And I’m deliberately trying to start a fight. Great way to reduce stress. I take another drink of water and pull in a deep breath.
“Well, I don’t think the blog is stressing me out,” I reply calmly.
“Okay.” He finishes his pasta and pushes his plate away, watching me closely. “Is anything else going on?”
I shake my head and purse my lips. “No.”
He tilts his head, those ice-blue eyes watching me closely. “If you say so.”
“Did your mom call you today?” I ask, changing the subject as I rise and clear the table.
“No, what’s up?” He stands to help me and we make quick work of tossing the take-out boxes and loading the dishwasher.
“We’re having Christmas Eve dinner at Luke and Nat’s this year, since they have a bigger living space for all of us.” I turn around and lean against the kitchen counter, and smile as Isaac lifts Sophie from her bouncy seat and kisses her little cheek, whispering in her ear, making her giggle.
He is such a good dad. I have to grip the countertops at either side of my hips so I don’t unconsciously rub my hand over my stomach.
The Montgomery’s usually all gather together for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but we exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, and I’m so damn glad because I don’t think I could wait another twelve hours this year.
Not to mention, this way the three of us can have our own private Christmas morning here in our home together.
“Oh, okay. That works. Are you and I exchanging presents there or are we going to wait until Christmas morning here?” He nibbles on Sophie’s fingers, making her laugh some more. “Should we make mommy wait for her Christmas presents, peach?”
“I’d like to give you one gift there, and we can do the rest here the next morning,” I murmur and his eyes find mine, his head tilting again in thought at the tone of my voice.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, don’t be a nag, dear,” I reply sarcastically.
“See, there’s that mouth again. Santa can still return all those prettily wrapped presents under the tree, babe.”
I grin sweetly. “I love you.” I bat my eyelashes playfully and Isaac laughs, causing Sophie to laugh too.
“Mommy pretends to be a good girl, but she’s naughty, Soph. Don’t let her fool you.” He kisses her cheek again and smiles over at me. “Come here.”
“What?”
“Just come here.”
I walk over to my two favorite people and he drapes an arm around me, plants his hand at the small of my back and pulls me in for a kiss.
“This is the best Christmas present, right here,” he whispers against my mouth. “Just being with my girls.”
Oh, I think that what I have for you comes close. I grin up at him and kiss Sophie’s soft cheek.
“It’s going to be a great Christmas,” I murmur.
Epilogue
I squeeze Stacy’s small, smooth hand in mine and kiss her fingers before I leave her with Sophie and join Caleb by the Christmas tree. I nudge my brother’s shoulder and offer him a beer and follow his gaze up the tall evergreen parked in Luke and Nat’s living room.
“Dude, who decorated this tree?” Caleb asks Luke, looking up at the tallest Christmas tree any of us have ever seen in a private home. Luke and Nat went all out on the décor; the huge tree climbs all the way to the cathedral ceiling, and is brightly lit with multi-colored lights and draped in bulbs and garland and tinsel. It’s massive. Lights are hung outside as well, and garland with white lights is draped around the entire living space.
It looks like Santa is going to walk through the front door at any moment, kick off his big black boots, and cop a squat in a chair by the fireplace.
“We had it professionally done. There’s no way in hell Nat’s getting on a ladder, pregnant or not.” He rubs her belly and kisses her cheek, making her blush.
We’re all gathered here again, the same crew as at Thanksgiving, adding my brother Caleb who just got back from a mission in God knows where, Brynna and the girls, and Brynna’s parents.
There’s a hell of a lot of us.
Brynna and Matt have their heads together at the kitchen table, talking seriously and quietly, most likely about whatever in the hell the situation was that made her run from Chicago. Matt shakes his head and Brynna slams her fist on the table in frustration and then stomps away from the table.
Caleb’s head snaps up at the loud sound, and he watches Brynna leave the room, his eyes narrowed and trained on her curvy ass.
Fuck, I’m not getting mixed up in it.
Stacy is sitting in the rocker with Sophie, cooing and laughing at our sweet baby. God, I go all soft when I see them, all soft skin and auburn hair – I swear, Soph’s hair is going to be auburn like Stacy’s. I wander over to them, hand the hot apple cider in my hand to Stacy and lift them both, sit in the chair, and settle them on my lap.
“Wow, Uncle ‘saac is strong! He lifted two people!” Josie exclaims, her sweet dark eyes wide, and I chuckle.
“He is,” Stacey responds and kisses my cheek. Mmm… she smells good. I bury my face in her neck and take a deep breath.
“Let’s go home,” I whisper in her ear, smiling as she shivers.
“We just got here,” she giggles and pushes me playfully away.
“I don’t care.”
“Get your nose out of the poor girl’s ear, Isaac. She’ll go deaf.” Jules is glaring at us, so I decide to taunt her. I am, after all, her big brother. It’s my job.