Gifted To His Dad: Christmas Novella

Cole hands me a travel coffee mug as I climb into the back of Griffin’s Range Rover. He explained that they had a surprise for me but won’t tell me what. The only thing I know for sure is I had to dress warmly. So, decked out in my winter coat, mittens, and boots, I watch out the window as the SUV winds through twisty mountain roads. It looks different from how it did on the way here, the light reflecting off the snowcapped trees making everything appear like it’s been pulled out of a painting.

Within minutes, we’re pulling up to a wood building with a green metal roof. The parking lot is full of idling trucks, exhaust steaming from their tailpipes. A family of five jumps out of the vehicle beside us, the kids grinning as their mom helps them with their gloves. Their excitement is almost palpable through the glass.

“Do you know what we’re doing yet?” Griffin asks from where he’s turned in the driver’s seat to look back at me. Cole is beside him, giving me a warm smile.

I’d been too lost in what was happening outside to notice. “Um…” I glance around, looking for clues, and through the rows of cars, I can make out a large sign that’s written in red cursive: “Mary’s Christmas Trees.”

A childish joy builds in my chest as my eyes focus around me. Finally, I notice the men all carry saws in their hands and rope.

“We’re getting a tree?” I can’t hold back my giddiness. They must think I’m losing it. Grown women shouldn’t be this excited about something so common as a Christmas tree, but everything about this experience is new to me.

Griffin’s crisp blue eyes search my face, and he softens. “Sure are, Baby Girl. You get to pick.”

The nickname does something to my insides, and I glance at Cole to see how he’s going to react. I half expected him to be setting up to knock his stepdad out, but he’s giving me a loose, happy smile. Like everything is going exactly his way.

I climb out of the back seat, boots crunching on snow as my feet hit the ground. A gust of wind swirls by, lifting the corner of my beanie with it, sending a shiver down my spine.

Griffin’s quick to act, catching the knitted fabric before it can escape.

“Wouldn’t want to lose this,” he says as he slips my hat back in place.

The goose bumps that rise along my neck have nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with how his fingers graze the underside of my jaw as he pulls back.

“We ready? Let’s go.” Strong arms wrap around me from behind, and Cole drops his chin to the top of my head. His warmth soaks through my coat, and I find myself instantly relaxing into him. He has a way of making everything feel fun, like there’s never a reason to hide the fact that you’re enjoying yourself.

Completely foreign to the way I was brought up, where image was everything to my mother, presenting a perfect package to whatever man she was interested in. Which included a near silent child who’d sit quietly, never too excited.

Cole’s fingers intertwine with mine, and he pulls me after him. “First one in gets to pick the tree.”

He lets go and dashes down the aisle between the cars, and I chase after him.

“Hey! Griffin already said I could.”

Cole disappears ahead of me, my five-foot-five stature making it impossible for me to keep up. I’m panting as my run slows to a jog, barely faster than a walk, when Cole wraps his arms around me and swings me in a hug.

“That’s not fair,” I say breathlessly.

He hums in the back of his throat and smirks. “I’ll let you win for a kiss.”

His lips are already on mine before I can respond. It starts off soft but quickly builds until my fingers curl into his jacket.

“Save it for at home, you two. This is a family event,” Griffin says, his voice light as he grabs my waist, pulling me away from Cole.

Heat curls up my cheeks, no doubt turning them a ruby red as embarrassment takes over. “Sorry.”

He squeezes the curve of my hip through the thick fabric of my coat before letting go. “Never apologize for doing what feels good. Now, hurry before all the good ones are gone.”

They may have said I could pick, but each time I pointed a tree out, both men told me we could find a bigger, fuller, better one if we just looked a little harder.

My toes are frozen solid by the time we reach the back row.

Cole lets out a long, low whistle. “This. Is. The. One.”

It’s freaking massive. I have to crane my neck to see the tip of the tree, standing at least twelve feet in the air. The base is as wide as my spread arms.

My mouth drops open. “Are you sure…? Can we even make it fit?”

“Just need to be patient. We can always make it fit.” Cole winks at me, and I can feel my face flame.

Griffin clears his throat and looks away, but I can see the way his mouth curls into a grin.

“I guess I walked into that,” I grumble.

They do some magic where they tie the tree to a different tree, then cut on a precise angle so it lowers safely in the direction they want. The branches hit the ground with a soft thud, snow lifting around us like a cloud. When my vision clears, the Christmas tree looks even bigger from the ground.

“How are we going to move that?” I ask.

“I’ll help you.” A boy who can’t be older than seventeen comes up and arranges his sled beside the massive tree. It takes all three of them to roll it on.

“You two go get some hot chocolate. I’ll help him get it wrapped, and we can meet at the car,” Griffin says as he grabs the end of the rope with the kid, and they drag the weight behind them.

“You heard the man. Hot chocolate.”

Inside, the building is warm and cozy. The entire place looks like Santa’s village. Trees decorated to show off ornaments for purchase. Aisles with everything from cookie cutters to wreaths. There’s a glow forming in my chest, and the back of my eyes begin to burn as I watch the families weave through the space.

