Page 43 of Daddies’ Holiday Toy (Kissmass Daddies #1)

HOLLY

It’s wild, how much can change in just a few weeks.

Some mornings, I wake up and wonder if I dreamed the whole thing, the fight with my mom, the pregnancy reveal, my dad showing up at my bakery to fight his friends and trying to tear my world apart.

And then I roll over and there they are.

My men.

Three men who could have walked away and never looked back, three men who would have had every excuse and reason to because it’s not what they signed up for.

But they didn’t.

They stayed .

They held me through the ugly parts, they picked up the pieces when my little world was falling apart, and somehow, in the middle of all that, they started to build me a new one.

I’m glowing now, not because pregnancy is some magical, perfect state—it’s not, I’ve already learned that—but because they make me feel safe.

Desired and cherished.

Most mornings I spend wrapped in their arms, pleading for them to never let me go. This morning is different though.

It’s reopening day.

Today, I wake up to sunshine.

It spills in warm, golden strips across my bedspread, filtered through the sheer curtains that sway ever so slightly from the draft of the heater under it.

The winter morning doesn’t have that usual harsh brightness it normally does. Instead, it’s soft, letting me ease into the day without a fight.

For a moment, I just lie there, letting it wash over me.

My first thought is how different my body feels lately.

Not unrecognizable, just…changed.

Heavier in ways I can’t see but can feel in my bones, softer in places that make my clothes fit differently.

It’s not an unwelcome change, but one all the same.

My hand drifts to my stomach.

The faintest curve greets my palm.

It’s still small, easy to hide, if I wanted to.

But I don’t.

Not anymore.

I stretch slowly, the pull of muscles making my joints pop in that satisfying morning way, and that’s when I feel it.

The weight of something warm and solid moving against my left side.

That’s how I know I’m not alone.

Sure enough, Liam’s arm is slung heavy across my hip, the back of his hand resting low enough to make my pulse flutter.

His breath is slow and deep against the nape of my neck, each exhale sending a lazy warmth down my spine.

Jack is on my other side, close enough that his body heat seeps through the thin layer of blankets between us.

One of his hands rests lightly over my waist, loose, like even in his sleep he needs to keep a part of himself touching me.

And then there’s Reece.

He’s half on his stomach, half on his side down near the foot of the bed, his big frame taking up far more space than necessary.

His arm is stretched out, hand cupping gently around my ankle like he’s anchoring me here, making sure I don’t drift away in the middle of the night.

We really need to get a bigger bed…

For a long moment, I don’t move.

I just breathe them in.

It’s ridiculous how much comfort I get from something as simple as their soft inhales surrounding me.

Liam stirs first.

His arm tightens around my hip in a lazy squeeze before he murmurs into my skin, “You’re awake.”

His voice is still thick with sleep, low and rough, and it’s completely unfair how that alone can send heat pooling low in my stomach this early in the day.

Jack shifts next, lifting his head just enough to press a slow kiss to my cheek.

“Big day, sweetheart.”

Reece’s fingers flex around my ankle before he gives it a gentle squeeze, a groan rumbling out of him as he stretches his long limbs and finally sits up. “How you feelin’?”

I try to smile through the restless tumble in my stomach.

“Like I might throw up.”

“Normal,” Reece says with a crooked, sleepy grin. “Nerves.”

Jack leans in closer, brushing his lips against my temple. “Or the baby.”

I huff a laugh. “You think people will even show up today?”

“They will,” Liam says, his voice steady, leaving no room for argument. “Some of them will come just to gawk. But plenty of them will come for your baking. You’ve got more fans than you think, sweetheart.”

I swallow hard, wanting to believe him, but the gossip mill in this town never sleeps. “I don’t know if I’m ready to face them.”

Liam shifts, propping himself up on his elbow so I can see his eyes.

“They’ll see us there with you, and that will make them think twice about saying anything stupid.”

Something about the way he says it settles the nervous flutter in my chest, at least a little.

I know they’ve all been hearing the whispers too, maybe more than they’re letting on.

