Page 13 of The Holidays with Mr. Mitchell

“Real men get their own caramel apples, Jimmy,” Jake answered, taunting his son.

“Is Jacks coming tonight?” John asked, ignoring him. “I was hoping Cam and Jessa were coming and he’d be with them.”

“Unfortunately, no,” I answered. “Jessa said that Jackson has a coaching event at the high school.”

“See? Now,that’ssomething cool, doing things like that. Not this,” John said, matter-of-factly.

“Says the man eating the caramel apple his mommy just got for him,” Jake teased.

“The party can start now. We have arrived,” Collin said, approaching with his wife, Elena, at his side and their two-year-old daughter on his shoulders, clutching her ankles as she giggled.

“John!” she shrieked, bouncing on her dad’s shoulders. “Hi!”

Collin set her down. His kids were practically cousins with all the other kids, but they were especially close with Jake’s kids. It was adorable watching John try to navigate the younger kids’ adoration while still convincing himself that he belonged in the conversations of prominent executives and doctors.

“Seraphina, don’t,” he half warned, half chuckled. “Your cotton candy is sticky.”

“Hey, John,” Elena said as John was wrangling Seraphina, “can you take little Alex to the girls over at the pumpkin walk?”

“Pumpkin walk?” John said, highly annoyed that he was forced into babysitting duty.

“Yeah, dude,” Collin said. “It’s really awesome. They play music and you hop on the patches in the circles, and if you land on one, you get a free pumpkin to carve.”

“God,” he rolled his eyes, and my lips pinched in humor.

“That’s enough of the attitude, mister,” Ash said with a hint of warning in her kind eyes. “Go enjoy yourselves with the kids. Uncle Alex and Aunt Bree are on their way with the twins, and you have Addy to help you.”

John’s gaze darted so blatantly toward where the school kids were congregated that he immediately gave himself away—a rookie mistake in front of Jake and Collin. The doctors weren’t just masters at calling everyone out and giving them hell; they also loved teasing the kids when they thought they were too cool to enjoy any holiday or event they should be celebrating.

“Well, there’s the reason for the attitude,” Jake pointed out first. “His little crush is here.”

“I don’t have a crush on her or anyone, Dad,” John snapped.

“What’s her name?” Collin prodded.

“Rosie Bennet, and we’re just friends,” John held his ground.

“Friends is the best place to start,” I smiled.

“Why don’t you ask your friend to join you and all the kids?” Jake taunted.

“Because she’s not here to babysit. I am,” he rolled his eyes.

“Protective of her time?” Jim joined in. “Good man,” he nodded.

“I’m gonna go watch kids bob for apples, I guess,” John said, sighing and hoping someone would tell him he was off the hook.

“It’s the pumpkin walk,” Collin corrected. “Over there!” he said, his eyes wide with teasing excitement.

“Ugh,” he gave a long, exasperated sigh and marched off to fulfill his big cousin duty.

“Lord, once these damn kids hit any age past ten, they suddenly turn into our enemies and act like we are only here to piss them off,” Jake said.

“You acted the same way at his age,” Jim defended his nephew. “We all did. It’s part of growing up.”

The men fell into conversation, and then Nat and Spencer arrived. Their daughter clung tightly to her father, who joined the men, while Nat came over to join Ash, Elena, and me.

“Damn, girl. This is everything I love about fall and more. I swear I wasn’t in the mood for the holidays to be here yet, but this makes me want to hire that badass event architect so she can decorate our home and plan a massive brokerage event.” She smiled at me, “Avery, this is spectacular, and it’s everything that this city and your center needs. By the way, I have promising news about Claire,” she said, always knowing inside shit beyond even the most powerful men in Jim’s company.