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“It’s a good thing I love you so much,” Nolan muttered under his breath.
“What was that you said?”
“Love you so much, Hannah, and Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, Nolan, and I love you so much, too, except for when you’re threatening to turn my baby into a stew.”
He climbed into bed after her and put his arm around her. “You caught me in a weak moment.”
“No, I didn’t. We all know how you feel about Dex, especially since he bit you on the bum. Callie asked the other day why Daddy doesn’t like Dexter.”
“I do like him. I even love him a tiny little bit, although less since he bit me. He’s just a gigantic pain in my ass, even when he’s not biting me there.”
“Then you must think I’m a gigantic pain in your ass, too, then.”
“No, I don’t. You’re just a tiny, little pain in my ass.”
Hannah poked his chest. “That’s not funny.”
Laughing softly, he grabbed her finger and brought it to his mouth to nibble on. “Yes, it is.”
“No, it isn’t. If you love me, you love Dexter. That’s all there is to it.”
“Yes, dear.”
“Did my father tell you to say that any time you need to pacify me?”
“I can neither confirm nor deny that,” he said on a yawn. “Go to sleep, my sweet moose-whispering baby mama. Tomorrow is your favorite day of the year, and you’ve got your whole family here.”
Homer Junior let out a snore on the other side of Hannah, making his presence known.
Nolan had failed miserably in getting him to sleep in his own bed. Thank goodness Dexter had gotten the message that he wasn’t sleeping with them.
“Nolan?”
“Hmmm?”
“There was a time,” she whispered, “not that long ago, when I honestly thought I’d never be truly happy again. I was okay with that because I figured I’d had my great love with Caleb, and I needed to be satisfied with the peace of mind that had been a long time coming after he died.”
Nolan held his breath, waiting to hear what else she would say.
“But with you and our kids and Dex and Fred and Homer Junior… I’ve never been as happy as I am with our little family, so thank you for putting up with me and Dex and everything else I do that drives you crazy.”
He hugged her tighter. “Hannah, sweet, sweet Hannah… I had no life at all until I had you and look at me now. A husband to the most gorgeous woman in Butler, father of two beautiful kids, a dog and a moose. You drive me crazy in all the best ways, and in case you didn’t know this already, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, even fetch your GD moose on Christmas Eve.”
He felt her lips curve into a smile against his neck. “Thank you, Nolan.”
“You’re welcome, Hannah.”
ChapterTwenty-Two
“Come live in my heart, and pay no rent.”
—Samuel Lover
“Chase is finally asleep,” Cam whispered to Will, yawning as she joined him in bed after checking on their kids. “He’s so excited, I thought he’d never sleep.”
“I’m just so thankful to have him back to full health,” Will said, yawning right along with her, “that I don’t care if he’s up all night.”
