Page 37 of Merry Little Christmas

Retrieving the tub from the vegetable drawer, I pulled the milk down as well. “Bentley, is regular milk okay for you?”

“Yeah!”

“Manners, boy,” Jesse scolded, for what must have been the dozenth time that night. I fought back my snicker.

“Yes, sir,” the boy repeated, quieter.

Jesse continued in his Daddy voice. “You get one cookie. I don’t need you up all night.”

So naturally, I put three on Bentley’s plate. “Whoops, looks like someone can’t count.”

I ignored Jesse’s glare, only to be met with a matching one from Peyton when I sat down, offering them theirtwocookies. “I don’t have to put him to bed,” I defended.

“I’ll get my own.” Raising a brow, Peyton stood from their seat, but I had my hand on the remote before they could blink. They jolted, and fell back into their chair. “You areevil.”

I put my arm around them and tugged them close. “You just wait, little one.”