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“Daddy, you can’t kidnap someone,” Autumn told him, sitting up to face the Fox. “Not even Sunny.”
“Why not? I’m good at it.”
“It’s not that. It’s not right. Sunny wouldn’t be happy if you did that,” Brody said. “Neither she nor Duke would trust you again.”
The Fox frowned. “Really?”
“Trust us, Daddy,” Autumn told him, placing her hand on his chest. “Friends don’t kidnap other friends.” Good Lord. That was not something she thought she would ever say.
“You don’t want to upset Sunny, right?” Brody said. “That would scare her.”
“No.” The Fox frowned. “I wouldn’t ever want to upset Sunny. Fine, if you really think I shouldn’t, I won’t.”
They all settled back in, but for some reason, Autumn felt unsettled. And it finally occurred to her that the Fox didn’t actually want to give them a family holiday . . . oh, that was what he told himself.
But she was sure that what he really wanted was to have that himself. He’d watched all those Christmas romantic movies with her, and he’d seen the family meals and holidays.
He just wanted what he had never had.
And somehow, Autumn needed to give that to him.
13
FOX, PUP, AND BUNNY
“That’s the craziest idea I’ve ever heard.” Brody reached up to fiddle with his glasses.
The two of them were currently sitting on the living room floor, trying to create a macaroni collage.
But it was more complicated than it looked.
Well, at least or Brody anyway.
He could do anything when it came to computers, but somehow, he couldn’t glue some darn macaroni onto a piece of paper without getting glue all over his hands, on his face, and even up his left nostril.
Yeah, don’t ask.
“We can’t do that, Tutu.”
Autumn painted some more pieces of pasta to add to her masterpiece. She’d created a picture of Rudolph, and her artwork was awesome. While Brody . . . had a lump of colorful macaroni and glue.
“All I’m saying is that we call her and ask. I found a cabin that’s available just before Christmas. We could go have a look at it. And then call Daddy and Duke to come see. Maybe it will convince them. It would give Daddy the family holiday he’s never had. We could even ask Markovich, Dahlia, Reyes, and Emme too.”
The Fox had been spending some time with Markovich and Emme. Emme and Autumn had even had a couple of playdates. But things were moving slowly between them.
“I think they’re all going away together over the holidays.” Brody let out a sigh. “And Duke will never agree.”
Autumn pouted. “That’s not fair. Poor Daddy. He just wants to know what it feels like to go on a family holiday.”
Yeah, Brody had thought the same thing after last night’s conversation.
“Think about it, a cozy log cabin, the fire roaring, board games, and hot chocolate. Snow falling. It would be fun.”
Brody sighed. “I’ll call her. But you are aware that our butts will be toast for this, right?”
Autumn smiled at him, looking unconcerned. She would since she wasn’t the one who was sitting very uncomfortably today.
“And you’ll have to distract the lord and master. He’s being very . . . attentive today.”