And I know they’re holding some of it back so I don’t drown in it before I even open the bakery doors again.

Jack pushes himself up to sit fully, stretching until his back pops.

“Alright, sweetheart. Up. Let’s make your grand reopening happen.”

He leans down, kissing me again, this one lingering just enough to make my toes curl under the blankets.

As he pulls away, his palm brushes over the curve of my stomach, his touch gentle, reminding both of us that it’s there.

We end up eating breakfast in bed, the four of us tucked into our own little world for a while longer before the day has the chance to swallow me whole.

I sit in the middle of them all, knees drawn up, a plate balanced in my lap.

Liam’s pressed close on my left, his thigh warm against mine.

Reece leans lazily against the footboard, occasionally stealing bites from my plate while claiming it’s his birthright.

Jack’s on my other side, his knee touching mine, his hand occasionally brushing over my arm when he talks.

Even though my stomach is still doing nervous flips about what’s ahead, for now, it’s just us.

And that’s more than enough.

By the time we finally peel ourselves out of bed, the sun’s shifted a little higher in the sky, spilling bright light through the windows.

It doesn’t take us long to get dressed and take the ten-minute walk down to the shop, all of them crowding around me as I fish my keys out of my jacket pocket and shove them into the door and let them inside.

The smell of cinnamon, sugar, and butter is already thick in the air, mixing with the faint scent of the coffee Liam brought with him.

We get to work setting up, Reece is at the counter, putting treats in the display case with expert precision that makes me suspicious until he tells me he worked in a diner when he was younger.

Jack sticks to the front of the shop, keeping watch of the pedestrians that walk by.

Liam helps me with final prep in the back, making sure I have enough stock to keep us going all morning on the off chance that this rush actually happens.

The bakery feels almost too ready by the time I head up to the door to flip the sign.

Every tray is lined up perfectly, display case glass practically shining.

There’s a little vase of white daisies on the front counter courtesy of Jack from the night before.

I can’t stop wiping my hands down my apron, nervously sweaty.

Liam notices almost instantly.

“You’re gonna rub a hole through that thing if you keep doing that.”

“Sorry,” I manage to squeak out.

Reece leans his elbows on the register counter, watching me.

“You don’t have to pretend you’re not freaking out, Hol. It’s a big day. It’s okay to be nervous. But we’re here to make everything run smoothly. All will be okay."

“I’m not—” But then the bell over the door jingles, and I flinch.

Jack steps back from it, an easy smile on his face. “Hello, welcome to Holly’s Baked Goods.”

I wipe my palms one last time and move around Liam to face my first set of customers.

They’re two women I recognize from the farmer’s market around the corner from here.

They move around the shop slowly, keeping their hips practically mashed together.

I can’t tell if they’re whispering about the reopening, the baby rumors, or both.

But the way their eyes flick over to me then dart away tells me enough.

Liam’s suddenly behind me, leaning casually against the display case, his height and bulk an unspoken wall.

Jack moves back to stick to my right, arranging one of the trays like it needs urgent attention.

Reece lingers over by the register, his arms crossed while he eyes the two women.

When they eventually make their way over to me, I take their order, smile, make small talk, and give them what they’ve paid for.

It’s awkward, but it’s not awful.

Then more people start filtering in.

Some faces are warm and familiar.

Others not so much.

I can feel the difference in the way they look at me, but I can also tell I’m holding myself higher, keeping my chin tilted up, even when the whispers become almost deafening.

Jack notices, like he always does, and murmurs as he slides a rapidly emptying tray back into the display case, “You’re doing good, sweetheart. Just keep breathing.”

Reece ends up handling half the counter work, turning his usual charm into something that’s downright impossible not to fall into.

It works.

For a while.

Until the door swings open again and the air changes.

I’m faced with the last person I ever wanted to see on such a special day: my mother.

Even though I’ve been bracing for this moment, every ignored text echoes now like a ticking clock in the back of my head, the sight of her still hits like a punch to the ribs.

She looks…unmoored.

Her coat’s buttoned wrong, crooked like she fumbled it on in a hurry.

