Page 173 of Lucky Mother Pucker

“No problem, Lucy. Happy holidays.”

“Happy holidays.”

I hang up and drop my phone on the bed.

“Is everything okay?” Leo asks.

I tell him everything Gloria told me. He wraps his arms around me and kisses my forehead.

“You’re gonna get your house back, Luce. Really, really soon.”

I close my eyes and hug him tight, grateful for his support. This is all because of him. If he hadn’t gone to my house with his teammates that day and gotten all my parents’ stuff out of there, I would have never found my mom’s will.

“Thank you,” I whisper for the millionth time. “This wouldn’t be happening if it hadn’t been for you.”

He wraps his arms tight around me. “Anything for you, Luce. Anything in the world.”

He’s said those words to me before. This time, they hit a million times harder, straight to the middle of my chest, right where my heart is.

When I lean back and look at him, emotion climbs up my chest and throat. Leo’s supported me through so much.

He tucks my messy hair behind my ear. “Feel like kicking off our Christmas movie marathon yet?” he asks.

Leo asked me the other day how I wanted to spend Christmas Eve. I told him I want to order takeout from Cheesecake Factory and lounge around the house with him and Wally while watching Christmas movies all day.

“I’ve got our Cheesecake Factory order ready to go on the food delivery app on my phone,” he says. “Just say the word.”

I smile so hard, my cheeks ache. “In a little bit. I wanna give you something first.”

Chapter 61

Lucy

Iclimb out of bed and walk to his closet. I grab the small gift-wrapped package I hid there last week.

I hand it to him. “I got you something for Christmas. Well, a couple of things. This is your first gift.”

Still smiling, he sits up and tears off the wrapping paper. His smile fades, and his eyes widen as he looks at the framed photo. It’s a picture of the two of us on the couch downstairs. Wally’s cuddled between us. I’m laughing, and Leo is looking at me, smiling.

“Briar took that photo of us the night of my birthday party,” I say. “I thought you might like it.”

I hold my breath as I watch him. His gaze focuses on the image for a long moment. Then he looks up at me with a warmth in his eyes I’ve never seen before.

He beams. “I love it.”

He grabs me and pulls me to stand between his legs. Then he kisses me until I’m breathless. “Thank you.”

He sets the photo on the side table by his bed.

Excitement sparks through my belly at the next gift I’m about to give him.

“Are you ready for your next gift?”

“Hell yeah.”

I walk out of the room and into the bathroom, then I open up the cabinet under the sink where I’ve hidden it.

I pull the hoodie I’m wearing over my head, then I slide on the Hollis U jersey.