Page 105 of One Little Kiss

I stand so quickly my chair scrapes across the floor when the backs of my legs hit it.

Colton chuckles. “It’s okay, CC. Everyone already loves you.”

“Everyone?” The word comes out like a squeaky wheel.

“Everyone,” he assures.

Good lord. How many people caneveryonebe?

* * *

Standing outside of GG’s ski lodge, the number of voices filtering out from the closed door answers my earlier question. Colton stands at my side with Wes on his hip. When I glance over, I see him checking Weston’s headphones.

“They’re loud now, Win. But they love Wes, and they’ll do everything they can to keep him comfortable.”

“I know.” I think I do anyway, but I can’t help feeling apprehensive. Wes hasn’t had a meltdown in weeks, but this is like his version of hell. Fight or flight, the doctors had said, and my heart skips a beat.

“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.”

“Baby. Julia has given everyone instructions, and she can be scary as … well, you know.” He glances down at Weston, obviously proud for catching himself before he cursed. That one small gesture has my heart rate returning to an acceptable speed.

Well, until I hear Julia on the other side of the door. “They’re here. You’d all better remember everything I told you, or I’ll kick you right in the taint. I don’t care who you are. Understood?”

My horrified expression has Colton chuckling. “Told ya.” He goes to open the door, but Julia beats him to it.

She stands in sweatpants, two sizes too big, and a T-shirt that saysNerds do it best. She also has headphones on that are identical to Weston’s. When he tears his head out of the crook of Colton’s neck, that’s the first thing he notices. His little hand reaches up to touch his, and she does the same thing, a giant grin on her face.

“Hey, little man. Nice gear,” she says, pointing to her ears.

Weston doesn’t respond, but gives her a toothy smile. This crazy lady will win him over by the time we leave. I can feel it.

She lurches forward, her movements always reminding me of a strange bobblehead, and wraps me in a hug. “We set up the tables to accommodate Wes, and all the toys in the lounge are placed so no one will walk behind him,” she whispers before letting go.

“Thank you, Julia. Honestly, th-that means a lot.”

She winks and drags me inside. The volume of voices is much lower than when we were outside, and as we enter the lounge, I realize they’ve all done it for Wes. The sheer number of children running around is a chaos all its own, but when I check on Wes, he looks excited and content in Colton’s arms. His gaze darts from one little friend to the next until he lands on Ada James, and he shocks the nerves right out of me when he reaches for her.

Colton looks to me for guidance, and I glance around the room, expecting everyone to be staring at us. I’m shocked again when everyone smiles warmly, then goes back to their conversations.

Lexi is the first to approach with Ada James in her arms. “Julia gave strict instructions not to bombard you all at once, so we’re taking turns saying hello. We want to make sure Wes feels comfortable—”

She’s cut off when Wes tries to escape Colton’s arms with an excited “Ad-de. Ad-de.”

Lexi nods toward a train table and I have a feeling they brought this in just for Wes. Gratitude so great I can’t breathe spreads through my body as we follow her across the room.

Colton sets Wes down next to Ada James at the train table. Wes immediately walks to the little girl and hugs her in the awkward way toddlers have. Tears fill my eyes when he plants an open-mouthed kiss on her head.

Strong arms wrap around my middle, and Colton rests his chin on my shoulder. “He’s going to be just fine, CC. Look at all the people who love him already.” He sweeps his hand around the room, and my gaze follows.

Before the tears can fall, the Westbrooks approach one by one to greet us, offering words of encouragement. Promises that we’re not in this alone. And something I’ve always found hard to come by, unconditional love.

CHAPTER33

COLTON

“Ithink I’m going to be sick.”

Turning to Winnie, I see she’s a little green. I feel like I might hurl too, but I don’t tell her that. I summon all the strength I have, so she’ll have at least a little confidence in me when we leave.