Page 56 of The Holidays with Dr. Mitchell
“Nice,” Spencer said. “Not only did you dipshits bring us out in unpacked snow, but you also made it more difficult for the poor reindeer.”
“Nice try, wise-ass,” I answered, still waiting for one of the assholes to give in and get me a set of damn snowshoes. “Reindeer are literally made for this shit.”
“Why because Santa uses them?” Jim mocked.
“Because their trainer told me so, dickwad,” I said. “These guys can pull up to three hundred pounds at an average speed of eight miles per hour. A single reindeer has been?—”
“Whatever,” Jim cut me off. “I don’t need a lecture on reindeer facts. What I want to know is how we’re going to fix this problem while we’re stuck in the middle of nowhere?”
“It’s not going to be an easy fix,” Mark informed us. “We need to find a way to reattach the runner to the body of the sleigh, and from what I see, it’s going to need welding.”
“Fresh out of welding torches,” Collin said with a chuckle.
“Who’s got a phone?” Jim questioned.
This was when I knew Collin and I had bitten off more than we could chew.
“Yeah, about that…”
“Jacob?” my brother said in a commanding tone so deep that he sounded like our father.
“James?” I returned because, quite honestly, I had nothing else.
“Are you both going to sit here throwing around your government names, or are we going to devise a plan?” Mark questioned.
“The plan is this,” Collin said, looking back through the forest where there was nothing but our sled trail, which disappeared over the hillside we’d just come over. “Um?—”
“Nothing like being broke down in the middle of the Alps on Christmas Eve with no one knowing where we are, and since both of you fuck-nuts have insisted we ditch our technology, we have no way to call for help,” Spencer added in a voice that matched Jim’s.
“What Christmas song do you boys have for us on this one?” Mark said, trying to douse the flames.
“I’ll be home for Christmas comes to my mind immediately,” Collin said, unaffected by our current state.
“Try again,” Jim smarted off. “Due to this unexpected turn of events, we most certainly will not be home for Christmas. Is there a song for that? Something about smartasses who get everyone stranded in the snow in the middle of nowhere with no rescue in sight?”
“Well, you wanted Jake and Collin to bring in Silent Night,” Mark chuckled at this inconvenient situation. “It looks like that’s about to become a reality.”
“That is very true,” Spencer added with a laugh.
Of course, Spencer wasn’t finding any of this humorous. His laugh was about Collin and me fucking up. Because of ourhunger for revenge, Collin and I were responsible for being lost and stuck out here on Christmas Eve instead of happily bringing home the perfect Christmas tree in jolly spirits.
Goddammit. Why didn’t I just bring my fucking phone?
CHAPTER 30
Ash
“My favorite Christmas movie is theoriginalMiracle on 34thStreet,” I said, nestling into the fluffy blanket that Jake purchased for me as an early present at the Christmas market.
“Hmm. I thought you’d like the new one better—well,new?It’s not exactly new if it’s made in the 90s, eh?” Carmen said with a chuckle.
“Which is your favorite Christmas movie, Carm?” Nat asked.
“That’s a tough one,” she sighed. Kaley was fast asleep and curled into her by the chair next to the fireplace, “I’m not really into Christmas movies like that.”
“Try,” Laney said, chuckling.
“I always enjoy watching Christmas Vacation,” she laughed. “There’s something about Eddie and Catherine and that motor home that I find downright sexy,” she teased, humoring us as we lounged around, enjoying our Christmas coziness.
