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She reached in her pocket and pulled out two more shells. “Now I have one for you, Daddy, and for Mommy, and for Papa. I need to find six more.”
“Six more?”
“Yes, Daddy. For Aunt Izzy and Aunt Cami and all my uncles. I counted them last night. It is six, right?”
He smiled. “Yes, baby. That’s six. You’re very smart, too. But what about your cousins?”
“Mommy and I went shopping for them, Daddy. Their presents are already wrapped and under the tree. Margaret is getting a doll. Collin is getting a truck.”
“What about Remi?” He remembered the day Cami had told them about being pregnant with Remi. She delivered her son two months after Coralie was born to the utter joy of his dad’s Roberto and Miguel.
“Remi is little like me, Daddy. We got him a stuffed elephant. He loves elephants just like me. So I hope I get one, too, from Santa Claus.”
“Honey,” Toni called from the house. “We’re about to start baking. I need Coralie’s help and yours.”
“We’ll be right there.”
He picked Coralie up and placed her on his shoulders.
“But, Daddy, when will I get the other six shells?”
“I’ll bring you out tomorrow. Christmas isn’t for three more days.”
“That long?”
He laughed. “It will be here before you know it, sweetheart. Hold on tight.”
He ran to the house, and Coralie laughed the entire way. She was growing up so fast. On Valentine’s Day she would be five years old. She’d come two weeks earlier than her due date. That’s why he and Zane had given her the nickname “lil’ cherub.”
They walked into the house, which was massive. Jay and Clay had it built right after they’d married Izzy. It had eight bedrooms and even more bathrooms. The living room faced the beach with walls of glass that allowed everyone to enjoy the sunsets together.
The kitchen was extremely large, but with the entire group around the counters and stoves ready to make cookies, it was a little crowded.
He lowered Coralie to the floor and she immediately ran to Remi, Margaret, and Collin, who were playing together in the living room. Those four were so very close.
Toni came up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him.
“What’s the plan?” he asked.
“Izzy’s crew is handling the chocolate chip cookies.”
He glanced at Izzy. Jay and Clay were mixing the dough. She and her daughter Gabby were getting the cookie sheets out.
Everyone was so proud of Gabby. She had quite the clientele—famous actors, politicians, and musicians—whom she’d done interior design for. Several of her rooms had been featured in national magazines. She’d fallen in love with a landscape designer and they were thinking about combining their companies once they got married.
Toni continued, “Cami’s crew is setting up the sugar cookie dough for the little ones to cut out the Christmas designs and ice them with the red and green frosting.”
“Coralie is so excited about that, sweetheart.” He looked over at Cami, Roberto, and Miguel. They now had Dos Hermanos restaurants all around the world. Cami had worked for the company until she got pregnant with Remi and wanted to become a stay-at-home mom.
“Joel and Marielle and Restin and Alison won’t tell anyone what their cookies are going to be. They say they want to surprise us.” She laughed. “I hope they’re edible.”
“I’m sure they’ll be delicious, sweetheart. Remember their whisky apple caramel cookies last year.”
“They were outstanding. I still can’t believe they hid a dozen just for themselves.”
“If they hadn’t they wouldn’t have gotten any.”
She nodded. “You’re not going to believe this but my sons are thinking about opening a bakery for Marielle and Alison named ‘Most Unusual Cookies.’”
