West said, then howled.

“Double duty,” Max said.

There wasn’t a more appropriate saying for Knox, as he’d not only showed up in town last year as Simon Henry’s secret love child but also had baby Juniper left in his SUV with a note claiming he was her father. The claim turned out to be true, and he’d been smitten with that little girl ever since.

“Maybe triple,” Chance said. “We’ll have to ask Quincy.”

“I’ll wear it with pride,” Knox said like a good sport.

“Who’d you draw?” Chance asked. “You’re next as Santa.”

Knox set aside his gifts, stood, and went to the table. He picked up a gift bag and delivered it to Luke.

“You got me, huh?” Luke said, taking the bag. He dug into it and pulled out another T-shirt. He chuckled as he read it.

“What’s it say?” I asked.

“‘Things I do in my spare time,’” Luke read. “‘Drive tractors, look at tractors, research tractors, talk about tractors, think about tractors, dream about tractors.’ I don’t talk about ’em that much, do I?”

“You do love your tractors,” Chance said.

“Heck yeah, I love my tractors.” Luke’s expression said,Duh.

“Okay then,” Knox said as if that settled it. “There’s more.”

Luke dug back in, pulled out a coffee mug, and howled. As he held it up, he said, “‘Get plowed by a pro. Sleep with a farmer.’ That’s what I’m sayin’. Thanks, man.”

“Knox pretty much nailed you,” West said.

“Knox is the last person I want nailing me,” Luke quipped.

“You’re missing out,” Knox shot back. “Who’d you buy for?”

Luke set his gifts on the floor by his chair. He headed to the island, where he’d left his present, picked it up with both hands as if it was heavy, and handed it to Chance.

“Damn. Some barbells?” Chance asked.

“You could use some,” West said. “Mr. Soft Job.”

---