Chapter 76

“You gonna help Daddy Jake and Daddy Jimmy carry the tree back to the truck?”

Rex picked up his branch again.

“Guess not.”

* * * *

Barry just shook his head when Jake pulled a large cardboard box of Christmas tree decorations from the attic and opened the lid.

“What?” Jake asked.

“Only you two would have blue and red decorations.”

“There’s some silver, too,” Jimmy said, pulling out a strand of tinsel.

“Which has blue and red strands in it as well,” Barry said. He realized he was coming across as a grump. But he was tired, cold and had only eaten a sandwich. His men—Jake in particular—had insisted they get straight on with decorating the tree. Barry guessed that was another tradition. “I’m sorry, guys. It’s just, Christmas back in England wasn’t as…big as this.”

Jake looked crestfallen.