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Justine Floyd
Do you have a picture of your other nephews?
I realize after she asks that I don’t. Only me and Juniper.
I’ll take a bunch today and send them. Do you have plans for Christmas?
Justine Floyd
Not much. Keane invited me over for dinner tomorrow.
It takes me a minute to remember she doesn’t have a family or much of one, and once I do, I feel like an ass for asking. Shit.
Do you want to come here? I can pay for your flight. It’s chaotic and wild.
Justine Floyd
No, but thanks for the offer.
I start to type out maybe next year but then delete it. We’re not even dating and I’m already thinking of next year. Thoughts like that are probably what got me in the Nola situation. I put my phone away and head upstairs. Peyton hollers for me and hands me one of the boys.
“Which one is this?”
“Maverick,” she says.
Instantly, I hold him out and make airplane noises.
“Quinn, you’re going to give me a heart attack and make him puke. If he pukes, you’re cleaning it up.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry buddy. Come on, let’s go sit down.” In the boys’ room, there is double everything. Maverick has one side of the room, Jace the other. Their room looks bigger than Juniper’s which I don’t like because I’m going to buy her a princess castle and it’s going to have to go somewhere. As soon as an image of her room flood my mind, I chide myself for not thinking about the boys. Four of them now. To me though, it seems likeJuniper is left out. Although I know this won’t be the case. She’ll probably end up bossing all of them around.
Noah comes in with Jace and I assume Peyton has my little princess in the other room. For being a pro football player, Noah’s gentle with his son. Almost delicate.
“Is there anything I need to do with my main man here?”
Noah laughs. “No, I’ll get him dressed next.”
“I should probably check in with my parents and see what’s up for Christmas Eve then stop by the hospital. I don’t want my other two nephews to think I don’t like them.”
“I’m sure they don’t even know you.”
“Rude. One of them is named after me,” I remind him. “None of your boys are named after you.”
Noah turns slowly and looks at me, shaking his head. He takes a diapered and dressed Jace to his crib and sets him down, and then rudely takes Maverick from me.
“Do you know what the holiday plan is?”
“We are having Christmas at my parents,” Noah says. “All of us, including your parents and grandparents, Nick and the kids.”
“Dang, that’s going to be a houseful.”
“Yep, and I’m thankful it’s not here.”
“I meant to tell Peyton the house looks great.”
Maverick fusses. Noah cradles him and sways back and forth. “Elle set us up with People Magazine. They were here yesterday . . .” he pauses. “Or was it the day before? Whatever day Elle had the boys. Anyway, they did an interview and took a shit ton of photos.”
“They pay you well?”