Cole comes up to me, holding out a Styrofoam cup, steam pouring from the top, and leads me out into the parking lot.

He takes one look at me and raises his hand to my face, wiping under my eye. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything is perfect.” I know it doesn’t make any sense, but I can’t explain it any other way.

“So, am I included in all this perfection?” He gives me a cocky smile.

I choke on my laugh, doing my best not to spill my hot chocolate. “I guess so.”

He wraps me in his arms and pulls me close, nuzzling my ear. “You guess so, hm? What do I need to do to make you certain?”

My breath catches as his low timber curls in my stomach.

“I can’t leave you two alone for a second,” Griffin says from beside us, scolding. “Get in the car.”

“Yes, Daddy.” I say it out of reflex, and my eyes go wide.

It’s their hooded eyes, hot on me, that tell me I’ve done something unexpected. Griffin closes the distance between us until the toes of his boots brush mine, my back pressing into Cole’s chest. Time slows around us as Cole gently grips my hips, holding me in place as Griffin leans in closer. Tingling electricity crackles beneath my skin as anticipation swirls below my ribs. I’m not sure what’s about to happen, but I know I’m waiting for it. Each second feels like an eternity. If I just stay still, maybe I can have it.

“Excuse me.” A young mother comes by us with a stroller, and I jerk away.

I cover my face with my hands. What was I thinking?

The ride home is uneventful. The guys laugh with each other in the front seat. It’s easy and oh so natural. It’s clear that they’ve been doing this for years. A twinge forms in my chest as I watch them, wondering what it must be like to have a family you can be close to. If I look deeper, I can admit that I’m not just jealous of what they have; I want to be a part of it with them. For them to accept me in their family for longer than just a weekend. Cole and I will go back to the city. He’ll stay in his apartment while I’ll be at my rundown one, and that loneliness will sneak back in…

Cole turns in his seat until he can face me. “You’re quiet. Everything okay?”

How does he always know when I’ve gotten too far into my head? How does he always know how to pull me out?

“Just a little tired.”

His brow twitches like he doesn’t believe me, but his voice is soft when he says, “We’ll get you home, and you can read your book while we set up this tree.”

“I can help,” I protest.

Griffin says, “No way. You aren’t going anywhere near that thing until we get it stabilized.”

I’d argue, but who am I kidding? I’m more than happy to sit back and read while they figure it out.

We pull into the cabin’s long driveway and park in front. The guys are already bickering about the best way to get it down before they get out.

Griffin guides me to where he’s deemed a safe distance away. “Stay here.”

There’s a command in his tone, and I fight back the urge to say yes, Daddy again. A small part of me wants to see if their reaction is even more intense. I get the distinct feeling I’m playing with fire, but I don’t have time to think too hard about it before the tree’s sliding off the hood of the car and the end swings out, coming my way.

Even with the distance, I can tell I can’t avoid the hit, and I lift my arms to protect myself. I’m pushed back, flattened against the side of the house, pinned in place by a broad, heaving chest.

Griffin’s muscles flex like he’s holding himself back before he lets out a long breath. “Fuck, that could have been bad.” He lifts my chin and checks me for injuries. “You okay?”

“Y… yes.” I barely get out the words, lungs refusing to work while he’s still so close.

“Sorry to break it up. You’ll have to continue your cute moment later. I need some help over here,” Cole says from where he’s holding the tree in an attempt to stop it from tilting further.

Griffin glances at my lips one more time before pulling back and shaking his head. “Alright, kiddo. I’m coming.”

“Who are you calling kiddo, old man?” Cole grunts out under the heavy weight.

It takes some intricate maneuvering, but they finally manage to get it down and onto their own makeshift sled.

Cole comes up to me, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he tries to catch his breath. “Why don’t you go inside and get comfy while we do the rest?”

“Are you sure you don’t need any help?” I ask.

He tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear and pulls my beanie lower. “We’ll just worry about you if you’re out here.”

I glance at Griffin, and he nods.

“Okay then. I’ll see you inside.”

It doesn’t take long for my book to ease my mind, helping me settle into the couch. The world is fading into the distance with each chapter I consume. The living room is large, so I’m seated far enough away that I’m not in any danger of being struck by a stray branch. It’s only when Cole eventually joins me, pulling my legs over his lap and absentmindedly massaging my feet, that I look up. The tree’s standing tall, but the branches are bent in weird shapes, clinging close to the stem from being wrapped up tight in plastic. I’ve never had a real tree before, but this doesn’t look right. “Is it supposed to be like that?”

Griffin chuckles as he passes Cole a beer and takes a seat on the sofa across from us. “It needs twenty-four hours to settle, then we can fluff it up and decorate it.”

“You have decorations?”

“Why else would we get a tree?”

I lean my head against the armrest and hum as Cole presses his thumb into my instep. “I guess I just didn’t picture you as the tree-decorating type.”

Griffin turns on the TV, switching it to a Bruins game before answering. “I like anything to do with spending time with my family.”

My throat goes thick as his words settle in me. There’s just the three of us here, and somehow, he’s made me feel included in that.