Her hair is pulled into a messy knot on top of her head, wisps falling out around her face as if she didn’t bother to look in the mirror at all before rushing over here.

Her cheeks are flushed from the cold, but it’s the glassiness in her eyes that freezes me in place.

She stands just inside the doorway, not moving further in.

Watching me.

It’s not the hard, cutting glare I expected, it’s softer. Sadder.

Her hands are twisting together in front of her, the way they used to when she was nervous before a big meeting or waiting on bad news.

She looks like she’s not even sure if she has the right to be here.

Or maybe she’s trying to figure out how to start the conversation she clearly came here for.

Somehow, that uncertainty scares me more than if she’d just started yelling.

“Maggie,” Liam says from somewhere to my left, his voice cautious.

Her gaze flicks to him, just for a second, before snapping back to me. “Holly…”

I force a breath into my lungs. “Mom.”

She steps forward, slow, like every inch between us is something she has to force herself to cross. “I…heard about your grand re-opening. I wanted to come see it for myself. And…support you in whatever way I can.”

“I—” The word barely leaves my mouth before she barrels over it.

“I’m…I’m so…” Her voice trembles, and for a moment I think it’s because she’s angry, but then her eyes grow glassier and I realize it’s because she’s on the verge of tears.

“I’m so sorry about everything. I never wanted things to devolve like this between us.

I love you. So, so much. You’re my baby.

And I’m—I regret making you feel like I was disappointed in you. I was just scared for you.”

My eyes cloud with tears. “Mom…”

“I know your father’s done some really bad things in the past,” she cuts in, her voice breaking on the words.

“I got caught up in his charms just like I did when we were kids. I never meant to hurt you by not telling you. I—I was ashamed, and that should’ve told me how wrong it was to try and work things out with him again. ”

Before I know it, I’m moving around the counter and closing the distance between us.

She gasps softly when I wrap my arms around her, a small, helpless noise leaving her right as she grabs onto me and holds me tight.

I’m not sure how long we stay like that, but when we finally pull back, tears are streaming down both of our faces.

She raises a hand to wipe mine away, a small, teary smile tugging at her lips. “You don’t have to forgive me. I’m not expecting you to. But I would love to help you with the baby if you decide to keep it. I understand if you don’t want me around?—”

“Stop,” I tell her, squeezing her arms. “It’s okay. I forgive you. I want you in this baby’s life more than anything.”

She chokes up again. “Really?”

“Really, really.”

She hugs me again, giving me a tender squeeze before pulling back again. When her gaze moves to somewhere over my shoulder, I know exactly who she’s looking at.

“Gentlemen,” she greets.

“Hey, Mags,” Liam responds softly.

She sighs, her shoulders slumping. “Are you… One of you is going to take responsibility, right?”

“We all are,” Reece says, surprising her.

She glances back at me, blinking a few times before looking at them again. “ All of you are going to take care of her and the baby?”

Jack nods, stepping forward. “Holly is all of ours, Maggie. We’re all going to make sure she wants for nothing. That our baby, wants for nothing. You don’t need to worry. We’re going to take good care of her.”

A smile tugs at my lips when he reaches up and brushes a hand across my cheek.

The gesture warms me from the inside out, making my stomach flip pleasantly.

My mom lets out another soft sigh, though this one sounds far less upset than before.

“Alright…I’m trusting you all to keep your word.”

“We will, Mags,” Liam says, shooting me a soft smile. “We love her.”

My mom turns and hugs me again, squeezing me just as tight as she used to when I was little.

All those times when I was afraid of leaving her side and having to brave the world without her.

This is kind of like that, in a way.

“Okay,” she says.

My arm wraps around her, my head resting on her shoulder. “I love you, Mom. You’ll always be welcome here.”

Somehow, after everything that’s happened, between the fights, the gossip, the threats, the way that it all almost fell apart completely, we’re all still here.

I’m still here.

For the first time since I saw that plus sign on the test and my life turned upside down, I’m not scared of what’s coming.

I’m ready.