Chapter 7
Joshua
We've been driving for several hours and I'm glad Wes and Cob decided to tag along. When my daughter asked for a horse I wasn't sure how we were going to manage it. Luckily, Uncle Colt knows someone who was looking to sell his own daughter's horse since she's gone off to college. The horse is seven, an Arabian, Quarter mix. He's sixteen hands high, and used to being ridden. He's also trained for barrel racing, which is something Tamsyn wants Jade to get into. While we were there, Cob made a purchase of his own without my sister Callie's knowledge. We have no idea how it's going to go over, but there's a little kid that's going to wake up with a miniature pony for a Christmas present, if we can make it back in time. The second purchase set us back an hour, so we're barely going to get back before daybreak. It's going to kill me to arrive and see that my kids have already tore into their other presents. I'm hoping by some miracle they sleep in.
"How many more miles we got, Josh?" Wes asks from the back seat of the farm truck.
"Sixty."
"That should put us there by five thirty. That's plenty of time."
I clench my jaw and pray he's right or else my wife will have my tail for waiting until the last minute to acquire the special present.
The roads are icy, so we need to take our time to arrive in once piece. I’d rather be safe than sorry. We’re going on zero sleep, so as the minutes on the digital clock change I begin to struggle.
We make one pit stop for large coffees, not that it helps Wes or Cob. They both fall asleep soon after, leaving me to fight to remain coherent. The only thing keeping me awake is knowing how important I am to my family, my kids and wife. They need me as much as I need them. I have to focus. Making it home safely is my responsibility.
After a little tiff about when we were leaving, I haven’t heard a peep from my wife. The guys called to say goodnight to their kids, while I remembered the reason I was doing this. Anticipating the look in my daughter’s eyes will make this all worth it.
It's a relief when I'm pulling through the gates of the ranch. The sudden bumps cause my two family members to stir. "We made it," Wes teases.
"Should I pull right up to the barn?" I ask with a yawn.
Cob stretches his arms out and matches my yawn, forcing Wes to follow. "I think that’s probably a good idea. That way we can walk them right out and surprise the kids."
I pull out front and don't spot any movement, which tells me everyone must still be sleeping. "Sweet. It's going to be a surprise."
"Maybe we can catch a nap before they wake up. It's still dark." I'm shocked Wes says this.
"You slept the last hour of the drive."
"Exactly. Now I'm dog ass tired."
"Shit. All I needed was that nap. Now I'm good for the next few hours," Cob tells us.
"Must be nice, assholes. I haven't closed my eyes once. If I go down for a nap, I won't wake up until tomorrow. This body is exhausted. Not even the coffee is helping."
We hop out as soon as the vehicle shuts off. I'm stretching, looking at the ground around us. A strand of lights hooked to an extension cord is spread out across the gravel driveway. There is an elf hat a few feet away from that, not to mention a very heavy smell of skunk."
I'm relieving myself when Wes comes up behind me. "I'm going to start getting the animals out of the trailer. Cob is going to grab some feed and water for them. Any particular area you want them tied up at?"
"You pick," I say as I zip back up.
With stealth precision, I sneak into the barn and notice the smell is even stronger. I actually have to cover my nose to keep it manageable. The tree is empty underneath, and when I search the loft there isn't a child in sight. Starting to worry, I call out for the adults, my sisters in particular.
Nothing.
At first I assume they're playing a joke on us, but that wouldn't explain the continued skunk odor. If it sprayed outside it would carry indoors, but it seems somehow more pungent near the Christmas tree. It makes no sense at all.
Calling my wife feels like the logical way to figure this out. It rings three times before she picks up. It's so loud with background noise that I can barely hear her greet me. "Hey, honey."
"Hey. So I'm standing in the barn and you aren't here. No one is. What the hell is going on?"
"Long story short, Jax Mitchell."
"Whoa, hang on. Did it involve a skunk?"
"You could say that. After spray painting his whole body green, apparently he got sprayed by a skunk."
"What an idiot!"
"We haven't seen him in while, ever since they sent him to the old trailer to soak in a tub of tomato juice. I'm glad too. We all smell like skunk now. He brought it into the damn barn. Even the children reek."
I want to laugh, but from the tone in her voice I can tell she's frustrated. "Everyone awake?"
"Most never went to sleep. We're over at the main house. We had to open the presents on the porch because they stunk too. We're still working on them, getting them rewrapped for the kids to open again. If you hurry up you'll get to see the kids before they start."
"Should I bring the horse?"
"Actually, that’s a great idea. Saddle him up and ride him over here. I'll tell Jade you're coming with her present."
