Because Naughty Holidays Can Be Oh So Nice 2015 (10 page)

Chapter Four

ON MONDAY AFTERNOON, Ryan was finishing up an email when Z walked into his office after knocking briefly. He looked up and smiled, unable to help himself, because Z was grinning from ear to ear, his dark eyes dancing.

“You ready?” Z asked.

“For?” Ryan leaned back in his chair.

“The white elephant exchange.”

Oh, right. Shit. He’d forgotten all about it, actually.

“It’s a good thing you’ve got me,” Z told him as though reading Ryan’s mind.

“It is,” Ryan confirmed, and it had nothing to do with the fact Z kept him on track, either. He was simply lucky to have Z period. “Let me finish this email?”

“Sure. But you’ve got two minutes. Then I’m sending the others in to get you.”

Ryan leaned forward and began typing instantly. He did not need Trace or Kira or Jayden coming in to give him a hard time.

“I’ve got the gifts, so you can just come join us.”

Ryan nodded, typing away.

Five minutes later, he was in the main bullpen, where the others had gathered. Everyone was there. His sister, Marissa, and her husband, Trace. Trace’s parents, Casper and Emily. The rest of the Kogan clan: Conner and Conner’s daughter, Shelby, Hunter, and their sister, Courtney. Ryan didn’t see Courtney’s husband, but he wasn’t necessarily surprised. The mob boss was probably busy … doing whatever it was he did.

Of course, Ryan’s parents, Elizabeth and Bryce, were there. Ryan’s uncle TJ and TJ’s wife, Stephanie. Ryan’s brothers Colby, Clay, and Austin, along with Ryan’s cousins, Tanner, Kira, Evan, and Dominic.

It wouldn’t be complete without the others who worked for them. The S1S receptionist, Jayden, who had masterminded the entire thing with Kira’s help. As well as Emma, Decker, Claire, Lilly, Ian, John, Craig, Shane, and a handful of others from support.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time already. There were finger foods, drinks, some holiday music in the background, and a whole lot of laughter and conversation. As he moved closer, someone placed a red Santa hat on his head, and Ryan fought the urge to roll his eyes. He’d never been accused of being jolly, but he could play along. These people were his family, the most important ones in his life.

Z approached, carrying two clear cups of punch, and handed one to Ryan. With a thank you and a smile, Ryan took it from him, then took a sip.

“I hope like hell no one’s drivin’ home after this,” he muttered after his nostrils burned from the alcohol.

“There’s not enough to go far, and they’ll be here for a few hours yet. I’ll keep an eye on ’em, though.”

That was Z, always thoughtful.

Another reason Ryan wanted to buy him the perfect gift this year. Although he still wasn’t any closer to finding one. Even after he’d heard Buddy’s story yesterday. He knew the last thing Z needed was a camera. Granted, he was also aware that wasn’t the moral of the story. He wasn’t that dense, but still, he had yet to come up with an idea even as remotely romantic as the story Buddy had shared.

But he was working on it.

“Hey,” Ryan’s mother said when she came to stand beside Ryan and Z.

Ryan leaned in for a hug, as did Z when it was his turn.

“Did you find that recipe yet?” Liz asked Z.

“Not yet,” he said.

Ryan could hear a little more frustration in his husband’s tone. Everyone seemed to be asking about that recipe, which was why Ryan had started doing a little digging of his own. He knew Z didn’t want one off the Internet, so that was out. There were a million different versions of it, from what he’d seen when he’d started his research, but Ryan understood the sentimentality of it being his father’s recipe. Which was why he’d mentioned it to Buddy before leaving the nursing home yesterday. Asked him to keep an eye out, even to check what few personal effects Thomas had there at the home with him.

He’d also called Z’s mother, Cindy. She knew of the recipe, but she’d had no luck in finding it. After that quick call, Ryan had also reached out to Z’s brother, Reese, to see if he could take a look around his house. Reese was currently living in the family home in Coyote Ridge, where Z had grown up. Ryan figured if it was anywhere, it would be there.

Still, he hadn’t heard anything from Reese yet.

“Who’s ready to get this party started?” Jayden asked, donning her bright green LED Christmas tree glasses that flashed.

A chorus of cheers erupted, and everyone found seats, most of them sitting on top of the desks littering the bullpen. They’d all been rearranged so that they circled a table in the middle, which held a pile of wrapped gifts.

“All right, so y’all know the rules were simple this year,” Jayden explained. “Gifts needed to be roughly ten dollars and no alcohol.” When some people grumbled, Jayden grinned. “Alcohol is too easy and not nearly as fun. Anyway. When y’all came in, you were given a number. Who has number one?”

Decker Bromwell raised his hand, holding up a small slip of paper.

“Congrats,” Jayden said cheerfully. “You get to pick first.”

Ryan sat on the table beside Z, watching as Deck went to the table and began picking up presents, shaking them as he grinned. When he seemed content with his pick, he returned to his spot.

Everyone’s attention was focused on him as he unwrapped the long, thin box.

Some people laughed as Deck frowned when he held up the white sweatshirt. When he turned it around so everyone could see, laughter erupted throughout the room. Ryan’s eyes widened when he saw what had been ironed on the sweatshirt.

“Please tell me you did not bring that,” he muttered to Z.

“Not me,” Z confirmed, chuckling.

Ryan prayed he wasn’t blushing as Deck held up the sweatshirt proudly. There, on the front, was a huge picture of Ryan’s face. Someone had taken a candid shot of him somewhere, and he had to admit, it wasn’t his best face. But to each his own.

