Chapter 26

“Which one do you want?” Danny asked Carmina as soon as they got out of the truck. He regretted his sharp tone as soon as he said it. “It was your idea. You get to pick,” he said in a softer voice. It wasn’t Carmina’s fault that Tom was a horndog who wanted to fuck them both. Then again, he got the distinct impression that she wanted to fuck both him and Tom, too. Which Danny would totally be into. But he was afraid that if he and Tom got naked and busy with Carmina together, Tom would take it too far and be all over Danny, too. And Danny didn’t want that.

He absolutely, totally, without a doubt did not want that.

Seriously. No matter how good it had been the other night in Indianapolis, he did not want to get involved with Tom that way. They were best friends. Danny was the older and wiser one, so it was up to him to keep them on the straight and narrow. Well, as straight as Tom could be steered, anyway. What if it didn’t work out? What if Tom went somewhere Danny didn’t want to go and it came between their friendship? Because Danny didn’t think he could handle being fucked, not even by Tom, who must be pretty good at it, considering how many people came back begging for more.

“I don’t know,” Carmina said, in answer to his question. She looked around at the few remaining piles of cut trees and the rows of growing trees available for cutting. “There are so many. How much room do you have in your apartment?”

“As much room as you need,” Danny told her. “For whatever tree you want. I want you to have a perfect Christmas.” The smile Carmina gave him made his heart beat faster and his palms sweat.

Why had he said that about the perfect Christmas? Just because he meant it didn’t mean he had to say it. He didn’t want Carmina to get her hopes up. Danny was so confused right now that he wasn’t a good choice for anyone, and especially not Carmina. He could see how she struggled sometimes, that she was just as scared as he was of starting a relationship. And what about Tom? Always Tom was in the middle, wanting both of them. And he seemed to be the only one of the three of them who had his shit together. He was pulling them both into his orbit so damn hard, and neither of them had the strength right now to resist. But dammit, Danny was going to try. This whole thing had train wreck written all over it.

“Over here!” Tom called out to them. He looked around, unable to see Tom. Carmina was a few feet away, looking at some cut trees, and she turned around with a frown, searching. When she met Danny’s look, he shrugged. Suddenly he saw Tom jumping up and down several rows down from where they stood. He pointed to Tom and Carmina turned to look.

“What are you doing?” Carmina called out to him, laughing.

“I’ve found it,” Tom called back. “The perfect tree!”

Carmina started to jog over and then stopped. She turned back to Danny and held out her hand. “Come on,” she urged him.

Danny didn’t want to leave her hanging, so he took her hand even as he cursed himself for a fool the whole time. Her hand slipped into his and her grip was strong, despite seeming small and dainty compared to his. She pulled him along behind her as she headed for where Tom was.

When they reached him, he was beaming as he gestured to a tree in front of him. “Do you like it?” It was perfect. It looked like a Christmas card.

“I love it,” Carmina said, laughing and clapping her hands. “It’s so pretty! But I don’t want to chop it down.” She pouted.

“If you don’t, miss, someone else will,” the man who ran the tree lot said. “If not this year, then next. And if they get too big, we cut them down and sell them as pulp.” At her accusatory glare, the man shrugged. “It’s a business. We can’t save every pretty tree.”

“Then we’ll take it,” she said. “It at least deserves to go out as someone’s perfect Christmas tree.”

“That’s what they live for,” the man said with a smile. “Did you bring anything to cut it down with?” Tom frowned and looked at Danny.

“What do I look like,” Danny said, “Paul Bunyan?”

“I can cut it for you but it’s an additional fee,” the man said.

“Sold to the man with a saw,” Tom said, happy again.

“Hey, aren’t you Danny Smith?” the man said when he came back with a power saw.

“Yeah,” Danny said. In his experience this could go one of two ways, and both were usually uncomfortable for him.

“Like playing for the Rebels?” the man asked. He hesitated to turn on the saw, obviously waiting for Danny’s answer.

“Yeah,” Danny said honestly, a little surprised by the question. Most people offered an opinion, they didn’t ask for one.

“I can tell,” the man said with a smile. “It shows.” He pulled on the ignition and the saw fired up with a loud screech. Carmina covered her ears and stepped back. Something about the way she did it caught Danny’s eye. She looked like she’d seen a ghost. Danny took a step toward her, but before he could say anything, Tom was pulling her into his arms. She went gladly, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest. Danny gestured toward the front of the lot and Tom moved off, still holding Carmina. It only took a couple of minutes to cut the tree down. The man wrapped it in mesh and picked it up.

“I can carry it,” Danny offered. The man laughed.

“I know you can,” he said. “I saw you take down one of them Colts last week. But insurance says I’ve got to carry it to your car. Once you pay and you’re off the lot you can do as you please.”

“Got it,” Danny said, laughing with him. “But that tree couldn’t hurt me near as bad as the Colts,” he told him.

“We won,” the guy said over his shoulder. “No pain, no gain.”

When they got to the front of the lot Danny paid for the tree.

“We don’t have a stand or lights or ornaments or anything,” Carmina said, biting her lip with a frown.

“We’ve got a stand, but that’s it. Walmart’s open until eight,” the tree guy said. “You’ve got half an hour.”

“We’re on a mission,” Tom said. “We can’t fail. Come on. To Walmart!”