I feel excited, because I know once I see the appreciation on her face this will all have been worth it. "Give me ten minutes. I'll text when I'm on the way."
"Sounds good. I missed you last night, Josh. You're such a great dad though. She'll be thrilled."
"I love you, babe. See you in a few."
After letting Wes and Cob know the new plan, I decide I better check on Jax, being that it sounds like the whole family is pretty pissed with him. The old trailer should be torn down, but I suppose at times like this it's still useful even in the current condition.
Not knowing what I'm going to find, and expecting the worst because it's Jax, and let's face it, he's always up to something, I enter the home curious as to his state of mind. Following the stench, I come into the bathroom and spot something I could never prepare for. Fully submerged in a tub full of red liquid, his head off to the side, mouth wide open, Jax snores loudly, the sounds echoing off the empty walls. Given the fact that he hasn't noticed I'm here, I get the urge to make my appearance known with a scare. First, I pull out my phone and snap a couple shots that I know will end up on the Christmas album. He deserves this.
Standing over his sleeping body, I lean closely and scream at the top of my lungs.
Jax jumps up, his wide eyes showing his fear as the tomato filled liquid splashes out the side of the bathtub. I'm laughing so hard I can barely breathe, still standing there waiting for him to say something. "Where the fuck were you all night, asshole?"
"Had to pick up a horse for Jade. Heard I missed an epic time. You really screwed up this time."
He sulks back down in the tub, sadly displaying his dismay regarding the current situation. "Yeah, it wasn't exactly how I planned it, then a damn skunk sprayed me."
I notice tinges of green on his skin. "What's with the color?"
Jax shrugs. "I painted myself green to resemble the Grinch."
"Like real paint?"
"Spray paint."
"You're a damn fool."
"Merry Christmas to you too."
"Get cleaned up. The family is at the main house. Let's go have breakfast and watch our kids open presents."
"What time is it?"
"Around six."
"Damn." He takes a look at his pruned hands. "I fell asleep hours ago. I could have drowned. Not one of them checked on me."
"You're too damn big to drown in this tub. Only you would make yourself the victim. Get your ass up and come on. Don't be a selfish prick."
"I'm not used to people being this mad. Usually they laugh at my pranks."
I shake my head as he stands and turns on the shower to rinse off the tomato water. He pays no mind that I'm standing in the room with him. "Couldn't you wait until I walked out?"
"You jealous of my rock hard physique?"
A guffaw fills the room. "Yeah totally that. My Christmas is ruined because I'm nothing like you, Jax."
When the spigot shuts off I hand Jax a towel. He wipes his face and proceeds to smell each arm pit. "I think I'm used to it. Can you still smell skunk? I used that shampoo Noah gave me."
"It's not too bad. There's a bit of an odor, but it's more like a heavy brussel sprout fart."
He nods, piercing his lips together like he's satisfied. "I can deal with a vegetable fart."
"You got clothes?" I ask.
"Na. Threw them in the trash before I got here. I came in a blanket."
I toss my hand in the air. "Don't even tell me. I'd rather not know."
"See if you can find me a fresh blanket or something. It's cold as shit outside."
"Maybe if you show up suffering they'll feel obligated to forgive and forget."
He tightens the towel around him, while walking into the living room. We manage to find one afghan with large holes in it. Jax burritos it around his midsection and rubs his hands together. "Tell me you drove here."
I smirk. "A golf cart."
"Shit. This is going to suck."
"It's five minutes tops. Until we reach the horse, and then you can go with the guys the rest of the way."
"Maybe you should go get me something to wear and then come back?"
"I'm supposed to be riding Jade's new horse to surprise her. I'm already late. There's no time. I told Tamsyn ten minutes and it's been thirteen."
He shakes his head, takes a few deep breaths and hauls ass out the house, racing toward the golf cart. Seconds later we're rushing toward the stables. I find Wes and Cob waiting around the corner with the horse and miniature pony. They spot Jax and look at each other like they can't believe their eyes.
Ignoring them, I hop on the horse and send the text to my wife, telling her to have Jade come outside. When I start to take off, Jax whistles for me. "Give me a lift."
"Hell no. You're bare balled."
"Come on. It's fucking freezing, and I’m not waiting for these fools to ride on the golf cart. My nuts are up in my stomach. I need clothes, heat, shit anything to keep me from freezing to death. Come on, I’m willing to have my sack smashed. Just let me get behind you, dude."
I'm shaking my head as he chases after me, grabbing ahold of the saddle and jumping on behind me. I suppose I could have refused, but it's Christmas and he's miserable.
