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That’d been what had started the whole thing tonight.
I’d been looking under the bed, and he’d been looking at my ass instead of for my shoe.
“Nikki!” Hannah called from further beyond. “I’m glad you could make it!”
I smiled genuinely at Hannah, then melted even further as the little girl in her arms launched herself at Michael.
“Uncle Mickey!” Reggie screeched.
Reggie was a ball of sunshine and happiness wrapped up in a hot pink dress and brown curls.
I wanted her!
How cute was she?
“Uncle Mickey! Spin!” Reggie screeched again.
The rest of us watched as Michael spun Reggie in a circle, arms extended out in front of him while he held her suspended in the air.
She screeched and yelled, hollering and hooting as she did the ‘airpane.’
“Alright, children. That’s enough. How about some dinner?” Elizabeth chastised them gently.
Michael swung one more time, then came to an abrupt stop.
He placed Reggie on the floor, and we all watched as she started to stumble as her equilibrium came back to her in slow increments.
Michael caught her before she could face plant, and laughed at her.
“You did better, Reggie-Roo,” he said, pulling her tightly into his chest.
I could tell he loved her.
Dearly.
And I couldn’t help a pang of sadness at the sight.
I wanted that to be our kid together.
“What’s for dinner?” Another voice called from the living room.
I looked up, startled to see another man there.
He resembled Michael in color.
He had the same tanned skin and brown hair. But that was where their similarities stayed.
This man had a more ‘baby’ face with a very lean build to him.
He didn’t look much like the rest of the family, like Hannah and Michael did.
“I made lemon pepper chicken and garlic mashed potatoes with asparagus and a pound cake for dessert,” Elizabeth smiled, happy that someone had asked her what she’d made.
I noticed how the man nodded, and the woman plastered against him grimaced.
I’d forgotten that Joslin might possibly be here.
Or more like shut it out.
I really didn’t like the woman, and I must’ve unconsciously protected myself from thinking about it all day, because until just now, I’d completely forgotten she’d be here.
Michael wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side as he said, “Smells great, mom. I hope you made some sweet tea, though. I’m thirsty.”
Elizabeth gave her son a droll look.
“What do you take me for, a Yankee?” She jeered.
I snorted, and covered my mouth with my hand at the jab.
Joslin was from up North.
I knew that because she always liked to say how Texas ‘wasn’t New York.’
Well, thank God for that!
“Well, lead the way, ma. You’re complainin’ about how I was late, yet here you are lolly-gaggling,” Michael teased.
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at her son.
“Watch it,” she waggled her finger at him.
Dinner was excellent. And not a thing went wrong the entire time.
I kept my eyes on my own plate, smiled at everyone, and acted like I was comfortable.
But the whole time I wasn’t.
Joslin did nothing but glare at me the entire time, and I lost patience with her about thirty minutes into the meal, and started glaring right back.
“More chicken?”
I looked up to find Dean holding the chicken dish out to me, and I shook my head. “No, thank you.”
His eyes narrowed when I wouldn’t take the dish, and I looked down at my empty plate.
“I’m filled to the brim, promise,” I told him.
He sighed.
“Dean doesn’t like it when the women in his life don’t eat as much as a small horse,” Michael mumbled around a bite of bread. “I keep telling him to get over it, but he has a phobia.”
I blinked.
“A phobia?” I asked in confusion.
I really was stuffed, so it didn’t matter if he wanted me to eat more or not. I wasn’t going to.
Not with the way my stomach had been roiling on and off lately.
“A girl he dated in high school used to be anorexic. So he thinks every girl he knows is,” Hannah muttered, smiling at her brother in humor.
“I do not!” Dean denied.
“You do,” Manuelo laughed from the end of the table.
“So, Mom,” Joslin interrupted the conversation with her normal awesome self. “What are we doing for the holidays? I really want to go to Colorado to ski again.”
I hated skiing. So hopefully Michael didn’t expect me to go with him.
“We tried that last year and it didn’t go well; that’s off the table for this year,” Manuelo muttered, making me love him in that instant. “Plus, now we have another person to add to the mix we’ll have to start syncing our schedules now.”
My heart warmed at the mention of me, and when Manuelo smiled at me, I knew he’d forever have my heart.
If anyone can take on Joslin like that, then I was all for him!
“But last year the boys picked. This years the girls pick,” Joslin whined.
Michael made his mouth busy by shoving another piece of bread in it, but I could tell he wanted to yell at her.
Hell, so did I.
I didn’t, of course.
Surprisingly, it was Dean who said it.
“How about we talk about this when it comes closer to time? It’s only April,” Dean offered.
“Alright, well since everyone’s done, I’ll clean the dishes. Nikki, Joslin, how about you two help me?” Elizabeth asked nicely.
I refrained from grimacing.
Cleaning the kitchen was my least favorite thing to do in the world.
Give me a mop or a toilet brush all day long, but the thought of touching food and smelling it really made me want to gag.
Michael looked at me, gauging my willingness to do it, and started to say something, but I stayed his hand.
“Okay,” I said brightly, standing up and reaching for Michael’s and my plate.
When I started to pull Michael’s plate away, he held onto it until I looked into his eyes.
What I saw there was concern.
For me.
Smiling at him, I leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips, whispering, “I’m okay.”
He looked into my eyes, studying me for long moments, then nodded. “Bring me some pie on the way back out.”
