Page 106 of The Grump I Loathe

Connor had grabbed my hand and tugged me into the middle of the crowd, showing me off proudly, and my heart had melted. Because this wasn’t the CEO of LockMill who holed himself away in his ivory tower. This was the real Connor, with a real offer to be part of his life. Hisfamily. And it was everything I’d ever wanted.

“C’mon,” Grace said, grabbing my hand and tugging. “Auntie Mia was helping me make decorations.”

I happily let her drag me away. In the living room, we found Mia, still bouncing on her medicine ball, cutting out handprints they’d been turning into turkeys. I plopped down on the floor beside her, picking up a handprint from the coffee table.

“You think red feathers are okay on a green turkey?” she asked. “Or is that too Christmasy?”

Grace took the red handprint from her. “I’m gonna fix it.”

“You go, girl.”

Liam appeared a moment later with a bowl of hot peppers and a fork. He bent down and kissed Mia, handing over the bowl.

“Ugh,” Mia complained. “I’m gonna have spicy burps for weeks.”

“No luck?” I asked.

“Baby is moving up a storm,” she said. “But labor just isn’t happening. We’ve been trying everything. Tons of walking. Spicy foods. I’ve been bouncing on this damn ball for days. I’m getting desperate.”

“I have no reference for this,” I said, “but have you tried simply asking the baby to come out?”

Liam burst out laughing. “That’s exactly what Grace said.”

“I did,” Grace confirmed.

I smirked. “Great minds think alike.”

Mia touched her belly. “Baby is obviously just very comfy in here.”

Liam arched his eyebrow. “Well, with the chaos in here today, I’d probably stay where it was quiet and cozy too.”

Connor walked in, handing me a drink.

“Thanks.”

He sat down on the couch behind me and leaned over, close to my ear. “Good news. Finn and Sierra have volunteered to take Grace for the rest of the weekend. So, if you’d like to come home with me,” he whispered, trailing a hand down my arm, eliciting a full body shiver, “and finish talking everything over, you’re more than welcome.”

I tipped my head back. “Talking, huh?”

He nodded. “So much talking.”

I grinned at the hungry look on his face before dragging it down to mine to kiss him. “I could use some good talking.”

Thirty minutes later, we were back in the kitchen, taping turkey decorations to every vertical surface, including Connor’s back. It was sillyand ridiculous, but it felt like hanging out with the family I’d always dreamed about.

“When do we get to play laser tag?” Grace asked. She sucked her arms back into her costume, then popped them back out a moment later, holding two tiny matching laser blasters.

“So this is how the turkeys fight back?” Finn joked.

Everyone burst into laughter, including Mia, who doubled over at the island counter, trying to catch her breath.

“Ah!” Grace shouted suddenly, dropping her laser guns. “She’s leaking!”

A puddle appeared on the floor before our very eyes. Mia’s jaw dropped as she clutched her belly.

And then all hell broke loose.

“That’s my next grandbaby!” Cathleen cried, racing around the island with a wooden spoon in her hand.