Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 63601 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63601 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Nearly laughing, Gary dropped his voice to a whisper as he stopped just outside the living room. “Wrapping presents at an ungodly hour because evidently Ruslan is a sneaky little that keeps trying to find his presents.”
I wasn’t sure if I should’ve expected that or not, but it was definitely keeping Dante on his toes.
“He needs to plan better.” My response had Gary grinning but I headed in before he could ask what I’d done.
I was sneakier and smarter than Dante, and I knew not to brag to the chatty switch who’d love to confess everything that he knew for a bit of praise.
“Look, D—” Chipmunk caught himself before the full word came out, but no one was fooled by it or the cough he tried to hide it with. “Levi.”
“Wow.” I didn’t even have to fake being impressed to give him the reaction he wanted. The room was insane. “Did we have a train last year?”
Heads shook but Angel was the one to study me a bit too long. “So you don’t have any idea where it came from?”
“Me?” I looked back at Gary who was giggling and looking around like a kid too. “Your grandma helper?”
“Santa sent you a helper.” Chipmunk managed not to say Daddy that time but he was going to develop anxiety about it if we weren’t careful. “She brought a train and helped clean.”
She was amazing because we had a tree decked out with decorations and with a train running around the bottom where it’d only been half finished the last time I’d seen it.
When had we found the other ornaments?
“Our grandma helper also brought some extra decorations because she said ours were old and our tree was pathetic.” Angel seemed to think I’d done it, but his grumpy ass could kiss mine.
Besides, even if I’d done it, I wouldn’t tell.
“Let’s put the presents for everyone under the tree with the rest of them.” Even with everyone only getting a couple of small presents, the pile looked impressive and Chipmunk was eager to add them to the loot.
Everyone else was relaxed and happy but Ruslan was vibrating with nervous energy as he helped Chipmunk with the toys. I wasn’t sure if it was all too much for him or if it was something else, so I was prepared for just about anything when he leaned in close to Chipmunk. “You can call him Daddy. Confident boys get better presents. My friend told me.”
Lord.
He was going to be a terrible influence…and Teddy’s ear-to-ear grin said he knew it too.
Chapter 18
Teddy
Oh…that looked messy…it was so exciting.
“You got paint.” I didn’t climb on Ruslan but I got closer. That was okay. He’d said so. “It sparkles.”
His Daddy groaned but mine snickered.
He’d been naughty.
I liked naughty.
“It’s so pretty.” Holding up the box, Ruslan, whose Daddy called him Russie, pouted as his Daddy shook his head, so we just ignored him and showed Gary.
Gary liked everything.
“That’s going to make fun pictures.” He made a thinking sound. “I wonder what else you need for fun pictures?”
Oh.
More.
That meant more.
Ruslan squeaked, so he knew it meant more too, but we were being good guests and taking turns and it was Angel’s turn.
He was grumpy.
Not mad-grumpy like Daddy had been but still grumpy.
I wasn’t sure why he was grumpy but he wasn’t mine so I didn’t have to worry about it. I just tugged on Daddy’s pants and he fixed it. “Alright, Angel’s turn.”
As Gary and Dante sorted through to find one for Angel, Ruslan leaned closer and whispered. “I think he likes being grumbly.”
“Me too.” People liked all kinds of stuff. “Do you know a sub who likes grumpy?”
Ruslan giggled. “He’s not a Smurf.”
Oh.
“You got blue paint.” That would make him a Smurf. “We could—”
Talk softer.
We could talk softer so Daddy wouldn’t glare and Gary wouldn’t giggle.
“Ruslan likes his paint.” I pointed to it. “He’s going to make a good picture later.”
Yes.
That was good.
“You’re smart.”
Ruslan wasn’t because he talked too loud.
Big smiles.
Ha.
Even Angel tried not to laugh.
Dante looked suspicious but he was too far away to hear our Smurf idea. “Do I want to know what you two are up to?”
“No.” Ruslan needed to learn better truths to tell his Daddy. Telling him the real one every time was dangerous. “Where’s Angel’s present? We didn’t lose it.”
He’d already opened mine.
He was the kind of grown-up who liked to set things on fire, so we got him grill stuff and special sauces to use when he set his meat on fire.
“I found it.” Dante pulled out a big flat box and handed it over to Angel. “Here you go.”
Did they get him a shirt for setting his meat on fire?
“If you got me a Christmas sweater again, we’re gonna have words.” Angel really liked being grumpy but he made Dante laugh. “Just saying it’s ugly doesn’t make up for it actually being ugly.”