Page 12 of One More Yule Log

“Okay.” She took that pretty well, he thought.

“Lord have mercy. I’m going to have to start watching more TV,” Ben teased, and Olivia shot back.

“The TV comes on and you fall asleep, Daddy.”

Ben’s cheeks heated. “It’s true.”

Someone worked too much. Not that Gray didn’t get it. He could make himself stay awake for that British baking show, but the ones on the Food Network sent him into a doze.

“I understand. I have a handful I love, but I binge on Netflix.”

Ben smiled. “Well, Olivia likes the cooking stuff, so I don’t feel like it’s rotting her brain, you know?”

“Right here, Daddy.”

“Liv.” Ben frowned, and Olivia nodded.

“Sorry, Daddy.”

So sweet—both of them were simply adorable. He was in love with Olivia, and he loved her try. Her dad was a hottie, and so earnest.

He had to start figuring out if Mr. Hottie was totally out of his league and whether that mattered to him. He grinned but sobered when Olivia gave him the fish eye. “What were we doing?”

“Talking about what we wanted for Christmas. I want a sewing machine.”

“What kinds of things are you going to make with it?” Gray asked.

“I’m going to make a ball gown. A green one.”

“Oh, that sounds pretty.” He kinda glanced at Ben to see if there was something he was missing.

“Pink and purple are passé, red doesn’t go with her complexion, and yellow is nasty.” Oh, Ben did a wicked Olivia impersonation.

She humphed, but laughed, and Gray had to hoot. “I like it.”

Ben bowed in his chair before he reached over to tickle Olivia. “A sewing machine and a little sewing box, hrm?”

“Oh, that would be extra!” She bounced, clapping her hands.

They were so cute he wanted to put them on a cake. He realized no one was eating, and he thought they were waiting on him, so Gray forked up some salad, which thank goodness, he’d put some dressing on. “Yum.”

“It’s good, huh? The radishes are best. Hot and crunchy!”

He’d never met a little girl who liked radishes. Not even in France, and they ate them for breakfast there. Neat.

“They are. I like that.”

“Me too. We eat radishes with salt in the summertime. We had a red picnic—radishes and strawberries and watermelon and cherries.” Olivia bounced in her chair. “Have you ever had one?”

“I haven’t. I would make you red velvet cupcakes.”

“Daddy! Can we invite Gray to the next picnic? Please?”

“Of course.” Ben gave him a warm look, and he thought it was more than lip service. Warmth curled in his belly.

“I’d be honored. Honestly.” He hid his blush in his wineglass.

“I like strawberry cupcakes too,” Olivia added.