a tablet. “They aren’t the techiest of people,” he said. “They’ve only recently mastered email.”
“But this way you could video chat with them,” I said.
He looked down at me. “Is that supposed to be a good thing?”
I laughed. “Your mom would probably like it.”
He ended up buying the tablet, probably just to get it over with. He wasn’t big on shopping for gifts.
“What about Charlie?” I asked. “They’ll be in town for New Year, right?”
“I actually have Charlie taken care of.” He smiled proudly. “I’ve enrolled him in a beer-of-the month club.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, Callie will love that.”
“We could get her a matching gift,” he said. “Would she like a wine-of-the-month membership?”
“That might be out of my price range.” Last Christmas I had bought Callie a cute necklace from Accessorize for five pounds.
But Thomas merely shook his head. “This is a joint gift.”
I considered arguing, but one look at his firm expression changed my mind. I didn’t want another argument so close on the heels of the last one. “Okay,” I said, and he grinned encouragingly. “Callie would love that.”
We were able to knock Thomas’s siblings off the list fairly quickly. Thomas found an Arsenal scarf in a soccer store for Paul, and Mrs. Harper had sent word that Paul’s wife, Mary, was in need of a piece of Le Creuset cookware in a very specific size. Apparently Mary always made detailed lists around the holiday to save people from having to put too much energy into gift buying for her.
“It’s not very meaningful, is it?” I asked, holding up the casserole dish. “I mean, she’ll know exactly what she’s getting before she even opens her gifts.”
Thomas shrugged. “She’s always done it. I prefer it, honestly. It’s a hell of a lot easier than rooting around in a store for something thoughtful.”
I shook my head at him. “Christmas should be about thoughtful gifts. What kind of stuff does she enjoy?”
He pointed at the dish. “She likes having expensive cookery.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. But you better not ever employ that practical BS when it comes to shopping for me.”
He wrapped an arm around me. “That is not something you’ll ever have to worry about.”
“Okay, your parents, your brother, and Mary are taken care of. What about Bryony?”
“I’m going to give Bryony a hundred quid, and she’ll be the happiest person in the room.” When I opened my mouth to argue he went on. “And that is a thoughtful gift. She’s totally broke right now. She’ll be thrilled to get a hundred quid.”
“Okay. You’re a nice brother. I’m getting her something just a bit better, though.”
“What are you getting her?”
I grinned. “I asked Heidi to arrange for Darrin Duke to sign a poster for her. It’s personalized and everything.”
He sighed loudly. “You are so going to be her favorite.”
“I’m her favorite anyhow.”
He looked own at me, the sudden tenderness in his eyes taking me off guard. “You are.”
We walked around for a while more, trying to get ideas for my family with little luck. I wanted something special for my mom. The closer we got to the holiday the worse I felt for not seeing her in so long. Maybe after the New Year we could fly her out to L.A. or something. I hated the idea of going back to London when the movie was over and going God knew how long until I was back in the States. I clenched my fists in my pockets. Why couldn’t my dad just stop being so stubborn? Did he even miss me at all?
“You’ll find something,” Thomas said as we made our way out to the car. “Don’t let it get you stressed.”
I tried to smile at him, not bothering to mention that finding a gift was the least of the things that was making me feel stressed.
“Hey,” he said suddenly, once we’d reached the car. “I have an idea. We should go to Olvera Street.”
I looked at him as he opened my car door. “What’s
“But this way you could video chat with them,” I said.
He looked down at me. “Is that supposed to be a good thing?”
I laughed. “Your mom would probably like it.”
He ended up buying the tablet, probably just to get it over with. He wasn’t big on shopping for gifts.
“What about Charlie?” I asked. “They’ll be in town for New Year, right?”
“I actually have Charlie taken care of.” He smiled proudly. “I’ve enrolled him in a beer-of-the month club.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, Callie will love that.”
“We could get her a matching gift,” he said. “Would she like a wine-of-the-month membership?”
“That might be out of my price range.” Last Christmas I had bought Callie a cute necklace from Accessorize for five pounds.
But Thomas merely shook his head. “This is a joint gift.”
I considered arguing, but one look at his firm expression changed my mind. I didn’t want another argument so close on the heels of the last one. “Okay,” I said, and he grinned encouragingly. “Callie would love that.”
We were able to knock Thomas’s siblings off the list fairly quickly. Thomas found an Arsenal scarf in a soccer store for Paul, and Mrs. Harper had sent word that Paul’s wife, Mary, was in need of a piece of Le Creuset cookware in a very specific size. Apparently Mary always made detailed lists around the holiday to save people from having to put too much energy into gift buying for her.
“It’s not very meaningful, is it?” I asked, holding up the casserole dish. “I mean, she’ll know exactly what she’s getting before she even opens her gifts.”
Thomas shrugged. “She’s always done it. I prefer it, honestly. It’s a hell of a lot easier than rooting around in a store for something thoughtful.”
I shook my head at him. “Christmas should be about thoughtful gifts. What kind of stuff does she enjoy?”
He pointed at the dish. “She likes having expensive cookery.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. But you better not ever employ that practical BS when it comes to shopping for me.”
He wrapped an arm around me. “That is not something you’ll ever have to worry about.”
“Okay, your parents, your brother, and Mary are taken care of. What about Bryony?”
“I’m going to give Bryony a hundred quid, and she’ll be the happiest person in the room.” When I opened my mouth to argue he went on. “And that is a thoughtful gift. She’s totally broke right now. She’ll be thrilled to get a hundred quid.”
“Okay. You’re a nice brother. I’m getting her something just a bit better, though.”
“What are you getting her?”
I grinned. “I asked Heidi to arrange for Darrin Duke to sign a poster for her. It’s personalized and everything.”
He sighed loudly. “You are so going to be her favorite.”
“I’m her favorite anyhow.”
He looked own at me, the sudden tenderness in his eyes taking me off guard. “You are.”
We walked around for a while more, trying to get ideas for my family with little luck. I wanted something special for my mom. The closer we got to the holiday the worse I felt for not seeing her in so long. Maybe after the New Year we could fly her out to L.A. or something. I hated the idea of going back to London when the movie was over and going God knew how long until I was back in the States. I clenched my fists in my pockets. Why couldn’t my dad just stop being so stubborn? Did he even miss me at all?
“You’ll find something,” Thomas said as we made our way out to the car. “Don’t let it get you stressed.”
I tried to smile at him, not bothering to mention that finding a gift was the least of the things that was making me feel stressed.
“Hey,” he said suddenly, once we’d reached the car. “I have an idea. We should go to Olvera Street.”
I looked at him as he opened my car door. “What’s
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