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“I think I might tell him I’m not ready for a boyfriend until, like, second grade. At least.”
“At least,” I echoed with a nod. I was so amused, I couldn’t even be mad. I’d have to resist the urge to ask Elijah about it the next day, but I’d certainly watch him more closely. That little Casanova—it’s always the quiet ones. “Elijah’s got more game than I do. Maybe he can give me some pointers.”
“Don’t worry, Dad. I know you’ll get a girlfriend someday. And guess what? I know someone who says you’re handsome.”
“Yeah?” I set my scissors down, genuinely curious. “Who would that be?”
“Ms. Devin.”
I grinned, folding my hands on the counter. “Oh, really?”
“Yup. She said you looked handsome at the wedding.”
“Must’ve been the suit.”
“Prob’ly.”
I picked the scissors back up, tapping them against the counter. “Ms. Devin looked really nice, too, didn’t she?”
Finley nodded. “I liked her dress. And she let me have two pieces of cake when Grandma wasn’t looking.”
I chuckled. “You like her a lot, huh?”
She nodded again.
“Me too,” I said, watching Finley haphazardly staple another strip of paper to create another link for our chain. It was finished now, and I lifted her up so she could hang it from the nail on the wall where we always hung paper chains just like this one. “Good job. Thirty days until Christmas, Fin. Have you thought about what you want?”
Finley pressed her forehead against my chin, getting her fingers entangled in my hair—usually an indicator she was feeling sleepy. “I can think of one thing.”
“Let me guess. A phone?”
She pulled back so she could see my face. “Never mind. It’s impossible.”
“No, what is it? Tell me. Maybe Santa can pull some strings.”
“Nuh-uh,” she refused, laying her head down on my shoulder. “It’s not the kind of present Santa can bring.”
It must not have been something tangible, then. I wracked my brain, trying to guess what she might be hinting at. And then it crossed my mind that after our conversation about me someday getting a girlfriend, she might have been hoping for a mom for Christmas.
I held Finley close, wishing I could tell her I was working on that for her. By next Christmas, she would have one.
By next Christmas, we could call ourselves a family.
“You deserve the world,” I whispered, kissing her on the temple.
chapter forty-nine
kendall
The Gardners were back from their honeymoon, and they had gifts.
They invited us over for dinner Sunday evening, knowing we had some things we wanted to discuss with them. But Mason had to bring Finley, too—they had plans to go to the Christmas parade after dinner, and his parents were preoccupied. We drove separately, however, so Finley wouldn’t get suspicious.
“Owen’s making fettuccine,” Sarah said, leading us through the foyer to the kitchen.
“Smells good,” Mason said, letting go of Finley’s hand so she could chase after Leia. We walked into the kitchen to find Owen stirring a boiling pot of fettuccine. His nose and cheeks were sunburnt, and Sarah looked like she’d fared even worse—she was a little crispy. Mason noticed this detail at the same time. “Did they not have sunblock in Mexico?”
“You should see his back,” Sarah said, reaching for a white plastic sack on the kitchen island. “Who wants their gift first?”