“I’m gonna wear this proudly,” Deck announced.

“Not if I get a chance to steal it,” Z told him, making everyone laugh.

“Who’s got number two?” Jayden inquired.

Conner’s fourteen-year-old daughter, Shelby, raised her hand, then moved to the front and shyly grabbed the first present she could reach before retreating back to her chair beside her father. Everyone watched as she opened the gift.

“What is it?” Marissa asked.

Conner grumbled.

“Beer Pong Head Game,” Shelby told them.

Ryan looked at the picture, which showed a guy wearing an inflatable hat that held six Solo cups on the top.

“Someone better steal that from my daughter,” Conner growled, looking around.

Ryan laughed.

For the next half hour, he sat there, watching as people opened more gifts, some stealing the presents that had already been opened, forcing the original person to go back and select another. Poor Shelby continued to get the alcohol-themed gifts, including a light-up cocktail shaker, bourbon marshmallows, a sour-puss beer Koozie and a flask set with its own removable shot glass. Finally, after Conner had squirmed a half dozen times, Shelby ended up picking a set of temporary knuckle tattoos. Although her father wasn’t all that happy, he warned anyone that if they stole them from her, he’d hunt them down.

When it was Z’s turn, he did as he’d promised and stole the sweatshirt with Ryan’s face on it from Trace, who had stolen it from Deck. With it safely in Z’s possession—a gift could only be taken twice—he seemed to be a happy man.

Not that Ryan enjoyed looking over to see Z wearing that damn thing, but he guessed it could’ve been worse.

And then it was Ryan’s turn.

He considered all the gifts he’d seen thus far, including a retro game controller phone case, an emoji pillow, a variety of bacon gifts, and a ruler that read: size matters. None of which appealed to him, so he figured he would take his chances.

The instant he had it open, he knew he would get hell for it.

“What is it?” Casper asked.

Ryan shook his head as he lifted it out of the package. He’d unwrapped a bright pink cupcake shower cap, complete with a cherry on top.

Z clapped, then grabbed the cap, removed the Santa hat Ryan had been wearing, and thrust it over Ryan’s head.

More clapping ensued, and Ryan hoped his face wasn’t as red as the cherry.

Z WAS PRETTY sure the highlight of his day was watching RT turn beet red when Z had placed that shower cap on his head. Surprisingly, no one had stolen it from him, either, which made it all the better.

The game had lasted approximately three hours, and then RT had made a speech, thanking everyone for all their hard work, and ended by ordering pizza for everyone and convincing them to stick around. The man didn’t realize how much this group loved him. Although most of the people employed by Sniper 1 Security were family, there were a lot who weren’t, but they were loyal just the same. And it was the thoughtfulness of the Kogans and Trexlers that made it that way. They treated every member of the team as though they were.

“So does this mean I don’t get to make you dinner tonight?” Z asked RT as they sat at the break room table eating pizza.

“I thought you had some pies to make.”

“I do,” he confirmed. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t cook for you.”

RT’s eyes softened and Z’s heart fluttered. He knew that RT didn’t realize how he looked at him, but Z noticed. And every damn time was like the first.

“Okay, y’all knock that shit off,” Trace stated firmly, elbowing Z. “They make rooms for that.”

“You’re one to talk,” Z retorted, glancing over at his best friend.

Trace grinned.

“Have y’all started renovating the warehouse yet?” Hunter asked Trace.

Trace turned to Marissa, then to look at his brother. “We have.”

“Yeah?” Hunter took a bite of pizza.

“What’re y’all turning it into?” Courtney asked.

Z noticed Courtney’s face light up as she stared back at her brother and her best friend. It was then that Z knew what was going on, and he waited patiently for the news.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait long.

“We’re putting in a staircase that leads down to the first floor, and we’re remodeling to add a master bedroom.”

Z knew that his old loft apartment was far too big to just be a master bedroom. “And…?”

“And an office,” Trace said nonchalantly. “That way Marissa will have a place to work.”

Z looked at Marissa. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes a little glassy as she stared back at her husband. Yep, there was definitely more to this story.

“And…?” Z repeated.

The room was quiet for a moment as all eyes turned to Trace.

And just as Z had expected, a shit-eating grin split across his best friend’s face as he placed his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “And a nursery.”

The silence was replaced by earsplitting excitement, which caused others to rush into the room, looking around to see what was going on.

“They’re havin’ a baby,” Courtney announced. “I’m gonna be an aunt.”

“Congrats, bro,” Z offered, clapping Trace on the back with one hand and shaking his hand with the other.

“Thanks.”

Z turned to look at RT, noticing he was smiling over at his sister. “You’re gonna be an uncle,” Z told him.

“I know. And so are you.”

Z’s eyes widened as that sank in. Launching to his feet, he glanced around the room, momentarily stunned as that news sank in. “I’m gonna… Holy shit… I’m gonna be an uncle.”

Laughter erupted as all eyes turned to him.

“Holy shit,” he muttered again, lowering himself into his chair.

RT leaned over and chuckled, pressing his lips close to Z’s ear. “Congrats. Maybe tonight we can celebrate the good news.”

Z’s gaze snapped over to RT. “You’re damn right we will,” he said softly, hoping no one else heard but not really caring if they did or not.

Two hours later, as the party was thinning out, after Z and RT had helped Jayden and Kira clean everything up, Z managed to corner RT just outside the conference room. Without saying a word, he grabbed RT’s hand and led him across the hall.