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“Love you too, Dad.”
He hugged Juniper and me. “We’ll see you tomorrow for dinner, right?”
“Absolutely.” We planned to spend Christmas morning with the Norths and Henrys, then head to my parents’ in the late afternoon. It’d be a busy but full holiday for us, in the best possible way.
With June still in my arms, I got my family’s coats, met them at the door, and hugged Cynthia, Hannah, Molly, and Brayden. Knox joined us, sliding his arm around me.
“Thanks for coming,” he told my family as he hugged them too.
“Thank you for having us. This has been a delight,” Cynthia said as she wove her arm through my dad’s.
“You two have a good night.” My dad sent Knox a weighty look that didn’t make sense to me, but then he and Knox had spent time out on the deck together earlier, monitoring the snow that had begun coming down lightly.
Knox’s reply was a smile and a nervous nod.
In the past month, we’d had dinner with my family three times, allowing them to get to know Knox and vice versa. Cynthia and I had truly managed to smooth things out. Though we weren’t best friends, the tension had dissipated, and we were gradually getting to know each other on a deeper level.
Brayden and Molly adored Knox. Hannah doted on Juniper. And my dad seemed content to have us all get along. Their acceptance of the man I loved, plus my improving relationship with my stepmom, made me feel like I finally fit into the family.
Once we shut the door, Knox put his arm around me again, kissed my temple, and said, “A little over an hour till I get you alone.”
I laughed, noting the way my body responded to his suggestiveness. “This is our party and our friends. You’re supposed to enjoy every second of it.”
“Then you shouldn’t have worn that dress.” He breathed the words into my ear.
The sensation and the words were so hot that I wondered if there was a way to empty the house in the next thirty seconds so he could peel said dress off me. It was a simple dark green sequined thing that ended at my upper thighs and hugged my body just enough.
“A little over an hour,” I said. “In the meantime, this one is ready for her bedtime bottle.” Juniper was resting her head on my shoulder, her thumb in her mouth, lids starting to droop.
“I’ll get her ready for bed. I promised Faye she could give her the bottle.”
As if she had baby-bedtime radar, Faye scrambled happily over to us. “Is it time for bed for this princess?”
Laughing, I kissed the baby and handed her over and watched Faye and Knox head down the hall toward Junie’s room.
Piper, Hayden, Taylor, and Jewel were huddled together on one side of the sectional, engrossed in whatever they were discussing. Based on the way Hayden’s gaze ping-ponged between Piper and Jewel, my curiosity was piqued. I headed over to them and sat on the ottoman next to Hayden.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Jewel’s eyebrows rose as she said, “Alex is coming home.”
My mind needed a few seconds to catch up. Alex… One glance at Taylor’s face filled in the blanks. “Worth?”
“The one and only,” Jewel said.
Piper, who sat between Jewel and Taylor, laced her hand with Taylor’s. Taylor’s creamy skin looked paler than usual, and she chewed on her lower lip.
“Are you…okay with that?” I asked Taylor.
Her gaze bounced up to mine. “Of course.”
Alex Worth was the same age as Jewel, the same age Taylor’s brother would be if he hadn’t been killed in combat several months ago. Tragically, Alex had been piloting the army helicopter when it came under attack. From what I’d heard, Alex had managed to heroically land it, but his best friend, Vance Elliott, had lost his life.
Hayden patted Taylor’s knee sympathetically, and we all sat there without saying anything.
“I’m going to get a glass of water,” Taylor said. She flashed us a smile that was forced, closer to a grimace, as she stood and rushed off to the kitchen.
Eyeing her sympathetically, Hayden said, “Me too. I’ll make sure she’s okay.” She went after Taylor, leaving the three of us there, stumbling for what to say.
