“I was supposed to find Harley, and…” She trips over her words, and emotion obviously gets the better of her. “And maybe if I was a better mom, Kendall wouldn’t have just taken off without asking first.”
“You’re a great mom,” I quickly clarify, hating the look on her face right now.
“I’m too soft, Grady. And don’t try to say that I’m not. You know I am. You’ve told me I am.”
I wince, wondering if she wants me to get off her, but when I go to move, she grips my waist and keeps me in place, going one extra step and curling her leg around mine.
“I want to do better, but I’m scared that I don’t know how.”
“You do.” I nod, running my hand along her hairline. “You instinctively do. It’s all a matter of listening to your gut.”
She blinks, her eyes getting glassy. “I don’t want to screw up our kids. But I don’t want to raise them in some high-pressure house where they can’t be themselves either. I hated that.”
“That’s never going to happen,” I assure her. “We’re nothing like your parents. We just need to find a good middle ground for us. And if we don’t start now, it’s gonna be too late.” I wince at her. “Nichelle’s six already. We need to get our shit together, you know? We need to be a united front. Come up with the way we want things to run and thenbothstick with it. We need to support each other. Like you did tonight, when you backed me up with Kendall. That meant a lot to me. Thank you.”
Her expression crumples. “I’m sorry that I haven’t been doing it more. But I’m really gonna try, okay? Because I don’t want my babies wandering off, and I don’t want them walking all over me anymore. Parenting’s just really hard, you know?”
“It is.” I nod. “But those girls are lucky to have us. We love them, and they know that. They just need a few boundaries, and they need to stop playing us against each other.”
“Yeah.” Blake nods, sucking in a shaky breath.
“It’s not a popularity contest. You’re alreadymyfavorite. You don’t need to be theirs too.”
Her lips twitch. “I’m your favorite, huh?”
“You don’t know that?” My voice rises playfully and I grab her around the waist, rolling us over so she can lie on top of me for a minute.
She laughs, her hair draping on either side of my head as she grins down at me. “You’re my favorite too,” she whispers.
“Good.” I tuck her hair behind her ears. “Now kiss your favorite, naked lady. We need to make the most of this time while our babies are sleeping.”
“Yes, sir.” She leans down with a giggle, and I swallow up that sound with my tongue.
CHAPTER 37
ZOEY
I’m in the middle of the best dream when something starts shaking my shoulder.
Or someone, at least.
“Zoey,” my little brother whispers. “It’s Christmas.”
“It’s not Christmas,” I groan. “It’s time to go back to bed.”
Olly giggles. “It’s Football Family Christmas. Presents, Zo-Zo. Presents!”
“Presents!” Portia sits up in her bed. “Harley, it’s time for presents!”
Her twin sister groans like her beautiful dreams are being disrupted as well, and I want to tell all three of them to shut up and let me get back to making out with Hero Fiennes-Tiffin. The actor had me in his arms, making out against a wall in some room that kept changing colors. It was hot and perfect, and I don’t give a shit about Football Christmas and presents. I want to go back to my dream.
“Zoey, come on. Let’s go look under the tree!”
That was one of the activities Aunt Libby planned yesterday. We decorated a fake Christmas tree, and I’m pretty sure before all the adults went to bed, they put a bunch of presents under there.
I don’t know who bought my gift this year, but I hope it’s a good one.
Flinging the covers back with a growl, I sit up, rub my eyes, and glare at my brother. But his excited smile is so damn cute that my lips are soon twitching into a grin. He hands me Dad’s old sweater and my favorite pair of fluffy socks, then jumps from toe to toe as I slowly pull them on.
