Chapter One
“Holy mother of sweet divine Jerusalem,” Patrick Collins muttered.
Riley laughed at him. “Oh come on, Pop, it’ll be fun. Where’s your Christmas spirit?”
Patrick shook his head. “Riley Collins Young, I cannot imagine what possessed you to come up with this harebrained scheme, but I’m fairly certain the spirit of the holidays had nothing to do with it.”
“Actually, Pop, I have to disagree,” Tris added. He lifted a fifth of Jameson Irish Whiskey. “Spirits had everything to do with it.”
Keira grinned. “We’re not opening that bottle until later. You guys start taking nips and we’ll never get the tree decorated.”
Tris gave her a dirty look. “Whiskey might make that chore bearable.”
“I said I wasn’t fooling with a tree this year,” Patrick argued. “Didn’t think it was worth the fuss since we’re celebrating Christmas day at Keira’s house.”
“You need a tree, Pop. Otherwise you’ll turn into Scrooge.” Teagan kissed him lightly on the cheek.
Patrick put his hands on his hips. “What on earth do your families think of this? You have kids. You should be with them on Christmas morning.”
Killian raised his hands. “Hey, don’t look at me. Lily isn’t due for three more months. Justin’s looking after her.”
Riley laughed. “My sweet little baby Sunday isn’t even a year old yet. She doesn’t have a clue what tomorrow is. Although Bubbles and I did manage to convince Aaron to play Santa this year. I figure the image of Aaron in a white beard riding his motorcycle down Keira’s driveway with a sack of presents on his back should ensure Sunday’s in therapy for years to come.”
Keira kissed Patrick on the cheek. “Don’t worry, Pop. We’re just delaying opening the pressies a bit at my house. I warned my two that they were going to eat Christmas breakfast with their father and wait for me to get home before they start tearing into Santa’s deliveries. To make up for it, I let them open a present tonight before I left. Will and I got them the Wii they’ve been begging for. That should tide them over until I get home tomorrow.”
Patrick stepped out of the way as Sean and Ewan huffed upstairs with a large white pine. Teagan grinned at her younger brothers. “Sky and my two rugrats are staying with Natalie tonight. Ewan’s hoping it will spark a maternal instinct.”
Ewan gave his sister an exasperated look. “I thought that was going to be our little secret?”
“Seems like you’ve thought of everything.” Patrick watched Sean and Ewan carry the tree to its usual spot.
“Just like the trees we had when we were kids,” Sean announced, holding it upright while waiting for Riley to put the tree stand in place.
Patrick shook his head in amazement. He’d been feeling a bit lonely lately, but he thought he’d hidden it from his family. Obviously not. His kids were determined to give him a Christmas morning just like they’d celebrated in the good old days. They had every intention of spending Christmas Eve with him in the apartment where they’d grown up.
He couldn’t think of a better gift. The dark cloud he’d been living under the past few months lifted. He cleared his throat, trying not to let them see the glaze of tears gathering in his eyes. He had the best damn kids in the whole world.
For the next hour, the apartment was ablaze with light and noise and laughter as they decorated the tree, sharing the memories attached to each ornament—most handmade by them when they were younger.
Tris stealthily snuck the bottle of Jameson to him as they worked. Patrick took a quick nip and handed it back. He happily played along as his sons tried to hide the fact they were drinking from their older sister—who knew perfectly well what they were doing. Patrick caught Keira rolling her eyes at him and he winked.
Once the tree was set up, Sean hit the switch and turned on the colorful flickering lights. Teagan grabbed her guitar and
“Holy mother of sweet divine Jerusalem,” Patrick Collins muttered.
Riley laughed at him. “Oh come on, Pop, it’ll be fun. Where’s your Christmas spirit?”
Patrick shook his head. “Riley Collins Young, I cannot imagine what possessed you to come up with this harebrained scheme, but I’m fairly certain the spirit of the holidays had nothing to do with it.”
“Actually, Pop, I have to disagree,” Tris added. He lifted a fifth of Jameson Irish Whiskey. “Spirits had everything to do with it.”
Keira grinned. “We’re not opening that bottle until later. You guys start taking nips and we’ll never get the tree decorated.”
Tris gave her a dirty look. “Whiskey might make that chore bearable.”
“I said I wasn’t fooling with a tree this year,” Patrick argued. “Didn’t think it was worth the fuss since we’re celebrating Christmas day at Keira’s house.”
“You need a tree, Pop. Otherwise you’ll turn into Scrooge.” Teagan kissed him lightly on the cheek.
Patrick put his hands on his hips. “What on earth do your families think of this? You have kids. You should be with them on Christmas morning.”
Killian raised his hands. “Hey, don’t look at me. Lily isn’t due for three more months. Justin’s looking after her.”
Riley laughed. “My sweet little baby Sunday isn’t even a year old yet. She doesn’t have a clue what tomorrow is. Although Bubbles and I did manage to convince Aaron to play Santa this year. I figure the image of Aaron in a white beard riding his motorcycle down Keira’s driveway with a sack of presents on his back should ensure Sunday’s in therapy for years to come.”
Keira kissed Patrick on the cheek. “Don’t worry, Pop. We’re just delaying opening the pressies a bit at my house. I warned my two that they were going to eat Christmas breakfast with their father and wait for me to get home before they start tearing into Santa’s deliveries. To make up for it, I let them open a present tonight before I left. Will and I got them the Wii they’ve been begging for. That should tide them over until I get home tomorrow.”
Patrick stepped out of the way as Sean and Ewan huffed upstairs with a large white pine. Teagan grinned at her younger brothers. “Sky and my two rugrats are staying with Natalie tonight. Ewan’s hoping it will spark a maternal instinct.”
Ewan gave his sister an exasperated look. “I thought that was going to be our little secret?”
“Seems like you’ve thought of everything.” Patrick watched Sean and Ewan carry the tree to its usual spot.
“Just like the trees we had when we were kids,” Sean announced, holding it upright while waiting for Riley to put the tree stand in place.
Patrick shook his head in amazement. He’d been feeling a bit lonely lately, but he thought he’d hidden it from his family. Obviously not. His kids were determined to give him a Christmas morning just like they’d celebrated in the good old days. They had every intention of spending Christmas Eve with him in the apartment where they’d grown up.
He couldn’t think of a better gift. The dark cloud he’d been living under the past few months lifted. He cleared his throat, trying not to let them see the glaze of tears gathering in his eyes. He had the best damn kids in the whole world.
For the next hour, the apartment was ablaze with light and noise and laughter as they decorated the tree, sharing the memories attached to each ornament—most handmade by them when they were younger.
Tris stealthily snuck the bottle of Jameson to him as they worked. Patrick took a quick nip and handed it back. He happily played along as his sons tried to hide the fact they were drinking from their older sister—who knew perfectly well what they were doing. Patrick caught Keira rolling her eyes at him and he winked.
Once the tree was set up, Sean hit the switch and turned on the colorful flickering lights. Teagan grabbed her guitar and
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