Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 69452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69452 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
“You’re welcome,” she said. “Love ya! See you in a few!”
After hanging up, I said, “My sister is overly excited about meeting you.”
Merriam flushed. “That makes me really nervous.”
“My family is really chill,” I said. “You’ll like them. I guarantee it. Grams raised us to be awesome.”
She giggled.
A whisper of “Mama” had her looking over at Anleigh, who was just now walking into the room from her night of sleep.
“Hey, my baby,” she said as she walked to her and lifted her into her arms. “Merry Christmas.”
Anleigh hugged her mother, and my heart did this weird melty thing at the sight of the two of them in the middle of my apartment.
I liked having them there.
Even more, I liked that I wasn’t alone on Christmas and that she’d come to me yesterday.
Fuck, I hoped that I could make myself worthy of her trust in me.
“Merry Cwissmas,” Anleigh whispered.
So freakin’ sweet.
“How are you today? Feeling okay?” I asked as I walked up to the pair of beautiful ladies and pressed the back of my hand against Anleigh’s head.
“Okay,” she said.
“Do you want anything to drink?”
“Milk,” she replied sweetly.
Damn, if I wasn’t careful, the little girl would wrap me around her little finger.
“I have chocolate milk and regular milk,” I said. “Chocolate is my favorite.”
I always made sure to have it on hand for when I wanted it.
It was one “bad” for me food item that I could explain away as being great for the protein factor.
In reality, it was full of sugar and chocolate, and it was one of my only indulgences.
“Choccate,” she answered, holding her hand out to me.
I took her hand and kissed it before heading into the kitchen for drinks.
“What about you, Mom?” I called out. “I have coffee, hot chocolate, and both types of milk.”
“I’ll have what everyone else is having,” she said. “Anleigh got her love for sweets from me. Chocolate milk is a must-have when you’re dealing with my sweet tooth.”
I had the refrigerator open and the chocolate milk in hand when Christoper knocked on the doorjamb and said, “Knock-knock.”
I lifted a brow at him. “What if we’d been indecent?”
“With a child?” He rolled his eyes. “That frisky business comes to an end when you have kids.”
The cute little thing next to me snorted. “Please don’t think that when your child comes into the world. It’s not fair to either one of you.”
“Agreed,” Neesha said. “Chris thinks that we’re about to have our sex lives”—she glanced at Anleigh who looked completely absorbed in drinking her milk—“come to an end as we know it.”
“I mean, it’ll change, sure.” Merriam shrugged. “But it’s one of those things where you just have to find time.”
I wondered if she’d been with anyone since she’d had Anleigh.
By the way she acted, I assumed not.
Which had my chest puffing out a little bit.
“What are…”
The door to the apartment slammed open, and I rolled my eyes to the ceiling.
“Haven’t you ever heard of a doorbell?” I called out.
“No,” Ginger said. “And I’m soaked. Back out of the way. What…”
She trailed off when Merriam popped out from behind me to get a look at who was forcing their way into my apartment.
“I’m gonna change my code,” I said to no one in particular.
“You should,” she said. “Hi, I’m Ginger. This is my husband, Jones. And you are…”
She took my sister’s hand and said, “I’m Merriam. This is my daughter, Anleigh.”
“Oh!” She slapped her forehead. “I should’ve guessed. You’re all Jer’s been talking about since he first saw you.”
My cheeks flushed as Merriam’s eyes came to my face.
“That makes me…uncomfortably happy to think about,” she admitted. “I’ve done nothing but think about him since I’d met him, too.”
Ginger giggled and patted my cheek, then looked at Anleigh in Merriam’s arms before saying, “Well aren’t you a gorgeous little thing?”
“Tanks.” Anleigh flushed just like her mama.
“So sweet,” she said. “Jones, go put all those presents by the tree. I’m gonna get started on breakfast. Noel, Kyle, the kids, and Grams should be here any second.”
I offered to take Anleigh from Merriam, and before she could say yes or no, she leaned toward me.
I took her, curling her up into my arms, and said, “Let’s go have a seat. Ginger’s a chef, and she doesn’t like anyone messing with her flow.”
“You mean, she gets grouchy when you get in her way.” Neesha giggled as she took the seat beside the Christmas tree. “I love this chair.”
“You should get one for the baby’s room,” I suggested. “You don’t have a chair yet, right?”
“No.” She ran her hand over the soft faux fur. “It’s pretty, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to get out of it after I give birth.”
“That’s important,” Merriam said as she took the seat closest to Neesha. I took the one next to her, and Jones took the one opposite of us.