Part 38 (1/2)
He shook his head, a quizzical smile on his face. ”For what, more s.e.x? No problem.”
He reached for the remote and she held it away. ”No, for some appreciation. All of us are. If you want to have a million people over for the holidays, you'll have to cook for them.”
Glen sighed. ”You're not making any sense, babe.”
”Oh, I'm making perfect sense, believe me. I'm tired of doing everything and being taken for granted, so this year you get to do it, Glen. All of it.”
He stared at her. ”Is this some kind of joke?”
A corner of Laura's mouth lifted. ”Yeah, babe, and it's on you.”
He frowned. ”What the h.e.l.l happened down at that yarn shop?”
Laura gave a one-shouldered shrug. ”We got to talking and realized that you guys don't get it.”
Glen made a face. ”Sounds kind of dumb if you ask me. I mean, what's to get?”
”The fact that you just asked that shows that you have no idea how much I do this time of year, and all with no help from you.”
”Oh, not this again,” Glen moaned, and slumped back against the sofa cus.h.i.+ons, grabbing a sofa pillow and putting it over his face.
Laura moved onto his lap and pulled away the pillow. ”Yes, this again, you big goof. I'm just giving you fair warning. I'm not doing anything.”
”Okay, okay,” he said, running his hand up her back. ”Take Christmas off. I can handle it. No big deal.”
”No big deal?” Laura echoed in disgust. He really didn't have any idea what all she did. He just walked through the holidays like an actor moving around a movie set. She shook her head at him. ”You are so clueless.”
He frowned, insulted. ”So, clue me in. Make me a list of what you need done and I'll do it.”
”Seriously?”
”Sure. I can handle it.”
Like there was nothing to juggling Christmas on top of everything else. ”Yeah?”
”Yeah, piece of cake. I mean, really, babe, I don't know what you're making such a big deal about.”
Laura gave a snort of disgust. ”Well, you're going to find out, because this year you're on your own. I'm going to be you. I'll invite people over whenever I feel like it, sit around and yak, and do nothing. Oh, except help you put an extra leaf in the table.”
He frowned at her, s.n.a.t.c.hed back the remote, and turned the volume back on. ”You're a real crack-up. Just go make the list. I'll take care of it.”
She did, and presented it to him as they climbed into bed.
He began to read. ”Decorate house.” He gave a disdainful snort. ”There's ten minutes.”
”Really?” She propped up her pillows and leaned against the headboard. ”Well, read on.”
”Get and decorate tree. How's that different from 'decorate house'?”
She looked at him in disgust. ”The nativity set, the Christmas wall hanging, the lighted village, the wreath for the front door, the-”
”Okay, okay. I get it. And as for the tree, well, I already take you to get that, and I put up the thing for you. Another five minutes and it's trimmed.”
Laura began to feel the slightest bit uneasy now. Five minutes to trim the tree? What kind of job would that be, especially with the kids helping him? ”You have to watch the kids while you're doing this. I don't want all my ornaments broken.” She'd better hide her most precious ones. No sense taking chances.
”No problem.” He went back to the list. ”Bake cookies, shop, get present for Amy's teacher. Amy's teacher?”
”You have to give a present to the teacher,” said Laura.
”Okay,” he said dubiously. ”Take kids to get their picture taken with Santa, get Christmas outfits.”
”Oh, you have to make sure you do that before you take them to see Santa.”
Laura reached for the list so she could note that detail, but he held it out of reach, saying, ”I can handle this. What do you think I am, a moron?”
She shrugged and let him continue.
”Make costumes for school holiday concert and Christmas pageant.” He looked pained. ”Make costumes. That's chick stuff.”
”No, that's Christmas stuff,” she corrected him.
”Two programs?”
She nodded.
He let out a long breath then continued. ”Do Christmas cards, wrap presents, get stocking stuffers, buy food for Christmas party.” He scratched his head. ”Can some of this be left off?”
”It's all the things you love every year, all those things that you say make the season.”
”I say that, huh?”
”Yes, you do. And it's all the things I do every year without any help because someone around here drops the ball a lot.”
He rolled his eyes and returned to the list. ”Get Advent calendar and open with the kids every day.” He set down the paper. ”You know, I'm still stuck on the two-program thing. And what are these costumes?”
”Easy. Amy is an angel for the church Christmas pageant, and a tree for the school holiday concert.”
”A tree, huh?”
”Her cla.s.s is singing 'O, Christmas Tree.'”
”Mail packages by December fifteenth. What packages are those?”
”The presents for your sister and her family,” Laura reminded him.
”Oh. Do we have those?”