Page 91 of The Holidays with Mr. Mitchell

“Oh, of course.” I crossed my arms. “Alastair, is this one of Jim’s pranks?”

“Mrs. Mitchell,” he said with practiced calm, “Mr. Mitchell prefers the termsurprise.”

Addy and Izzy came barreling down the stairs, laughing. “We’re ready! Where are we going?”

Alastair stepped aside, gesturing toward the driveway. “If you’ll follow me, young ladies.”

I hesitated at the doorway, glancing past him. Parked at the curb wasn’t Jim’s usual Rolls. Instead, it was a black luxury coach with tinted windows and a faint hum of an engine already running.

“Oh, cute,” I said. “He’s sending us to the mountains in the fancy Christmas bus?”

Alastair opened the door for me. “Not quite.”

“Alastair, how the hell do you know how to drive one of these hoopties?” I chuckled.

“You’d be surprised, Avery,” he answered with a smile.

Well, this was comedy at least. I never in a million years imagined being chauffeured in a damn limousine bus by Jim’s driver. I smiled at the thought, then joined the girls up in the lavish holiday entertainment bus.

Inside, the cabin was cozy—plush seats, a tray of cocoa waiting, soft instrumental Christmas music playing through hidden speakers.

Izzy pressed her face to the window as we started moving. “Mom! We’re not going toward the freeway.”

I looked and saw that she was right. We weren’t heading in the direction that led to the San Bernardino mountains. “Alastair,” I said carefully, “where exactly are we going?”

He kept his eyes on the road. “You’ll see soon enough, Mrs. Mitchell.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the only one I’m permitted to give.”

Addy giggled. “He’s totally hiding something!”

“Of course he is,” I said, sinking back into the seat. “Your father must be loving this.”

“Rest assured, you all will profoundly love this as well,” Alastair said with a giddy smile.

“Well, let’s just hope we’ll get to the party in time after this short detour, or the girls and I will be arriving just in time to party with all the guests in sweat pants,” I teased.

“I’d find time to change,” Addy said.

“You’d be fashionably late, sister,” I said. “And with all cell phone videos of you in your ratty sweats, don’t think your cousin John won’t be the first to get you trending next to Dad on social media.”

“I’d kick his butt, and he knows it,” Izzy boldly proclaimed in protecting her sister.

“Let’s just let this music keep us in our holiday vibes for now,” I said. “We don’t need anyone kicking anyone’s butt at Dad’s company Christmas celebration,” I chuckled.

Whatever Jim was up to, I was a little worried, and it was only because of the silly pranks we’d started doing after we got into this party planning war. So, knowing James Mitchell well, I knew he had to at least start the intro to his party with one last tiny prank on me and the girls.

However, I was completely wrong when the bus turned onto Jim’s private helipad. We pulled in, and when I saw the sleek black helicopter with the Mitchell and Associates crest on the side, I realized that my husband was actually taking us to his party in an exciting way, and that should’ve made me want to immediately stop the prank planned for him at his party.

But it didn’t.

THIRTY-FOUR

Jim

Titus Hawk wasone of the few men I could sit across from without feeling like I was wasting my time. That was the only reason I agreed to this meeting on a day I preferred to spend only with Avery and the girls.