Nothing can prepare me for the excitement I see in my precious daughter's eyes. She starts running toward me, leaving the whole awaiting family behind to reach her new gift.
I hop down and pull her into a big hug, swinging her around. "Daddy, Daddy, Santa came last night. We saw him and his elves. His sleigh was full of presents. Then Uncle Jax tried to scare everyone pretending he was the Grinch. He wasn’t very scary though. He smelled real bad. Mommy said he made friends with a skunk. He tried to give us coal for presents.”
“He did?”
She nods and looks up on the horse at poor Jax. “Why isn’t Uncle Jax wearing clothes Daddy?”
“His got ruined last night. I brought him here so he could find new ones.”
“Okay, but does he still stink?”
“Not that bad anymore.” I can’t help from laughing. It’s too funny to keep a straight face. I give my attention to Jax. “She wants to know if you still stink.”
Jax shakes his head, but refuses to answer. I think he’s been punished enough.
Jade rubs the whiskers on my face. “Mommy wouldn't tell me where you went. Did you go to get the horse? Is it mine, Daddy?"
"Of course he is. Merry Christmas my sweet girl."
Tamsyn reaches us in a matter of seconds, followed by our other two children. While I embrace them, thankful to be with them on this special day, I look over to see Jax climbing down from the horse. He holds the blanket tightly as he approaches his wife. His bottom lip protrudes when she accepts him into her arms. As pathetic as it looks, I can tell he's happy to be here.
"Put some clothes on, stinky." His father yells from somewhere in the crowd.
Amber leads Jax inside, followed by their three children. Some people shake their heads, but most are too preoccupied with the kids to give Jax their attention.
It’s too cold to remain outside, so after Jade and I take her new horse for a short ride and put him in the stables with the other horses, we head back to open presents and share our annual Christmas breakfast.
Instead of skunk, the house smells like heaven and maple syrup. We round the corner and spot all the kids sitting in front of a decorated tree. It’s not as big as the one in the barn, but serves it’s purpose. We pack into the large great room like sardines to exchange presents. Some might think it’s uncomfortable, but I get a kick out of being this close to my relatives. It’s pretty funny seeing everyone trying to maneuver around.
Jax comes down looking like he’s taken another shower. His hair is wet and he’s finally put on some appropriate clothes. Amber follows behind him, both of them carrying more boxes of presents. It sucks everything had to be rewrapped, but no one seems to care anymore. The smiling faces of the children make it all somehow worth it. There’s always some catastrophe every year, and we always manage to make it out okay.
Jade comes over and jumps into my arms. She’s getting too big to carry around, but I don’t mind times like this. I cherish them. The person I used to be stop existing the moment she came into my world. My family is everything to me. They make all my hard work worth it and I’m so damn grateful. “You still have presents to open, sweetie.”
“I know, but I want you to open your gift.” She shoves a little box at me.
I kneel down with her by my side and open the package. Tamsyn, Bacon, and our youngest stand waiting. The small top lifts off and I see a set of keys. I recognize the Kubota logo and know exactly what it is, even though Tamsyn explains further. “We couldn’t bring the new equipment to Kentucky for Christmas, so I figured the keys were a good enough hint.”
I’m shocked. She fought with me tooth and nail over such a big purchase, especially after we decided on buying the horse. “You went and did this on your own?”
“Your dad helped. He knew the one you wanted. He got you the extra attachments so you can plow our lane too.”
“Babe, this is amazing. I can’t top this now.”
She shrugs and leans over to kiss me. “You already have. You do it every day you come home and take care of us. We love you. You work hard and deserve something nice.”
I pull a box out of my hoodie and hand it to her. Tamsyn gives me a funny look before taking it. She already suspects it’s jewelry. I watch her opening the package with the one of a kind gold necklace inside that I had made especially for her. Our children’s names are pressed into the round charm, with their birth years underneath. She lifts it out and holds it close to her chest. “Oh my gosh. This is beautiful. Josh, thank you. It’s perfect.”
“There’s even room for another name, just in case.”
Tamsyn snickers. “Are you hinting?”
I shrug. “Maybe I am. Nothing feels better than seeing what we’ve made together.” I motion toward the middle of room where our kids have gone off to. “Just look at them. Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?” I ask while pulling her into my arms.
She snickers and rests her head against me. “We’ll start trying after breakfast, and then we’re taking a long nap.”
“I’m good for the trying, but I have a feeling our kids will argue about the nap. I’m going to be saddling up a horse, and putting together all sorts of toys for the rest of the day.”
We both look at one another and smile. At the same time a solution to our problems comes out. “Grandparents!”