Carmina stood in front of the tree, smiling. “It’s beautiful,” she said. They’d made it to Walmart with ten minutes left to buy everything they needed. The shelves were mostly bare, but they’d managed to find a string of colored lights and a string of white lights, and two boxes of blue, plastic ball ornaments that were supposed to look like the expensive glass kind. While she’d run up to her apartment to feed Buster, and then take him out for a walk, Tom and Danny had decorated the tree. When she walked in, all the lights were off; just the tree was lit up. It was garish, but sparkly. She’d brought Buster back with her, and he sat beside her, his head cocked to the side as he looked at the tree as if he couldn’t quite figure out what to do with it.

“A tree that pretty deserved better,” Danny said from beside her. She slugged him in the arm.

“Shut up,” she said. “I like it.” Danny just laughed, although she wasn’t sure whether it was at her comment or how ineffective her punch was.

Tom walked over carrying three full champagne glasses. “Take one,” he said.

“I can’t really drink on my meds,” Carmina said regretfully.

“It’s sparkling cider,” Tom told her. “I know you can’t drink. You told me the other night, so I got this instead.” The fact that he remembered made her feel all gooey toward him. She was definitely experiencing the Christmas effect tonight. She loved everyone and everything. There was just something about a Christmas tree that brought out her inner child.

“Thanks,” she said, taking a glass and kissing him on the cheek. He smiled down at her and she found herself hoping they were together next Christmas, too. Maybe they were making memories right now that they’d recall for many, many years together. She’d like that.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“That we’re making memories,” she told him. She looked over at Danny. She wanted him to be a part of them, too, because she was greedy and infatuated and making Christmas wishes.

“Well, I’m not going to forget that ugly tree anytime soon,” Danny said, gesturing at it with his glass.

“Don’t be a grinch,” Carmina said. “You know you love my tree.”

“Oh, it’s yours now?” Danny asked. “How come I paid for it and it’s in my living room?” He smirked at her.

“Because you told me you wanted me to have the perfect Christmas,” Carmina reminded him. “So my tree is in your living room.”

“That makes no sense,” he told her.

Tom held up his glass. “Here’s to perfect Christmases that make no sense,” he said. Carmina clinked her glass with his and then they both turned to Danny. He touched his glass to theirs with an indulgent smile.

“Even your toasts make no sense,” he said, but he drank anyway.

“And the next Christmas Eve tradition,” Tom said, leading Carmina over to the couch, “is Christmas movies.”

“Oh, God,” Danny groaned. “No musicals, please.” He wandered over and sat down in Tom’s lucky chair. Tom didn’t protest, so Carmina guessed that when he wasn’t playing videogames Danny was allowed to sit in it.

“What movie would you like?” Tom asked. “We can find just about anything on demand.”

She thought about it. “Die Hard.”

“Wait. What?” Danny asked in disbelief. “That’s not a Christmas movie.”

“It totally is,” she said firmly. “It takes place at Christmas. At a Christmas party. There’s carols. And Christmas trees and presents.”

“People get shot and blown up,” he protested. “Christmas movies are about Christmas. Not burglaries.”

“Then you pick one,” she said in exasperation.

“I didn’t say I didn’t want to watch it,” Danny told her. “I said it’s not a Christmas movie. Which means I definitely want to watch it.”

“Scrooge,” Tom called him. “Die Hard it is. You know, after football, maybe I’ll become an actor. I could totally have played John McClane. Don’t you think so?” he asked her.

“Absolutely,” she said loyally. “You’d have looked great in that ripped undershirt.” Danny laughed.

“I notice she didn’t mention your acting skills,” he told Tom.

“Acting skills?” Tom said. “I don’t need no stinking acting skills.” Carmina and Danny both laughed. Tom sat down beside her with the remote and found Die Hard on the TV. After he rented it and pressed play, he put the remote on the table and pulled her over, then wrapped his arms around her so that she was practically on his lap in the corner of the couch nearest Danny. She didn’t have the chance to get embarrassed about his public display of affection, because the movie started.

They watched the movie for about an hour, commenting on the action and quoting lines. Carmina couldn’t remember having a more relaxed Christmas. It was as if the awkward conversation in the truck on the way to get the tree had never happened. Of course, as soon as she thought about it, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. Tom and Danny, together. What exactly had they done? She knew they hadn’t fucked. Danny had been pretty clear about that. But he’d also said they were horny and went a little crazy. Did they jack off together? Was oral sex involved? Maybe Tom sucked dick as well as he licked pussy. She had to close her eyes and take a deep breath at that image. Maybe Danny…no. He wouldn’t have. He seemed uncomfortable with wanting Tom. But he did. And she’d known it all along. Hadn’t she wondered recently if his intense looks were for Tom or for her? Clearly they were for Tom. She and Danny may have done it, but for him, it was a one-and-done thing. No, he’d been pining for Tom all this time. And now she was coming between them. Then again, Danny seemed determined to deny there was anything there. So what was her obligation here? Did she have to step back and clear the field in case he decided to go for it? But what if he didn’t? What if she walked away from Tom for no good reason? Her head was spinning with all the scenarios.

“Uh-oh,” Tom whispered in her ear. “You’re thinking again. You know what happens when you think too hard.” He kissed the rim of her ear and then licked it and bit it gently.

“What happens?” she asked breathlessly, glancing over to see if Danny had seen Tom kissing her.

“I have to make you stop thinking and start feeling,” Tom told her.